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INSECT HELPERS 



IT is very essential that our destructive instinct against 

 those animals which, according to a very great 

 man's very profound classification, are the highest of 

 the six divisions which compose the animal sub- kingdom 

 known to science as Annulosa, — the division grouped 

 under the head Insecta — shall not be over-developed. 

 We are so constantly impressed by warnings everywhere 

 displayed against malign little monsters that we are 

 in grave danger of never knowing anything about the 

 benign little allies which this group contains. And in 

 our ignorance we are in still graver danger of depriving 

 ourselves of their services through our over-stimulated 

 impulse to destroy. 



The destruction of these little creatures is very much 

 what the destruction of horses, and cattle, and sheep, 

 and dogs would be, if we proceeded to slaughter all 

 animals because tigers, and wolves, and panthers, and 

 other savage kinds were inimical to the life and comfort 

 of man. Quite as the faithful sheep dog defends a 

 flock against invading foes, does the dainty lady-bug 

 defend certain other of our possessions against maraud- 

 ing enemies — and though in the interests of truth and 



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