This object has already been kindly commended, and generously welcomed, by no small number of skilled teachers and scientists, who have given valuable time to the reading of manuscript and proof of this series. To those parents and teachers who will give the books a careful trial, and reinforce these simple instructions by their own enthusiasm and experience, the Nature Readers are commended by THE AUTHOR. TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS. Do you know that there are cities on your path to school, and under the trees in your garden? Do you know that homes with many rooms in them hang in the branches above your head? Do you know that what you call “little bugs” hunt and fish, make paper, saw wood, are masons and weavers, and feed and guard and teach their little ones, much as your papa and mamma take care of you? This sounds like a fairy story, but it is a true fairy story. In this book you will read of some of these wonders. And when you have read this book well, you shall have one or two more. These books will not try to tell you all that there is to tell of these things. They are only to wake up your minds, so that you will think and study and notice these things for yourselves. Your eyes will be worth many times as much to you as they now are, when you learn to observe with care and to think about what you see. J. M. N. W. CONTENTS. LESSON PAGE I. MR. AND MRS. CRAB 1 II. MR. CRAB AND HIS HOUSE 3 III. MORE ABOUT MR. CRAB 5 IV. MR. AND MRS. CRAB GET A NEW COAT 7 V. WHAT THE CRAB DOES 9 VI. MR. CRAB AND HIS FRIENDS 12 VII. SOME OTHER CRABS 14 VIII. THE HERMIT CRAB 17 IX. THE CRAB’S ENEMIES 20 X. THE USES OF CRABS 22 XI. MRS. WASP AND HER HOME 24 XII. WHAT MRS. WASP CAN DO 26 XIII. A LOOK AT MRS. WASP 28 XIV. MRS. WASP’S YEAR 29 XV. MRS. WASP AT HOME 31 XVI. REVIEW 33 XVII. THE BEE AND THE MAN 35 XVIII. HOW THE BEE IS MADE 36 XIX. THE BEE AT HOME 38 XX. THE BEE BABIES 40 XXI. THE BEE WAR 42