BIRDS AND INSECT EGGS 



lens will show the disgusting-looking little creatures running 

 hurriedly away. They are no doubt exceedingly annoyed at 

 being disturbed in the midst of their sleep, for they come 

 out and forage for anything eatable at night, retiring for 

 the day into these hairy grottos. The structure of these 

 grottos is very complicated. They are often like little caves 

 with a narrow entrance, and the sleeping chamber is quite 

 within the leaf. 



A great many trees have these curious mite homes. The 

 insects are generally the colour of the hairs, and are not 

 easy to distinguish. 



All those insects mentioned here have so arranged their 

 life histories that they come into existence exactly at the 

 proper season. The warmth of the sun, which opens the 

 apple buds ever so slightly, stirs also the egg of the mite, 

 the egg of the beetle, or the hibernating weevil, so that all 

 these insect populations come into full active life just when 

 they can do the most damage. 



But one must not stop there ; the bird population is also 

 ready, and is building its nests and feeding its young, just so 

 soon as the insect swarms are at their thickest and most 

 dangerous stage. 



Man walks clumsily through this intricate tangle of living 

 plants and animals : he sets his big foot on a hedgehog 

 (good for the insects), or on a mole (so much the better for 

 wireworm), collects plovers'* eggs (to the great help of every 

 insect), shoots an owl (to the delight of voles and mice) or 



a whole brood of partridges, and in other ways makes a 



we had better say, shows that he is not so clever as he 

 supposes himself to be. 



300 



