<»0 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



mother who has learned the art of Burns' Scotch Cotter 

 to 'gars auld claes look amaist as weel's the new,' it 

 proceeds to enlarge its own garments. It sets to work 

 as dexterously as any tailor, slitting the coat or case on 

 the two opposite sides, and then adroitly inserting be- 

 tween them two pieces of the requisite size. It man- 

 ages all this so as not to expose its body, never slitting 

 the whole length of the coat at once." 



" Why," exclaimed Abby, " the worm has learned the 

 mj'stery of a gore I Here is certainly a fair beginning 

 for that bond of sympatb}' of which you spoke be- 

 tween the clothes-moth and the dressmaking part of 

 womanhood !" 



"Shall we congratulate the moth or the mantua- 

 maker on the connection r"' I asked. 



"Really, I am not quite so sure with an answer 

 as I would have been a few moments ago. My re- 

 spect for the little wretches has vastly increased. I 

 don't know how I shall muster courage to kill them 

 hereafter !" 



" By taking advantage of this pecular genius for 

 patching," I continued, " or for (lorcs.^ as Abby puts it, 

 clothes-moths have been forced to make their tubular 

 coats of divers colors and patterns. By shifting the 

 caterpillar from one colored cloth to another the re- 

 quired tints are produced, and the pattern is gained ])y 

 watching the creature at work, and transferring it at 

 the proper time. For example, a half-grown caterpillar 

 may be placed upon a piece of bright green cloth. 

 After it has made its tube, it may be shifted to a black 



