INDEX

Acrid buttercup leaves, 10.

Agaric, 142, 144.

Alders, leaf-rolling beetles of, 233.

Amanita muscarius, 142; print from, 143.

American velvet plant, 25.

Andrena bee, 222.

Andromeda-bell, its welcome to the bee, 221, 222.

Aniline bath, 47.

Aphides, 125, 126;

pest of the rose-garden; plants and trees, 126;

sucking the sap, 127;

disappearance of a swarm, 128;

all females; end of season males appear; wonderful multiplication of, 233, 236.

Aphis lion (Hemorobida), 128, 129.

Aphrophora, "spume-bearer," 89.

Apple-trees bearing pumpkins and squashes, 192.

Aquilegia canadensis, columbine, 46.

Arachne, 106.

Archippus. See Butterflies.

Argiope riparia, ballooning or flying spiders, 120.

Artists as interpreters of the beauty of the commonplace, 26.

Asters, 110.

Attacus prometheus, 75.

Aurelius, 161.

Balloon, the true, 118.

Ballooning spiders (Argiope riparia), annual picnic of, 114;

shooting of webs, 115;

sailing out of sight; sending out broad bands from their spinnerets, 117;

skilful handling, 118;

making the balloon; the ascension; manner of alighting, 119.

Baltimore oriole, 172.

Banquet of beetles, 134.

Barberry blossoms, shrinking hearts; strange manners, 224;

an unsuspecting agent, 227.

Bedegnar, sponge-gall, 43.

Bees:—

bumble, 6, 91;

honey, 7;

yellow-jacket, 91;

Andrena, 222.

Beetles:—

floundering, 1;

tiger (Cicindelidæ), oil, 2;

snapping (Elater), 20;

perfumed (Osmoderma scabei), 133;

blue oil, 239.

Bellworts, 44.

Bigelow, Hosea, quoted, 224.

Billings, Josh, quoted, 92, 124.

Birds'-nests, materials of:—milkweed bark, toad-skins, and snake-skins, 171, 172;

twine and horse-hair, caterpillar-skins, 172;

wool, dandelion seeds, 173;

gray lichens and seeds, 177.

Black-paper hornet, his bad reputation, 94;

a tempting target; results of an attack on his house, 96;

making themselves promiscuous; the stoical bachelor, 97;

his discomfiture, 98;

antics explained; his hiding-place revealed, 100;

favorite hunting-ground, 101;

occasional big game; life of; manner of laying eggs; several broods in a season, 102;

number of tiers in a nest; winter the best time to examine nests, 103.

Black snake, 85.

Blossom etiquette, 221, 222.

Blue carnation, 46.

Blue dahlia, 45.

Blue oil beetle, 239.

Blue pansies, 46.

Blue rose, 45, 46.

Blue tulip, 45.

Bluets, Houstonia, 24, 208, 209.

Boletus, 142.

Bridge-building spiders, 104.

Brooklyn Bridge, 104;

"carrier" or "traveller" should have been called "spider," 105;

Engineer Farrington crossing, 110.

Brown screech-owl, 151.

Browning, Robert, quoted, 26.

"Bull's-eye" caterpillar, 156.

Bumble-bee, 6, 91.

Butterflies asleep at night, 168.

Butterflies:—

Idalia (Argynnis idalia), Archippus (Danais archippus), yellow swallow-tails (Papilio turnus), 131;

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), 155, 158, 161;

"comma" (Vanessa comma), 156, 161, 170;

Atalanta (Cynthia atalanta), 158;

semicolon (Vanessa interrogationis), 161.

Canterbury bells, 42.

Cardanus quoted, 93.

Careless observation of nature, 185, 186.

Carnation, blue, 46.

Catbrier, 188.

Caterpillars:—woolly-bear (Arctiadæ), 148;

"bull's-eye" (Saturnia io), 156;

sphinx (Chærocampa panipenatrix), 241.

Cecropia, 156.

Chinese pink, 73.

Chipmonk, 153.

Chrysalids, 161.

Chrysanthemum, 86, 127.

Cicada, 87, 246;

his manner of feeding; how he differs from the grasshopper; the secret of his music, 250;

his last song; borne off by his captor, 251;

living food, 254;

suspended animation, 255.

Clintonia, 239.

Clothes moth (Tineidæ), 170.

Clover (Trifolium), four-leaved, 215;

nine-leaved, found in groups, 216;

possibilities of cultivation, 217;

an exceptional find, 218, 219;

saying its prayers, 219;

lotus, 222.

Cobweb showers, 114;

blinding dogs interrupting sport, 114;

flakes and rags of, 115;

silken streamers, 116;

shower in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 120;

on Brooklyn Bridge, 121.

