"THE FINEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO FAIRFIELD!"
AFTER the second in the race, Felix Wagner, had come in, one of the
first things the boy from Fairfield did was to hunt out Lil Artha, shake
hands with him heartily, and congratulate him.
"I'd like to have beat you, all right," he said with a whimsical
grimace; "but I take it no fellow had need of feeling ashamed about
playing second fiddle to such a giant on a hike as you, Lil Artha. And
that goes."
Elmer had watched this meeting with eagerness; and he immediately turned
to Mr. Garrabrant.
"That settles one thing I've been worrying about," he declared,
emphatically.
"Meaning that this Fairfield lad has had no knowledge of the miserable
game that some of his misguided friends were engineering in his behalf;
is that it, Elmer?" remarked the gentleman, understanding what he had in
mind.
"Yes, sir," came the reply. "You see, from all accounts, in the old days
this same Felix Wagner was one of the right bowers of Matt Tubbs. And
somehow I seemed to be making up my mind that if _he_ had a hand in this
ugly deal, there was a screw loose somewhere in this reformation
business over there."
"But now?" asked Mr. Garrabrant, smiling.
"It looks good to me, as Lil Artha would say," replied Elmer. "If ever a
fellow seemed in earnest, Felix was when he said those words just now.
And I feel positive that when he hears the story of how some of his
friends tried to make Lil Artha ride, so as to knock him out of the
race, Felix will be furious."
Which prediction proved to be the case a little later; but we cannot
afford either the time or space to go into particulars with regard to
this.
"Now we have another job before us," remarked Mr. Garrabrant, when ten
o'clock had arrived.
"You mean looking up the cripples--those who are ready to admit that
their hope of reaching Little Falls within the required time has died
out; and who will be only too willing to get a lift back home?" Elmer
suggested.
"Why, yes, some of them must be in a pretty bad way; and as it still
threatens rain we must look them all up. I have three cars here that can
be used for the job. Would you care to run ahead, and try to hunt them
up, Elmer?"
"Yes, on one condition," came the reply.
"Oh, you can consider that it is granted before you ask; but what is its
nature?" Mr. Garrabrant inquired, laughingly.
"That I ride alone," answered the boy.
"Oh, I see," the scout master went on, nodding his head wisely; "you
dread having Toby and Nat along with their decrepit wheels to add to
your troubles."
"Yes," said Elmer, seriously; "because I can make much better time
alone, rain or not. Besides, I think the boys ought to have a rest; and
it would really be better if they put up here in Little Falls with some
Boy Scout friends until to-morrow, when they can come home."
"All right; I shall so advise them; though if they choose to leave their
motorcycles here until some future day, they can just as well ride back
in a car."
Both Toby and Nat, however, had friends in the town, and concluded to
stay over. Their machines had taken on a new life apparently, since
their association with Elmer and they were much encouraged.
Accordingly, the leader of the Wolf Patrol started out. Fifty miles or
so does not amount to a great deal when mounted on a good motorcycle;
and if that threatened storm would only hold off a few hours, Elmer felt
that he would have little cause for complaint.
As he rode along the thoroughfare he frequently sounded his horn in such
a way that any stragglers would know it was meant for a signal to show
themselves. It was to be Elmer's duty to warn them that the cars would
soon be along, and that they could get back to Hickory Ridge in that way
if they preferred.
About five miles out he heard a shout, and some one who was standing
alongside the road waved his hat. It was Matty, the leader of the Beaver
Patrol.
Elmer immediately jumped off his machine and put the question up to his
fellow scout. But he really knew what the answer would be before the
other opened his mouth.
"What, me give up, when I'm within smelling distance of my goal?"
declared the determined Matty. "Not for Joseph! I'm going on and report
to the headquarters of the Little Falls troop; and get back home
to-morrow someway or other. But I'm glad Lil Artha got the prize. He's
a dandy on a hike, I tell you; and Hickory Ridge is proud of him, sure
as you're born! So long, Elmer; get word to my folks, if you can; though
I warned 'em not to look for me to-night."
Then Matty strode off bravely, though Elmer detected a slight limp which
even his game qualities could not entirely conceal.
A little later on he picked up Red Huggins and Phil Dale, the latter
having given up, as he was utterly worn out. They had started a fire
alongside the road and were preparing to pass the remainder of the night
after the fashion of true scouts. In view of the possibility of rain the
boys were even then starting to make some sort of shelter from branches
and such stuff as they could find.
Of course they received the good news with tremendous satisfaction; and
declared that they would be only too delighted to get a chance of a lift
back home.
"Hope they'll let me fasten my old wheel behind, somehow?" remarked
Phil; and Elmer assured him that that had all been arranged for.
So leaving them, with an exchange of cheers, Elmer rode on.
One by one he came across Jack, Ty, George, and the Fairfield fellow,
Angus McDowd, the latter still in company with young Robbins. And every
one of them expressed the greatest satisfaction when they heard how Mr.
Garrabrant did not mean that they should spend the night away from home
but would speedily be along with a number of cars calculated to carry
them back to Hickory Ridge.
Even Tom Cropsey was located, he having taken refuge in the branches of
a tree, because of a farmer's vicious dog that kept barking savagely
not far away; and Tom happened to be particularly timid about strange
dogs. His wheel being useless, and himself too cramped for walking, he
had "camped" after his own fashion.
