Acrid buttercup leaves, 10.
Agaric, 142, 144.
Alders, leaf-rolling beetles of, 233.
_Amanita muscarius_, 142; print from, 143.
American velvet plant, 25.
_Andrena_ bee, 222.
Andromeda-bell, its welcome to the bee, 221, 222.
Aniline bath, 47.
Aphides, 125, 126;
pest of the rose-garden; plants and trees, 126;
sucking the sap, 127;
disappearance of a swarm, 128;
all females; end of season males appear; wonderful multiplication
of, 233, 236.
Aphis lion (_Hemorobida_), 128, 129.
_Aphrophora_, "spume-bearer," 89.
Apple-trees bearing pumpkins and squashes, 192.
_Aquilegia canadensis_, columbine, 46.
Arachne, 106.
Archippus. See Butterflies.
_Argiope riparia_, ballooning or flying spiders, 120.
Artists as interpreters of the beauty of the commonplace, 26.
Asters, 110.
_Attacus prometheus_, 75.
Aurelius, 161.
Balloon, the true, 118.
Ballooning spiders (_Argiope riparia_), annual picnic of, 114;
shooting of webs, 115;
sailing out of sight; sending out broad bands from their
spinnerets, 117;
skilful handling, 118;
making the balloon; the ascension; manner of alighting, 119.
Baltimore oriole, 172.
Banquet of beetles, 134.
Barberry blossoms, shrinking hearts; strange manners, 224;
an unsuspecting agent, 227.
Bedegnar, sponge-gall, 43.
Bees:--
bumble, 6, 91;
honey, 7;
yellow-jacket, 91;
_Andrena_, 222.
Beetles:--
floundering, 1;
tiger (_Cicindelidae_), oil, 2;
snapping (_Elater_), 20;
perfumed (_Osmoderma scabei_), 133;
blue oil, 239.
Bellworts, 44.
Bigelow, Hosea, quoted, 224.
Billings, Josh, quoted, 92, 124.
Birds'-nests, materials of:--
milkweed bark, toad-skins, and snake-skins, 171, 172;
twine and horse-hair, caterpillar-skins, 172;
wool, dandelion seeds, 173;
gray lichens and seeds, 177.
Black-paper hornet, his bad reputation, 94;
a tempting target; results of an attack on his house, 96;
making themselves promiscuous; the stoical bachelor, 97;
his discomfiture, 98;
antics explained; his hiding-place revealed, 100;
favorite hunting-ground, 101;
occasional big game; life of; manner of laying eggs; several
broods in a season, 102;
number of tiers in a nest; winter the best time to examine nests,
103.
Black snake, 85.
Blossom etiquette, 221, 222.
Blue carnation, 46.
Blue dahlia, 45.
Blue oil beetle, 239.
Blue pansies, 46.
Blue rose, 45, 46.
Blue tulip, 45.
Bluets, _Houstonia_, 24, 208, 209.
Boletus, 142.
Bridge-building spiders, 104.
Brooklyn Bridge, 104;
"carrier" or "traveller" should have been called "spider," 105;
Engineer Farrington crossing, 110.
Brown screech-owl, 151.
Browning, Robert, quoted, 26.
"Bull's-eye" caterpillar, 156.
Bumble-bee, 6, 91.
Butterflies asleep at night, 168.
Butterflies:--
Idalia (_Argynnis idalia_), Archippus (_Danais archippus_), yellow
swallow-tails (_Papilio turnus_), 131;
Red Admiral (_Vanessa atalanta_), 155, 158, 161;
"comma" (_Vanessa comma_), 156, 161, 170;
Atalanta (_Cynthia atalanta_), 158;
semicolon (_Vanessa interrogationis_), 161.
Canterbury bells, 42.
Cardanus quoted, 93.
Careless observation of nature, 185, 186.
Carnation, blue, 46.
Catbrier, 188.
Caterpillars:--
woolly-bear (_Arctiadae_), 148;
"bull's-eye" (_Saturnia io_), 156;
sphinx (_Chaerocampa panipenatrix_), 241.
Cecropia, 156.
Chinese pink, 73.
Chipmonk, 153.
Chrysalids, 161.
Chrysanthemum, 86, 127.
Cicada, 87, 246;
his manner of feeding; how he differs from the grasshopper; the
secret of his music, 250;
his last song; borne off by his captor, 251;
living food, 254;
suspended animation, 255.
_Clintonia_, 239.
Clothes moth (_Tineidae_), 170.
Clover (_Trifolium_), four-leaved, 215;
nine-leaved, found in groups, 216;
possibilities of cultivation, 217;
an exceptional find, 218, 219;
saying its prayers, 219;
lotus, 222.
