FOES AND FRIENDS OF THE PLANT 



185 



if told in detail, would rival in variety and interest 

 many a famous fairy tale." There are many insect 

 books which tell these stories, but in many cases the 

 insects are quite different from those on the Pacific 

 slope. Some which have to do with our own 

 are found in Kellogg's " Insect Stories." 



BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



The butterflies (figure 97) and mtfths (figures 98 and 

 99) which visit flowers are very fond of honey, and if we 

 watch them at work, we can easily see the long tongue 

 which they use to 

 reach the sweet 

 nectar lying at the 

 bottom of the 

 flower. When they 

 are not feeding, 

 they roll up the 

 tongue so that it is 

 out of the way. 



The butterflies 

 and moths flying 

 about the garden 

 seem to do the plants no harm. In fact they may 

 carry pollen, and so help to make good seed, as we have 

 already learned (page 93). 



But the gardener would gladly be rid of them, for 



FIG. 97. Alfalfa butterfly. 