Thus all were restored to their homes that night save the other
Fairfield boy who had sprained his ankle and was in bed at the tavern;
Matty, who declined to be brought back until he had finished his task;
and Elmer's two companions, Toby and Nat, with their unreliable
motorcycles.
Of course it was well along into the morning before the last automobile
reached Hickory Ridge with the balance of the contestants; and as nearly
everybody had long before gone to bed, the victor was not received with
any great acclaim; at least the factory whistles were not blown, nor the
church bells rung. But a few of the faithful scouts, who were bound to
make a night of it, had waited up at headquarters; and these fellows
gave three hearty cheers when they saw the long-legged Lil Artha step
stiffly from the leading car.
When, on the following night, a regular meeting of the troop was held,
every fellow made sure to be in attendance; for it had been announced
that the several contestants in the great hike, as well as the five who
had gone forth on bicycles and motorcycles, intended giving a detailed
report of what adventures had happened on the way; and it was expected
that there would be some stories worth listening to.
The indignation of the boys was intense when they heard how those
Fairfield four had tried to block Lil Artha's game and, by forcing him
to ride, render his claim to be a contestant under the rules null and
void.
"But listen, fellows," said Elmer, who presided in place of the scout
master, called out of town on sudden business; "don't be too quick to
blame the Boy Scouts of Fairfield for that rascally piece of business.
Matt Tubbs called me up on the phone this afternoon and wanted me to
express the indignation of himself and his comrades over the matter. He
declared that they had not the faintest indication of the affair; and
that it was engineered entirely by some 'outcasts,' who, having declined
to subscribe to the twelve cardinal principles of the new movement, were
doing everything in their power to wreck the troop over there."
"Well, they won't succeed, that's all," declared Lil Artha, confidently;
"because my father says he knows that the best people of both Fairfield
and Cramertown are just daft over the change that has taken place among
the boys there ever since the scouts were organized, and that they mean
to stand back of the movement through thick and thin. They say the
organization of the scouts was the finest thing that ever happened to
Fairfield."
"And, fellows," continued Elmer, "I think that on the strength of this,
not to speak of Felix saying he would have refused to accept a tainted
title if he had won after Lil Artha was kidnaped, we ought to give our
fellow scouts over there a cheer. Yes, and send them a letter
congratulating them on the new spirit of fairness that has sprung up
among them."
It was put in the form of a motion, and carried unanimously. So three
cheers and a tiger were given with a will; and later on the letter was
written, which Elmer himself promised to deliver to Matt Tubbs, the loan
of that fine motorcycle still holding good.
And this, then, was the way the great hike went through. Lil Artha, of
course, was the pride of the troop for his fine work; but the other
fellows who had done the best they knew how were not forgotten in the
chronicles of the event, as written in the log book of the secretary.
The only serious accident of the affair was the sprain which Henry Cobb
had been unfortunate enough to receive, and which was likely to make him
limp for many weeks. But it had afforded a tremendous amount of fun, and
at the same time proved that the fact of a boy belonging to the scouts
need not detract in the least from his manly qualities.
Vacation was now nearly at an end, and presently the scouts would be
taking up their school duties for the new year. The summer that had
passed had really been the most delightful one in all their experience;
and they looked forward hopefully to other good times ahead, when, as
scouts, they might be given the privilege of learning many of the
secrets of Nature and of building up sturdy and manly characters under
the influence of the splendid rules governing the organization.
But there was one grumbler out of the number starting out for Little
Falls, and this was Nat. He never could get entirely over the cruel fate
that had allowed those trapped plotters to get off "so easy" and was
often heard to mutter that if Elmer had not happened to be along there
might have been a different story to tell. But like a lot of fellows,
Nat's "bark was more savage than his bite," and perhaps, after all, had
he been allowed his own sweet way, he might have remembered how he had
faithfully promised not to harbor the spirit of revenge when he signed
the roster of the Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts' troop.
_THE END._
_The next story of this Series (Number Six), which can be found on sale
everywhere, is called "The Hickory Ridge Boy Scouts' Endurance Test; or,
How Clear Grit Won the Day."_
ADDENDA
BOY SCOUT NATURE LORE
BOY SCOUT NATURE LORE TO BE FOUND IN THE HICKORY RIDGE BOY SCOUT SERIES.
Wild Animals of the United States }
Tracking } in Number I.
THE CAMPFIRES OF THE WOLF PATROL.
Trees and Wild Flowers of the United States in Number II.
WOODCRAFT, OR HOW A PATROL LEADER MADE GOOD.
Reptiles of the United States in Number III.
PATHFINDER, OR THE MISSING TENDERFOOT.
Fishes of the United States in Number IV.
FAST NINE, OR A CHALLENGE FROM FAIRFIELD.
Insects of the United States in Number V.
GREAT HIKE, OR THE PRIDE OF THE KHAKI TROOP.
Birds of the United States in Number VI.
ENDURANCE TEST, OR HOW CLEAR GRIT WON THE DAY.
THE INSECTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Insects are the most abundant of the animal kingdom. They are classified
principally by the nature of their wings. Dr. Sharp, an authority on
Entomology, recognizes but nine orders:
1. Aptera.
2. Orthoptera.
3. Neuroptera.
4. Hymenoptera.
5. Coleoptera.
6. Lepidoptera.
7. Diptera.
8. Thysanoptera.
9. Hemiptera.
Many useful products are obtained from insects. From them we get our
silk, honey and cochineal, and they help to fertilize our flowers. On
the other hand, many are detrimental to agriculture and health.
