FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   >>  
ght in his conjectures. After him, other scientists who have carefully studied the subject have expressed the same opinion with regard to the efficacy of large wells. ALICE D. LE PLONGEON. Brooklyn, July 15, 1885. * * * * * Cholera failed to strike a single one of the 4,000 women employed in the national tobacco factory at Valencia, Spain, though the disease raged violently in that city, and the _Medical World_ recalls that tobacco workers were also noticed to enjoy exemption from attack during an epidemic at Amsterdam. * * * * * THE CABBAGE BUTTERFLY. A patch of eggs and the minute caterpillars or larvae nearly emerged from them are seen on the leaf. These tiny eggs are at first quite white or pale yellow, and form an object for the microscope of remarkable beauty, which is worthy of the examination of all who take an interest in the garden and its insect life. An egg magnified is drawn at the bottom left-hand corner of the woodcut. When the eggs are near the hatching point they darken in color, and a magnifying glass reveals through the delicate transparent shell a sight which fills the observer with amazement; the embryo caterpillar is seen in gradual course of formation, and if patience and warmth have permitted it, the observer will witness slight movements within the life-case, and presently the shell will break and a black head with moving jaws will be thrust out; the little caterpillar unfolds and slowly crawls away from the egg-shell, and inserts its jaws into the green leaf. It is curious to witness how judiciously the little creatures avoid crowding together, but strike out in different directions, and thus they make sure of a plentiful supply of food, and distribute the effects of their depredations. These caterpillars eat continually, and hence rapidly increase in size, until they present the appearance shown in our drawing at the bottom of the illustration, which is a full grown caterpillar. [Illustration: THE CABBAGE AND PEACOCK BUTTERFLIES.] It will be observed that this insect is composed of thirteen segments from head to tail, which is a distinctive characteristic of all insects both in the larval and perfect states; but in the case of this and most other caterpillars these segments are sharply defined and readily recognized. It will also be noticed that the three segments or "joints" nearest the head bear a p
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   >>  



Top keywords:

segments

 

caterpillars

 

caterpillar

 

tobacco

 

observer

 

CABBAGE

 
noticed
 

witness

 

bottom

 
insect

strike

 

patience

 

warmth

 

permitted

 
amazement
 

creatures

 
embryo
 

gradual

 

judiciously

 

formation


presently
 

unfolds

 

slowly

 

thrust

 

crawls

 
movements
 

slight

 

moving

 

inserts

 

curious


plentiful

 

distinctive

 

characteristic

 

insects

 

thirteen

 
composed
 

Illustration

 
PEACOCK
 

BUTTERFLIES

 

observed


larval

 
perfect
 

joints

 

nearest

 

recognized

 

readily

 
states
 

sharply

 
defined
 
distribute