Part 18

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 (Cicindelidae), 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.