I. IKK HISTORY OF A CATKKIMI.I.AU 



CHAPTER 1X.-INSECTS. 



Constant disappointment and annoyance 

 are caused to the cultivator by tlie ravages of 

 insects 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 in- 

 sects and their habits unpleasantly brought to 

 his notice. Caterpillars will be amongst the 

 first thus found and, as an example of an in- 

 sect's life-history, we may shortly summarise 

 what can be observed in their case. 



LTFE-HISTORY OF A CATERPILLAK. 



1. 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 * smker-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 