Cocoons:—curious, 145;

solid to the core, 147;

ribs and vertebræ, 149;

secret of the hollow, 151;

what the pellets were, 152;

yielding wasps, 242.

Colors of flowers, laws governing colors and combinations, 44, 45;

natural exception to; three primary colors in the hyacinth, Egyptian lotus; sky reflections destroying color, 45.

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis, A. chrysantha, A. cærulea), puzzling color classification, from white through all shades of red, yellow, and blue, 46.

"Comma." See Butterflies.

Coral, gray, 73.

Cow-spittle, 84, 86.

Crickets, 71.

Cross-fertilization of flowers, 30, 167, 208, 211, 229.

Cuban belle's toilet, 21.

Culpepper, Dr., quoted, 154.

Cyanic, flowers with all shades of blue and red without yellow, 45.

Cynips seminator, Cynips rosæ, gall-flies, 40.

Dahlia, blue, 45.

Daisy, pesky white weed, almost identical with the marguerite, 25;

a marvel of a flower, 28, 205, 211.

Dandelion. Seeds used for birds'-nests, 173;

mutilation of, 174;

a week of retirement, 175;

flight of the seed-bed, 176;

the burglar discovered, 177, 211.

Darwin, 202, 209, 224.

Darwin flowers, 166, 167, 168.

De Candolle. Color limitations in flowers, 45, 202.

Deer-mouse, 151.

Desmodium, 223.

"Digger-wasps," sand-hornets, 252.

Dungeons of death, 54.

Egyptian history, 53.

Egyptian yellow lotus, 45.

Evening primrose (Œnothera biennis), 85;

luminous blossoms of, 163;

daylight mystery; seeds, pods, and caterpillars, 164;

curious secret; two buds, 165;

primrose blooms for moths, 168;

blighted buds, 169;

a poor recompense, 170.

Fairy sponges, the growth of; rich colors of sweetbrier sponge, 38, 42;

contents of the sponge, 42.

False scorpions (Pedipalpi), 181;

among old books and papers; born rovers, 182.

Figwort (Scrophularia), tall and spindling, purplish-olive blossoms; odor of; food for wasps, 28;

fertilized by wasps; bud open in the morning; flowers change from day to day, 30;

growth of the ovary, 32.

Flies:—gall, 40;

lace-wing, 122;

gold-banded, 129;

house, 178;

laphria, 182;

ichneumon, 196;

parasitic, 200;

harvest, 87, 246.

Floundering beetle, color of, 1;

funny characteristics of; leaking habits, 2;

playing possum, 3;

feats of; diminutive size when young; golden-yellow case, 4;

number of joints, 5;

a snug resting-place; first outing, 6;

in the bee hotel; transformation, 8;

in the mummy-case; change of diet, 10.

Fly-fungus, 184.

Flying-machine, toy, 117.

Fox-fire, a column of phosphorescence, of greenish, ghostly hue, 12;

prosaic fence-post; effect of a reflection of lantern in water, 13;

feeding on darkness, 14;

short life of, 15;

village spook; haunted mill, 16;

a night terror, 18;

six square feet of brilliancy, 19;

yeast as a possible cause; dead fish; curious effect from decaying potatoes, 20;

phosphorus not always present; burnt oyster-shells in combination with certain acids; the supposed secret of, 22;

decoy for deer; the largest on record, 23.

Frog-hoppers, 89.

Frog-spit, 84, 89.

Gall-fly (Cynips seminator, Cynips rosæ), 40;

a cousin to the wasps; magician in chemistry, 41.

Genista, 223.

Geometrical web-makers, 120.

Ghost-fire, 15.

Gold-banded flower-fly, larva of, 129.

Gossamer showers, 113.

Gramatophora trisignata, "Professor Wiggler," 81, 82.

Grape-vine, 186-194.

Grasshoppers, 71, 195;

"Quakers;" camp-meeting ground, 197;

a paralyzed specimen; unnatural movements, 198;

a transparent body, 199;

a swarm of flies, 200, 246.

Green roses, 187.

Grew, Nehemias, 205.

Hang-bird, 172.

Harris, "Insects Injurious to Vegetation," quoted, 89, 134, 233, 237.

Harvest-fly, 87, 246.

Hawthorne's fox-fire, 19, 23.

"History of Selborne," 114.

Hollyhock, 45.

Honey-dew, 126.

Honey-sippers, 221.

Hornet, 87, 92;

as mad as, 93;

always on the rampage, 94, 100, 102.

Horse-hair snakes, New England farmers' idea of the origin of; stories of, 65;

flying over the meadows in haying time, 66;

two specimens in alcohol, 69;

what was found in a bait-box, 71.

"Hot-foot," 92.

