do the work themselves. They published
accounts of the terrible sufferings of the starving ghosts who had no
descendants, and urged the people to contribute food to relieve their
wants. The people gave willingly, and from that time the Buddhist
priests have had feasts at intervals. I think that we shall be able to
see part of this evening's performance. At dusk we will go out and
examine the wall round Chin Choo's house, and when we have found the
best place for scaling it, we will hurry off to the feast. We will stay
there a short time, and then return to finish our job. By this time
to-morrow I hope that we shall be back at Su-ching, with our pockets
full of rubies. But Chin Choo is not likely to be merciful to any one
found robbing him.'

'But we are not going to rob him,' Charlie declared. 'We are simply
going to recover what he has stolen from you.'

[Illustration: "A gorgeous palanquin was borne rapidly past."]

'That is so,' said Fred; 'but Chin Choo will think that as much stealing
as if we were taking from him something to which he had a perfect
right.'

'Oh, well, don't let us look on the gloomy side of the affair,' said
Ping Wang. 'We need not talk about it any more now. I must go out for a
few minutes. Wait for me here.'

(_Continued on page 366._)

INSECT WAYS AND MEANS.

XI.--CATERPILLARS AND THEIR ENEMIES.

The feebler folk among Nature's children have many enemies; against
these they are, as a rule, nearly powerless; but here and there, among
the different groups of animals, we meet with strange devices for
repelling attacks. Though these are by no means always successful, it
seems clear that they are good enough to serve as a fairly sure
protection. This is especially the case with the Caterpillars.

[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Caterpillars of Procession Moth.]

There are two methods of defence used by caterpillars. One of these is
the device of squirting noxious fluids from the body; the other is found
in the poisonous hairs and spines which are scattered more or less all
over the body.

[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Caltrops and Spines of Caterpillars.]

Those who have taken up the study of butterflies and moths, will do well
to be careful in handling hairy caterpillars, especially those of the
family known as the Bombyces. Some of the members of this family, such
as the Fox-moth and the Brown and Gold-tailed moths, when in the
caterpillar stage are thickly clothed with long stiff hairs,