APTERA.
These are primitive insects without wings. The Campodea, a small insect,
belongs to this order. Another example is the "Silverfish," which is
found in receptacles holding sugar, starch, etc., in and about unclean
bakeshops and kitchens. They are known principally in houses of the
Southern States, especially in damp places.
ORTHOPTERA.
These are the straight-winged insects. They have four wings, the front
pair being usually leathery and smaller than the hind pair.
Here belong the Grasshoppers, Katydids and Crickets. Cockroaches,
Walking-sticks, Leaf insects, Praying Mantis also belong to this order.
THE COCKROACH.
Most of the Cockroaches are nocturnal. It is said that their food is
dead animal matter. The kinds of Cockroaches found in the house are the
American Cockroach, Croton-bug and the Black Beetle. Apparently they eat
anything, animal or vegetable, and are great pests in ill-kept houses,
especially where moisture is plentiful. The name "Croton-bug" is applied
to the smaller sort, it having made its appearance about the time when
Croton water was first used in New York City. They show a strong
distaste to light and are fond of warmth. The eggs are laid in capsules.
THE LOCUST.
This family are insects most destructive to crops. The antennas are
short, the hind legs large and strong, giving them their jumping power.
The most injurious of these is the migratory locust. During the years
1874 to 1876 this insect, it is said, did more than $200,000,000 damage
to crops in four States of the Union. Every country boy knows the
crackling sound made by these grasshoppers in their flight. Their "song"
is made by the scraping of the legs against their wings. Locusts swarm
and are not particular as to the kind of vegetable matter which they
eat; anything green which they chance upon is devoured. The red-legged
grasshopper is the one most common in the Eastern States in late summer.
The true or green grasshoppers have long horns, are much softer in body
and "sing" more than their cousins of the locust family. The "Katydids"
belong here.
CRICKETS.
[Illustration: PRAYING MANTIS.]
Crickets are closely related to the green grasshoppers. They have long
antennae. The Mole Cricket burrows in the earth, as its name implies,
digging with its powerful forelegs. The black Field Cricket lives in
small burrows in fields and pastures. The Crickets are musical and
together with their cousins of this family swell the insect chorus of
our summer nights.
A peculiar insect belonging to this family is popularly known as the
Walking-stick; in motion it does not look unlike a twig moving about.
Its body is long and slender. In the tropics this family has many forms
which so closely resemble the leaves, and even flowers of plants and
trees, as to fool not only the casual but the close observer.
Another peculiar insect is the Praying Mantis; this name has been given
them because of the position which they take, the legs being held as
though in prayer. They are found in the Southern States and are regarded
with superstitious awe by the ignorant.
THE NEUROPTERA.
These are the net-veined winged insects; the Dragon flies, Mayflies,
Caddis-flies belong in this order.
THE DOBSON.
The Dobson is one of the most curious insects in this order. It is
generally known as the hellgrammite, although it has probably more
popular names than any other insect and some are very peculiar, for
instance, Conniption-bugs, Goggle-goy, Flip-flaps, Ho Jacks,
Snake-doctor. It is a large insect with strong-biting mouth, living in
its larval form in water.
THE SNAKE FLIES.
These are found in the Western States and prey vigorously upon other
insects and render themselves especially important to the farmer of the
far West because of their ravages upon the Coddling Moth, which is the
special enemy of apple trees.
[Illustration: WALKING-STICKS.]
THE ANT LION.
The Ant Lion digs a little pit in loose sand and buries itself therein
with the exception of its head. Into this trap fall small insects on
which it feeds. After the victim is sucked dry the remains are thrown
out of the pit.
THE DRAGONFLIES.
These insects are also known as "Horse-stingers" and "Devil's
Darning-needles," and many superstitious beliefs are held in regard to
them, although they are perfectly harmless. Many ignorant people still
hold them capable of sewing up bad boys' ears. The early part of their
existence is spent in the water. They prey upon flies, mosquitoes and
small insects. In the wings of these flies are often beautiful colors.
They frequent stagnant water. The Kingbird favors them as a diet.
THE MAYFLIES.
The Mayflies or Shadflies, like the Dragonflies, spend their infancy
under water feeding upon vegetables and primitive forms of animal life.
Their scientific name is Ephemerida, coined from the Greek word meaning
a day. They were given this name because of their short life. Great
quantities of the larvae are eaten by fish.
CADDIS FLIES.
What observing country boy has not seen the queer-looking Caddis worms
in the brooks and their curious larva cases. Put them in your aquarium,
for they are interesting to watch and study. Their wings are more or
less covered with hair and this gives them a moth-like appearance. They
frequent the shady margins of streams. The larvae cases are made of
leaves, bits of sticks, sand, shells, etc., fastened by silk which the
caddis worm spins. These cases protect them from fishes and preying
insects.
[Illustration: DRAGON FLIES.]
THE HYMENOPTERA.
