CHAPTER IV. 

 INSECTS. 



Stages in insect life. Food and growth of insects. Mimicry and 

 protective resemblance. Cross-fertilization by insects. Destruc- 

 tion of insects. Insects both friends and pests. Insect intelli- 

 gence. Insecticides. House flies. Weevils in general The 

 granary weevil. Grain moths. The Indian-meal moth. How 

 to keep out insects. The Hessian fly. The squash bug. 



Unlike most familiar animals, insects are inter- 

 esting on account of the several stages through 

 which they pass. Most kinds are so different in 

 the different stages that one would not think them 

 to be the same creatures. Who would believe 

 that the slow, creeping, worm-like caterpillar would 

 ever become a beautiful butterfly with large wings 

 to sport in the sunlight; or the sluggish, soft- 

 bodied grub transform into a lively beetle, with 

 hard coat of mail, and wings and legs for rapid 

 locomotion? Such, however, are some of the won- 

 ders of the insect world. 



There are four stages in the life of the highest 

 orders of insects egg, larva, pupa, and adult. 

 Some of the lower orders do not pass through all 

 these stages, but, as the young hatch from the egg, 

 they resemble the adult except in size and the pos- 

 session of wings. In a few species, the young are 



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