34 INSECT MANUFACTURES. 



Taking care to do this, the child is delighted some 

 fine morning to see a few little dark coloured 

 worms crawling about the paper, while others are 

 just issuing from the eggs. Perhaps a difficulty 

 now arises about their food. In warm countries 

 the leaves of the mulberry-tree are ready for 

 the insects as soon as they are hatched ; but in 

 England, unless the eggs are purposely kept back, 

 by putting them in a cold place, the caterpillars 

 come out before the mulberry-tree has put forth 

 its leaves. A few tender leaves of the lettuce are 

 therefore spead lightly over the young caterpillars, 

 and upon these they mount, and at last begin to 

 feed, after searching in vain for their natural food. 

 But the worms do not thrive on this diet, and it 

 is much better so to manage the eggs that they 

 may be hatched when the young leaves of the 

 mulberry are just opening. These form the best 

 possible food in that tender state, and in order to 

 economise it, the leaves should be cut in small 

 pieces; because the caterpillars feed only on the 

 edges, and thus great part of a leaf, when given 

 to them whole, is entirely wasted. 



