Compare the tent with a spider's web and note the differences.
Where does the silk come from, of which the tent is made?
Answer. The silk glands of the caterpillar are situated near the mouth, while those of the spider are on the rear end of the body.
Lesson III. How the Insects Grow.
The caterpillars shed their skins about five times. The first molt occurs about three days after they hatch; the second molt about four days later; and the third molt about six days after the second. After each molt, the color and markings of the caterpillars are somewhat changed. During some of the molts the pupils should watch a caterpillar change his skin. After the class has seen this operation the teacher may give the following lesson:
Where is your skeleton?
What is it made of?
What is it for? Bring out the fact that the skeleton is a support for the muscles and organs of the body.
Where is an insect's skeleton? Get as many answers to this question as possible, then explain:
The insect's skeleton is on the outside of its body instead of a skin, and the flesh and muscles are supported by it on the inside instead of on the outside like our own. As this skeleton is hard it cannot stretch; as the insect grows and gets too large the shell bursts open and the insect walks out of it. Now underneath this old hard skeleton a new one is formed, which is soft and flexible at first, and so stretches to accommodate the growing insect. After a little time this new skeleton also hardens and has to be shed when it is too small to suit its owner.