42 



six meal worms* given them daily proves very bene- 

 ficial. 



Disorder. Moulting generally amounts, with a Night- 

 ingale, to a disease. At this period they must be well 

 taken care of. The ants' eggs, before mixed with the 

 other food, are better to be soaked in hot water. The 

 number of meal-worms should be increased by two or 

 three. A spider now and then given to them is very 

 wholesome. As to the other disease, we refer to pages 

 9, &c. If good care is taken of them, they will gener- 

 ally attain the age of four to eight years. 



*Meal worms can easily be raised, as follows : A box, that 

 will hold about a peck, lined with tin, so that the worm can- 

 not crawl out — or an earthern jar — is to be nearly filled with 

 wheat-bran, oatmeal, old woollen rags, a little old leather, and 

 brown sugar-paper. Into this are to be put about a couple 

 of hundred of meal worms, — the box to be covered with a 

 piece of cloth, or a board with a few holes to admit some 

 air. By keeping them in a quiet and warm place for three 

 months they will change into beetles. These insects soon 

 propagate by eggs, which renews and increases the stock 

 considerably. 



