E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 21948-h.htm or 21948-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/1/9/4/21948/21948-h/21948-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/1/9/4/21948/21948-h.zip) LITTLE BUSYBODIES The Life of Crickets, Ants, Bees Beetles, and Other Busybodies by JEANNETTE MARKS and JULIA MOODY of Mount Holyoke College Illustrated [Illustration: 1. Cicada Killer 2. May-fly 3. Lacewing-fly 4. Dragon-fly 5. Aphis 6. June-Beetle 7. Cicada 8. Lady-Beetle 9. Mole Cricket E. L. Beutenmuller] Harper & Brothers Publishers New York and London MCMIX * * * * * STORY-TOLD SCIENCE For Children from Eight to Fourteen Years of Age Other Books for the Series: CRUSTY COUSINS: Crabs, Spiders, etc. SHELL DWELLERS AND URCHINS: Clams, Oysters, Snails, Starfish, Sea Urchins HATCHING WATER BABIES: Fish and Frogs BIRD WITS LITTLE MAMMALS FLOWERS A series intended to cover simple types of plant and animal life, arranged in logical order * * * * * Harper & Brothers, Publishers, N. Y. Copyright, 1909, by Harper & Brothers. All rights reserved. Published April, 1909. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE A WORD TO THE CHILDREN AND THE WISE v I. THE JOURNEY 1 II. RANGELEY VILLAGE 11 III. THE LITTLE ARMY (Locusts and Grasshoppers) 21 IV. FIDDLERS (Crickets) 34 V. HOW KATY DID (Katydids) 43 VI. FISHING (Dragon-flies) 50 VII. THE SWIMMING-POOL (The May-fly) 61 VIII. THE RAINY DAY (Leaf and Tree Hoppers) 68 IX. THE PRIZE (Lace-Wing, Ant-Lion, and Caddis-Worm) 77 X. A NAGGING FAMILY (Flies and Mosquitoes) 90 XI. CAMPING OUT (Butterflies and Moths) 103 XII. CAMP-IN-THE-CLOUDS (Butterflies and Moths, continued) 114 XIII. STORM BOUND (Beetles) 122 XIV. A DAY'S HUNTING (Bees) 136 XV. LEAVING CAMP (Wasps) 153 XVI. EYES AND NO EYES (Ants) 167