CATERPILLAR-BREEDING. 13 



any possibility suffer an untimely death by drowning, 

 their food was kept fresh and wholesome. Yet, twice 

 a day, so enormous was the appetite of the insects, 

 an- accommodating scout had to be despatched into 

 the neighbouring lanes to bring in as big a bundle 

 of dumb-nettles as he could carry. And this con- 

 tinued day after day, until all the caterpillars which 

 remained were "full-fed," and ready to pass into the 

 pupal or chrysalis state. 



By this time, however, their numbers had been 

 considerably diminished, for at regular intervals of a 

 couple of days a certain number had been carefully 

 bottled in spirits of wine ; and so, when their growth 

 was at an end, my father had a complete series in 

 preservation, in all the stages from birth to maturity. 

 These he subsequently dissected, and thus began his 

 acquaintance with the very important and extensive 

 subject of insect anatomy. 



Other pets he had, too, at the same time : grass- 

 snakes again, which had a way of escaping from 

 their cage and lying up in all sorts of nooks and 

 corners, to the great dismay of the " bed-maker " and 

 the scout ; bats, and various other creatures. About 

 this time, also, he made a somewhat extensive collection 

 of insects, principally consisting of butterflies, moths, 

 and beetles, and worked the surrounding district very 

 thoroughly, paying particular attention to Bagley 

 Wood, which was always one of his favourite haunts. 

 But yet he found time to join in many of the recrea- 

 tions of his fellow-students. He was very fond of 



