116 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



from two to six inches, and make little cavities or cells 

 by turning around repeatedly and fastening the loose 

 grains of earth about them with a few silken threads. 

 Within twenty-four hours afterward, they are changed 

 to crysalids in their cells, where, as we have seen, they 

 transform in the autumn and winter as well as spring. 

 They usually come out of the ground in the night, when 

 the females may be seen straggling through the grass 

 from various points of the area bounded by the spread 

 of the branches, and making toward the trunk." 



"You didn't tell us what becomes of the mother- 

 moths," suggested Harry. 



" There is little more to be said about them, for they 

 are very short-lived ; when they have laid their eggs 

 they begin to languish, and soon die." 



" You spoke of the worms takin' to the apple-trees," 

 said Hugh, " but I find thet they aren't very pertikler in 

 their tastes, so 's they kin git a holt 'v suthin' thet 

 damages the farmer. I 've found "em on the cherry and 

 plum, and they 're special fond uv the elm." 

 ~ " That is true ; and you might extend their bill of fare 

 to some other cultivated and native trees, as well as 

 many shrubs." 



" Is this the canker-worm of which we read in the 

 Bible V" asked the Mistress. " It seems to have been a 

 great scourge to the people of Palestine and those parts." 



" It is not easy to answer that question. The exact 

 meanings of words used in the Hebrew Testament to 

 express all forms of animal life, are hard to determine. 

 Some have supposed the word translated ' cankei*- 



