NOTES ON RECENT LITERATURE 27 



We had a fine monarch for a pet among some pot flowers for a 

 few days but he finally found his way out. Along with the butter- 

 flies we secured a few moths and caterpillars including a poly- 

 phemus caterpillar nearly four inches long. We discovered him 

 coming with a caterpillar-hustle down the trunk of a bur oak. 

 He was put into a paper box with some oak leaves, two of which 

 he twisted into a tent, lined it with silk and went to sleep. One 

 tomato worm among our collection was pining away under a 

 monstrous load of ichneumen eggs, or rather cocoons for they 

 had reached that stage. 



Three home made fly traps constructed from cast-off window 

 netting served for experimenting with fly baits. These were 

 baited with sugar, syrup, honey, jelly, butter and other such com- 

 mon substances but apple cores and peelings seemed to take the 

 lead in drawing flies. The boys volunteered the explanation that 

 it was because apples are so scrace and high priced. Buttermilk 

 ranked next to apples so far as our experiments went. Flies are 

 thirsty souls. They must have their drinks as regularly as a 

 dutchman. I have often noticed that if I shut the school-house 

 on Friday evening, being careful to leave no water for them to 

 drink, the flies will be dead by Monday; but if any means of 

 slaking their thirst is at hand — even open ink wells or a moist 

 flower pot — Monday morning finds them pert and ready to greet 

 you and your lunch pail with a familiarity only too cordial. 



J. S. Lozier. 

 Areola, Illinois, Oct. 26, 19 10. 