House-fly (Musca domestica), his never-ending toilet, 178;

a curious tag, 179;

live young lobster, strength of his grip, 180;

his many enemies; abundant use for all his eyes, 182;

September and October danger months; the white nimbus; acute dyspepsia, 183.

Houstonia, bluets, 208, 209.

Hunters, 161.

Hyacinth, 45.

Ichneumon flies, 196.

Idalia. See Butterflies.

Jibing neighbors, 68.

Johnny-jumper, 46.

Jussieu, 202.

Keats, John, quoted, 164.

Lace-wing fly (Chrysopa oculata):—Color of eyes and wings, 122;

lasting odor; ways of the gauzy sprite, 123;

method of egg-laying; born in a land of plenty, 124;

a voracious appetite; tubular teeth, 126.

Lady-bug, larva of, 129.

"Laphria-fly," 182.

Lilac-bushes, 75.

Lindley, 202.

Linnæus, 202, 206.

Locust, 232, 246.

Lotus clover, 222.

Lovelorn maiden, 213.

Lowell, James Russell, 224.

McCook, Rev. Dr., quoted, 110-118.

Meadow contrasts, 247.

Mignonette, 204.

Monk's-hood blossom, 205.

Morning gossamer, 112.

Moths:—Polyphemus (Telea polyphemus), Attacus prometheus, 75, 196;

Trisignata (Gramatophora trisignata), 81;

Cecropia, Bull's-eye (Saturnia io), 156;

twilight moth; common clothes moth (Tineidæ), 170.

Mullein (Verbascum thrapsus), 25.

Mummy-cases, 54.

Mushrooms, 138;

color of polyporus, 139;

manner of making a spore-print, 140-144;

colors of prints; high relief, 142;

fixing the prints, 143.

Mutilla ant, 197.

Nasturtium, 205.

Nature, check to rapid increase of, 195.

Nelumbo, water-lily, 45.

Nettle (Celtis), 154.

Nettle-leaf tent-builders, laying the egg, 155;

contents of the curled leaf, 156;

gray and spine-covered, 156;

rapid change of home, 157;

another specimen of different color, stingless, 158;

size of full-grown specimen; a surprise; preparing for the transformation, 159;

an ever-interesting revelation; quaint golden ear-drops, 160;

an astonishing trick, 161.

New England farmers, 65.

Niagara Suspension-bridge, manner of laying, 105;

identical with that of the spider, 106.

Noctiluca, marine phosphorescent animalculæ, 21.

Noisy wigglers, 76.

Nymphæa, water-lily, 45.

Oak-apple, 43.

October rowen-fields, 116.

Odor of woods, 131.

Oil beetle. See Beetles.

Old rose, 73.

Orb weavers, 120.

Orchard oriole, 172.

Osmoderma scabei, perfumed beetle, 134.

Ovid quoted, 93.

Pansies (Viola tricolor):—Great variety of color, 46;

trickery of florists; aniline bath, 47;

a chemical experiment; astonishing color, 48;

ammonia as an agent; coloring an entire plant emerald green, 50;

results from the fumes of sulphur matches, 52.

Passion-flower, 189.

Passion-vine, 186.

Perfumed beetle (Osmoderma scabei), curious odor of, 133;

suggesting Russia-leather; home on the maple-tree; sipping the sap; easily startled, 134.

Pink, 205.

Plant-louse of the apple-tree, 236.

Pliny, 64, 114, 116, 252.

Pollen bearers, 30.

Polyphemus. See Moths.

Polyporus, 144.

Preservation of food by wasps, 256.

Primrose ash, 73.

Professor of biology, 70.

"Professor Wiggler," what a florist's window suggested; the lilac-bush his home, 73;

his characteristics, 74;

how he came to be named; bringing him up by hand, 75;

lively capers, 76;

five changes of clothes; voracious feeding, 77;

how he retains his head-shells, 78;

digging out a home, 79;

home completed; skilful concealment; what comes from the cocoon, 81;

burrowing habits, 82.

Puff-balls, 136;

its purple cloud, 136;

rapid change of substance; its cloud mass of reproductive atoms, 137;

same results from mushrooms and toadstools, 138.

Pungent odors, 132.

"Quaker." See Grasshopper.

"Racer," 85.

Red Admiral. See Butterflies.

"Red-hot child of nature," 92, 96.

Redstart, 176.

Red-tailed hawk, 152, 153.

Riddles in flowers, 202;

curious specimens; botanists and philosophers, 204;

pollen-carrying, 207;

galaxy of white or blue stars, 208;

variety of construction, 209;

solving the riddle, 211.

Riley, C. V., quoted, 254.

"Robin's pin-cushion," 43.

