The Wonderful Ways of Insects and Spiders [ 287 



(or ring) of the worm's body, except for the first three segments 

 and the last one. The bristles are aids in crawling as well as 

 holding. 



The Earthworm's Eggs: In the giant earthworms of the tropics 

 which may grow to a length of six feet, it is easy to see how the 

 body is composed of segments one behind the other. On the 

 common earthworm an extra, saclike ring is formed about the 

 body toward its tail-end. The worm lays its eggs in this ring, and 

 then works it forward and over its head. Cast off, the ring becomes 

 a football-shaped capsule of yellowish brown, no larger than a 

 grain of wheat. You may sometimes come across such a capsule 

 in the fields, under stones or sticks, in May or June, before baby 

 earthworms have hatched from the egg. 



Earthworms Are Profitable: With the value of the earthworm 

 fully recognized, raising worms has become a successful business 

 enterprise. The earthworms are sold as fish bait to sportsmen 

 throughout the United States and Canada and, more important, 

 they are supplied commercially to farmers who appreciate their 

 ability to increase the fertility of the soil. 



The Insect World Tiny or Immense 



We have come to the end of our exploration of the enchanting 

 world of insects, spiders, and other small creatures. It is a world 

 tiny in scale but brimming over with fantastic, "wonder-full" 

 things to observe: How insects see with their curious compound 

 eyes, how they walk upside-down, walk backward, swim on their 

 back, whirl in circles, make music, and change into gorgeous crea- 

 tures through the magic of metamorphosis; how they make paper, 

 produce honey, and weave silk; how they kill by piercing, suck- 

 ing, trapping, entangling, or injecting nerve-killing fluid; how 

 they build nests, combs, webs or house themselves by fashioning 

 a case over their bodies; how they live in huge colonies and fight 

 in vast armies commanded by queens and served by slaves. 



Once you turn from man-made structures of wood, concrete, 

 and steel, and allow your eyes to dwell on nature and its creatures, 

 you can never know a boring, empty moment. There is so much 



