NATURE READERS

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(1)NATURE READERS.

(2) 0k MBMS HIBISIMWIS.

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(6) BUSYBODIES.. THE.

(7) IRature IReabets. SEA-SIDE. AND No.. W AY-SIDE.. 2.. BY. JULIA McNAIR WRIGHT.. ILLUSTRATED BY. “ So he wandered. With Nature,. Who. sang. to. The songs. C. S.. KING.. away and away that dear old nurse.. him, night and day, of the universe.”. Longfellow, Birthday Poem for. BOSTON: D. C.. HEATH &. PUBLISHERS.. CO.,. 1889. .. Agassiz..

(8) Copyright,. 1888,. By Julia McNair Wright.. Typography by. J. S.. Cushing &. Co.,. LIBRARY. Boston..

(9) PREFACE.. To the Boys and Girls we. In this book. :. — together wander a. shall. on the breezy ferns. hills. sometimes. ;. in the low,. marshy. farther,. shall. places,. walk. where. and rushes grow.. Sometimes we. shall stroll along the way-side path,. wild-flowers and grasses are. Sometimes we ocean waves. shall. roll to. ponds, where. lilies. woven. where the. into a wreath.. go to the hard white. sand,. where the. our feet, and bring us shells and curious. treasure from the sea.. the. little. Sometimes we. by the sea-side and by the way-side.. float. Again, we shall go down to the. still. on the water, and dragon-flies swim. in. air.. Wherever we go,. let. us keep our eyes open, and our minds. Then we. awake, to the lessons of Nature. learn. what beauty and wisdom. things as in beetles. flies. ;. and worms.. We. lie. hid,. shall. even. find. shall be able to. in. such humble. much. to delight us. and be as happy as kings, while we search out the. secrets of airy hunters. and marvellous. little. fishers. J.. M. N. W.. 2562527.

(10) Digitized by the Internet Archive in. 2016. https://archive.org/details/naturebyseasidewOOphil.

(11) CONTENTS,. Page. Lesson I.. A. Look at an Ant. The III. The IY. The V. The VI. The II.. VII.. 1. Life of an Ant. Home. Ant’s. 4. .. 8. .. Ants at Home. 11. Ants on a Trip. 14. .. Farmer Ants. 18. Ants and their Trades. 21. The Slave Ants Wonder Ants X. The Ways of Ants. VIII.. 25. .. 28. IX.. XI. XII. XIII.. Mr.. Worm and. his. 31. Family. 35. Mr. Earth-worm at Home Mr.. Worm. at. 38. Work. 42. XIV. Mr. Worm’s Cottage by the Sea. XV. Mr. Worm at Home A Look at a House-Fly XVII. How to Look at a Fly XVI.. 45. 48 o. 52. o. 55. XVIII. Mrs. Fly and her Foes. 58. XIX. Of what Use are Flies. 61. XX.. A. Swarm. of Flies. 63. XXI. Some Queer Flies XXII. In Armor Clad. 69. When Mr.. 73. XXIII.. Beetle was Young. 66.

(12) CONTENTS,. viii. Lesson. XXIV. How to Learn about Beetles XXV. The Rose Beetle XXVI. Princes and Giants XXVII. The Little Sexton XXVIII. The Story op the Stag Beetle XXIX. Mr. Beetle Seeks for a Home XXX. The Little Water-Men XXXI. Whirligig Beetles XXXII. What a Fisherman Told. .... ...... .. XXXIII. Mr. Barnacle and. XXXIV. A. XXXV. A. his. Son. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .92 .95 .99 .104 .107 .110 .114 .117 .120. .... .. .. XXXVIII. Sea-Stars. 132. XL. The Star-Fish with an Overcoat XLI. The Flying Flowers XLIII.. A. .. .. ...... Happy Change. XLIV. The Dragon-Fly and his Cousins XLV. The Wings of the Dragon-Fly. Review Lessons. 123 128. XXXIX. A Sea-Change. XLII. Under the Water. 79. 87 .. .. Last Look at Mr. Barnacle. 76. 83. Fishing Party. XXXVI. Flowers of the Sea XXXVII. The Life of a Jelly-Fish. Page. 135 140 144 149. .. .. .. .152 .156. 163.

(13) EA-SIDE. AND. W. LESSON. told. 1. that an insect. with a body made parts.. two There. Most. I.. LOOK AT AN ANT.. A. You have been. AY-SIDE.. in rings,. insects. a living creature. is. and divided into three. have six. legs, four. wings, and. feelers.. a great Order of insects which. is. we. shall call. the hook- wing family.. The wasp, the family.. bee, the saw-fly,. They. are. and ant belong to. the chief. of. all. They can do many strange and. You. know. will. wings. ones.. insects of. The. They. the. insects.. curious. this great family. this. things.. by their. front wings are larger than the back fold. back over them when at. rest.. In flight the upper wings hook fast to the lower If. you look carefully. at. some kinds. of insects,. soon say I have told you what 1. First. Book, Nature Readers.. 2. is. you. 2 .. will. not quite true.. See First Book,. p. 28..

(14) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 2. Why. you think that. will. “The. You. ?. will say to me,. has two wings, and not four.”. fly. ant has no wings at. Ah, but wait until you study about ants and see. you. if. The mouth. “The. all.”. will then think the. flies,. and. same way.. hook-wing insects has two jaws. of all the. for cutting.. These insects have two big eyes, one on each side of. You. the head.. Between the two big eyes they have. some. ones, on the top of the head.. little. see insects are as well supplied with eyes as crabs. are with legs.. The back part. an. of. insect’s. middle part by a small. body. is. made. fast to the. That. joint, or thread.. is. because the insect needs to bend, or even double itself up, in. some. The Hook- wing Order The. of its work. is. divided into two great kinds.. insects of one kind carry a little saw.. carry a sword. is. to cut. The sword. up leaves and wood. nests or houses for the eggs.. with, or to carriers. is. kill. the. ants, wasps,. Get one of these of. which. I. to. long. fly,. and you will. have told you.. nice soft is. Among. to fight. the saw-. called a saw-fly.. and others carry the insects,. The saw. make. The sword. things for food.. fine,. The others. is a sting.. Bees,. sting.. see all the parts.

(15) LOOK AT AN. A. Let us. first. The head. take an ant to look. of. 3. ANT.. at.. an ant seems very large for. its. or back part of the body. On. made. is. body, and. The. the eyes seem very large for the head.. third. in six rings.. the tip or pointed end of the hind part of the body is. On. the sting.. the part of the body, next. These. head, are set the six legs. feet,. have. The wings. and. also the. joints.. are set on the upper side of the middle part. The. of the body.. on. legs are set. There are four wings, ones.. legs,. .the. — two. The upper wings. under. its. side.. and two small. large. are larger than the lower. ones.. Now. I. hear you cry out, “ Oh,. Well, let. me. tell. you a. ant have been cut. off,. my. ant has no wings. The wings. secret.. or unhooked, as. ” !. of your. you. shall. hear by and by.. There are. many. name and. Each has. families of ants. its. own ways.. wise in their actions.. I. strange things about them.. All shall. tell. its. are. own very. you many. Ants have always. been called “the wise insects.” like to learn. ants. Would you not. something about them. ?. Before you study the ants in any book, I wish you. would go out into your garden or into the Find an. ant-hill,. and. sit. or. lie. by. it. for. fields.. an hour.

(16) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. Take some sugar. or so.. cake to feed the ants.. bits of. Find out for yourselves. that you learn in this. be worth very. much. LESSON In. Facts. way. will. to you.. II.. OF AN ANT.. LIFE. we. ant-hills. that. all. you can about them.. THE. or. find. drone. ants,. queen ants, and worker ants.. The drone ants have no and do no work. are longer and. those. of. sting. Their bodies. more slim than. The drone. queens.. ants have wings.. The queen ants. also. They have. have wings.. stings,. and. their. bodies are round and dark.. The workers and. are smaller than queens. drones.. They. also. are. darker, and have no wings and. no A. HOUSE. IN. A. HILL.. stings.. sizes,. Workers are. large and small.. of. two. They.

(17) THE are the. OF AN. LIFE. nurses,. builders,. 5. ANT.. and servants. soldiers,. of the others.. In an ant-hill there. Often. may. be. The queen ant. diers.. who. will allow. queens at one time.. They. work.. They. mothers and queens.. bee,. many. ant-queens. the. are. both. will also act as sol-. not. is. like. the queen. no other queen to. live. near. her.. The word “queen” may make you think that That. rules the rest.. leader and no ruler. it. The. is. not. so.. this ant. Ants have no. Each ant seems. to act as. pleases.. work. chief. queen ant. of the. to lay eggs.. is. In a. short time, out of each egg comes a lively, hungry, little. baby. ant.. like a small. This. little. It is called. be cared cared. larva. young. very. for,. much. and sun.. air. as the. baby. in. It. warm must. your home. for.. act as nurses, are very kind to the. How. larvae. ?. is. white worm.. The workers, who things. A. being needs to be washed, fed, kept. and dry, and taken into the. is. a larva.. They. the kitten.. them nearly. lick. do. them. they wash these all over,. They use such. little. as the cat licks. care that they keep. as white as snow.. The nurses feed the baby ants four. or five times each.