The Hymenoptera is an order of insects of high rank containing the Bees,
Ants, Wasps and Gallflies. Dr. Leland O. Howard, Chief of the Division
of Entomology in the United States Department of Agriculture, says that
this order "comprises nearly 30,000 described species; but the enormous
number of undescribed species, particularly of the smaller parasitic
forms inhabiting tropical regions and other out-of-the-way localities,
would probably swell this number to more than 300,000. To indicate the
work still to be done in this order, it is safe to say that a day's
collecting in Central Park, New York, almost under the windows of the
great American Museum of Natural History, or in Logan Square,
Philadelphia, within 200 yards of the Academy of Natural Sciences, would
result in the capture of a number of species new to science." Most
remarkable are the insects of this order for their seeming intelligence
and the wonderful habits and methods in their interesting colony lives.
[Illustration: MODERN BEE-HIVE]
[Illustration: QUEEN BEE]
BEES.
Bees are distinguished from Wasps and Ants by their hairy bodies. The
common hive bee is an insect most important to mankind, and bee-keeping,
properly conducted, is a profitable occupation. Here is a chance for boy
scouts to win money and laurels. In early summer the bees "swarm." The
bee-keeper watches for signs of this and knows that when there is an
unusual restlessness among them and the workers become less attentive to
their regular duties, "swarming" may be expected. Suddenly more than
half the workers, with the queen of the hive, leave the old home and fly
to a new place where they "swarm." A second or third swarm sometimes
leave the hive, each with their respective queen. The first, however,
is always the most important. When hived they climb to the roof and hang
in a mass for often a day. The wax taken from the old hive is kneaded
and the foundation of the new honeycomb started. As soon as the workers
finish cells, the queen lays eggs in them. These hatch into maggot-like
baby bees which have to be fed and taken care of. The worker must now
forage for pollen or "beebread" and nectar from flowers. The nectar they
carry in their "honey-bags" and change it into honey. The inside workers
feed the youngsters, build the comb and clean house, even ventilating it
by fanning the air with their wings. In the hives in the swarming are
drones who do no work. They are permitted to live and feed on the stores
until this season is over, then they are relentlessly killed by the
workers. Bees were kept for their product by the Egyptians.
The Honey Bee was imported from Europe and is not a native of this
country. The Cuckoo Bees are so called because of their habits of living
in the nests of other bees. They apparently live there in friendly
relations with the rightful occupants of the hives.
The Carpenter Bees; these insects are so called because of their habit
of boring into the stems of plants. They line their cells with silky
membrane and build mud partitions. The larger forms of these bees bore
into tree trunks and lumber, and even the timber of buildings.
Mason Bees build earthen cells of sand, earth, etc., glued together.
Another group of these cut pieces from leaves with which to form their
cells.
[Illustration: SECTION OF CELLS]
[Illustration: STRAW-HIVE]
The Bumble Bees; Western farm boys have invented a method or robbing
bumble bees' nests. They take a gallon or two-gallon jug partly filled
with water and place it near the nest. They then beat the nest and
retire to a distance. The bees swarm out of the nest in their attempt
to find the guilty disturber. The jug attracts their attention; they fly
to it and the beating of their wings over the mouth of the jug causes a
roar which attracts the bees and causes them to fly at the mouth and
drop into it. The noise of those inside increases the attraction and
finally all the bees are inside. After all the bees are thus disposed of
the robbing of the nest is then a safe matter.
WASPS.
The wasps' bodies are less hairy than the bees'. Some of the wasps live
solitary lives and other groups colonize. The former build their nests
in a burrow or attach them to trees. These nests are supplied by the
mother wasp with animal food. The social wasp includes the paper-making
varieties and the hornets. The habits of both are similar. The nest is
never used more than one season. In India it is said that there is a
variety that builds a nest reaching a length of several feet. The
hornets suspend large, round nests often a foot in diameter from tree
branches.
The Mason Wasps build their nests of mud under outhouses, roofs, on
rocks and trees. The sting of these insects, especially that of the
hornet, is severe, but they do not sting unless disturbed; then they
display great anger and will follow the disturber for a long distance.
Although they do considerable damage to fruit they are also helpful as
destroyers of insect life.
[Illustration: NEST OF COMMON WASP SEEN FROM BELOW.]
They capture and store in their cells a great variety of insects,
spiders, flies and plant-lice. Certain members of this group of insects
burrow into the earth and conceal their nests by inserting a stone over
which they scrape earth. When the prey is taken the insect is carried
into the burrow and the entrance to it is again closed. Dr. S. W.
Williston, writing of this insect, states that the wasp has been
observed to "use a stone as a tamping-iron to pack the earth into the
mouth of the burrow." He feared, he says, to publish this observation
because he thought he would not be believed. It is also said by
observers of these wasps that each insect seems to have distinct
individuality, for instance, some are careless, some are industrious,
some scrupulously painstaking. One entomologist tells of a method used
by a wasp in capturing a certain spider: the wasp would entangle itself
in the spider's web and the latter would dart out from her hiding place;
the wasp would then easily disengage herself from the web and follow the
spider to its hiding place. The Cicada often becomes prey of the wasp
and its song suddenly ceases as it is quickly stung into insensibility.
If in a struggle the two fall to the ground, the wasp drags the Cicada
up a tree until she reaches a height from which she can fly downward to
her storehouse. The colony wasps are the paper-making insects, their
nests being made from woodpulp and woodfiber secured from old fences and
unpainted woodwork which they mix with saliva and form into a pulp with
which they build their nests.
