KATYDIDS 
63 
There are other flowers and plants that are harmless to man, but 
poisonous to animals, if eaten. Many who read these lines know the 
bad effects of the loco-weed of the West or the lambkill of the East. 
In pastures wheie buttercups abound cattle carefully graze around 
them, but will not eat the flowers or leaves, because of the bitter taste 
of the poison in them. 
The botanist and lover of flowers should remember two things: 
first, it is safe to pick any beautiful flower; second, it is never safe 
to let its juices touch the lips or any flesh wound. 
KATYDIDS 
/^F ALL the shrubs and trees that grow, some tender-foliage tree like 
W the willow will be selected by the katydids. In the year 1914 they 
delighted in munching leaves from shrubs on our lawn, and so far as 
I was able to discern, they made no attempt whatever to devour the 
foliage of any other plant, except a few basket-willows. Katydids are 
very modest and gentle. Their deep-green protective color makes it 
difficult to locate them on the foliage. At night the earth seems full of 
rasping noises of katydids; but when the sun comes up and chases the 
last bit of darkness off the face of the earth, the noise of the katydids 
ceases. When we go out to observe some of the noisy creatures, we 
become disgusted in the futile attempt. The trouble is we are likely to 
have a dozen katydids under our eyes and not distinguish their forms 
from the deep-green leaves. 
A number came to our basket-willow, and we tried to find them 
eating the foliage, but not until evening. On a number of nocturnal 
trips I found the katydids eating the foliage. I learned that when they 
are living on a tree the foliage of which makes good food, they rarely 
leave it. If our katydids ever left the basket willow, we were never 
able to make the discovery. At any time during the day or at night, 
we knew where to find them. 
One night about eleven o’clock, just before I retired on a train, 
one flew and lit on the glass window on the outside. The bright light 
in the car shone out, and I was afforded a splendid opportunity foi- 
studving the insect. Immediately upon alighting it began to make its 
toilet, Bv rubbing saliva on its forelegs, it made a fairly good towel, 