(18) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 6. day. to. The nurses prepare the food. make. it. and. soft. in their crops,. for the little ants.. fit. The nurses stroke and smooth the larva baby. they patted and petted. as. if. is. cold,. is. warm and. 1. in-doors.. them up. dry, they hurry to carry. the top of the. seems. When the weather When it. it.. they keep the larvae. It. They place them there. hill.. to. to. bask in the sun. If. any rain comes, or the. broken, the nurses run. hill is. to carry the babies to a safe place.. When. the larva. little. full. is. net,. fine. grown,. it. spins around itself a. which wraps. it. them “ ant-eggs.”. they. call. They. are pupa-cases.. getting ready to. They. When. up.. all. people see these white bundles in the. ant-hills,. are not eggs.. In them the baby ants are. come. out,. with legs and wings,. as full-grown ants.. The pupa-cases. are of several sizes.. are for queens. large workers. ;. and drones.. The. largest ones. The next. size. holds. the smallest cases hold the smallest. workers.. There are often in the ants.. When you. hills. very wee ants called dwarf. study more about ants in other. books, you can learn about the dwarfs.. After the ants have been in the 1. say. When we mean larvce.. little. only one we say larva; when we. cases. some time,. mean more than one we.

(19) THE. OF AN ANT.. LIFE. The nurse ants help. they are ready to come out.. them. to get free.. Many hundreds come home. the old. room. about.. see the light shine in at the little gates. the top of the sun.. They. hill.. They crawl. They push upon each. feel the. warmth. on. of the. out.. The. other.. many. high enough for so sisters. They crowd. out of the cases.. so full that they can scarcely find. move. to. Then they. Young. 7. hill is. not wide and. uncles and cousins and. and brothers.. young. ants, like. wings.. Off they fly. They swarm. up. people, wish to set. new home.. a. selves in. They spread. for. them-. their fine. !. As they. as the bees do.. rise. high from. the earth, they drift off on the wind.. Very many. them. of. tire. out and. die, or are. blown into. the water, and are drowned.. A. few. live. and. settle. on places. mother or queen. It is the. new. for a. fit. ant,. who. ant-hill.. chooses the. new home.. When. she has found the right place,. she does. ?. not care to. She takes fly. The ant does not them, and. lets. to miss them.. off. what do you think. her wings, as she does. any more. tear off her wings.. them. fall. She unhooks. away, and does not seem.

(20) 8. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. LESSON. III.. THE ANT’S HOME.. THE NEW HOME.. Ants. live in nests,. ant-hills,. made. in the earth.. from the shape. ground.. It is the. We. call. of the part that. is. them above. queen ant who begins to build. the ant-hill.. Like the mother wasp, the ant works on her nest until. enough ants grow up to do that, like the. work ants. When. all. the work.. After. The. queen bee, she does no work.. will not allow her to. go from home. 1 .. the ant finds a place for her home, she takes off. her wings.. worked.. They would be Then she begins. in her. to dig.. For Lessons on Bees and Wasps,. way. while she. She acts. see First Book.. at.

(21) THE ANT’S HOME.. first. much. The ant. dog does when he digs after a. as your. chipmunk or a. 9. rabbit.. lays her big head close to the ground.. her fore-feet she digs up the. back between her hind cousin, Mrs.. Wasp,. She keeps waving her kind of. soil.. rolls. as. It is too. if. to find out the. deep for her to throw. Now. she uses her feet,. also, to dig with.. and moulds the earth into. it. it. She digs as her. legs.. little feelers,. Where. carries each ball out.. takes. With. tosses. digs.. out the dirt with her feet.. She. and. Soon she has a hole deep enough to. cover her body.. and her jaws,. soil,. out, grain. back out of her. by grain,. soil is. At. Soon her. hole.. She. little balls.. the. sandy, she. first,. she must. hall-way is so. wide that she can turn about after she has backed a few steps.. Ants are very kind. to each other in their work.. If. they push or tread on each other in their haste, they never fight about. The ants know how a. little. to. it.. work and how. hard work they. to rest.. After. stop, clean their bodies,. take some food, and sleep.. As the making. of the hall goes on, the ants bite off. with their jaws with their. feet.. bits. of. dirt,. and. roll. them up. They soon use the hind part.

(22) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 10. body to press and push the earth into a. of the. firm ball.. When. the hall. a room.. pupae People. 1 ,. is. and. or three inches long, they. make. are for eggs, for larvae, for. for food.. who have. them. two. The rooms studied. much about. Thus they have. build nests in glass jars.. been able to see. ants have had. how they work.. SAPPERS AND MINERS.. To make a room, the ants hind. legs,. and. their heads.. clean off or. often have to stand on their. bite the earth off, as. Sometimes the ant smooth the. lies. side wall.. they reach up. on. its side, to’. They have. been seen at work, lying on their backs, as. men. do in mines.. The jaws. of the ant. have tiny teeth.. the teeth are often quite i. one.. Pupa. is. worn. In old work ants. off.. than used when we speak of one, and pupoe when we mean more.

(23) THE ANTS AT HOME.. The. 11. feet. and jaws of the ant are well made for digging.. The. feet. have small. hairs.. By the. aid of these the. ants can run up a piece of glass, or as you would. An. ant-hill is. say, “upside. made. Some open. of very. many little. halls. some do. into each other;. rooms are bed-rooms,. hang on a. wall,. down.”. and rooms.. The. not.. nurseries, pantries,. and. din-. ing-rooms.. Many. of the. rooms are shaped. like a horseshoe.. Some. are round.. The ants press and knead the them hard and smooth. with a sticky. floors. like paste, to. soil,. and walls to make. Sometimes they. line. them. keep the earth from. falling in.. Some ants seem. make. to. a kind of glue, or varnish,. with which they line their walls.. LESSON. IV.. THE ANTS AT HOME.. We. have taken a look at the ants and have seen how the hill. is. made.. Let us. now. see. how. the ants live. in their hill-home.. When we all. go to. visit. about the. hill. them, we shall find ants running. and. in the halls.. These are the.

(24) 12. SEA-SIDE AND WAY- SIDE.. work. ants.. watch. lest. When. Some seem. to stand. on the. hill to. any danger may come near.. the drone ants and the queens are young, the. work ants. let. them go out and. When. fly.. do not often come back.. out, the drones. they go. They get. lost or die.. The young queens come back, except those who go. make new tles. down. How. work. in life, to her. workers do not. let. do they keep her in. ?. !. The ants. its. any more.. hill. If she has. If she tries to. picks her up in. set-. of laying eggs, the. her leave the. her pretty wings, they take them. them away. off to. But when the young queen. hills.. not taken off. walk. off,. off. and throw a worker. jaws and carries her back.. are kind to their queen.. They feed her and. pet her, and she becomes very lazy.. She does not. even care to lay her eggs in a nice clean place.. The. idle. queen drops her eggs anywhere.. The kind. worker ants pick them up, and take them. to a soft. bed-room.. When. there are too. many young. queens in one. they do not have a war, as the bees do.. workers of. some. into. settle the trouble,. of the. work. by taking. off. hill,. The. the wings. young queens, and turning them. ants.. begin to lay eggs.. This. is. done before the queens.

(25) 13. THE ANTS AT HOME.. New-born ants and queens, who do not go out into the. The other ants. sunshine are of a light color.. are. dark.. In cold, wet weather the ants stay at home.. If a rain. comes up when they are out, they hurry home. Early in the day, and late in the afternoon, they all. In the hot hours of the day. seem very busy.. they stay in the. hill. and. In very hot lands the ants. rest.. stir. about. ants lay up stores of food.. You. by and by.. all. we. say, are torpid.. The young swarms usually go out in autumn. seen very large. swarms. soon. flowers,. a sweet taste.. For. have. They. all food.. and in other ways. you.. tell. I. in the spring.. Ants like sugar and honey best of. I will. them. In cooler lands, during winter, the. ants are asleep, or, as. honey from. Such. winter.. shall hear of. Some. like seeds. of. get. which. which have. they eat some. this reason. kinds of grass-seeds, oats, apple-seeds, and such things.. Ants take their food by licking. it.. Their. tongues wear away bits of the seed. up the. oil. and. juice.. They seem. ;. little. rough. they also suck. to press the food. with their jaws. It. has been found out that they their. food and. make. it. know how. soft.. If. to moisten. you give them.