[Illustration: CICADA.]
[Illustration: COLONY NEST OF BLACK ANTS]
[Illustration: FEEDING LARVAE]
[Illustration: CELLS OF BLACK ANTS. ENLARGED.]
ANTS.
The third group in this important order are the ants. They always live
in communities and build nests which are especially devoted to the
purpose of raising their young. The young are fed from the mouth of
the worker ants. A remarkable peculiarity of these insects is their
practice of making slaves. The large red ant often makes raids on other
ants, carrying off their young to their own nests where they are brought
up to perform the work of their masters. They also domesticate
plant-lice, which have on that account been nicknamed "Ant-Cows."
Instances are related where beetles have been found in ant nests; they
are fed by the ants and in case of migration are carried away by them to
their new home. While some of these guests are tolerated because,
perhaps, the ants cannot rid themselves of them and others are
parasites, some seem to be of the nature of pets. The black ants build
mountain-like nests, sometimes reaching three feet in height; in these
nests sometimes forty or fifty species of ants have been found.
GALL FLIES.
All the members of this family produce galls. In the spring the insect
breaks the vegetable tissue by means of her sting and deposits the eggs.
When hatched the young seem to exercise a peculiar influence on the
growing tissue, shaping it into a swelling or gall containing a series
of chambers. Certain of the galls formed on the oak trees were formerly
used in the manufacture of ink and tannin.
ICHNEUMON FLIES.
These flies attack caterpillars especially and lay their eggs in their
bodies. The young, when hatched, feed upon the unfortunate victim.
THE HORN-TAILS.
The wood-eaters or horn-tails are wood-boring insects living in the
trunks of trees and stems of plants. They are called "horn-tails"
because of the spine at the end of the body. They lay their eggs in
these borings and the young, when hatched, continue to bore their way
through the pith.
THE SAW-FLIES.
The saw-flies saw their way into plant tissue and lay their eggs in the
openings thus made. Many of these flies are very injurious to vegetation
because of this habit. The currant-worm, rose-slug and pear-slug are all
members of this family, and farmers are not on friendly terms with these
insects.
THE COLEOPTERA.
This is the order of insects which includes beetles, glowworms,
lady-birds, weevils, cock-chafers, etc. Their chief characteristic is
the hard wing covers. The wings proper are below these. Most of this
order have strong mandibles. The diet of beetles is much varied, but
they are all voracious.
The little lady-birds, about whom the nursery rhyme sings, warning them
to "fly away home," feed upon the scale insects.
The glow-worm derives the first part of its name from its luminosity,
and the second from its worm-like appearance. To this same family belong
a number of other luminous beetles, the name "firefly" being usually
given.
The weevil is a general name for plant-eating beetles, and they not
infrequently cause great destruction to vegetable matter. Certain
weevils are interesting because of their habit of rolling up leaves in
order to construct a shelter for their young. The nut-weevil lays her
eggs in the young nut while it is still soft and its grub bores its way
out in the fall. The cotton-boll weevil has caused great injury to the
cotton crops in the Southern States. It pierces the leaves of the plant
and lays its eggs. The young feed upon the plant. There are also corn
weevils and rice weevils, and still others that attack peas and beans.
The cock-chafers belong to a large group of dark-colored beetles known
as June bugs. They frequently enter light rooms at night, making a loud
buzzing noise. The insect comes out of the ground in the spring and is
very destructive to the foliage of fruit and other trees. Its grubs live
under ground and feed on roots. The chief enemies of the grub are moles
and birds; of the beetles, bats and birds.
LEPIDOPTERA.
The order of Lepidoptera includes the butterflies and moths. Their wings
and body are covered with scales, frequently bright-colored. There are
several stages in the life history of these insects just as there are in
the life history of other insects, but these stages are so pronounced
and the changes so remarkable in this order that it is well here for us
to consider the different steps which nature takes in transforming the
repulsive caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly or moth. The first
stage is the egg, from which is hatched the caterpillar. The
caterpillar, after living its life, spins its cocoon, is transformed
into the chrysalis. The chrysalis in turn eventually becomes the
butterfly.
The milkweed butterflies are large-sized butterflies; the upper surface
of the wings is bright and reddish bordered with black, and the whole
wing is veined heavily with black. The wings are spotted with white; the
caterpillar is bright yellow with black bands. This insect often appears
in large numbers in New Jersey late in the autumn. This particular one
of the milkweed butterflies is called "The Monarch"; a smaller one of
this genus is called "The Queen."
[Illustration: BUTTERFLIES.]
The California long-winged butterfly. The fore wings are brownish-black
blotched with yellow; the hind wings are a dingy orange.
The Dircenna. The fore wings of this butterfly are grayish-brown with
transparent spots; the hind wings are more yellowish in color.
The Cliff Fritillary. The upper side of this butterfly is bright
tawny-brown spotted with black; the hind wings have a black border
spotted with the same color as the wings. The under side of the fore
wings is orange. The caterpillar feeds upon the passion flower of the
Southern states. It is found from southern Virginia westward to Arizona
and California.
