24 Bugs, Butterflies, and Beetles 



butterflies and beetles are not mammals, they are 

 not warm-blooded milk-givers. In order that we 

 may be certain that we understand this subject and 

 at the risk of being thought undignifled, I have 

 drawn some pictiu-es here of a boy and an insect, 

 showing their similarity and their difference. 



As we have already suggested, the best way 

 to understand anything which is mysterious to us 

 is to compare it with something with which we are 

 familiar. Now, then, so that we may not scare the 

 reader with a dull talk on comparative anatomy, 

 we will skip all the big words and get down to 

 what the boys in their slang talk call "brass tacks," 

 which if I understand aright means " bottom 

 facts." 



To begin with, we know, of course, that the 

 reader does not look Hke a beetle, bug or butterfly, 

 but we also know that there are certain things which 

 all live creatures possess in common. All live creat- 

 ures must have blood or some sort of juice which 

 serves as blood, all live creatures must have a head 

 and some sort of breathing apparatus. All live 

 creatures must have some kind of a hole for a 

 mouth, something which acts as jaws, teeth, tongue, 

 throat and stomach. Also most live creatures must 