Roland for an Oliver, 59.

Roots, becoming stems and bearing leaves, 87.

Rose garden, 126.

Roses, blue, 45, 46;

green, 187.

Rosy moth, 85.

Rowen-field, 116, 218.

Sabbath sanctuary bouquet, 26.

Sacred "scarabæus," emblem of immortality, 53.

Sage blossom, its welcome to the bee, 221.

Sand-hornet:—

Prospecting for game, 249;

the capture, 250;

manner of transporting its prey, 251;

its color and terrible sting, 252;

not to be trifled with; its home in the sand-bank, 253;

deposits its egg and leaves, 254;

its mysterious poison, 256.

Scrophularia, figwort, 28.

Semicolon. See Butterflies.

Sheep-spit, 84.

Singular mimic fruit, 42.

Small speckled beetle, 86.

Smilax, 188.

Snake expert, 67.

Snake stories, 65.

Snake-spit, 84, 85.

Snapping beetle. See Beetles.

"Snowin' 'pider-webs," 113.

Sphinx caterpillar (Chærocampa pampenatrix) with his burden, 241, 242;

the mischief-maker (Microgaster), 245.

Spice-bush, 131, 132.

Spiders, webs one hundred feet long; autumn best time for observation, 106;

precocious baby spiders; building a bridge, 108;

moored by guy threads, 110;

ballooning, 112;

at sea, 113.

Sponge-ball, commonly known as Bedegnar, 43.

Sprengel, 166, 202, 206.

"Spume-bearer" (Aphrophora), 89;

allied to bugs; his aerated bath; graduation from his surroundings, 87;

his color and size; his alertness, 88;

time of egg-laying and hatching; power of leaping, 89;

no secret process of making suds; sun's evaporation necessitates continuous additions, 90.

Squirrel, 153.

Statue of Liberty, 108.

Stems assuming the functions of roots, 187.

Summer meadows, 83.

Sweetbrier sponge, 40.

Sweet-pea, 188.

Tachina, a parasitic fly, 200.

Tendrils, what they are; a stem or modified root, 187;

reaching for conquest, 188;

not a special or primal organ, 189;

method of contraction, 191;

the reverse twist, its function, 192;

singular botanical prank, 194.

Thelaphora cærulea, fox-fire, 22.

Tiger-beetle, wonderful speed and agility of, 2.

Toad-spit, 84.

Toadstools, 19, 138.

Trailing cobwebs, 113.

True locust, the, 232.

Tulip, blue, 45.

Tumble-bug, his former eminence, 53;

used for ornaments and decorative purposes; his proud lineage, 54;

male and female inseparable; the two familiar species; its season, 55;

curious antics; bug talk, 56;

a question of selection, 58;

indefatigable workers; manner of working, 59;

Mrs. Tumble-bug's industry, 60;

singular manner of burying the ball, 61;

the chrysalis state, 62;

young Mr. Tumble-bug begins life, 63.

Twilight moth. See Moths.

Union Square Fountain, 45.

Vireo, strange materials in the nest of, 147, 164, 171, 172.

Wasps, as cross-fertilizers, 30;

manner of transferring pollen, 31, 91;

"Digger," sand hornets, 242, 252.

Weeds, artistically treated, 27;

barn-yard weeds no longer commonplace, 28.

Welcome odor of the woods, 131.

Welcome of the flowers, 30, 223.

White, Gilbert, quoted, 114-117.

White, J., 161.

White Mountains, 97.

White-tailed black wasp, 94.

Wiggler moth (Gramatophora trisignata), time of appearance of, 81.

Wild-star cucumber, 189.

Witch-hazel divining-rod, 214.

Wolf-spiders, short-legged dodgers; crab-like manner of walking, 120.

Wood-fairies at work; their magic wands, 36;

mischief-makers, 37;

results of their pranks, 38.

Woolly-bear caterpillar. See Caterpillar.

Woolly flock, 230;

expert in bugs, 231;

what constitutes a bug, 232, 235;

first appearance in June; on alders; destruction of apple-trees; sucking-beaks, 233;

wingless but covered with woolly down, 236.

Worm-eating warbler, vireo, 164.

Xanthic, flowers including yellow in their color, 45.

Yellow geranium, 45.

Yellow larkspur, 45.

Yellow-jacket bee, 91.

Yellow-warbler, 171.

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Transcriber's Notes:

p. 31 "The pollen is thus pushed against the projecting stigma, as shown at Fig. 3, and thus, one by one, the flowers are cross-sterilized." changed to "The pollen is thus pushed against the projecting stigma, as shown at Fig. 3, and thus, one by one, the flowers are cross-fertilized."

p. 209 Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 which are referenced on this page are not found in the original document.