The Regal Fritillary. The upper side of the fore wings is a bright
brown, spotted and blotched with cream color and black; the upper side
of the hind wings is black with cream-colored spots. The caterpillar is
large, nearly two inches long; black with stripes and bands of
reddish-orange. There are six rows of spines. The caterpillar feeds on
violets and does not appear in the daytime. This is a beautiful
butterfly and is found from Maine to Nebraska, frequenting the borders
of woodlands.
The Diana. Both wings are a dark brown with wide border of dark orange
spotted with brown spots. It is found in the Virginias, Carolinas,
Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Silver-bordered Fritillary. This is a small butterfly ranging over
most of the northern part of the United States. The fore wings on the
under side are spotted at the margin with silver spots.
The Baltimore. Upper side black bordered with a row of red spots
followed by three rows of yellow spots on the fore wings and two rows on
the hind wings. It is found in colonies in swamps, in the northern
parts of the United States and Canada.
The Question Sign. This butterfly is easily determined by its large
size; the wings are peculiarly shaped; it is bright brown on the upper
side, spotted but edged with darker brown and pale blue. This is a
common butterfly of the Middle States and is often found in the early
spring.
The Red Admiral. This is a common butterfly found throughout North
America. It derives its name from the red on its fore wings and the red
border on its hind wings.
The Thistle Butterfly. Wherever thistles grow may be found "The Painted
Lady," and Dr. V. J. Holland in his Butterfly Books says, "This is
undoubtedly the most widely distributed of well-known butterflies. It is
found in almost all regions of the earth and in many tropical lands in
both hemispheres." The food plants of the caterpillar are thistles.
The Buckeye. On both the upper and lower sides of the fore and hind
wings are eye-like spots. It is a common butterfly in the South, but is
occasionally found as far North as New England. These butterflies will
fight other passing butterflies.
The Painted Purple Butterfly is easily distinguished because of its
broad white bands across both wings.
The Blue Butterflies, the Copper Butterflies and the Hair-streaked
Butterflies are small insects, many of which are characterized by the
bright blue of the upper side of the wings; in other forms the copper
color prevails. Hair-streaked Butterflies often have small tails on
their horned wings.
The Sulphur Butterflies and Whites are medium-sized or small
butterflies, white or yellow in color, having dark edgings. The common
white butterfly is easily classified by its pure-white color of the
under-side white wings.
The Cabbage Butterfly is a common insect familiar to all. Much good
sauerkraut material is spoiled by its ravages.
Orange Tipped Butterflies. This is a large species of pretty
butterflies.
The Swallow-tail Butterflies are generally large butterflies with the
hind wings tailed.
The Ajax is one of the most beautiful of the butterflies. Its wings are
streaked with brown and white, with red and blue spots near the tail on
the hind wings.
The Tiger Swallow Tail seems to be fond of the woodlands of
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. The common
Eastern swallow-tail is bright yellow and black, and found all over the
Atlantic States.
The Wood Nymphs are butterflies of moderate size with eye-like spots on
their wings, the wings being tawny brown or gray.
We have endeavored to give our boy readers a brief description of some
of the most beautiful and some of the most common butterflies of the
United States. There are thousands more.
MOTHS.
The moths are popularly distinguished from butterflies by the belief
that they fly at night; there are, however, numerous exceptions to this
distinction. The antennae of butterflies are blunt; in moths they vary
in form, being rarely shaped like those of the butterfly. Moths are more
numerous than butterflies, and vary as to size and color. Some moths
have been known to reach a size of six or seven inches in width and
attain the most brilliant coloring of all insects.
[Illustration: MOTHS.]
Hawk Moth. This is a large, dull-colored, powerful moth. The
caterpillars are smooth and striped, horned at the rear end. The Death's
Head Moth belongs to the same family, as do also the Oleander Hawk
Moth and the Humming-bird Hawk Moth. The last mentioned is often
mistaken for a humming bird. Caterpillars of this family are destructive
to potato, tomato and tobacco plants. The moths of this family are known
as the Sphinx Moths. The markings on the body of the Death's Head Moth
resemble a skull and crossbone--hence its name. The body is covered with
hair. The fore wings are brown, the hind wings yellow, banded with
black. It makes a squeaking noise and is often found in beehives where
it is attracted by the honey.
The Egger Moths get their name from the peculiar egg-shell-like surface
of their cocoons.
The Lima Moths are among the largest and most beautiful of our moths.
The hind wings have a tail-like appendage. It is pale green in color
with a purple band along the front of the fore wings.
THE ORDER DIPTERA.
This order includes all the true flies or insects having but two wings.
There is probably no other order of insects that are more injurious to
the health of human beings. The housefly, because of its habits, is a
virulent pest in the spreading of disease and it has been discovered
that certain mosquitoes carry the germs of malarial and yellow fevers.
MOSQUITOES.
Up to the year 1900 little had been known about these insects. Since
then it has been discovered that one genus is responsible for the
transfer of malarial fever and another variety is the sole means of the
spreading of yellow fever. Mosquitoes are found in any locality where
stagnant standing water allows them the opportunity to breed. Their
eggs are laid in a flat mass on the surface of the water, and each of
these masses contains from 200 to 400 eggs. The young mosquitoes issue
from the under side of the eggs, coming to the surface frequently to
breathe, which they do by means of a long tube at the end of the body
which is thrust up above the surface of the water. In many localities
boy scouts have been interested in exterminating mosquitoes, the most
successful methods being either the abolition of their breeding places,
the flooding of surfaces of stagnant water with kerosene, or the
introduction of fish into fishless ponds. In a mosquito crusade every
receptacle for standing water must be found and either destroyed or
treated with kerosene.
