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need a great amount of food. As they will have no wings to carry them in search of food, it must be near at hand and ready for them.

8. Besides, how could such a delicate mother nurse a large family of strong, hungry babies, such as hers will be when the warm sun has hatched her eggs? And what kind of babies will

they be? Why, they will be grubs or caterpillars, nothing like the butterfly! Some caterpillars really make themselves ugly on purpose to frighten away birds and other enemies.

A BUTTERFLY.

a, larva; b, pupa; c, imago; d, egg.

9. A caterpillar eats many times its own weight. It keeps on eating so much that its skin becomes too small, and at last cracks open. Out comes the caterpillar in a larger skin. The ravenous eating continues until the grub has similarly changed its coat four or five times.

10. When the caterpillar can eat no more, it

spins a tiny silken thread and fastens it to a leaf, or to the stem of a plant, or perhaps to a piece of wood. Here it sheds its skin for the last time and looks very different; it resembles a baby wrapped up in very tight clothes. But a great change goes on beneath the cover, and at last a perfect insect emerges.

gets quite strong, and in an hour it is flying gayly about in the air. Yet after all these changes an insect's life is a very short one.

1. Two boys were walking one pleasant summer day along the banks of a little stream. Suddenly one of them stopped and began to stare at the water. 2. "What are you looking at?" inquired the other boy.

3. "Just look at that bit of gravel on the top of the water. Did you ever see gravel float

before?"

4. "Never. But look again! Why, it is moving against the current of the stream! Can you

understand that?"

5. "No. But I'll soon find out what it all means!" And without another word he took off his shoes and stockings, waded into the water, and caught the strange little craft in his hand.

6. When brought to land the prize was eagerly examined by the two boys. They found it to be round, and about an inch in length. But it was not all gravel; for from one end there peeped out a little horny head and six slender legs.