“No, we learned in school that they are the larvæ, or young, of a certain night-flying moth. They live in the ground until they change into cocoons (or worms-in-cases), which they weave about themselves. Finally the cocoon comes out of the case as a moth. Here is a picture of the villain.”
“Ugh!” shuddered Mary Frances.
“Hello, here is the real thing,” exclaimed Billy as he kicked aside some earth.
“Oh, isn’t he ugly!” exclaimed Mary Frances.
“We’d never preserve him for his beauty,” agreed Billy. “Some farmers make poison bait for cutworms by mixing a little poison and molasses with bran or clover, and throw it on the ground at night when birds and chickens have gone to bed. They are careful to take it up early in the morning so that no other creature will get it by mistake.”
[CHAPTER XXV]
Birds as Plants’ Friends
“NOW, Feather Flop said—” began Mary Frances; “I mean, if Feather Flop had been in the garden there wouldn’t have been so many cutworms.”
