140 NEW ZEALAND NATURE-STUDY BOOK 
attention should be drawn to details, to the many ways in which 
insects are of service to us, and to the best means of checking the 
ravages of those harmful forms which do so much injury. 
It is impossible in the scope of a work of the kind to do more 
than describe one or two forms and indicate how the subject may 
be further explained. When the forms suggested have been 
examined, others could be similarly dealt with ; and the points of 
difference and resemblance noted. Teachers who havea liking for 
the subject will find a plentiful supply of material ready at hand 
and might well make insect life contribute largely to the Nature- 
study course. Miall’s Injurious and Useful Insects, published by 
Geo. Bell & Sons, contains much simply worded information, and 
would no doubt prove helpful. 
Pupils should be encouraged to collect—noting when and where 
the forms are found and their habits. The specimens thus 
obtained could be mounted (named and classified if possible) and 
placed in the school museum. 
It is unnecessary to add that the out-door study of insect-life 
offers a splendid field for investigation, for observation, for com- 
parison and contrast. The useful purpose served by Bees and other 
forms can be learnt by seeing the insects at work ; the habits and 
habitat of both larval and winged forms can be noted—the 
advantages of protective colouring actually seen in operation—and 
many other features of interest learnt at first-hand. 
ve VIII.—THE SPIDER. 
ly 
| A series of lessons on insects naturally leads to a descrip- 
! tion of an allied life-form, the Spider, which is popularly 
called an insect, but which we shall see differs in many 
respects from the creatures we have hitherto been 
examining, It belongs to a division of the tracheata, 
known as the arachnida. 
General description. The body of the spider is 
made up of ringed segments; but these fit so closely 
together that the joinings cannot be seen. It consists 