(26) 14. SEA-SIDE AND. WAY- SIDE.. dry sugar or cake, they turn. into a kind of paste. it. or honey. If. you put a nest. of ants into a large glass jar,. some food near by tle. down. for the ants to eat, they. in the jar, to. make a home.. and put. may. set-. you coyer. If. the outside of the jar with thick, dark paper, the ants. may. you take halls. Then, when. build close to the glass. off. the paper, you will be able to see the. and storerooms.. You might put such. a jar in a safe place out of doors.. Then you would he roam around near. able to study the ants, as they. by, or do their. work. inside the. jar.. LESSON THE ANTS ON The round. A TRIP.. hole in the ant-hill. ants can close. it, if. Y.. is. they. called the gate.. like,. with a. The. bit of stone.. Often there are two, three, or even more, gates for one ant-hill.. Once. I. saw a. hill. with six large. gates.. Now. I will tell. made by tween two. you. big,. of a very. black ants,. hills of sand.. queer. ant-hill.. It. was. in a little valley be-.

(27) THE ANTS ON. 15. A TRIP.. Into this valley had blown a very large sheet of thick paper.. It. greasy. in sun,. By. had been around a ham and was very. It. had. lain. that time. it. rain, for a year.. was hard and. grown up about by, I. on the ground, crumpled up,. and snow, and. saw ants running. of the paper.. I. fold open like a. in. and weeds had. stiff,. One day,. it.. as I. and out. was going. of the. folds. took a stick and turned the top lid.. ON THE MARCH.. It. was. full. of. ants. and. white. of. think, liked the folds. pupa-cases.. I. halls,. and the larger wrinkles for rooms.. had found out how. work But when. in I. making. to. They. have a house without much. it.. opened the. hill,. they ran in swarms to. pick up the white bundles. did not. of. The. the paper for. ants,. know where. to. Poor things. go for safety.. !. So. They I laid.

(28) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 16 the. lid of their. house back in. and soon. its place,. they were quiet again.. Now. I will tell. you how ants move from one house. to another.. One day,. a line of ants. I. moving. my. garden path. one way.. They were. saw by all. black ants.. They went two by two, other. I. or one and two, close to each. Every one had. found that. they. in its. all. jaws a white bundle.. came. from an. ant-hill.. They came up out. of the gate very fast, one. one, each with. bundle.. its. About two or three inches from saw another. this. line. This line went. of. by. ants I. the. hill,. not from it. They went in good order. They had no bundles when they went into the. hill;. line.. when they came. out,. to. each had a bundle, and. joined the other line of ants. I. went along with the stream white bundles.. new. hill,. I. of. ants that had the. found that they went to a. about thirty feet from the old. hill.. There they laid down their bundles, and went back to the old hill to bring more.. heaped in a ring. all. The bundles lay. about the gate of the. new. city.. Out. of this gate ran. up other ants. in. haste.. They. caught up the bundles, one by one, and carried.

(29) THE ANTS ON. them all. In about half an hour they were nearly. in.. taken. moving was. over. of grass, I gently took. all. tip of the grass-blade.. the bundles left at the hill were carried. went down the. the ants. ute. little. took three bundles and hid them, lifting. I. them with the. When. up a. behind a stone, some six inches. I hid it. bundle.. The. and the ants brought no more.. in,. With a long blade. off.. 17. A TRIP.. came three. out. or. gates.. four. But. in. in,. a min-. They ran. ants.. about wildly and searched the ground.. They went. much. in circles care.. and looked over the ground with. The. circles. At. grew wider.. last. one. came up behind the stone and found the bundles. The ant picked up one bundle and. Then. ran.. this. ant met the other ants, and, I think, told them the news.. For at once the other ants ran up to. the stone, and each took up a bundle.. Then they. all. ran into the. That looked as. if. Can ants count. hill.. that. took bundles from a march in this. way. It. also looked as. two ants must go. for. if. He. says they will not search. them. they. two bundles.. thinks that the ants smell the. hide. ?. knew how many bundles. knew. they had.. A man who. they. in the earth.. hidden bundles. for. them. if. you.

(30) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 18. LESSON. VI.. THE FARMER ANTS.. You have. heard of the spider which. makes a den. You know door on. ground.. it. puts a trap-. den,. and plants. that. its. the. in. ferns on the door to hide. The. it .. 1. spider turns gardener in this. way, and. all. There. well.. his is. plants. grow. an ant that has. a farm, or garden. This ant lives in this. warm. In. lands.. country they are found. in. Texas, Florida, and in one or. two other warm. States.. These farmer ants raise grain to. The grain. eat.. is. a kind of. grass with a large seed. called. There. is. by some. It is. “ ant-rice.”. also a large ant. which. is. fond of the seeds of the sunTHE LITTLE FARMER.. 1. See First Book,. p. 63..

(31) THE FARMER It is said that. flower.. 19. ANTS.. the ants plant the sun-. flowers in a ring around their. The ants have not been plant. they do. But. it. is. You. carry the seed and. seen to. may. So we. it.. hill.. not he. that. sure. quite. so.. very possible that the ant does plant seeds. see there are yet in the. left for. you. to find out.. many. world. It will. things. be well for you. to keep your eyes open.. The farmer ants do not. live in a small hill that. could cover with your hand.. sometimes. is. Their. or disk,. hill,. and sometimes high.. flat,. often as large as a large room.. you. It is in the. It. is. shape. of a circle.. In this. circle. weeds and. all. The earth. the disk. of. Only the seeds. smooth.. kinds of grasses are. the one kind which. cut down, except like.. all. is. the ants. kept clean and. of the ant-rice are left. to grow.. When. the ant-rice. as they. fall,. is. ripe,. the ants pick up the seeds. and take them into the. hill to their. storerooms. It is. most likely that as the ants nothing. by Still. else,. its fallen. the ants are. grow on. let this ant-rice,. their hills,. it. sows. and. itself. seed.. real. farmers, as. they keep their.

(32) SEA-SIDE AND. 20. They tend and gather the. land clean. store. When. up,. it. away.. seeds. and the seeds have. They there. for. fed,. from the. to find. hill. to. go where. they find. scattered. like. In some lands they carry. oats.. them. then clean for the next crop.. is. bring home.. have. fallen,. the old stems, and take. go a long way from their. to. crop,. it.. ripe,. is. down. The disk. will. horses. An. and eat. the ant-rice. the ants cut. The ants. WAY- SIDE.. off. much. grain. fields.. ant in Florida climbs the stalk of the millet and. When. cuts off the seeds.. ants take seeds to their. They throw bad. they husk and clean them.. hill,. seeds away.. The ants watch the. seeds,. and. out to dry in the sun.. after rains carry. This. because. is. them. if. left. wet, they would sprout and grow.. Some. ants also cut the seed, so that. The ants. feed their. One ant. it. will not sprout.. eat the seeds that they gather.. They. young with them.. in Florida rolls. up. into little balls the dust,. 1. up. or pollen , of pine cones, and stores that. An. ant in. New. pine-trees,. and. also. carries. Jersey cuts in pieces the. just. as. them. they get above the to its nest.. See Third Book.. to eat.. little. new. ground,.

(33) ANTS AND THEIR TRADES.. Did you ever to eat. ?. see the ant. which. It is a large ant,. likes sunflower seeds. and when. to the disk of the sunflower,. the ripe seeds and carries. When. it. it. has climbed. pulls out one of. it. away.. people keep a nest of ants in order to watch. their ways, they feed seeds,. How. 21. them with. sugar, oats ? apple-. and wheat.. does the ant eat the hard grain a. like. which I told you. shell-fish of file,. and press the grain,. up the. oil. ?. Its. tongue. is. or something like that of the little. file,. and. so. 1. The ant can. .. it. can get at and. rasp, lick. juice.. LESSON Y II. ANTS AND THEIR TRADES. Since you know that bees, ants the. to. you. same great. will not. 2 ,. and wasps. family of living. wonder that many. of their. all. belong. creatures,. ways are. alike.. You know there are wasps and bees that live alone. You have read how, in the spring, Mrs. Social Wasp builds her home and raises a brood of babies. 1. See First Book,. 2. For lessons on Wasps, Bees, and Spiders,. p. 86.. see First Book..

(34) 22. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. These, as soon as full-grown, begin to build more. rooms and nurse the next. Wasp. does.. Mrs. Ant begins a. new. as Mrs.. hill in. Ant does. and as her children grow. bill,. But Mrs. Ant does not often begin. they help her. her. Mrs.. babies.. She chooses the early. the spring.. fall. to begin work.. As. the eggs change into working ants, Mrs.. Ant. gets. plenty of help in her work.. You have. seen bees swarm, and. curtain.. Ants. But. is. this. “ snugging.”. form can. for. warmth. in a bunch, or. and form. or safety.. It. balls.. called. is. In some lands, in times of flood, ants. halls as large as. float. hang. also cling together. your play. ball.. Thus they. on the water, and do not drown.. As Mrs. Wasp makes. paper, so Mrs.. But. thin paper, for her nest.. not so good as Mrs.. Wasp. Ant can make it. makes.. is. a. poor paper,. Mrs.. Wasp. is. the chief of the paper-makers. I told. you how one Mrs. Bee. nest.. cuts leaves to line her. So one Mrs. Ant does.. she lines a neat. little. nest.. As. With. the spider. a fine spun ball to put her babies. in,. leaves. cut. makes. there. is. an. ant that makes a woolly nest.. You have read tower of. of the. Tower. sticks, straw,. Spider, that builds a neat. and grass over her. nest..