Cobweb showers, 114;
blinding dogs interrupting sport, 114;
flakes and rags of, 115;
silken streamers, 116;
shower in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 120;
on Brooklyn Bridge, 121.
Cocoons:--curious, 145;
solid to the core, 147;
ribs and vertebrae, 149;
secret of the hollow, 151;
what the pellets were, 152;
yielding wasps, 242.
Colors of flowers, laws governing colors and combinations, 44, 45;
natural exception to; three primary colors in the hyacinth,
Egyptian lotus; sky reflections destroying color, 45.
Columbine (_Aquilegia canadensis_, _A. chrysantha_, _A. caerulea_),
puzzling color classification, from white through all shades of
red, yellow, and blue, 46.
"Comma." See Butterflies.
Coral, gray, 73.
Cow-spittle, 84, 86.
Crickets, 71.
Cross-fertilization of flowers, 30, 167, 208, 211, 229.
Cuban belle's toilet, 21.
Culpepper, Dr., quoted, 154.
_Cyanic_, flowers with all shades of blue and red without yellow,
45.
_Cynips seminator_, _Cynips rosae_, gall-flies, 40.
Dahlia, blue, 45.
Daisy, pesky white weed, almost identical with the marguerite, 25;
a marvel of a flower, 28, 205, 211.
Dandelion. Seeds used for birds'-nests, 173;
mutilation of, 174;
a week of retirement, 175;
flight of the seed-bed, 176;
the burglar discovered, 177, 211.
Darwin, 202, 209, 224.
Darwin flowers, 166, 167, 168.
De Candolle. Color limitations in flowers, 45, 202.
Deer-mouse, 151.
Desmodium, 223.
"Digger-wasps," sand-hornets, 252.
Dungeons of death, 54.
Egyptian history, 53.
Egyptian yellow lotus, 45.
Evening primrose (_OEnothera biennis_), 85;
luminous blossoms of, 163;
daylight mystery; seeds, pods, and caterpillars, 164;
curious secret; two buds, 165;
primrose blooms for moths, 168;
blighted buds, 169;
a poor recompense, 170.
Fairy sponges, the growth of; rich colors of sweetbrier sponge, 38,
42;
contents of the sponge, 42.
False scorpions (_Pedipalpi_), 181;
among old books and papers; born rovers, 182.
Figwort (_Scrophularia_), tall and spindling, purplish-olive
blossoms; odor of; food for wasps, 28;
fertilized by wasps; bud open in the morning; flowers change from
day to day, 30;
growth of the ovary, 32.
Flies:--gall, 40;
lace-wing, 122;
gold-banded, 129;
house, 178;
laphria, 182;
ichneumon, 196;
parasitic, 200;
harvest, 87, 246.
Floundering beetle, color of, 1;
funny characteristics of; leaking habits, 2;
playing possum, 3;
feats of; diminutive size when young; golden-yellow case, 4;
number of joints, 5;
a snug resting-place; first outing, 6;
in the bee hotel; transformation, 8;
in the mummy-case; change of diet, 10.
Fly-fungus, 184.
Flying-machine, toy, 117.
Fox-fire, a column of phosphorescence, of greenish, ghostly hue,
12;
prosaic fence-post; effect of a reflection of lantern in water,
13;
feeding on darkness, 14;
short life of, 15;
village spook; haunted mill, 16;
a night terror, 18;
six square feet of brilliancy, 19;
yeast as a possible cause; dead fish; curious effect from
decaying potatoes, 20;
phosphorus not always present; burnt oyster-shells in combination
with certain acids; the supposed secret of, 22;
decoy for deer; the largest on record, 23.
Frog-hoppers, 89.
Frog-spit, 84, 89.
Gall-fly (_Cynips seminator_, _Cynips rosae_), 40;
a cousin to the wasps; magician in chemistry, 41.
Genista, 223.
Geometrical web-makers, 120.
Ghost-fire, 15.
Gold-banded flower-fly, larva of, 129.
Gossamer showers, 113.
_Gramatophora trisignata_, "Professor Wiggler," 81, 82.
Grape-vine, 186-194.
Grasshoppers, 71, 195;
"Quakers;" camp-meeting ground, 197;
a paralyzed specimen; unnatural movements, 198;
a transparent body, 199;
a swarm of flies, 200, 246.
Green roses, 187.
Grew, Nehemias, 205.
Hang-bird, 172.
Harris, "Insects Injurious to Vegetation," quoted, 89, 134, 233,
237.
Harvest-fly, 87, 246.
Hawthorne's fox-fire, 19, 23.
"History of Selborne," 114.
Hollyhock, 45.
Honey-dew, 126.
Honey-sippers, 221.
Hornet, 87, 92;
as mad as, 93;
always on the rampage, 94, 100, 102.
