LARVA. ^» 
of the bark of trees, do so because their 
larva feed on the inner bark, and live 
under the outer bark. 
hucy. Larva, what is that r 
Mother. Larva is the name given to 
the caterpillar state of all insects, which 
afterwards updergo a metamorphosis, or 
change. 
Lucy, What does the word mean ? 
Mother, It is derived from a Latin 
word signifying mask ; the ihsect having 
its true appearance concealed, as it were, 
behind a mask. 
Lucy, The larva, then, does not, 
as I first thought, eat the bark of the 
tree. 
Mother, Trees have a thin green bark 
within the brown outside bark ; on this 
green bark the caterpillars live ; when 
they are hatched they creep from the 
crevice in which they were placed under 
the outer bark, and begin to eat ; and as 
they eat they make a room for them- 
selves to dwell in ; so that they live in a 
c 
