FLYING 255 



we accused them of not climbing weeds for seed, but later 

 Albert saw a hundred climb star thistle and gather ripe 

 seed. 



FLORENCE. It was only today that I watched one of 

 c-nrs climb a plantain weed an inch high and cut the six- 

 seeded top off in ten minutes. Then another ant came 

 along and dragged the head home. One time in March I 

 saw a score of ants at this same work for several days. 



Flying. 



CECIL. I have just learned how fast some insects move 

 iheir wings. The house fly flaps hers 352 times a second, 

 and the honey bee 440. The bee must have small wings 

 and stout muscles. After man had looked at these insects 

 6,000 years he saw how it was done, turned the propeller 

 1,400 times a minute, and he could fly, too. 



FLORENCE. But which can fly the faster? 



CECIL. Why, man can fly 100 miles in half an hour. 

 Even the birds fly only about thirty miles an hour when 

 not frightened. 



KENNETH. As Cecil once said, ants lost their eyesight 

 and wings when they were driven to living in the ground. 

 Like man, they are now tied to the earth. 



ALBERT. Are you certain that man is tied to the 

 earth ? 



Ladybugs, Spiders, Daddy Longlegs, Oak Galls, 

 Wireless, Cigarettes, Mites, Bats. 



FLORENCE. Tell us a little about the ladybug. It is 

 said there are 2,000 kinds. 



CECIL. Never kill ladybugs. They live chiefly on small 

 harmful insects, as plant lice and plant scales. When 

 frightened, the ladybug draws her legs under her and a 



