Rural School Leaflet 



1281 



A cricket cage for schoolroom study may be made in the following 

 manner : Plant in a small flowerpot a root of fresh grass or clover. Place 

 over this and press well into the soil a lantern or lamp chimney. Cover 

 the top with mosquito netting. Place the pot in its saucer, so that it 

 may be watered by keeping the saucer filled. Ask the pupils to collect 

 some crickets. In each cage place a male and one or more females, the 

 latter being readily 

 distinguished by the 

 long ovipositors. 

 Place the cages in a 

 sunny window, where 

 the pupils may ob- 

 serve them at recess. 

 In studying the 

 cricket closeh\ it 

 may be well to put 

 one in a vial and 

 pass it around. In 

 observing the crick- 

 ets eat, it is well to 

 give them a piece of 

 sweet apple or melon 

 rind, as they are very 

 fond of pulpy fruits. 



THE COLORADO PO- 

 TATO BEETLE 



Leptinotarsa dccan- 

 lineata 



Glenn W. Herrick 



Appearance of the 

 beetle. — The Colo- 

 rado potato beetle is 

 a robust-looking in- 

 sect nearlv half an -^^''^'^ ^/o/a; with beetles at u<ork: A , beetle; B, grub, or slug; C, 



eggs 

 inch long, with a 



ground color of light brownish yellow, almost reddish 3^ellow at tim.es. 

 Each of the wing covers is ornamented with five black lines running 

 lengthwise. The thorax is marked with ten or m^ore dark spots, while 

 the head is small and bears one dark, three-cornered spot. 



The mouth parts of the beetle consist of two pairs of jaws, the upper 

 pair being dark-colored, hard, and horny. These enable the beetle to 

 bite off bits of leaves and stems, wliicli it chews and swallows. 

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