MIDGES.
Midges are small or minute flies; swarms of them are commonly seen in
damp localities in the summer.
FLIES.
Horseflies are unusually abundant in the neighborhood of ponds and
streams.
The Robber Flies, or bee-killers, are the hawks of the insect world,
preying upon their victims on the wing. In flying an insect is likely to
become the victim to their sharp little dagger, which they carry in
their beak. It is said that they will frequent a favorite position near
a beehive and make frequent trips back and forth, and hundreds of empty
bodies of bees are found beneath this perch.
The Dancefly is so called because of the up-and-down movement which they
make in their swarms.
The Housefly. These insects are highly injurious to human beings because
of their agency in spreading germs of such diseases as typhoid fever and
Asiatic cholera. It has been discovered recently that germs of
infantile paralysis are conveyed by the housefly.
THYSANOPTERA.
To this order belong very small insects known as "thrips." They are
found in large numbers in flowers and in the heads of grain,
chrysanthemum, hydrangea, orange-blossom, cabbage leaf, cauliflower,
squash, turnips and other plants.
HEMIPTERA
includes plant-lice, scale insects and bugs proper. One entomologist
says: "If anything were to exterminate the destroyers of hemiptera, we,
ourselves, would probably be starved in the course of a few months," so
harmful are they to vegetation. One of the best-known insects of this
order is the cicada or harvestfly, popularly but wrongly called the
"locust," the term "locust" belonging rightfully to the long-horned
grasshoppers. The body of the cicada is large with a blunt head. At the
end of July and early in August its song may be heard in the treetops.
The queer-shaped treehoppers also belong to this order. When they are
resting upon a twig, it is difficult, except upon close examination, to
distinguish them from a thorn or a natural protuberance of the wood.
The Spittle Insects. After hatching from the egg the young insects live
in little frothy masses like spittle on the stems of plants and grasses.
Scale Insects. Many of the members of this family are very injurious to
fruit trees and other trees. They feed upon the sap.
The Oyster-shell Bark Louse is found particularly upon apple and pear
trees.
[Illustration: SCALE INSECTS.]
Plant Lice. These insects prey upon cultivated plants. Huxley computed
that the uninterrupted breeding of ten generations of plant lice from
the single insect would produce a bulk equal to the population of the
Chinese Empire, 500,000,000 of human beings. We have already spoken of
the relations between ants and plant lice; they are often called "Ant
Cows" because of the ant's habit of milking them for the juices which
they exhume.
THE TRUE BUGS.
The "Water Boatmen" may be found swimming on the surface of water. They
often go below the surface, carrying with them a bubble of air which is
held by the hairs of their body. They hibernate in the mud at the bottom
of the water. The eggs of these insects are made into cakes and are
eaten by the Indians.
Another family of water bugs are properly called the "back swimmers"
because of their habit of swimming on their backs. They prey upon other
water insects and even fish. They can sting with their beak.
TOAD BUGS.
They have a short, wide body, protruding eyes and toad-like color. They
are found in damp places under the banks of ponds and streams.
The Water Striders are the long-legged insects which run over the
surface of the water with such speed that it is difficult to catch them.
The Cannibal Bugs, the Pirate Bugs, are preying insects which feed upon
other insects whose blood they suck. A species of this insect was
especially abundant in the Eastern States in 1898. Their bites and
blood-sucking habits gave cause to the "kissing-bug" scare to which the
newspapers gave great publicity.
THE AMBUSH BUGS
is the name which Professor Comstock has given to insects frequenting
yellow flowers, with which its color agrees and hides it from other
insects visiting the flowers.
THE SQUASH BUG
is the enemy of vegetables of the pumpkin family and has a distinctly
disagreeable odor.
THE STINK BUGS
are small flat bugs which, like the Squash Bug, have a bad odor. One of
this family is still called, in Georgia, "The Abe Lincoln" bug, and in
Texas, "The Third Party" bug.
THE CINCH BUGS.
This is a bug that makes a specialty of corn and grasses as a diet.
