552 



Home Nature-Study Course. 



path. When disturbed it will drop by a silken thread for a long distance, 

 and after the danger is passed will crawl back up this rope and begin 

 feeding again. This caterpillar is destroyed by the ants whenever they 

 discover it, as the ants are the special protectors of the plant-lice because 

 of the honey-dew, and probably this habit of the caterpillar's of dropping 

 by a silken rope out of the way of the fierce ant is a method of saving 

 its life. The butterfly is a little copper-colored creature, which appears 

 in May or June until the end of September. It is often found basking in 



the open places near elder bushes. 



References — " Every Day Butterflies," 

 p. 277. " How to Know the Butterflies," 

 p. 237. " Insect Life," p. 163. 



THE WILLOW. 



Preliminary Work. — As early in March as 

 is practicable have the pupils gather twigs of 

 as many different kinds of willows as can be 

 found. These twigs should be as large as can 

 be conveniently cared for, for the larger the 

 twig the more nourishment it can give to its 

 blossoms and leaves. These twigs should be 

 placed in buckets or jars of water and put 

 in a warm, sunny window. After a little they 

 will respond to this change of temperature 

 by pushing ofif all the bud scales and de- 

 veloping their catkins. In most of the wil- 

 lows the pollen-bearing flowers are borne on 

 one tree and the seed-bearing flowers are 

 borne on another. The " pussies " with 

 which the children are most familiar, 

 are the pollen-bearing catkins, but there 

 is little use in studying these unless the seed- 

 bearing catkins are also studied. The bees 

 carry the pollen for the willows, for without 

 them the seeds would not develop. There- 

 fore, this is an excellent opportunity to im- 

 press upon the child the necessity for insects 

 as pollen carriers. 



LESSON CXXI. 



THE WILLOW BLOSSOMS. 



Purpose. — To lead the children to 

 observe the pollen-bearing catkins and 

 the seed-producing catkins of the willow, 



Willow shedding its seeds. 