Horse-hair snakes, New England farmers' idea of the origin of;
stories of, 65;
flying over the meadows in haying time, 66;
two specimens in alcohol, 69;
what was found in a bait-box, 71.
"Hot-foot," 92.
House-fly (_Musca domestica_), his never-ending toilet, 178;
a curious tag, 179;
live young lobster, strength of his grip, 180;
his many enemies; abundant use for all his eyes, 182;
September and October danger months; the white nimbus; acute
dyspepsia, 183.
_Houstonia_, bluets, 208, 209.
Hunters, 161.
Hyacinth, 45.
Ichneumon flies, 196.
Idalia. See Butterflies.
Jibing neighbors, 68.
Johnny-jumper, 46.
Jussieu, 202.
Keats, John, quoted, 164.
Lace-wing fly (_Chrysopa oculata_):--Color of eyes and wings, 122;
lasting odor; ways of the gauzy sprite, 123;
method of egg-laying; born in a land of plenty, 124;
a voracious appetite; tubular teeth, 126.
Lady-bug, larva of, 129.
"Laphria-fly," 182.
Lilac-bushes, 75.
Lindley, 202.
Linnaeus, 202, 206.
Locust, 232, 246.
Lotus clover, 222.
Lovelorn maiden, 213.
Lowell, James Russell, 224.
McCook, Rev. Dr., quoted, 110-118.
Meadow contrasts, 247.
Mignonette, 204.
Monk's-hood blossom, 205.
Morning gossamer, 112.
Moths:--Polyphemus (_Telea polyphemus_), _Attacus prometheus_, 75,
196;
Trisignata (_Gramatophora trisignata_), 81;
_Cecropia_, Bull's-eye (_Saturnia io_), 156;
twilight moth; common clothes moth (_Tineidae_), 170.
Mullein (_Verbascum thrapsus_), 25.
Mummy-cases, 54.
Mushrooms, 138;
color of polyporus, 139;
manner of making a spore-print, 140-144;
colors of prints; high relief, 142;
fixing the prints, 143.
Mutilla ant, 197.
Nasturtium, 205.
Nature, check to rapid increase of, 195.
_Nelumbo_, water-lily, 45.
Nettle (_Celtis_), 154.
Nettle-leaf tent-builders, laying the egg, 155;
contents of the curled leaf, 156;
gray and spine-covered, 156;
rapid change of home, 157;
another specimen of different color, stingless, 158;
size of full-grown specimen; a surprise; preparing for the
transformation, 159;
an ever-interesting revelation; quaint golden ear-drops, 160;
an astonishing trick, 161.
New England farmers, 65.
Niagara Suspension-bridge, manner of laying, 105;
identical with that of the spider, 106.
_Noctiluca_, marine phosphorescent animalculae, 21.
Noisy wigglers, 76.
_Nymphaea_, water-lily, 45.
Oak-apple, 43.
October rowen-fields, 116.
Odor of woods, 131.
Oil beetle. See Beetles.
Old rose, 73.
Orb weavers, 120.
Orchard oriole, 172.
_Osmoderma scabei_, perfumed beetle, 134.
Ovid quoted, 93.
Pansies (_Viola tricolor_):--Great variety of color, 46;
trickery of florists; aniline bath, 47;
a chemical experiment; astonishing color, 48;
ammonia as an agent; coloring an entire plant emerald green, 50;
results from the fumes of sulphur matches, 52.
Passion-flower, 189.
Passion-vine, 186.
Perfumed beetle (_Osmoderma scabei_), curious odor of, 133;
suggesting Russia-leather; home on the maple-tree; sipping the
sap; easily startled, 134.
Pink, 205.
Plant-louse of the apple-tree, 236.
Pliny, 64, 114, 116, 252.
Pollen bearers, 30.
_Polyphemus._ See Moths.
_Polyporus_, 144.
Preservation of food by wasps, 256.
Primrose ash, 73.
Professor of biology, 70.
"Professor Wiggler," what a florist's window suggested; the
lilac-bush his home, 73;
his characteristics, 74;
how he came to be named; bringing him up by hand, 75;
lively capers, 76;
five changes of clothes; voracious feeding, 77;
how he retains his head-shells, 78;
digging out a home, 79;
home completed; skilful concealment; what comes from the cocoon,
81;
burrowing habits, 82.
Puff-balls, 136;
its purple cloud, 136;
rapid change of substance; its cloud mass of reproductive atoms,
137;
same results from mushrooms and toadstools, 138.
Pungent odors, 132.
"Quaker." See Grasshopper.
"Racer," 85.
Red Admiral. See Butterflies.
"Red-hot child of nature," 92, 96.
Redstart, 176.
