CHAPTER XVI 



ANIMALS AND ALCOHOL 



Sometimes men mix rum and molasses together in a 

 shallow dish and set it where flying insects may see it. 

 These little creatures are so fond of sweet things that 

 they smell the molasses for yards around and hurry from 

 all sides to get it. Possibly they like the rum too, for 

 they seem to enjoy the whole mixture and drink it up 

 eagerly. But imagine what happens afterwards. Before 

 long the insects are intoxicated. Then they lie around 

 so helpless that men catch them without even a net. 



Did you ever hear of beautiful drunken butterflies? 

 In South America there is a certain tree from the 

 flowers of which a sweet juice trickles, and hosts of 

 butterflies use this juice for food. Unfortunately, how- 

 ever, while it is still on the tree, it sours and ferments. 

 Now butterflies do not seem to be quite bright enough 

 to know that they take great risks when they use this 

 juice after it is sour. In fact, they are so ignorant that 

 they run their long tongues into the flowers and suck 

 it up as merrily as ever. Then they feel queer, and 

 stagger, and act as some men do on the sidewalks late 

 at night. They cannot fly, they act half-witted, and 



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