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merely to ribbons, laces, and other trifling articles. Queen Elizabeth, in the third year of her reign, was furnished by her silk-woman with a pair of black knit silk stockings, which she is stated to have admired as "marvellous delicate wear;" and after the using of which she no longer had cloth ones as before. James the First, whilst king of Scotland, requested of the earl of Mar the loan of a pair of silk stockings to appear in before the English ambassador, enforcing his request with the cogent appeal, "For ye would not, sure, that your king should appear as a scrub before strangers."

THE CLOTHES MOTH.

THE larva of this little Moth is well known from the damage it commits in woollen cloth and furs. These substances constitute the principal support of the caterpillar, and therefore the parent is, by its natural instinct, directed to deposit its eggs in them. As soon as it quits the egg, the caterpillar begins to form for itself a nest for this purpose, after having spun a fine coating of silk immediately around its body, it eats the filaments, of the cloth or fur, close to the thread of the cloth, or to the skin. This operation is performed by its jaws, which act in the manner of scissors. The pieces are cut into convenient lengths, and applied, with great dexterity, one by one, to the outside of its case; and to this it fastens them by means of its silk. Its covering being thus formed, the little caterpillar never quits it but in the most urgent necessity. When it wants to feed, it puts out its head at either end of its case, as best suits its conveniency. When it wishes to change its place, it puts out its head, and its six fore legs, by means of which it moves forward, taking care first to fix its hind legs into the inside of the case, so as

to drag it along. After having changed within its case into a chrysalis, it issues, in about three weeks, a small, winged, nocturnal Moth, of silvery gray colour, well known to almost every mistress of a family. The best mode of destroying this insect, when in the cloth, is to place a saucer of oil of turpentine with the goods affected in a close place, when the vapour raised by the warm air will immediately destroy it. Should the caterpillar be old and strong, it may be necessary to brush the clothes with a brush, the points of which have been dipped in turpentine.

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THE GREAT DRAGON FLY.

THIS genus of insects is well known to every one. The largest species is produced from a water worm that has six feet, which, while young, is transformed to a chrysalis that has its dwelling in the water. It wears a kind of mask, which it moves at will, and which serves to hold its prey while it devours it. The period of transformation being come, the chrysalis goes

to the water-side and fixes on a plant, or sticks fast to a piece of dry wood. Its skin, grown parched, splits at the upper part of the thorax. The winged insect issues forth gradually, throws off its slough, expands its wings, flutters, and then flies off with gracefulness and ease. The elegance of its slender shape, the richness of its colours, the delicacy and resplendent texture of its wings, afford infinite delight to the beholder. It is in length about four inches, and of proportionate thickness.

The female deposits her eggs in the water, from whence spring water worms, which afterwards undergo the same transformations.

The Ephemera, or Day Fly, is so called on account of the shortness of its life; it is a small insect originating from a caterpillar residing in rivers; after having remained several months in the creeping state, it bursts at four o'clock into the fly form, and dies soon after.

The fly has four wings, two larger and two smaller ones, attached to the corselet; and six legs fixed also to the same part of the body. The head is adorned with two or four antennæ, the form of which has often been a characteristic to distinguish the species; the eyes are large and beautiful, being composed of an immense number of small hexagonal pieces, and the proboscis is spirally turned up to the mouth; the belly or hinder part is composed of rings and covered with hairs. The eggs of most part of these insects are laid in summer or autumn, and pass the winter season in that state.

It is curious to see the eddies which the small nocturnal insects describe around a light in the evening; and almost impossible to guess what attracts them so powerfully to their own ruin.

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THE BEE, WASP, AND LADY-COW.

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THESE insects are divided into several species, which are distinguished from each other by differences both in talent and disposition. Some live in society, and share its toils: others dwell, and work in solitude; building the cradles of their families, as instanced in the Leaf-cutter Bee, with a rose-leaf; in the Upholsterer, who employs the gaudy tapestry of the corn rose; in the Mason Bee, who uses plaster; and in the Wood Piercer, whose material is saw-dust. But in their little kingdom, the hive, all are employed in providing for their posterity, and contributing to the general welfare of the community.

Of Bees there are three kinds, the Plebeians, the Drones, and the Queen. The Queen, or Parent Bee, is the soul of the hive; to her all the rest are so attached, that they will follow her wherever she goes. If she dies, all their labours are at an end, an universal mourning ensues, and all her subjects reject their food and follow her. Should a new queen arise, before this catastrophe attends the hive, joy renovates their spirits, and their toils are renewed. This has been observed by removing the chrysalis of a Queen Bee from one hive to another which had lost its own empress. But this attachment is only in proportion to the utility she affords to the commonwealth. She is so prolific as to lay fifteen or eighteen thousand eggs, which produce about eight hundred males, four or five Queen Bees, and the rest Neuters, or Plebeians. Their cells differ in size; the largest are for the males, the royal cells for the Queens, and the smallest for the Neuters. The Parent Bee deposits in these cells such eggs as will produce the species for which they are respectively destined. In two or three days the eggs are hatched, when the Neuters turn nurses to the rest, whom they feed, most tenderly, with unwrought wax and honey. After twenty-one days, the young bees are able to form colonies, and with such indefatigable activity, that they will then do more, in one week's time, than during all the rest of the year. Sometimes there are Bees who, less laborious, support themselves by pillaging the hives of the rest; upon which a battle ensues between the industrious and the despoiling insects. Frequently contentions will arise among them, when a new colony seek their habitation in a hive already occupied. Their foes are the wasp and hornet, who rip open their bellies with their teeth, in order to suck out the honey contained in the bladder. Sparrows, also, sometimes, are seen to take one in

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