[20.] “Coleoptera,” cō-lē-opˈte-ra.
[21.] “Imago,” ī-māˈgo.
[22.] “Elytra,” elˈī-tra.
[23.] Ornaments made from the sheaths of beetles. In the National Museum at Washington are many articles made by Indians and trimmed with beetle wings. There are leather capes and straps decorated with them, and head-dresses on which rows of the wings are sewed together edge to edge. Besides these, many little fancy ornaments are made of them. They may also be seen in large millinery stores, as they bid fair now to come in vogue as decorations for ladies’ bonnets.
[24.] “Lepidoptera,” lĕp-i-dŏpˈte-ra.
[25.] “The silk worm.” This insect is a native of the north of China, and a large part of the raw silk for Europe and America comes from that country. The silk worm was brought into the south of Europe in the sixth century, whence the insects, being found profitable, gradually spread into Italy and France, in both of which countries the production of silk has long been an important industry. The worms, when properly cared for, do remarkably well in this country, where, in an early day, considerable attention was given to silk culture. In colonial times the government encouraged the industry, and the production was considerable. In all the middle and southern parts both soil and climate were found favorable, and there was fair prospect of success; but for some reason the production of raw silk has fallen far behind other American industries, and certainly is not now in a flourishing condition. As late as 1844 the production was 396,700 pounds, worth $1,400,000. It has been much less since. But with our superior natural advantages, and the very fine quality of silk that can be produced, if ever the price of labor in other countries is raised to near the same it is here, it will be profitable, and capitalists ready to invest largely in the business.
[26.] Such statements as these call to mind the following doggerel couplet:
“Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite ’em
And these again have other fleas; and so on, ad infinitum.”
[27.] The habits of ants form a most interesting study. The males and females are provided with delicate glistening wings, the infertile females, or neuters, are wingless. The latter are divided into two classes—the workers or nurses, and soldiers. There is on the part of the fertilized females a disposition to desert the colony, but the workers, who are always on the lookout for any such manifestations, prevent it if possible. The nurses take all the care of the eggs, which are so small as scarcely to be visible to the naked eye, and which the mother never notices unless she is left alone; they also care for the young ants. When the proper time comes they cut them from the cocoons in which the pupæ envelop themselves, but from which they are unable to extricate themselves without help. Winged ants are seen most frequently in the autumn, and the greater part die before cold weather. Ants feed mostly on the sugar found in vegetable substances, and on the secretions of the aphides, or plant lice, called honey dew, which is found smeared over the leaves of plants. Some kinds of ants catch these aphides and carry them to their cells where they carefully provide for them in order that they may have the honey dew for food. Thus in their way they keep cows. The workers also have the care of building the habitations of the colony, forming the streets and chambers, repairing them, and fortifying them against the weather. The soldiers are larger, and are provided with stronger jaws. They do the heavier parts of the work, and the fighting for the colony. Some species of ants are slaveholders. They attack other colonies, and if not repelled, carry off the eggs and cocoons, which they care for, and when they are hatched and grown they are compelled to life service for their captors.