Year: 1877

| about our summer flowers, there is one In which was much interested last season, and which would like to de- scribe to the readers of St. Nicholas, that thls summer they may study it for themselves. '

 How did catch my butterhyq AS I would advise all to do who wish suc- cess and perfect specimen. Take with you box; watch for a nice cater pillar; break off the leaf you will easily ind him feeding upon; and when you have carried him home in the box, put him on a white paper and invert clear plain glass tumbler quickly>over him; feed him daily with whatever sort of leaf you found him eating, and-you have caught your butterfly. You can see him through the glass, and will find it source of enjoyment to watch from l time to time his great changes. s l But 1t is of one particular kind wish now to tell you. The caterpillar lives upon the common milkweed, or Ascte- pS0s, which grows by the roadside, with pinkish clusters of flowers in summer, and curious bird shaped pods in the talL This caterpillar (whose true name is Dd1e0is Grchippus-we might call him Archie, for short) is very pretty, and the butterfly is hand some; but the crowning beauty of all is the chrysalis. 1talooks like little green house put together with gold nails. It is somewhat of the size and shape of g. long, delicate pea green acorn, and has a row of dots half way around what. would be the saucer of the acorn, with others about the size of a pins head on different parts of the chrysalis, and you will say they are not Hke gold, but are real gold itself.

 The caterpillar, when full grown, is l a hn1f Iu au1 1,1I- cal, and handsomely marked with nar- row alternating bands of black, white, and lemon-yellow. The bands are not entirely even, and occasionally run into each other. On the top of the second ring or segment are two slender black thread-like horns, and on a hind ring two more not quite as long as those near the head. You can find it almost any day in July or August, if you look closely on the under side of the broad ovate- elliptical leaves of the milk weed.

 It was the accidental finding of his chrysalis, attached to. spray of wild carrot, that led me to study this par ticular species. It was 8 secret to me 1-thls beautiful green and gold house. 1t held something. What must know! Cutting the stem of the carrot, brought the treasure carefully into the house, covered it with tum bier, and for week it remained just the same. Then the green began to turn to a light purple, and lines began to show through the clear case. The front showed lines like curtain, parted and folded back each way, like drapery, to the bottom. The back was curiOusly marked off. The whole gradually took on a very dark purple hue, and hoped to see it open and give up it's treasure. But though watched very carefully, it stole a march on me, and one morning 1 found it's secret dis closed and flutterings below the empty chrysalis, now but clear, rent, tissue, with here and there a pale gold dot.

 The butterfly is handsome and quite large (mOre than three inches across when the wings are spread), but not quite so beautiful as you would infer l tawny orange, bordered with velvety black, on the upper side, and lighter, nankeen yellow below; and has a large velyety black head. spotted with white. --St. Nicholas. 2 F3t k(

 POsy Williams Picnic.- June morning Mrs. Williams told POsy and Harry that she was going to take the weeks mending and go and spend the day with their grandm other, and she told them that if they liked she would tell Bridget to put up their lunch, and they might go over on the island and spend the day.

 Posy was nearly wild with delight at her mother if she might ask their cousin Rattle and Bob to go with them. Mrs. Williams said they might, and POsy ran out to do so, while Henry cleaned out the boat, and Bridget put up their lunch and set it on the hall table by the side of Mrs. Williams wOrk-satchel. " "~-

 By the time Posy came back with her cousins the boat was ready; then they bid Mrs. Williams good-by, and taking their satchel, set of for the river. They had very pleasant sail, and soon ar rived at a small island, which Katie called "Shady island" for they landed right under a large shady oak tree, and there determined to have their picnic. They had game of 'I Spy," and then Bob proposed to eat their lunch and afterward pick some berries which grew near the place.

 "Well, come sit all around ln a ring and we will." said Posy.

 Katie and Posy were going to be the mistresses, and so they took the satchel and opened it, and what do you think they foundP why 1t was simply a lot of stockings, needles, and balls of yarn. At first they could not make out where they came from, but soon Harry said, "Why these are my stockings!" and then Posy knew instead of their lunch-satchel they had brought their mothers work-satchel. Bob and Harry said they were very hungry and wanted to go home, but Katie said they could go pick some berries for their lunch while she and Posy did the weeks mendlng, and in that way surprise the folks at home.

 "A splendid plan!" exclaimed all the party at once, and soon Bob and Harry were picking berries. while Rattle and POsy were busy darning stockings, a thing they had never done before, and some of them were done very well in deed.

 Harry declared they picked four quarts of berries, and so they had about o'clock they started for home. You may be sure Posy had a funny story to tell her mamma. and mamma had funny story to tell in return- how she opened her satchel to get her stockings and put her fingers into cup of jelly.

 When Posy grew to be woman. and had little POsies of her own, she used to tell them about the Stocking lunch on Shady island" for that was the name she gave it when a little girl.

 At dinner, and between the sherry and champagne-to which period the entGnt terrible of the family had been unfortunately permitted to Iinger-the host had gone to praising his own wine in fashion which was certainly an evidence ofits great intoxicating duali- ties. "That sherry, sir, cost me sixty dollars a dozen. I bought it at the auction of the Emperor Napoleon's wines. and imported it myself.o "Why