174 NATURE STUDY. 



Nature Study Lessons. XXI. 



BY EDWARD J. BURNHAM. 



While nature study ought to tend to the development of 

 sentiments of kindness and mercy toward all living creat- 

 ures, it is nevertheless desirable that children be taught to 

 be sensible as well as sentimental. No insect, for exam- 

 ple, should ever be tortured— sticky fl3'paper is a cruel 

 abomination — and yet it is necessary that vast multitudes 

 of the insect tribe should be destroyed. Good food in 

 abundance is of more importance than the lives of many 

 insects. 



It happens that nearly all Lepidoptera are destructive to 

 vegetation. Many of them, as caterpillars, feed upon the 

 growing crops of the farmer, the fruits of the orchard and 

 the vegetables of the garden. Each female lays many 

 eggs, and it happens, therefore, that commonly when a 

 moth or butterfly is killed a good service is rendered to 

 one's fellowmen. Food would be much more abundant 

 and more easily obtained by all — -especially by the very 

 poor in the large cities, if many of the families of the Lep- 

 idoptera were utterly destroyed. So the children should 

 not be taught that it is cruel to make a collection, unless 

 the catching and killing are cruelly done. 



As moths fly mostly by night, it would be difhcult mak- 

 ing a collection of them if it were not that many species 

 are attracted to lights, while many other species are ex- 

 ceedingly fond of sweets. A light in the window, or on 

 the veranda, on an}^ summer evening, will be sure to bring 

 numerous individuals of several species within easy range 

 of the net. Since moths, as a rule, have their special sea- 

 sons, each succeeding week will bring new species, and 

 the collection will grow with wonderful rapidity and in- 

 creasing interest throughout the summer. 



