kanouse] nature-study AGRICULTURE 113 



museum was started. The children label, arrange, and care 

 for the specimens and so feel a responsibility in the work. 



1 attribute the success of our work to the perfect freedom 

 the children have had in the work. I saved all poems, pictures 

 and articles that would be of value and let the children study 

 them in the five or ten minute periods before recess or at noon 

 when there was no necessity for preparing the next lesson. The 

 material was always before the children. I never compelled them 

 to do the reading, I merely suggested and left the decision with 

 them, but they were always eager for the chance. There are 

 a great many national and state bulletins sent free that furnish- 

 ed valuable reading. 



Aside from the oral and written compositions nothing was 

 required. Do not attempt to crowd in many technical terms. 

 Let the pure, simple charm of the study be the controlling mo- 

 tive. It is there, and those who seek may find it, and use it to 

 unlock a world of knowledge and quicken the power of observa- 

 tion. 



Ouincy, Michigan. 



The Tobacco-Worm and Its Kin 



Ellen Robertson-Miller. 



The changing of a tobacco-worm into a beautiful, big moth 

 with velvety wings, is one of Nature's fairy-like achievements. 

 This strange transformation can usually be observed, with little 

 effort, where tobacco, tomatoes, or potatoes are grown. But if 

 these plants are not accessible, the larvae may be seen upon jim- 

 son-weed, a plant which takes root and flourishes on the rubbish 

 heaps of our city lots. 



There are two varieties of the insect, both of which are 

 commonly spoken of as the Tomato-worm, the Potato-worm, or 

 the Tobacco-worm, according to the larva's feeding habits. One 

 variety, Protoparce Carolina, is found largely in the tobacco fields 

 of the South, while Protoparce celeus is the more common North- 

 ern species. The two varieties, sometimes living close together, 

 differ slightly in appearance, although their general character- 

 istics are similar. 



I have gathered eggs of both celeus and Carolina from the 

 same tomato plant and at the same time, those of celeus being 

 oval and those of Carolina ovoid. 



A moth mother in ovipositing usually places but a single 

 egg upon a leaf. At first the egg has a green color, but this 



