66 MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 



muscle hardened. Placing them in hot water will do nearly 

 as well, in which case oil of turpentine will dissolve off the 

 fat. This may be applied with a camel's-hair brush. By 

 dissecting under water the loose portions will float off, and 

 render effective work more easy. Swammerdam, who had 

 that most valuable requisite to a naturalist, unlimited patience, 

 not only dissected out the parts, but with small glass tubes, 

 fine as a hair, he injected the various tubes as the alimentary 

 canal and air-tubes. My reader, why may not you look in 

 upon those wondrous beauties and marvels of God's own 

 handiwork — nature's grand exposition ? Father, why would 

 not a set of dissecting instruments be a most suitable gift to 

 your son? You might thus sow the seed which would 

 germinate into a Swammerdam, and that on your own hearth- 

 stone. Messrs. Editors, why do not you, among your apiarian 

 supplies, keep boxes of these instruments, and thus aid to 

 light the torch of genius and hasten apiarian research ? 



TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS. 



What in all the realm of nature is so worthy to awaken 

 delight and admiration as the astonishing changes which 

 insects undergo ? Just think of the sluggish, repulsive ' 

 caterpillar, dragging its heavy form over clod or bush, or 

 mining in dirt and filth, changed, by the wand of nature's 

 great magician, first into the motionless chrysalis, decked with 

 green and gold, and beautiful as the gem that glitters on the 

 finger of beauty, then bursting forth as the graceful, gorgeous 

 butterfly ; which, by its brilliant tints and elegant poise, out- 

 rivals even the birds among the life-jewels of nature, and is 

 made fit to revel in all her decorative wealth. The little fly, too, 

 with wings dyed in rainbow-hues, flitting like a fairy from 

 leaf to flower, was but yesterday the repulsive maggot, reveling 

 in the veriest filth of decaying nature. The grub to-day 

 drags its slimy shape through the slums of earth, on which it 

 fattens ; to-morrow it will glitter as the brilliant setting in the 

 bracelets and ear-drops of the gay and thoughtless belle. 



There are. four separate stages in the development of 

 insects : The egg state, the larva, the pupa, and the imago. 



