BY THE WAVE IDE 
15 
THE SCHOOL BRANCHES. 
The following societies have been formed 
since the last issue of the Wayside by the 
teachers of the state: Peshtigo, Miss Lura 
Heath, 74; Greenwood, Miss Sarah Cummings, 
and Dorcas Borgers, 43; Medford, Seneth 
Forsyth', 36; Eleva, Miss Nora Nelton, 16; 
Omro, Misses Grace Troxell, Cassie Lewis, 
Donna Bennett, Annie Hurley, Christine Ames, 
133; Spencer, Miss Ida Parrett, 20; Durand, 
Misses Bridgie Enright and Marie dost, 62; 
Chippewa Falls, Edward Shea, 8; Holland, 
Miss Margaret Joyce, 40; Vesper, Miss Mabel 
White, 30; Niebull. Miss Rose Brown, 28; 
Cambria, Miss Winnifred Thomas, 10; Arena, 
Miss Lena Kendall, 25; Lake Mills, Miss 
Clara Holcomb, 22; Porcupine, N. M. Payer, 
16; Marshall, Miss Eda Hart, 28; Johnson 
Creek, Miss Francess Warner, 13; La Crosse, 
Miss Gertrude Hyden, 52; Wauzeka, Mrs. M. 
O’Keefe, 49; Swiss, O. H. Christianson, 14; 
Cross Plains, The Franciscan Sisters, 0. M. 
S., 73; Kilbourn, Miss Mabel Bennett, 14; 
Rio, Miss Alice Bennett, 14; River Falls, Miss 
Margaret Roberts, 13; Sheboygan, Miss Ida 
Diehl, 34; Appleton, Miss Louise Irving, 23; 
Whitelaw, Miss Elizabeth Fitzgerald, 18; La- 
mont„ Miss May Cury, 35; Platteville, 6; 
Boyceville, Miss Edith Olson, 10. This with 
additions to the society already formed, gives 
a total of 1137 new members 
Through the continued delays on the part 
of the manufacturers, the orders for buttons 
sent to the secretary have not been promptly 
filled this month. In future the societies will 
be better served. 
THE STATE AUDUBON SOCIETY. 
The annual meeting of the Wisconsin State 
Audubon Society was held in Madison, May 
20. Prof. O. B. Zimmerman was re-elected 
president, Mrs. R. G. Thwaits continues to 
serve as secretary-treasurer and Miss Ruth 
Marshall becomes secretary-treasurer for the 
children’s department. Dr. H. W. Hillyer, Mr. 
George Raymer and Dr. W. S. Marshall are 
vice presidents. A board of directors and nine- 
honory presidents are chosen from among the 
bird overs of the state. A full report of the 
meeting has been omitted but will be reserved 
fro a future issue. 
THE MILKWEED BUTTERFLY 
If you will bring in the stem of the milk-' 
weed on which you have found the e°'o , s or 
caterpillers, put the end in water, and cover 
the whole with a glass jar, you can, if you 
have the patience, watch step by step the won¬ 
derful transformations. Supply new stems 
as the leaves are eaten. 
I he little caterpillar soon grows too big 
for its skin, and this must be moulted. For 
it does not increase by growth with the body. 
A new skin is formed under the old before the 
latter is shed. First the covering splits along 
the head and back, then the head is wriccded 
_ 55 & 
off. 1 he larva is now much larger. After 
resting a while, it begins again on the leaves 
vith a fresh appetite, and continues to stuff 
itself for about a week. Then comes a sec¬ 
ond moult, and a third, and a fourth, and e en 
a fifth in the month that follows; after this 
last moult a week or more of feeding, with 
only short periods of rest. The caterpillar is 
now almost two inches long, a beautiful green 
like the leaves; bands of black and yellow run 
around it; a pair of delicate black feelers ex¬ 
tend out from the head and are matched by 
another shorter pair on the hinder end of the 
body. It now makes great havoc with the 
leaves; if you are holding it captive, fresh food 
must be supplied very often, for its appetite 
seems to know no bounds. Starting at the 
side or top of a leaf, it gnaws out a neat cir¬ 
cular area, then systematically enlarges it till 
at length only the big veins and the stems are 
left. The presence of these caterpillers on 
the plants can often be detected by their rav¬ 
ages on the leaves. It is lucky for tlie milk¬ 
weed plants that sharp eyed enemies pick off 
many of its greedy guests before their appe¬ 
tites are satisfied. 
And now a change has come. Fresh green 
leaves no longer have any attractions; the cat¬ 
erpillar grows restless, and will get away from 
you if the smallest crack is left in the caoe. 
It is trying to find a sheltered place in which 
to pupate. Lo escape the eyes of its many en¬ 
emies during this helpless stage is now the 
paramount consideration. Out of doors it may 
find a sunny nook in some fence by the way- 
side. If held captive, it will begin operations 
on the stem. One which escaped me once se¬ 
lected the edge of the laboratory table. And 
now if you have patience and time you may 
see some interesting things. A silken mat is 
spun on the surface of its support, the threads 
coming from the mouth and drying as they are 
exposed to the air. In the mat the hooked 
claws of the last prop legs become entangled, 