INDEX
PAGE
Abe Lincoln Bugs, 175
Ajax Butterflies, 168
Ambush Bugs, 175
Ants, 154, 160, 162
Ant Lion, 152
Aptera, 147
Back Swimmers, 174
Baltimore Butterfly, 166
Bee Killers, 171
Bees, 154-158
Bumble, 156
Carpenter, 156
Cuckoo, 156
Honey, 156
Mason, 156
Beetle, Black, 148
Blue Butterflies, 167
Buckeye, 167
Bugs, 174
Abe Lincoln, 175
Ambush, 175
Cannibal, 174
Cinch, 175
June, 164
Kissing, 175
Pirate, 174
Squash, 175
Stink, 175
Third Party, 175
Toad, 174
Bumblebees, 156
Butterflies, 164
Ajax, 168
Blue, 167
Cabbage, 168
California Long-winged, 166
Copper, 167
Hair-streaked, 164
Milkweed, 164
Orange-tipped, 168
Painted Purple, 167
Sulphur, 167
Swallow-tail, 168
Thistle, 167
White, 167
Cabbage Butterflies, 168
Caddis Flies, 150, 152
California Long-winged Butterflies, 166
Campodea, 147
Cannibal Bugs, 174
Carpenter Bees, 156
Cicada, 160, 172
Cinch Bugs, 175
Cliff Fritillary, 166
Cockchafers, 163
Cockroaches, 148
Coddling Moth, 150
Coleoptera, 147, 163
Conniption Bugs, 150
Copper Butterflies, 167
Corn Weevils, 164
Cotton-boll Weevils, 163
Crickets, 148, 149
Cricket Field, 149
Mole, 149
Croton Bugs, 148
Cuckoo Bees, 156
Currant Worms, 163
Dance Flies, 171
Death's Head Moths, 168
Devil's Darning-needles, 152
Diana, 166
Diptera, 147, 170
Dircenna, 166
Dobson, 150
Dragon Flies, 150, 152, 153
Egger Moths, 168
Ephemerida, 152
Field Cricket, 149
Fire-flies, 163
Flies, Caddis, 150, 152
Dance, 171
Dragon, 150, 152, 153
Fire, 163
Gall, 154, 162
Harvest, 172
Horse, 171
House, 171
Ichneumon, 162
May, 150, 152
Robber, 171
Saw, 163
Shad, 152
Snake, 150
Flip-flaps, 150
Fritillary, Cliff, 166
Regal, 166
Silver-bordered, 166
Gall Flies, 154, 162
Glow Worms, 163
Goggle-goy, 150
Grasshoppers, 148
Red-legged, 149
Hair-streaked Butterflies, 164
Harvest Flies, 172
Hawk Moth, 168
Hellgrammite, 150
Hemiptera, 147, 172
Ho-Jack, 150
Honey Bee, 156
Horn Tails, 162
Hornet, 158
Horse Flies, 171
Horse Stingers, 152
House Flies, 171
Hymenoptera, 147, 154
Ichneumon Flies, 162
June Bugs, 164
Katydids, 148
Kissing Bugs, 175
Lady Birds, 163
Leaf Insects, 148
Lepidoptera, 147, 164
Lice, Plant, 174
Locusts, 148
Louse, Oyster Shell Bark, 172
Luna Moth, 170
Mason Bees, 156
Wasps, 158
May Flies, 150, 152
Midges, 171
Milkweed Butterflies, 164
Mole Cricket, 149
Monarch Butterflies, 164
Mosquitoes, 170
Moths, 168-170
Coddling, 150
Death's Head, 168
Egger, 168
Hawk, 168
Luna, 170
Sphinx, 170
Neuroptera, 147, 150
Nut Weevils, 163
Orthoptera, 147, 148
Oyster Shell Bark Louse, 172
Painted Purple Butterflies, 167
Pear Slugs, 163
Pirate Bugs, 174
Plant Lice, 174
Praying Mantis, 148, 149, 150
Queen Butterflies, 164
Question Sign Butterflies, 167
Red Admiral Butterflies, 167
Red-legged Grasshoppers, 149
Regal Fritillary, 166
Rice Weevils, 164
Robber Flies, 171
Rose-slugs, 163
Saw Flies, 163
Scale Insects, 171, 173
Shad Flies, 152
Silver-bordered Fritillary, 166
Sulphur Butterflies, 167
Silverfish, 147
Slugs, Pear, 163
Slugs, Rose, 163
Snake-doctor, 150
Snake Flies, 150
Sphinx Moth, 170
Spittle Insects, 172
Squash Bugs, 175
Stink Bugs, 175
Swallow-tail Butterflies, 168
Tiger, 168
Third Party Bugs, 175
Thistle Butterflies, 167
Thysanoptera, 147, 171
Tiger Swallow-tail, 168
Toad Bugs, 174
Treehoppers, 172
Walking Sticks, 148, 150, 151
Wasps, 154, 158, 159
Mason, 158
Water Boatmen, 174
Striders, 174
Weevils, 163
Corn, 163
Cotton Boll, 163
Nut, 163
Rice, 164
White Butterflies, 167
The Campfire and Trail Series
1. IN CAMP ON THE BIG SUNFLOWER.
2. THE RIVALS OF THE TRAIL.
3. THE STRANGE CABIN ON CATAMOUNT ISLAND.
4. LOST IN THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP.
5. WITH TRAPPER JIM IN THE NORTH WOODS.
6. CAUGHT IN A FOREST FIRE.
7. CHUMS OF THE CAMPFIRE.
8. AFLOAT ON THE FLOOD.
By LAWRENCE J. LESLIE.
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Transcriber's note:
Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. Archaic spelling was retained
in words such as "kidnaped" and "pease."
First advertising page, "Chenoweth" changed to "Chenowith" to match
actual book usage (Elmer Chenowith, a lad from)
Page 29, "me" changed to "we" (what we might do)
Page 30, "every" changed to "very" (very morning when)
Page 78, "cherry" changed to "cheery" (a cheery word)
Page 78, "completly" changed to "completely" (he was completely)
Page 110, "undertsand" changed to "Understand" ("I understand," came
the)
Page 127, "comfusion" changed to "confusion" (was some little confusion)
Page 140, "spent" changed to "spend" (should spend the night)
Page 142, "thing" changed to "think" (I think that on)
Page 159, word "a" added to text (tells of a method)