New Series, October, 1905. 



347 



Fig. 6. — Colorado potato beetle larvce or 

 "soft shells" or "sings," as the farmers 

 call them. Natural size. 



LESSON IV. AN UNINVITED 

 GUEST 



Nearly all of our Junior Natural- 

 ists are gardeners, and good gar- 

 deners need to know insect pests 

 and how to keep them away from 

 the growing plants. 



The potato beetles, or potato 

 bugs, as they are commonly called, 

 are among the most frequent and 

 troublesome visitors that enter our 

 gardens. They arrive early, remain 

 late, and, judging from their appe- 

 tites, the air usually agrees with 

 them. 



Let us study potato beetles this 

 fall and perhaps we shall be able to 

 keep them away from our gardens next year. Even if you have no 

 garden you will find the beetles interesting to study, and you may be 

 helpful to people near your home who are trying to grow a good crop of 

 potatoes. 



Hozv to Study the Potato Beetle 



1. Go into a potato field and notice whether 

 there are any beetles on the plants. Llave the 

 leaves been eaten to any great extent? 



2. Carry a plant with some of the beetles on it 

 into the schoolroom. Watch the beetles from day 

 to day. Keep the plant as fresh as possible. 

 Give the beetles new leaves when needed. If 

 you have no terrarium keep your specimens in a 

 box covered with mosquito netting, or place them 

 under a lamp chimney and cover the top with a 

 piece of netting. 



3. I suppose many Junior Naturalists know 

 that some insects appear in four different forms 



Fig. 7. — Pupa in its 

 earthen cell in soil, 



enlarged. 



