130 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



nearly noon when Ben Wait finally said: "Teacher, is n't 

 it almost luncheon time ? " 



Mr. Benedict said soon as they came to a pleasant place 

 where there was a spring of water they would stop. It 

 was not long before such a place was found. The boys 

 were all glad to lie down on the soft, green turf, and for 

 once little Frank sat still while he ate his sandwiches and 

 cake. As soon as they were eaten, however, he was up 

 and dancing round again. He had taken his net and 

 made several fruitless attempts to capture some little but- 

 terfly flitting past, and finally threw it down impatiently 

 over a bush, when something fluttered heavily into it. 



" O teacher ! O Hal ! come here, quick ! " screamed little 

 Frank, while he tried with his own little hands to secure 

 the large green insect fluttering in his net. Mr. Benedict 

 was there in a moment. 



" Let me manage him, Frank," said he. After a dose 

 of ether the large, beautiful creature lay quiet in the net, 

 and Mr. Benedict's ready fingers soon transferred him to 

 the cork. His delicate wings were spread out and fastened 

 in place with pins, and he was carefully placed in the 

 large box where they carried their specimens. 



" That is a Luna moth, my boy," said Mr. Benedict, in 

 reply to Frank's eager inquiry. " He must have been 

 hiding through the day among the leaves of that shrub, 

 and your net falling over it disturbed him." 



