LADY-BIRDS 



369 



lady-birds are almost certain to arrive, and one may see them flying 

 in vast multitudes from over the sea. At such times the shore 

 and the cliffs upon which they alight are quite reddened with them. 

 They cover every rock as the tide goes out; and still they come, 

 more, and more, and more, as though they would never cease. 



A great many of these lady-birds are not strong enough for 

 such a long flight, and become exhausted before they can reach 

 the land. Many, too, are 



blown into the water by ^^ ^. O — ^^^^. \ / 



the wind; while a great 

 number are overtaken by 

 the waves as they crawl 

 upon the shore. When 

 one of these swarms 

 visits us, thousands upon 

 thousands are drowned; 

 and when the tide goes 

 back it leaves quite a 

 bank of dead bodies, 

 stretching in a long scar- 

 let line for many miles. 



Soon, however, we see the results of their work. The lady- 

 birds seem to know just where their assistance is required, and go 

 off straight to the hop-gardens. And there they set to work and 

 eat every aphis they can find. 



They lay their eggs, too, and very soon the little grubs are 

 hatched, and begin to feed upon the aphides with as good an 

 appetite as their parents. It has been calculated that each perfect 

 lady-bird, and each grub, will destroy the mischievous little insects 

 at about the rate of one aphis for every minute of the day! 



The lady-bird, then, is one of the most useful insects that we 

 know, for it does us no harm at all, and is always searching for and 

 killing some of our worst enemies. If the lady-bird were to cease 

 from its work the aphis would increase in numbers so rapidly that 

 it would soon destroy all our crops, and leave us neither corn nor 

 vegetables to eat. 



I, Eggs of Lady-bird; 2, Egg magnified; 3, Larva 

 magnified; 4, Natural length of larva; 5,6, Pupae; 

 7, 8, 9, Lady-birds 



(M868) 



2B 