(35) 23. ANTS AND THEIR TRADES.. There. an ant that thatches. is. in. its hill. much. the. same way. There. a brown ant that. is. nest of. of. little balls. is. She makes her. a mason.. mud,. laid. up. like bricks in. a wall.. Then there bee.. and. is. a carpenter ant, as there. logs.. In this manner they do. These ants hollow out the inside of a until. it is. ready to. a carpenter. much harm. beam,. tree, or. fall to pieces.. Besides their other trades, the ants. war.. is. These carpenters cut their way into trees. There are soldier ants.. know. the trade of. Ants are mild and. But they are. kind to each other while at work. brave, and have armies for war. It is. odd to see how much ant ways and ant are like. human ways and human. The ants make war. I will. of that in the next lesson.. They. you more. also. make war to. by.. They seem. It. the ant. soldiers.. to get slaves, or servants.. tell. When. soldiers. get cows, as. to. you. will hear. by and. have some other reasons for war.. army marches,. it. keeps in line and order.. seems to have captains to rule and lead. it.. Scouts go before to seek out the way.. The. ant-hill. has some soldiers for sentries, to see that. no danger comes near. into trouble,. it. will. When. a. work ant. run to a soldier for help.. gets.

(36) 24. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. The. very large heads, as of. they wore big hats.. if. them have smooth heads and some, hairy. They The. They have. soldier ants do not appear to be cross.. eat. much and. love to sleep.. soldier ants do not do. larger,. much work.. In an. only for a battle.. Some heads.. and often more. ant-hill,. They rouse up the soldiers are. number, than the other. in. ants.. The workers. are the smallest ants in a. There are. hill.. fewer queens than any other kind, except after the. drone ants go. off. and. At. die.. that time there are. very few drones. In a battle, two ants will often cling to each other by their jaws, until both die.. The usual way. an ant. by cutting. soldier kills a foe is. Sometimes the battle ends without any other times the ants. numbers are cut. When. ;. which. the head.. killing.. are very fierce, and. At large. to pieces.. strange ants get into a. driven out. off. in. hill,. sometimes they are. sometimes they are killed. ;. sometimes. they are treated kindly. I. put a black ant into the gate of a city of brown ants.. out. !. You should have. He. ran as. if. seen. how they drove him. he were wild with fear.. Three or four brown ants came after him to the edge of their. hill..

(37) 25. THE SLAVE ANTS.. But though some strange ants are cast out so. fiercely,. there are two or three kinds of beetles which go into ant-hills. and. live. with the ants.. The ants do. not harm them in any way. You shall hear about that when we have some lessons about beetles.. LESSON. VIII.. THE SLAVE ANTS.. THE PARASOL ANTS.. Now. I. must. owners. ants. is. tell. you about the slave ants and. The. chief. called “. family of. The Shining,”. their. the slave-making for its. body shines. with a gloss like varnish.. The slave-making ants and. many. their slaves are found in. parts of the world.. The masters are. of a. The. slave. light or red color, with a bright gloss.. ants are dark or black..

(38) 26. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. In nests where slaves are held the masters never do any. They make war and. work.. steal slaves, or slave. babies.. The. slave ants do all the work. fight for the hill. The army. and. of the slave. war. If a. rises,. they also. their owners.. makers. march. will. to the hill of. a tribe of ants which they wish to seize for slaves.. They carry. off. the pupa cases, where the. little. new. ants are getting legs and wings.. These baby ants are taken to the. hill of. the owners and. brought up with their. own young.. eggs are laid in a. for the queens lay all the. eggs,. hill,. and the queens are not. are stolen. when they. The owners seem. No. slaves.. slave-ant. The. slaves. are eggs, or larvae.. to be very kind to their little slaves,. and as the slaves grow up and. fill. the. they. hill. seem to do very much as they please. The slaves build new hills and take their owners to live If a mistress ant wishes to in the new home.. wander. off. her. hill,. her slaves drag her back.. she does not wish to slaves carry her. off, all. move. to a. the same.. The slave-owning ants walk about way.. If. If. new home, her. their hill in. war comes, then they. an. fight bravely.. The owners do not build the house, nor nurse babies, nor feed themselves.. idle. their. Often they do not even.

(39) THE SLAVE. clean. own. their. They leave. bodies.. duties to the slaves.. 21. ANTS.. The. these. all. slaves feed their owners,. and brush and clean them, as a servant cleans. When. master’s coat.. the ants. are. his. make. to. a. move, the slaves pick up their masters, and carry. them away.. How. can they do that. owner. jaws, the. and the slave. The grip. of. is. The ants carry up the back. curls. carries her. much. all. burdens in. and the master lock. slave. an ant’s jaws. carry things. There. ?. The. their jaws.. is. their. of her body,. off.. very strong.. larger than her. own. She can body.. an ant which uses the pine needles for food.. She carries the. much. man. as a. bits of. pine laid over her back,. carries a gun.. There. groove in this ant’s head, where the. is. a. little. bits of pine. rest.. There. is. an ant called the “ parasol ant,” because. cuts off tiny bits of leaf,. Each ant holds a piece. and. carries. them. it. along.. of leaf over its head, like a. parasol.. An army. of this. These ants keep the. kind on the march looks very funny.. line their nests. dirt. from. with the. These parasol ants are very large. large space.. The. bits of leaf, to. falling in.. Their nests cover a. bits of leaf are cut. about the.

(40) 28. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. size of. The ants carry them. a dime.. each piece by a. We. little. end. left for. some parasol ants. have. in. a stem.. WONDER You may. of. them. IX.. ANTS.. perhaps read of what are called “ Termites,”. White Ants.. You must. not think that these. are true ants, for they are not.. of. the same. size.. They belong. to. They have four wings. another Order of insects. all. many. in. South America.. LESSON. or. country,. this. Florida and Texas, and there are in. in their jaws,. But true ants have one. The white. pair of wings smaller than the other.. ants live in the ground and also in trees.. They. do much harm by gnawing wood and. They. swarm. into houses,. and such things.. They. and eat the tables and chairs. They. eat. much like real many of them in. are. There are. Now you must. trees.. all. ants. kinds in. food.. their ways.. our country.. hear about the ants that keep cows.. have told you that ants love honey. all their. of. food by lapping and sucking. suck honey from flowers.. I. They take it.. They.

(41) WONDER. If. may. garden or house, you. at the plants in the. you look. 29. ANTS.. on the leaves some very small green. see. things, that. seem. you these are “plant. will tell. Your mother. to eat the leaves.. and that they. lice,”. spoil her plants.. The name. this. of. is. make honey in. But the aphis does not. do.. drops. it. on the leaf as. its. it. a. is. very small, and. is. feeds on.. body much as bees. up the honey. store. This. feeds.. it. That. Aphis.. is. The aphis. often of the color of the leaf. This wee thing can. it. insect. little. very pretty name.. is. called. “ honey dew.”. The ants. eat the. know. that. it. honey dew from the comes from the. and tap the aphis with their. dew. and they. They stroke. feelers, so that. more. will be let fall.. Have you fill. leaves,. aphis.. seen the milkmaid go from cow to cow, and. her pail with milk. So the ants go from one. ?. aphis to another, until they get. all. the honey they. want.. The ants can carry home. The nurse ants. others. ants.. and. this honey,. The workers take. will carry it. and give it. to the. it. to. baby. to the queens, owners,. soldiers.. The aphis. is. called “ the ant’s cow.”. A hill. of ants will. seem to own a herd of these wee green cows..

(42) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 30. They go. to. them on. their leaf,. They know and claim having a drove. like. their of. and get the honey.. own. cows. cows.. It is just. in pasture, as the. farmer does.. But you know that people often keep cows and feed them There. is. on. The ant has. there.. in stables. this. way. also.. a kind of aphis that loves the dark and feeds roots.. Some. in the ground.. to get their. ants keep a herd of these, hidden. They. Ants have been seen to aphis-cows.. pet, stroke,. One. fight for days over a herd of. hill. of ants. they tried to steal the another. and clean them. honey dew.. had no cows, and. cows that belonged to. hill.. After four days the lady that watched them got twenty cows, and gave. them. to the hill that. had none.. Then the war ended.. The ants which got the new cows seemed very. They. licked and petted the cows,. a safe place.. glad.. and put them. They took honey from them and. in. fed. the soldiers.. This seems just like a fairy. But. tale.. All these things can be seen. them.. if. it. is. quite true.. you look out. for. But you must be patient and anxious to. learn.. In. warm summer. days,. when your mother. tells. you that.

