656 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



immediately above the entrance to her lair, but the anxious 

 mother passed through this to bring a second and then a third 

 kitten, until all her family were rescued from the flood. 



Not only are nocturnal insects roused by the rains, but the 

 butterflies also come forth from their chrysalids. We have an 

 Aristolochia picta climbing up the gallery which has been seri- 

 ously checked by the continual attacks of one particular species. 

 It is a handsome creature, with black wings edged with yellow. 

 As the rains fall, the plant puts out new shoots, and almost imme- 

 diately the leaves and stems are dotted with yellow eggs. The 

 butterflies come into the open gallery sometimes three or four at 

 a time, and refuse to be driven off until they have done their 

 work. In two or three days the caterpillars are at work, and 

 with all our attention the plant is often quite denuded. 



The frogs come forth from their hiding places as the canals 

 become filled, with their rejoicing croak and hubble-bubble. 

 Toward evening another species chirps and makes up to some 

 extent for the absence of singing birds : in fact, it has been called 

 the Demerara nightingale. After nightfall fireflies swarm over 

 the marshy places, twinkling like myriads of stars, and they sail 

 here and there in search of prey ; for, of course, the gnats and 

 midges and 'mosquitoes are at hand in such places. They also 

 come into the house occasionally, but not in great numbers. 



We have read of fireflies glancing through myrtle boughs 

 and lighting up the dark arches of the forest, but rarely indeed 

 do we see them among bushes, and never in the virgin forest. 

 Their prey can not be found in such places. Over a marshy 

 spot, however, they dart by thousands, each for an instant shin- 

 ing forth and as quickly hiding its light. Here, also, mosquitoes 

 swarm, to pounce upon the unlucky wanderer who goes " moon- 

 ing " about after dark. 



In our garden the ferns are suddenly infested with caterpil- 

 lars. The young and succulent fronds are delicate morsels, and 

 as the rain brings them forth their enemies come to the front. 

 Yonder pretty specimen of Adiantum farleyense was pushing 

 out three delicate croziers yesterday ; now they are nothing but 

 bare stalks, while the fat green larva which has done the mis- 

 chief hides behind one of them. Snails also appear from you 

 know not where, to get a share of the succulent young shoots, and 

 grasshoppers follow to almost denude a plant of leaves during 

 the night. 



Under the arc lights on the street are scattered hundreds of 

 beetles, and round them hover great batlike sphinges, impatient 

 to destroy themselves. Prevented from getting inside the globes, 

 they dash themselves against the barrier, to fall or go off at a 

 tangent. As you stroll along in the moonlight, the odors of a 



