154 SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE STUDY OF INSECTS. 



leaves. If practicable it will be found profitable also to 

 study them along with pupils at the bushes in the garden. 



A series of drawings to illustrate the general life habits 

 of this insect should be made by the pupils. In order that 

 this may be done satisfactorily, a lesson should be given on 

 the structure, and of course it is not possible nor desirable 

 that the whole series should be attempted in one lesson. 

 Time must be given the pupils to assimilate the significance 

 of what they see. 



The caterpillars should be watched and their general 

 appearance and behaviour noted. Pupils should begin by 

 describing its colour. Some variation in this respect will 

 be noted, and pupils should be encouraged to look for this. 

 Black is abundant in large spots along the back and in 

 smaller ones upon the sides ; there is cream and orange red 

 occurring between. Sometimes an example occurs which 

 is almost or completely black. As the pupils watch the 

 insects they will gradually become conscious of some of 

 the values of the colours of this caterpillar, and of cater- 

 pillars in general. 



This insect when fully grown is about 1J inches in 

 length. Its body consists of a series of divisions or seg- 

 ments. Pupils will count these, and discover that thirteen 

 can be made out. They can distinguish the head, which 

 is black in colour and horny -like. With the help of a lens 

 very short " feelers " can be distinguished and also two 

 groups of minute black spots, the simple eyes. On the 

 under side are the jaws, with which the leaves upon which 

 they feed are cut. 



The three segments following the head are very similar 

 to those that succeed them except that they are provided 

 each with a pair of black-clawed feet (Fig. 55 1 ). These 

 three segments must be thought of collectively as a distinct 

 region of the body termed the thorax. They retain this 

 distinctiveness through the whole of the insect's life and 

 constitute the thorax in the adult ; their legs are the rudi- 

 ments of the six legs of the adult. 



The remaining segments constitute the abdomen or hind 

 body, the tenth segment (counting from the head) carries 

 a pair of stumpy sucker feet (Fig. 55 1 ), and so does the 



