A GRADED COURSE OF NATURE-STUDY 457 



amine the larvae in different stages. (The same thing 

 may be seen in the open nest of the polistes wasp.) Food 

 plants of the bees list. What is basswood or clover honey ? 

 Bee-keeping. The profit in it. The pleasure in it. En- 

 courage keeping of bees. Care of bees, summer and winter. 

 (i44, i45> I2 9> I26 > i3> 48i, i33> J 47> 246 "Bee-keeping.") 

 Read about hunting wild bees Burroughs' " Bees and Birds." 

 Usefulness of bees in pollinating fruit trees, etc. (238 page 

 289, 200, 207, 215, 156.) 



Compare the wasp* with the bee as to structure and 

 habits: Note membranous wings of both, hooked together. 

 General similarity of shape, differences. Both sting. Hold 

 a worker wasp with pincers and observe sting thrust out. 

 Remedy for stings. Wasp nest.* First paper-maker. Bring 

 in nests in the fall after the cold weather has killed the wasps. 

 Examine comb, compare with bee's. Usefulness of wasps. 

 Compare the bumblebee* with wasp and bee. Cage some 

 and feed on sweetened water. Observe in the clover fields. 

 Use ? Similarly compare the mud wasp * of the attics and 

 lofts with the bee. Note interesting mud nest.* Break 

 open and examine young larvae. Note cells partly filled 

 with food. What is it? Are they dead? Uses of wasps. 

 In what respects are all these insects alike ? They are called 

 the membrane-winged group. Why? (143, 146, 145, 144, 

 136, 132, 126, 15, 47, 33, 34.) 



House-fly:* Observe structure, number of wings, the 

 eyes, legs, body, tongue ; eating, running, cleaning wings, flying, 

 running on the ceiling or window. Where are the flies most 

 abundant ? Leave a bone with some meat exposed in such 

 a place. Observe the flies there. Examine the bone for 

 eggs, and later for larvae, "maggots." Place a rather old 