(43) THE WAYS OF. it is. 31. too hot to run about much,. what. will. make. you do. Why. ?. not. tent of an umbrella,. a. placed near an. ant - hill,. watch these pretty and ous. ANTS.. and curi-. creatures?. little. LESSON. X.. THE WAYS OF ANTS. I. have. you that ants. told. They. honey and sweets.. like. will. suck the juices and soft. also. parts of. many. Some. food.. other kinds of. ants. eat. nearly. everything that can be eaten.. Almost. all. sects,. of. ants will eat other in-. and suck the eggs or pupaB This habit. other insects.. makes ants very tain. useful.. worms and bugs. stroy orange trees. Cer-. that de-. and cotton. plants are killed by ants.. Ants. also eat other insects that in-. jure men.. If. a coat that has-. QUEER CAPERS..

(44) QO. SEA-Si DE. Oci. these on. laid near. it is. two the ants. You have. seen a. She does. and body.. AND WAY-SIDE.. will. an. ant-hill, in. have made. it. quite clean.. and clean her body and wings.. fly sit. by drawing her. this. an hour or. feet over her. head. So you have seen the cat clean her fur. coat with her. paws and tongue.. The ant washes. or brushes herself in just such a way.. The ant. very neat and clean in her habits.. is. takes. many naps. The action. and. after each. after taking food. much. of the ant in cleansing herself is. that of the cat.. The ant has on her. like. fore-leg a. With. comb, shaped like your thumb.. little. She. nap she. She brushes herself tidy after. brushes herself.. work and. in a day,. this. she strokes and combs all dust and dirt from her. body. If. you watch an ant as she dresses. you. herself,. will see. that she draws her fore-foot through her mouth.. This. is. to clean the. that. it. will do its. The ant has you. comb and. work. it. moist, so. also little brushes on her other feet. see there is. no reason. herself very trim. and. Ants are very neat about all. make. to. well.. why. so. tidy.. their nests.. husks of grain and seeds and. They carry these. ;. she should not keep. quite off their. They carry out all. hill.. dead bodies..

(45) THE WAYS OF. I. knew. an. of. water.. ant’s nest that It. That. is. had been. on a post. refuse over into. the water.. when he. When. an ant. cleans his ship.. dies,. some. other ants pick up the body to carry. bury. They do not. it.. The ants. their hill.. and round,. A. lady. who. till. like to put. it. of the. and. off. dead bodies near. will carry the. dead ones round. they find a good place for them.. much time. spent. in. They soon. as the sailor does,. Ants bury their dead.. set. ants.. was kept clean by the. to drop all. learned. 33. ANTS.. in the study of ants said. that the slave-owning ants do not bury the slaves. with the masters.. They put the dead. slaves in. one place and the owners in another.. Ants. now and then change hill and make. will. leave an old. they do. some. this, if. They. home.. their. new. a. seem ready. of the ants do not. to leave the old hill, the others drag. When. one.. them. off. by. force.. Most ants have very good. eyes,. ground and under ground. of ant that. Ants can. bite. a sting.. Some. is. and can. But there. see above. is. one kind. blind.. with their sharp jaws.. They seldom use. it if. They. they are. also. The. ants have quite a sharp sting.. have. let alone.. sting. is. on the hind part of the ant’s body.. A. sting. is. made. in three parts.. There. is. the sac for.

(46) 34. SEA-SIDE AND. WAY- SIDE.. poison, the needle which gives the prick, and the. case to keep the needle or prickle of a light color,. The ant. seizes. to sting. legs,. with. is. Then. like a little thorn.. jaws the part which. its. and swings. This needle,. in.. lifts. it. wishes. it. body up on the hind. its. sting part under, so that. its. it. can drive the sting into the place held by the jaws.. The. sting does not do. no doubt. Ants make. kill. much harm. to people, but will. ants and other insects.. also a. “ant. kind of juice called. They can throw. this. about. when. the. hill. acid.” is. dis-. turbed.. This acid must be pretty strong.. dogs, mice, beetles,. It will. make. The ant uses. sneeze and rub his nose.. it. a dog. to keep. and such things, away from. the ant-hill. I. have told you that some ants harm trees and plants. by gnawing or cutting them. to tell. It is. you that ants help plants. they creep into flowers. for. only fair. now. grow.. As. to. honey,. they. carry. about from flower to flower the dust or pollen. which makes new seeds grow. the ant’s body, and what is. carried to another.. is. This dust sticks to. taken from one flower. Bees also carry pollen.. Thus, you see that the ants help the flowers, which in their turn give food to the ants.. But, of course,.

(47) MR.. WORM. the ants do not flowers. 1 .. AND HIS FAMILY.. know what they. 35. are doing for the. Nor do the bees know that they help. the flowers.. The bees and ants do not know that. pollen sticks to them, to be carried about.. These lessons about the ant contain only a few of the. many. things that can be said of. this insect.. I. hope you will like the ants well enough to get other books about them, and study and watch the ants for yourselves.. LESSON MR.. WORM AND. XI. HIS. FAMILY.. LIKE AND NOT LIKE.. One day. I. saw a boy making a hole. and he dug out a worm. 1. See Third Book.. in the ground,.

(48) 36 I. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. the. said to. worms The boy. boy,. “What. “Worms. said,. both ends.. me. tell. about. If. are long, soft things, alike at. yon cut one. in two, each. and makes a whole new worm.. off,. no heads and no good but for. feet. and no. knew very. really he. me was. he had told. end goes. They have. feelings,. and are no. fish-bait.”. That boy thought he knew. Worms. can you. ?•”. all. about worms.. about them.. little. But. All that. wrong.. belong to the great class of ringed, or jointed,. These creatures have bodies made in. animals.. rings or joints.. Let us take a careful look at our humble friend, the earth worm.. He. a long, round, soft, dark, slimy thing, and you. is. say “ Is. he. ?. He. is. Let us. alike at both ends.”. His body. see.. hundred to two hundred. is. made. rings.. of. from one. These rings are. smaller toward the two ends of the body, which are the head and. Each ring has on see.. it. tail.. tiny hooks, too small for you to. These hooks take the place of the jointed. The. feet that his cousins have. pillar will. look,. if. show you about. you could. how. see them.. feet. on a. cater-. these hooks would.

(49) WORM. MR.. By. these hooks the. way. AND HIS FAMILY.. worm moves. him. pull. Have you. worm. when he. pulls out a. hooks are Mr. Worm’s. You have. worm ?. The. now You can. Let us. The worm can. Some think he can. taste.. feet.. five senses.. hear, see, feel, smell, taste.. Why. can hold so fast. you have hard work to. holding fast by his hooks.. look for his head.. He. his. out.. might,. is. see the. and. and digs. seen Mr. Robin brace his feet and tug with. all his. You. along,. Worm. Mr.. in the ground.. to his den or hole, that. 37. feel. smell some things.. cannot see or hear.. do we say he has a head,. We. ears nor nose?. if. he has no eyes nor. say he has a head because. he has a mouth and a brain.. His mouth has two. He. the under.. The upper. lips.. has no teeth.. head, not far from his. than. lip is larger. In the back of his. mouth,. is. his brain,. or. nerve-centre.. The worm blood.. body If. the only jointed. is. Worm. Mr.. is full. is. of the earth. you keep him out will get pale. animal that has red. dark-colored. which he swallows.. and. clear.. Then you can. air to. keep this red blood pure.. soon. he. is. his. of the earth for a while, his skin. red blood run in two long veins.. if. because. see. He needs He dies. shut up in a close box or case.. his. fresh. very.

(50) 38. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. LESSON MR. I. XII.. EARTH-WORM AT HOME.. told yon the earth-worm has two. down. veins.. One runs. the other runs along the under. his back,. side of his body.. There are tiny. holes, like. These are for the it. pin. pricks, in. his. body.. air to reach his blood, to. keep. red and pure.. In his body poor Mr.. Worm. has something that no. He has two bags or sacks for some way to help him with his food.. other creature has. lime. This. Mr.. Worm He. is. in. has no teeth with which to grind his food.. has inside his body small bits of stone.. are as small as grains of sand.. They. These. are instead.^. of teeth to grind his food.. When you. study birds you will find that, like Mr.. Worm,. they have no teeth.. They, too, carry. little. millstones inside their bodies.. The. little. bags of lime help to grind or change the. worm’s food. The. soft ber.. body. in. some way, not yet well known.. of the. It will. worm. will stretch like India-rub-. hold a great deal of food..

(51) EARTH-WORM AT HOME.. MR.. Now you. see that Mr.. One. Worm. end has the. is. 39. not alike at both ends.. head, the. stomach, the parts. that serve for a brain, and a heart.. The hooks begin. Look. at the. tail. worm when he. head, and you. lifts his. mouth.. will see his. The. at the fourth ring behind the head.. end has very strong hooks with which. fast to his cell.. This. end. tail. is. to. hold. also his trowel,. or mould, a tool with which this poor, ugly. worm. helps to build the world.. Ah. now. !. I. thing.. have told you a great thing, a strange Is. it. true. that. knew. so. worm who. the feeble, useless. Where much about worms ?. helps to build the world. ?. is. that boy. But before you hear how the worm helps. to build the. He. world, let us go back to what the boy said. said, “ If. you cut the worm. in two, each. end. will. go oh and be a whole worm.”. That. is. not true of the worm.. in two, the. When. the. worm. parts do not die at once.. is. cut. As there. are hooks and rings on each part, they each can. move It is. oh.. thought that. if. the fore part. can close up, and the tail. may grow upon. new claw. worm. is. can. left safe, the cut still. live.. A. new. the front part, as Mr. Crab’s. or eye-peg grows..