Red-tailed hawk, 152, 153.
Riddles in flowers, 202;
curious specimens; botanists and philosophers, 204;
pollen-carrying, 207;
galaxy of white or blue stars, 208;
variety of construction, 209;
solving the riddle, 211.
Riley, C. V., quoted, 254.
"Robin's pin-cushion," 43.
Roland for an Oliver, 59.
Roots, becoming stems and bearing leaves, 87.
Rose garden, 126.
Roses, blue, 45, 46;
green, 187.
Rosy moth, 85.
Rowen-field, 116, 218.
Sabbath sanctuary bouquet, 26.
Sacred "scarabaeus," emblem of immortality, 53.
Sage blossom, its welcome to the bee, 221.
Sand-hornet:--Prospecting for game, 249;
the capture, 250;
manner of transporting its prey, 251;
its color and terrible sting, 252;
not to be trifled with; its home in the sand-bank, 253;
deposits its egg and leaves, 254;
its mysterious poison, 256.
_Scrophularia_, figwort, 28.
Semicolon. See Butterflies.
Sheep-spit, 84.
Singular mimic fruit, 42.
Small speckled beetle, 86.
Smilax, 188.
Snake expert, 67.
Snake stories, 65.
Snake-spit, 84, 85.
Snapping beetle. See Beetles.
"Snowin' 'pider-webs," 113.
Sphinx caterpillar (_Chaerocampa pampenatrix_) with his burden, 241,
242;
the mischief-maker (_Microgaster_), 245.
Spice-bush, 131, 132.
Spiders, webs one hundred feet long; autumn best time for
observation, 106;
precocious baby spiders; building a bridge, 108;
moored by guy threads, 110;
ballooning, 112;
at sea, 113.
Sponge-ball, commonly known as Bedegnar, 43.
Sprengel, 166, 202, 206.
"Spume-bearer" (_Aphrophora_), 89;
allied to bugs; his aerated bath; graduation from his
surroundings, 87;
his color and size; his alertness, 88;
time of egg-laying and hatching; power of leaping, 89;
no secret process of making suds; sun's evaporation necessitates
continuous additions, 90.
Squirrel, 153.
Statue of Liberty, 108.
Stems assuming the functions of roots, 187.
Summer meadows, 83.
Sweetbrier sponge, 40.
Sweet-pea, 188.
_Tachina_, a parasitic fly, 200.
Tendrils, what they are; a stem or modified root, 187;
reaching for conquest, 188;
not a special or primal organ, 189;
method of contraction, 191;
the reverse twist, its function, 192;
singular botanical prank, 194.
_Thelaphora caerulea_, fox-fire, 22.
Tiger-beetle, wonderful speed and agility of, 2.
Toad-spit, 84.
Toadstools, 19, 138.
Trailing cobwebs, 113.
True locust, the, 232.
Tulip, blue, 45.
Tumble-bug, his former eminence, 53;
used for ornaments and decorative purposes; his proud lineage,
54;
male and female inseparable; the two familiar species; its
season, 55;
curious antics; bug talk, 56;
a question of selection, 58;
indefatigable workers; manner of working, 59;
Mrs. Tumble-bug's industry, 60;
singular manner of burying the ball, 61;
the chrysalis state, 62;
young Mr. Tumble-bug begins life, 63.
Twilight moth. See Moths.
Union Square Fountain, 45.
Vireo, strange materials in the nest of, 147, 164, 171, 172.
Wasps, as cross-fertilizers, 30;
manner of transferring pollen, 31, 91;
"Digger," sand hornets, 242, 252.
Weeds, artistically treated, 27;
barn-yard weeds no longer commonplace, 28.
Welcome odor of the woods, 131.
Welcome of the flowers, 30, 223.
White, Gilbert, quoted, 114-117.
White, J., 161.
White Mountains, 97.
White-tailed black wasp, 94.
Wiggler moth (_Gramatophora trisignata_), time of appearance of,
81.
Wild-star cucumber, 189.
Witch-hazel divining-rod, 214.
Wolf-spiders, short-legged dodgers; crab-like manner of walking,
120.
Wood-fairies at work; their magic wands, 36;
mischief-makers, 37;
results of their pranks, 38.
Woolly-bear caterpillar. See Caterpillar.
Woolly flock, 230;
expert in bugs, 231;
what constitutes a bug, 232, 235;
first appearance in June; on alders; destruction of apple-trees;
sucking-beaks, 233;
wingless but covered with woolly down, 236.
Worm-eating warbler, vireo, 164.
Xanthic, flowers including yellow in their color, 45.
Yellow geranium, 45.
Yellow larkspur, 45.
Yellow-jacket bee, 91.
Yellow-warbler, 171.