NATURE NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19515, 2 March 1935, Page 16 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES.

FRUIT. The fruit is that part or the flower that remains after the coloured petals have fallen otT, and the stamen's have dropped or withered. It contains the seeds, and Is usually small and green while the flowering is on, but afterwards It grows much higger and often alters Its colour. This change is called the ripening or tho fruit. —Avis Lees (14). WHERE MUSHROOMS GROW. How that we have had some rain, mushrooms are very plentiful on our farm and other places. We all know how carefully mushrooms must bo handled, and it Is surprising the way they can push through hard surfaces. I have found several mushrooms growing up through the metalled car track. I once read In a School Journal that a street In Italy was noticed to be cracking, and next morning several mushrooms appeared. The pavement was of asphalt.—Norma Best (15).

A BABY CRAB. One day as we were digging in the sand at the Wathl Beach we found a baby crab. It had about ten legs and huge eyes. It was whitish in colour seeing It was only a haby.—Audrey Oliver (12). DESTRUCTIVE CATERPILLARS. Mother planted some nasturtiums in a little box hoping they would make a pretty show, but Ruth finds caterpillars of all sizes on the backs or the leaves. The white butterflies have simply ruined them. The caterpillars crawl up the stems and chew the leaves as well as the stems. It is very hard to*see the little crawly creatures because they are the same shade of green as the leaves and stems. We were borrined to find the mignonette chewed to pieces by the caterpillars too. It was such a sturdy plant but there was nothtrrg but the stems lert, so Mother pulled it out. White butterflies seem to like most things. —Helen Watkins (10).