CHAPTER IX 



ANIMAL PESTS OF PLANTS 



CONSTANT disappointment and annoyance are caused 

 to the cultivator by the ravages of insects and other 

 animals which devour or otherwise injure his crops, so 

 that in his attempt to raise any crop the pupil is sure to 

 have the presence of some animal pests and their habits 

 unpleasantly brought to his notice. Caterpillars are 

 certain to be amongst the first thus found, and, as an 

 example of an insect's life-history, we may shortly 

 summarise what can be observed in their case. 



Life- History of a Caterpillar. 



A caterpillar is produced direct from the egg laid 

 by the parent. It will be found to be a soft-bodied 

 insect, with a head, and a long body divided into 

 " segments" Behind the head, on each of the first three 

 segments, is one pair of short-jointed legs. On some of 

 the remaining segments and on the last will be found 

 soft " sucker-feet " (or "pro-legs "), but never more than 

 five pairs in all. The head is hard, and provided with 

 very small eyes and strong hard jaws. The caterpillar 

 lives for some time, eating voraciously and casting its 



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