NATURE STUDY LESSONS. 19 



Nature Study Lessons. XIII. 



BY EDWARD J. BURNHAM, 



When some time has been spent in catching insects of 

 as many kinds as possible, in the garden, by the roadside, 

 in the fields, and in the brook, an hour should be given to 

 examining, separating, and arranging them in groups. It 

 is well worth while. As stated in the last lesson, the chil- 

 dren enjoy classification, at least as play, while for older 

 people, in these days of practical entomology, there is a 

 sense of satisfaction in an acquaintance Avith at least the 

 major groups of insects. Besides, one may forget many 

 things one does not wish to remember, while listening to the 

 eager disputation of the children. 



When the collection has been carefully examined, and 

 the eight-legged and many-legged creatures have been 

 placed by themselves, it will be found that only six-legged 

 creatures remain. These are the true insects. 



Among these insects, in an^^ day's collecting, there will 

 almost surely be some with hard, horn}'^ wing-covers, which 

 meet in a straight line down the back. They will often be 

 as unlike as can be in other ways, but if they have these 

 wing-covers meeting, and not lapping, in a straight line, 

 they belong in the same pile, for they are all beetles. 



Among them may be the shiny, black Ground Beetle, 

 that was found in the grass or under a board or stone ; 

 there may be Rose-bugs from the rose bushes, and Gold- 

 en Tortoise-shells from the morning glory vines. There 

 will quite likely be some I^ady-bugs, that are not bugs at 

 all, of course, because they have wing-covers, like other 

 beetles. In the Eastern States, at any rate, one may often, 

 in July and August, find the Dogbane Jewel, a beautiful 

 beetle, on the dogbane beside the road. In clumps of el- 

 ders by the brook, there may be some Cloaked Knotty- 



