

LIFE IN AN OAK-TREE. 199 



oak-tree ? " said Dick. " Just watch this branch while I tap 

 it" 



He struck the branch as he spoke, and immediately there 

 fell from it scores of caterpillars, which let themselves fall by 

 a silken thread, and descended, some nearly to the ground, 

 others only a little distance. 



" I was reading the other day," said Dick, "of the immense 

 quantity of moths which lay their eggs on the oak. There are 

 caterpillars which build little houses of bark to live in. Others 

 roll up the leaves and so make tents for themselves. Others 

 eat the surface of the leaves, and so leave white tracks on 

 their march. Others, when they are frightened, will put them- 

 selves into such queer postures : they will stretch themselves 

 out as stiff as a twig, holding on by one end only, and you 

 would think they were twigs; and these, when they walk, -loop 

 themselves up. They don't crawl like other caterpillars, but 

 have feet only at each end, and so they loop up their bodies 

 in the middle till they form the letter O, and then stretch out 

 their heads again and bring up their tails with another loop. 

 And then there are cannibal caterpillars, which eat other cater- 

 pillars. Look at these little spots of bright green. See, if I 

 make them fly, they are seen to be pretty little moths with 

 green wings. They are called the green oak-moth." 



" An oak-tree seems to be a regular city," said Frank. 



"Look at this marvellously beautiful fly, with lace-like 

 wings," said Jimmy. " What is that ? " 



" That is a lace- wing fly," answered Dick. "Just put your 

 nose as close as you can to it and smell it." 



Jimmy did so, and said, 



" Why it is nearly as bad as a stink- horn fungus." 



No more ducks came back that day, but three more wood- 

 pigeons fell victims to their love of corn, and the boys 

 descended, by and by, and walked home. 



As they were sitting on a stile, Dick pointed to the carcase 

 of a mole which lay on the path, and to two little black beetles 

 with yellow bands on their wing-cases, which were crawling 

 over it. 



"I think those are burying beetles. Let us watch them. 

 They lay their eggs in dead bodies of beasts or birds and 

 then bury them, and the grub of the beetle lives on the carcase 

 in its babyhood." 