(52) 40. WAY- SIDE.. SEA-SIDE AND. But the hind part cannot. new mouth. get a. and have no blood.. up and. The boy. see. me. can. sense. that the. near, because. worm. hear.. It. A. feelings.”. touch. is. the best. its. body, and. moves. off. as. you come. Creatures that. little. worm moves from because. it. live. use for eyes.. under. Fishes that. does Mr.. Worm. to carry. it. on. it,. its skin.. light.. eat. It is true that is. the light and hides from. feels the action of light. not see the. It does. That. had no. sense of. dark cave-rivers have no eyes.. live in. dirt.. 66. the jar of the earth.. see.. ground have but. What. cannot. shrink.. it feels. The worm cannot. it is. It. can take no food,. Put your finger on. has.. it. The worm cannot. If the. it. So the hind part soon dries. The. feel.. move and. it. and grow.. dies.. told. worm. live. or heart, so. ?. Some. he. fills. tell. his. you that he eats. body. full of earth.. to the top of the ground.. Mr.. Crab has claws and legs to bend into the shape of a basket.. or claws, so he. Poor Mr.. Worm. must make a basket. Suppose you should be sent for self into. might like a. has no arms,. fruit,. a basket in that way!. find fault.. worm.. legs,. of himself.. and turn your-. Your. mamma. She would not wish you to act.

(53) EARTH-WORM AT HOME.. MR.. worm may. that the. It is true. find a little food in the. But the. earth which he swallows.. worm. the. is. 41. food of. chief. dead leaves and stems of plants.. It. does not care for fresh, live leaves and stems and roots.. The worm also likes meat, say. They pinch. if. and must. worm. the. live in. the. to. move out and. worm wants. to. move,. Then. earth with so. you. see.. it,. down. to its full length.. and. They. places.. in.. they were opening and shutting.. body. Watch. of all food.. damp. do. eat.. gets food into its mouth, the rings of. body begin. tion they press the food. When. We. teeth, they. what they. off. and cabbage best. like onions. like water,. its. Worms. raw, or cooked.. gnaw or suck the bodies of worms gnaw. As they have no. not really gnaw.. When. fat,. dead worms.. will. Worms. —. its. hooks.. moves. and you. on.. Next This. will see that. By. this. as. mo-. into the body. it. stretches out its. it. takes hold of the. draws up. it. is. They look. its. body,. a wave-like motion,. it. travels with a. mo-. tion like waves. If. you wish. them. You is. to find. in. early. worms. to study,. morning or. for. the. evening.. them when all when it is raining.. the earth. will be likely to find. moist with dew, or. you must seek. late in.

(54) SEA-SIDE AND WAY- SIDE.. 42. Worms hurry. to the surface of the soil to enjoy the. When. falling rain.. there. is. a long, dry time, the. worms go down deeper and deeper into the earth. You cannot find them when you dig for them.. LESSON MR.. Worms told. WORM AT WORK.. are found in all parts of the world.. you that they help. make. Man. XIII.. it fit. for the. home. have. and. to build the world, of. cannot live without food.. man.. He. The worms help. the earth.. I. gets his food from to. fit. the earth to. bring forth the food of man.. Oh, this. is. very strange, that humble and dirty. Man is man Worms are nearly can worms help man ? Now let us see how this is done. can be a help to. !. animals.. The worms. live. under ground.. worms. the highest of the lowest.. They make. all. And. long, wind-. ing halls, like streets, some inches below the top soil.. These. halls, or little tunnels, help to. keep. the earth loose, so that the fine roots of the plants. can grow well in. it.. These tunnels also serve to help the. air. move more.

(55) WORM. MR.. easily. through the. soil.. below the surface the. By their constant motion worms till the earth, as. rakes, spades, or ploughs. All this. rich land.”. Now and. other hand, that the. cut the vines below the. You need not think. say. “. Many worms,. then you will hear, on the. Or, people say the. sown.. above.. worms have eaten up worms have. Some say. the roots of the plants.. all. till it. and people. of great use,. is. 43. AT WORK.. bitten off. that the. worms. soil.. Not at. the earth-worms did that.. The earth-worms never behave. !. “worms” this harm. the seed. that people mean,. so. ill.. The. when they speak. of. done, are the grubs or larvae of some. insects, as of the daddy-long-legs. and. others.. These grubs and cut-worms will eat living plants, but. Worm. Mr.. likes. dead leaves and stems. wants his food made. soft. best.. He. by decay.. Now we come to the chief work of the true earthworms. When they make their halls and houses, they say. fill. it is. Some. their long bodies with the earth.. their food.. Mr. Darwin says, “ Oh, no earth just to get. it. !. they. fill. their bodies with. out of their way.”. get any food from the dirt. it. is. not much.. If. they. They. turn themselves into baskets to carry the dirt out. from. their houses..

(56) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 44. The worms work, work, work and carrying. earth,. There they piece. all. the time, taking out. to the top of the ground.. it. Each. pile it in heaps, called worm-casts.. is. the shape of a small worm.. The earth takes. this shape as the. worm. find these worm-casts over all the. So you can after a There are so. presses. garden paths.. rain.. many worms busy. the time that each. all. year they bring up tons of earth.. you the power that. is. in small,. are worm-casts. India there. out. it. Early in the day you can. of its long, soft body.. in. This shows. weak. In. things.. heaps six inches. high.. The worms make the earth it. off. fine. with their mouths.. rich soil. and. loose,. by pinching. Then they bring. from below, and lay. it. this. on top, and so. on and on. It is. only some twenty years since this work of. At. was known.. cannot be that great. But. it. field,. first. little,. worms. people said, “ Oh, no, no soft. worms. could. !. It. cover a. some inches deep, with new earth.”. was shown. Fields once stony. to be quite true.. and hard have become rich and. fine.. Things grow now where once scarcely anything. would grow.. Ashes and gravel, once on. two or three inches below.. top,. go.

(57) MR,. All this. WORM’S COTTAGE BY THE. done by the busy worms.. is. said that. you could. call the tail. 45. SEA,. That end of. why I the worm is. the tool with which he helps to build the world.. Worms. at. work under ground have caused great walls. and pavements to mines.. sink, as the earth sinks over. Also, they have helped to bury ruins and. old cities,. and. keep them safe hidden, until we. to. We. found them.. are glad. world days, from. old. when we. ruins. learn of the. which. the. worms. helped to hide.. Then, too, the worms help make the. soil rich,. by the. dead leaves and stems which they drag into their holes to decay. also help to. When. make. the. LESSON MR.. On. worms. die, their bodies. the earth rich.. XIV.. WORM’S COTTAGE BY THE. SEA.. the seashore you will find two or three kinds of. worms.. These are called “Tube Worms,” from the. shape of the houses which they build.. them are called “. The swimming worm. Some. Swimming Worms.” is. cousin. to another family of. creatures which look like worms, but have feet.. of. They have a name which means. “. many. many feet.”.

(58) 46. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. You know. that on most of the rings, in the body of. You can. the worm, are hairs or hooks.. easy. would be. it. become. for these to. how. see. Now. feet.. each animal seems to have parts that. are. some other animals, and some new forms. like. of. its. own. Thus, next the worm, with his rings and hooks, comes another animal with rings and ring animals, Mr.. him comes. Worm. Then, while Mr. Many-Feet also like Mrs. Fly,. two, a. Now. let. little. Many-Feet.. is. that have. that have eyes.. little. hard teeth,. parts can. set. some. in a ring inside fine. These poor worms. grow on these worms. can even get a new head of these. as. Here we find also find. like a rainbow.. earth-worm, or even better.. Some. We. There are some that have. plumes, as gay as any bird.. gleam. is. related to both.. their mouths.. New. Worm, he. Mr.. like. and seems to come between the. us look at the sea-side worms.. some worms. the. all. the pattern, and after. is. his cousin, Mr.. Of. feet.. wood. worms can. or stone.. if. as well as on the. Some say. the old one. that they. is lost.. bore into very hard things,. Some. Ask some one to tell you is like what we call Jack. of. them shine. of this o’. like a fire.. kind of light. Lantern.. ;. it.

