Produced by Joseph R. Hauser, Janet Blenkinship and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net The Insect Folk BY MARGARET WARNER MORLEY AUTHOR OF "SEED-BABIES," "FLOWERS AND THEIR FRIENDS" "LITTLE WANDERERS," ETC. _ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR_ BOSTON, U.S.A. GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 1903 COPYRIGHT, 1903, BY MARGARET WARNER MORLEY _All rights reserved_ A WORD TO THE CHILDREN DEAR CHILDREN,--The very best way to know the insects is to go and watch them. Watch them whenever you can, and each time you will find out something new. Books will help you, but you must watch, too. Look more than you read. If you need to catch them, put them under a tumbler, and feed them and give them a drop of water every day to drink. Slip a card under the rim of the tumbler on one side so as to let in the air. If you do not know what to feed them, or if they will not eat, let them go after a day or two. If you wish to kill an injurious insect, do it _quickly and completely_. Remember the insects are alive, and we should not make them suffer unnecessarily. Of course you must try to make your captives feel at home. If they live in the sand, put sand in the tumbler and tie a piece of netting over the top so they cannot escape. If they live in the water, put them in a tumbler of water. And when you have secured your captives, watch them as much as you can. If you do not know how to pronounce the words in this book, study the glossary at the back and it will help you. I hope you will have a very happy time getting acquainted with your little insect neighbors. MARGARET WARNER MORLEY. BOSTON, April 18, 1903. CONTENTS PAGE OUR PRETTY DRAGON FLIES 3 THE FAIRY MAY FLIES 25 THE STONE FLY FOLK 33 THE SILVER FISH 36 THE OLD COCKROACHES 41 NEIGHBOR WALKING STICK 52 THE GRASSHOPPER TRIBES 59 THE SHORTHORNED GRASSHOPPERS 61 THE LONGHORNED GRASSHOPPERS 81 PRETTY KATYDIDS 94 THE CRICKET-LIKE GRASSHOPPERS 99 THE CHEERY CRICKET PEOPLE 101 A LARGE FAMILY 107 THE GREAT BUG FAMILY 115 THE WATER BOATMAN 116