Exercises on Lesson XII.
1. Where would you look for the eggs of the white butterfly? Why are they always laid upon the same kind of plant, and why under the leaf? 2. Explain how caterpillars breathe. 3. Take any caterpillars you find. Observe the leaves you find them feeding upon. Give them fresh leaves every day, and watch how they grow. 4. Why has the “woolly bear” caterpillar got a hairy coat? What does he usually feed upon?
XIII.—THE WHITE BUTTERFLY.
Uncle George had to go from home for a week, and his two nephews went part of the way to the railway station with him.
As they were about to take a short cut through the wood, Uncle George went up to a huge beech tree. He looked very closely at its grey trunk for a time, then stepping back from it about three yards, exclaimed:—
“Come here boys! Stand beside me, look closely at this tree, and tell me if you see any strange objects sticking to the bark.”
After staring at it for some time, they both declared that they could see nothing upon it.
“Go nearer—nearer still! Now, do you see anything?”
The boys shook their heads.
“Go quite close up to the trunk and examine it,” said Uncle George.