New-York tribune., 1901-06-16
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lcH.LDRENS CORNER.
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A WISE LITTLE MOTHER.


Comstock, the wtsest and lOvelest mothers are
those who do all in their power TO make their
children good; the successful method OF doing
this. suppose, is 10 make it easier for children
be good than 20 be bad. by removing the sources
Of temptation naughtiness. The little mother OF
which am writing has a wonderful device of this
sort by which she controls her selfish, greedy
family.
This mother is a beautiful. tiny creature deli
cate and dainty enough belong 10 the court Of a
fairy queen She has lovely green wings. about
half an inch in length, and all through them is
a network Of darker green veins. No woman ever
dressed for ball in such pretty combination of
gauze and lace, and yet this is little friends
everyday costume. She has also a pale green body
and long. slender. brown antennae. but her great
est beauty OF all is pair Of large eyes that shine
and glow like liquid gold. Such a beautiful insect
is she that she has attracted the notice Of many
people. who have given her pretty names honor
Of her IoveIiness. She has been called by some
lace wing fly but by most golden eyes either
name being very appropriate Entomologists too
have a name for her and have described her in
their books Chrysopa and call her family the
Chrysopiue.
We might naturally infer that such Lovely
mother would have attractive bab.es, buJ
this is far from true In fact in the insect worI
the babies apt be anything but attractive.
They are usually squirming. wrigglins. wormlike
creatures and often bear not the least resemblance
TO their parents until after full growth is reached
children of Nine Lace Wing are short IeggeL
spindle shaped. sturdy little fellows. with no signs
OF wings but with great sickle shaped jaws. Now
the form of insect jaws is the unfaing index Of
insect character; when they are sharp pointed and
huge in this case. they mean death and de-
struction 10 any smaller insect unfortunate enough
TO cross the path OF their owner
The more common prey OF the young ChrysOpins
the Aphides, plant lice; bIoodthirsty and
so destructive 10 the Aphis are these creatures
cannot lcok with pleasure such wholesale
slaughter. yet must confess that the
Aphis lions a of thanks for their work in de-
stroying plant lice, which nfest almost every plan.
Is little virtue in the Intentions OF the Aphis lion
his highest aspiration is to find something that ne
insect egg that he finds and every insect that he
conquer helps to hll his Unsuitable little stom-
Now come TO the problem that Mother Lace
II she merely laid her eggs on the leaf and in
group. as has been the custom OF members OF her
arva in huutins for something satisfy his hrst
munger. would inevitably turn cannioal and make
sisters. a thought horrible for devoted mother
to contemplate However, our Mother Golden Eyes
- not nearly so sensel9ss ana frivolous as ner
transparent beauty might imply. She has wisdom
THIS is her way of doing IT, When about to lay an
she places first a minute drop o. very sticky
up into slender thread by lifting it on the end
OF her abdomen as htsh aS she can. the ar drles
tain the egg. which she then CLUES to the tip OF IT,
The that each egg is supported in rnidair
by It's hairIIke pedCel half inch above the sur
face OF the leaf. These groups OF ChryS0pa eggs
very pretty. they look like forest OF delicate
stems, each having a SlIsteniug white oai at us
tip for fruit. I have no doubt they have otten
been mistaken for patches Of fungus upon leaFeS.
for they look more like fungi than eggs
When the earliest Of the brood breaks his shell
he drops sCrambles down from his egg perch
a : best ne can and then in his hunt for food wan
harmlessly around the bases OF the threads
which support the rest of his family far above
his head and probably out OF mis- sight his rapid
moving little legs take him soon far away rom
hit Matching place TO where unsuSpectlng AphldeS
are browsing. and then The slaughter begins Each
member OF the brood In its turn follows his ex-
ample guitless of fratrcide and all this virtuous
proceeding is solely the result Of Mother Lace
Wings management
II suppose she gets her reward for her care when
after a season OF larvaI sorginz each child rolls
itself up tiny ball and weaves around Itself
thick coating Of gIistening white silk, thus making
a cocoon that looks ike seed pearl fastened 10
a leaf. IL is 10 be hoped that during this period
OF seCIusion the vOraciOus Aphis Hon medltates
upon the selhshnesS of its past career and decides
upon an entire reformation This Is evidently the
case. for after a time perhaps whole winter. ~
cuts a dainty circular I'D at the top or It's pearl
prison and energies. no longer spindle shaped ana
sickle fawed. but with wide, hlmy wings. which
n marvellous way have been packed IN the
tiny cocoon. In fact the wonders which have been
worked i'm that pearly cell are greater than those
OF anv magician in fairy tale, for within it's walls
an ugly greedy Aphs lion has been changed TO a
beautiful, soldeu-eyed Lace Wing