nature; study lessons. 57 



take a wide-mouthed bottle, cut out a circular piece of pa- 

 per a little larger than the bottle and make pin holes in it; 

 place some cotton at the bottom of the bottle, pour a few 

 draps of chloroform on the cotton, force the paper down 

 flatly upon it, and put in the stopper. We are now ready 

 to catch, kill and study 



A GRASSHOPPER. 



Watch a grasshopper awhile before tr^dng to catch and 

 kill it. Observe that when it moves a little way, quietly, 

 it walks. Find one on a blade of grass or a twig, and see 

 how it walks. Then move along in anj^ grassy place and 

 see them jump. Some will rise and fly, perhaps, with a 

 snapping or crackling sound and settle down again. Grass- 

 hoppers can walk, jump and fly. 



Observe that when grasshoppers fly some show red wings, 

 some yellow wings, and others wings that are parti}' red, 

 or yellow and partly brown. This color marking will help 

 you to tell the different kinds of grasshoppers apart some 

 day, if you care to learn what the books say about them, 

 and to know their names. 



Now catch a few grasshoppers and put them in the bot- 

 tle. It is best to have some kind of a net, but every boy 

 who goes fishing knows how to catch them with his cap, 

 or even with his hand. 



Now look a grasshopper over carefully. See that it is 

 divided into three parts — the head, a middle part and a long 

 round part behind. The middle part is called the thorax, 

 and to this the legs and wings are attached. Notice that 

 the thorax is made up of three rings, and that there are a 

 pair of legs on each ring. There is also a pair of wings on 

 each ring except the first, which covers the shoulders of the 

 grasshopper like a cape. This front ring, with legs, but 

 no wings, is called the prothorax. The long, round, hind- 

 part of the body is the abdomen. It is made up of many 



