THE WORKING TOOLS OF INSECTS.

 

 

 

I WONDER if you know that the smallest insects you see about you have tools given them to, do their work with. There is a little fly called a saw-fly, because it has a saw to work with. It is really a very much nicer saw than you could make, if you were ever so old.

The fly uses it to make places where the eggs will be safe. What is more strange, it has a sort of home-made glue which fastens them where they are laid.

Some insects have cutting instruments that

work just as your scissors do. The poppy-bee is one of them, whose work is wonderful. This bee has a boring tool, too. Its nest is usually made in old wood. This borer cleans out the nest ready for use. When all is ready, the insect cuts out pieces of leaves to line the nest and to make the cells. These linings are cut in the shape of the cells. You would be surprised to see the care taken to have every piece of just the right size, so that it will fit. When they are fitted, the pieces are nicely fastened together and put into the nest.

 

 

Our Little Ones.

 






 



  Flies In Egypt


“Appeal and warning were ineffectual, and another judgment was inflicted. The time of its occurrence was foretold, that it might not be said to have come by chance. Flies filled the houses and swarmed upon the ground, so that "the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies." These flies were large and venomous, and their bite was extremely painful to man and beast. As had been foretold, this visitation did not extend to the land of Goshen.     

     Pharaoh now offered the Israelites permission to sacrifice in Egypt, but they refused to accept such conditions. "It is not meet," said Moses; "lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?" The animals which the Hebrews would be required to sacrifice were among those regarded as sacred by the Egyptians; and such was the reverence in which these creatures were held, that to slay one, even accidentally, was a crime punishable with death. It would be impossible for the Hebrews to worship in Egypt without giving offense to their masters. Moses again proposed to go three days' journey into the wilderness. The monarch consented, and begged the servants of God to entreat that the plague might be removed. They promised to do this, but warned him against dealing deceitfully with them. The plague was stayed, but the king's heart had become hardened by persistent rebellion, and he still refused to yield.” 



 PP 266  







 




 FLY


 JAMIE AND THE FLY.



JAMIE was sulky. Are you ever sulky? Here is a picture of him as he sat pouting, with his finger in his mouth. I think that if you who are sometimes sulky will look at this picture, it will cure you of the least desire to look as he did. I think that if his papa had held a looking-glass before him so that he could have seen himself, he would not have been satisfied with the pouting, cross-looking little figure which he would have seen reflected in the glass.

There was no reason why Jamie should not be a happy little boy. To be sure he was lame, but with the aid of his crutch he could walk quite well, and would soon be able to get along without it, although he would always be a little lame. He had a pleasant home, and everything that a reasonable little boy could ask for.

But now, as he sat there, feeling angry and ill-natured, he saw a fly light on the windowpane; and, as he began to watch the movements of the fly, he forgot himself and the cause of all his troubles. The little fly was taking his morning washing and brushing. He was making his toilet.

In the first place, Mr. Fly rubbed his head with his hands; over and over did this tidy

little body scrub his face. Then he began to wash and trim his wings. He smoothed them along the edges, and polished them with so much care that I dare say that had Jamie had as many eyes as the fly, he might have seen that the tiniest speck of dust was removed. Next he rubbed his legs. He did not spare himself any amount of trouble; for he rubbed them together, and he rubbed them separately; he rubbed and scrubbed and polished; and he polished and scrubbed and rubbed. When he was perfectly clean, he stood still a moment, probably to rest himself after the exercise, and then he flew away.

By this time Jamie had forgotten how cross he felt; and he looked at his hands to see if they were clean. No, indeed, they were grimy with dirt, and he knew that his face needed washing; for it was because his mother wanted to give him his bath that he began to pout and to sulk. Now that he had gotten over his naughty feelings in watching the fly, he began to be ashamed of himself and to feel that he was not as wise as a poor little insect.

Nobody had told Mr. Fly that he ought to keep himself clean; nobody had said, "Come here, little fellow, and let me see if your face is dirty;" and yet, of his own accord, he had given himself a good washing. I think Jamie showed wisdom in being willing to learn a lesson even from a little fly.





Children's  Friend.