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 poHstes 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. 

 (144, 145, 129, 126, 130, 481, 133, 147, 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 