(59) MR.. Dig. in. the. WORM’S COTTAGE BY THE. sand anywhere, and yon will find. sea. worms, black, brown, green,. not yet. known how. and wood.. Perhaps. stuff in their. it. move very. worms. Perhaps. making a. by a. is. of. some. shores,. worms.. shell-home, and. you. Most. of these large.. A. will. In their. making. it. larger. as they grow, they are like the little shell-fish. have read of. file,. .. find the tube-homes of these sea of. some acid. of. it. 1. you look along the sea sand. way. fast.. bore into stone. by means. is. mouths.. such as Mr. Drill has If. these. They. red, orange.. bore through sand and mud, and It is. 47. SEA.. you. 2 .. tube-homes are small, but some are very. gentleman told. me. he had one with the. bore or hole as large as his arm.. These worms by the sea serve as food for. and other creatures. fish like to eat bait.. You know. worms, and that they are used. for. The boy who knew nothing. large. some parts not 1. make. Book. First,. worms. I. else. about. had told him. are used for food by. of the world.. men. 39.. in. In this country we do. use of such food. Lesson. fish all. worms knew they made good bait. He would have been full of wonder if that. many. that nearly. Book. First,. Lesson. 36..

(60) 48. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. LESSON XY. WORM. MR.. Baby worms. are. AT HOME.. just like the. and have not. smaller,. parent worms, only. many. so. rings.. As they. grow, they get more rings by the dividing of the last one.. In some kinds of little. the. soil. wee worms are born. in a. This keeps them from harm,. hard skin bag.. until they get strong. enough to take care of them-. selves.. Mr. Worm’s home halls. are. is. lined. worm’s body.. like a. is. These. ;. fall in.. halls are not very deep. weather. of long halls.. This glue makes the walls firm. then they will not. The. row. with a kind of glue from the. under ground.. If. the. very cold, or very dry, the worms dig. down deeper. Worms dislike cold or drought. They enjoy warmth. They also like water and wet. When. soil.. winter comes the. their houses.. This. worms plug up is. the doors of. done by dragging into. it. a.

(61) WORM. MR.. plant stem that will. 49. AT HOME.. and. fit. fill. The worms. it.. carry into their homes leaves and stalks to eat.. They bring. out,. they do not. like.. Worms show much. and throw away, things which. the. sense in. way. which they. in. carry things in and out of their holes.. not go. will. in,. they turn. over,. it. If a. and try. stem in. it. some other way.. Worms. usually. come out. wet weather.. If. of their holes at night or in. they go far from. they cannot find their a. new. way. Each worm. hole.. their house,. Then they make. back.. lives alone.. Often in the evening or early morning, or during rain,. worms near. you. will see. find. them with. doors.. You. will see the. or after rain.. You may. their houses.. their heads just put out of their. It is. worm. casts in early. Sun and heat dry worms up very. out.. day. then the worms dare to come fast,. and. so kill them.. The. birds. know. all. these. ways. of the. He. a robin or a bluebird.. searches for his food. at sunrise, or after sunset, or while. Now. his. keen eyes see the. his sharp bill is. hungry.. !. He. worm. He wants. it. rains.. at his door. pulls like a. The. !. In goes. He The worm. good fellow. his breakfast.. holds fast by his hooks.. Watch. worms.. !. bird braces his feet.

(62) 50. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. and. his tail,. and tugs hard.. to feed Mr. Bird. The. Out comes the worm. 1 .. bird shows great skill in the. worm one. that the. warmth.. He. A worm for. pulls the. No boy. could get. in that way.. WORM. MR.. he likes. way he. does not break off even. soft body.. little bit of his. him out. Some say. He. out of the hole.. I is. worm. AT HOME.. lies. by. his door at sunrise for. do not think that. is so.. the fresh dew.. He. I. think what. loves dampness.. fears cold, but he also dies of heat. will die in one. day. in. dry. air,. but he will live. weeks quite down under water.. even, moist warmth.. He. needs an. His home must not be hot,. nor cold, nor dry. Little. young worms know how. worm. to. dig houses,. casts, carry out the soil, find food, 1. See Third Book.. make. and plug.

(63) MR.. up the door all. that old. WORM. They know. of their houses.. worms. 51. AT HOME.. But then. do.. worm. at once. houses do. much skill as bee or wasp houses. The sea-side worms make the prettiest worm houses. On shells, stone, wood, or wound alone in a lump, not require as. you. They. will find their tubes.. hard as. are white and as. shell.. These tubes curve and twist about, as the. Some. that built them.. a soft kind of tube stone,. I. of. sand and. glue.. mouth.. Some. You can. where the worm went when he. Some. them, ring by ring. small,. are held. The worm makes. have some tubes very clear and white. the lines. you can. is. bits of shell,. The sand and weed. together by a kind of this glue in its. There. are very pretty.. made. and weed.. worm went. just. run a. see. built. of these tubes are so fine needle into. are as large as a straw, and. them.. some as large. as a fine, fat, earth- worm.. Now you. see. how much. is. to be learned, even of such. a small, humble thing as a worm.. Think how. much even such a weak creature can do is much more to be found out about worms, !. There. which selves.. I. hope you will be glad to learn for your-.

(64) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 52. LESSON XVI. LOOK AT. A. Look. worm. at a. look at a wings. say, “. Yet there. HOUSE-FLY.. with blue or green body and thin. how. it. You. whirls in the air!. These two are not at one time in a. is. Then. crawling about on the earth.. fly. See. A. will. all alike.”. fly’s life. when. it is. very like. a worm.. For. this reason. many. wise people set. flies. and worms. next to each other when they study them.. You know,. as soon as. you look. at a fly, that. it is. an. insect.. You have. learned that an insect has wings, six legs,. a body in three parts, and a pair of feelers like horns. Insects breathe through all the body,. as. you. do.. They have a row. and not by lungs of. holes in each. side to breathe through.. The. life. of. an insect passes through three. states.. These are the egg, the grub or worm, and the pupa.. wings.. When. it. is. in the. pupa. it. gets legs and. The word “pupa” means baby. or doll..

(65) LOOK AT. A. 53. HOUSE-FLY,. A. There are some kinds of insects that vary in some of these. The. points.. one that varies from. fly is. this rule. If. you look at a. fly,. not four.. It is. Many. you. will see that. not one of the hook-wings.. The. insects can fold their wings.. wings. fold its. Let us. ;. look at a. first. The. worm.. it. lays. fly. it is. most. comes, in the. fly. and. little. its. place,. first. body.. an earth-. from a. is. not like a. earth-worm, both in. its. fly,. looks. way in which it is made. It is a white worm with rings, and on the rings the. in. small. a. like. cannot. fly.. the egg opens, the baby fly. but like. fly. them back over. when. tiny egg laid by the mother. When. has two wings,. it. are hooks. If. you wish. to. in the sun. on. watch. this change, lay a bit of. on a hot day.. Soon. flies. meat. will lay eggs. it.. The next day these eggs grow very. fast.. will be turned to grubs,. The. fly’s. which. eggs are small and white,. and are put upon the meat as. if. they had been. planted on one end.. The worm It. of the fly has a pair of jaws like hooks.. has two. when. it. little. dots which will. has grown to a. and these eye-points. fly.. it is. become eyes. In the hooked jaws. not like an earth-worm..

(66) 54. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. The. Then. grub eats and grows.. fly. tough and hard, and forms a This shuts the. barrel.. Now But. it is. the baby. not dead.. As. the. it,. as in a coffin.. turning into a creature that. It is. and can. legs,. fly. and walk.. case, first the legs. fly lies in its. wings grow.. in. gets. case like a. seems to be dead.. fly. has wings and. worm. skin. its. little. It gets a. and then the. head with mouth, eyes,. and a trunk or tube, and from a poor worm turns to a wonder, as you will. But. in. its. little. coffin. and wings are change It. is. moves, and. Then. it. Now. made. pulls,. strikes the. stands in the. and shakes air dries. itself.. its. shut close, and. free. it. life,. spreads. from the hard. fly. its. case.. head. last it breaks the case open, !. air,. and. in the sun. It is cold. and weak. if. ;. it. can,. but the. wings and blows out the wrinkles.. In a very few minutes the fly. Then. ready to come out.. is. it. its legs. In a few days the. end of the case with. At. and out comes the it. is. and gets. time after time.. Then. it. bent up.. all. it. see.. its. wings and. is. strong and gay.. sails. off. to enjoy its. and to look for something good to. eat..

(67) HOW TO LOOK. 55. AT A FLY,. LESSON XVII. HOW TO LOOK AT Do you. think a. Is it. First,. fly is. a very small and. not worth looking at. here. is. its. FLY.. A. common. head with two great. eyes.. Then you. soon look at the eyes.. thing?. Let us see about that.. ?. will. We. will. see. how. curious they are.. There. These. are, besides the big eyes, three little eyes.. Then, too, on the. are set on the top of the head.. front of the head. here. we. find a. a pair of feelers.. is. much. brain, very. like a. And. trunk or tube.. Inside the head. worm’s. brain.. is. the. It is only. a tiny white dot.. Next behind the head. is. the chest.. The head has the. shape of half of an egg laid sidewise. is. On. the. nearly square. first. ring. is. It is. made. a pair of legs.. The. chest. of three rings.. On. the next ring. a pair of legs and a pair of wings.. The. fly. is. has. only one pair of wings.. On. the last ring are. two. is. little. by means. a pair of legs.. And. near these legs. clubs covered with fine hair.. of these clubs that the fly. It is. can halt or.

