NATURE'S CALENDAR 59 



to be seen, too — the family to which the April s 



clothes moth belongs — and it is now that ^ - 



these and other household pests begin to 

 lay their eggs. The common, black- 

 streaked brown butterflies ( Vanessa) are 

 more or less about, and towards the latter 

 part of the month we begin to see sev- 

 eral other small, low-flying, and usually 

 blue butterflies, chiefly elfins {Lycaiia) 

 and orange-tips {Euchloe). 



With these appear the coddling moth, 

 and those swift, pretty flies {Bombylius) 

 whose " eggs are laid in the nests of bees, 

 where the half - cylindrical, long, fleshy, 

 smooth, unarmed larvae devour the bee 

 larvse." The peach-spoiling beetle {Eicro- 

 myia) is now feeding on sap, and pres- 

 ently will be flying about the fields and 

 woods, where, as the month closes, mos- 

 quitoes and gnats begin to be trouble- 

 some and the dragon-flies are coming to 

 feed upon them. 



In and about the water insect and 

 crustacean life is well advanced — pretti- 

 est of all the glass-like, fairy shrimps — so 

 that the fishes and turtles, that have been 

 on short commons, are eagerly enjoying 

 a feast, getting fat and brisk, and begin- 

 ning to discharge the duty of egg-laying, 

 so that the young may be hatched and 

 get a fair start for growth during the 

 summer. Hence, in every stream and 

 lake and bit of inland water the domestic 

 life of the fishes begins now, as does that 

 of the birds of the air. 