(68) SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. 56. They help the. balance on the wing.. fly as. the. second pair of wings helps other insects.. The. third part of a. body. fly’s. the largest.. is. It is egg-. shaped, and joins the chest by the thick end. also is. Now let. made. of rings.. us look again at the head of a. are. two. like. long,. Their. You. see,. even in a. you. to find out.. Some people think “ feelers.”. feelers are. true use. full,. fly,. there. that. flies. it. much. feelers. in joints.. made. to touch. some of. left for. smell and hear with these. But then they are. only. The. not yet known.. is. is. can jar them, and the. when. fly.. plumes made. fine. Most people think these with.. This. fly. so fine that a breath. might seem to hear. feels.. In some schools for the deaf and dumb, the pupils are called to class or table. by rapping on the. The deaf do not hear the and come as. jar,. if. Next comes the mouth fly. of the. it. sucks up. its. the end of this tube it. noise, but they feel the. they could hear. fly.. lip of. are. two sharp. the fly. is. a. With. food. is. a. hairs.. little flat plate.. not eating,. it. Close by. These are to prick the. food, so that the tube can suck. When. The lower. runs out into a long, slim tube or pipe.. this. At. floor.. it. more. can shut up. easily.. this tube like.

(69) HOW TO LOOK a telescope, to keep. elephant is. Did you. ?. it. AT A. Did yon ever. safe.. trunk. see his. 57. FLY.. The. ?. an. see. fly’s. tube. his trunk. chief parts to notice in a fly’s. But the. are so large that. These. head are. make up. they. its eyes.. nearly. all. the head.. These big bright eyes look as. Now. them.. very great. if. they had varnish on. each of these eyes. many. is. made up. of a. There are four thou-. small eyes.. sand of these small eyes.. Between these two big eyes are three Wise men have studied the eyes and do not yet know. The wings. of a fly. is. The. fly. motion. all. have a. of flies for. many years,. about them. thin, clear covering.. fine,. held out on a tiny frame, like a network.. This. moTes these wings very quickly.. Now we come made. The. wings helps to make the sound or. of the. buzz of the. is. way. single eyes, set in this. little. fly.. to the legs. and. in five joints.. joints.. The. and a. little. feet of our. The. last joint of the foot. pad.. The. fly.. foot also. has. leg five. has two claws. These are covered with. fine. hairs.. The. hairs catch on little points or rough edges.. the. fly. can walk,. as you would. say,. Thus. “ upside.

(70) 58. SEA-SIDE AND WAY-SIDE.. down,” and does not. They suck. a sucker.. under the. from. fly. pane of. Be-. fall.. pad and hairs act. sides, the. air. like. from. So they hold the. foot.. falling as he runs. up. a. glass.. LESSON XVIII. MRS, FLY AND HER FOES. I. suppose you have heard your mother. many flies. make us much. wish there were not so. The. fact. flies. is,. Their noise. trouble.. vexes people.. tires. and. They lay eggs. and on the food, and so. spoil. in it.. They cover our clean walls and glass with small black spots.. Will you wonder that there are. many one. mother. Many. eggs. A. TAVERN BY THE WAY,. can of. insects. nor do. when. flies. fly. in. I tell. so. you that. one season be the. two million others die. soon. after. laying. Bees and wasps do not, flies.. Bees and wasps take.

(71) MRS. FLY AND HER FOES.. their eggs. care of. mother does. 59. and their young, but the. fly. not.. Mrs. Fly has more than a hundred eggs to lay at once. It is quite plain that she could not. take care of so. many. all. She must. babies.. let. them. look out for. themselves. Still. the place. sense as to where she puts. She finds a place where they will be. likely to live If. much. Mrs. Fly shows. her eggs.. and get food and grow.. too wet, the baby. is. when they. leave the egg.. The. fly. Then, too, they. die.. soft food.. does not lay her eggs on a stone or a piece of. She lays them in some kind of food.. wood.. The. would drown. If the place is too dry,. they would wither up and. must have. flies. fly. can live. Cold. kills. Some few live. summer. all. A. flies. flies,. like a. if. frosty. If so. flies.. People. them.. kill flies. and. in. the. and some other. ani-. state,. new swarms.. These creatures. many were. kill. few of the wasps, hide, and. spring they come out to rear. mals eat. has a fair chance.. day will. over winter in a torpid. Birds, spiders, wasps, cats, dogs,. lions.. it. kill flies. with poison and. not killed,. we. by milfly-traps.. should be overrun. with them. In the South. is. a plant with a leaf like a jug.. On. the.

(72) 60. SEA-SIDE AND. seam. hang drops. of this leaf. can make the. WAY- SIDE. of honey.. Its juice. drunk.. flies. But as soon as they get. Flies like this juice.. fall into. One. Many. They. the jug-like space of the leaf and soon. many flies. of these plants will kill. of our best birds live. were. trouble with the. and. flies,. and. our birds. if. greater. flies.. In the autumn you will see. see that the. on. die.. in one day.. we should have much. dead. all. feel dull. they. it. turn dizzy and act just like drunken men.. If. ill.. flies. sitting about as. they. if. you look carefully, you will. back part. body. of the. white.. is. It. seems to be covered with meal or mould.. Soon the. not curl up. They. this cause. fly. This white dust. fly dies.. It does. fly.. are. looks like a live. its. stiff. fly.. If. legs. a disease of the. is. when. dies. it. and spread. you touch. out.. from. The. it, it. crum-. will see a ring of. white. bles to dust.. All around such a dead fly. mould.. This. is. you. up. all. mould, or tiny. perhaps a real. plant, that seizes on the. body. of the fly.. the soft parts, and so kills. it,. It uses. leaving only. the dry shell.. There. is. another strange thing about. of a fly that dies in this. The. fly. looks as. large in the. if. way. this.. The body. is. rent or burst open.. this dust or. mould had grown. body and. so torn. it. open..

(73) OF WHAT USE ARE FLIES?. 61. LESSON XIX. OF WHAT USE ARE FLIES?. How. often people cry out, “ Oh, I wish there were no What is the use of a fly ? ” flies !. But. God has made have. all. things that. all. God’s works are worthy of study.. You have see. Mrs. Fly. learned that. if. worms. of great use to. Do. man.. “ dirty. flies. ” help to. you know that over of animals die. bodies. lie. flies. !. ”. And. ?. yet these. keep the world clean all. the world, great numbers. each minute, and. many. of. their. on the ground and decay.. foul smell of such bodies in decay causes disease. and death to men.. In winter, and in cold places,. such things do not decay so. make But. She helps keep him. you think that very strange. People say, “ Oh, these dirty. The. Let us. are of great use.. Mrs. Fly does any good in the world.. is. in health.. Now. And. their uses.. fast,. and. so do not. these bad odors.. in hot days,. if. such dead things. will poison the air.. lie. Soon we should. about, they. all. be. ill..

(74) 62. SEA-SIDE AND. The work. of Mrs.. Fly. is. WAY- SIDE.. many. to lay. eggs in these dead. In a few hours these eggs turn to grubs,. bodies.. and these grubs. worms, which begin. to little live. to eat as fast as they can.. Soon they leave only dry bones, which can do no harm.. They change. own. the dead stuff into their. fat,. live bodies.. You know of. that the crabs are. So the. the sea.. cleaners of the air. Did you ever watch with a. among are. flies. the street-cleaners. among. the street-. and land.. flies. flight like. dart about, here and there,. hawks?. They. these are yet big enough to hurt us. get. them. Ask your. if. But. we should. into our lungs.. teacher to. tell. In and about our homes. you a. many. might decay and mould.. little. about your lungs.. bits of things drop,. make. This would. But the busy and greedy. foul.. up. are eating. small, evil things, too small for us to see.. and. the air. drinks up. fly. all. the soft part of these things.. So we see that what we. away much Then, too, the fish,. and. things. help to clean. dirt.. fly. serves for food for. frogs,. we. call the dirty flies. and some. insects.. use for our food.. many. birds,. Some. Others are. beauty, or are of use to us, each in its. and. of these full. own way.. of.

(75) A. Thus, though the it. fly is. not without. is. little it.. SWARM OF. 63. FLIES.. often a trouble to us,. its. Look. uses.. we. find. at one of these. creatures through a glass that will magnify. You. will see that the poor insect has really. much beaut}^. From what you have read think that. all foul. you must not. in this lesson. smells. kill,. nor that things that. have no bad smell are always. There are. safe.. some gases that have no odor at. which yet. all,. are very deadly.. LESSON XX. A. SWARM OF. FLIES.. Have you heard people speak of swarms of flies ? By a swarm of flies we mean a great number of flies rather near together. By a swarm of bees number we mean a of bees that live and work in. A. one place. its hive.. and ruler. It. swarm. of the. where they. of bees divides the. has one queen bee.. live in. rest.. They have no one mother rest. work.. But. common.. Each mother. She flies. is. of. have no home. They have no work.. or queen, for fly. work. the mother. whom. the. drops her eggs where.

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