THE POSTIES' BAG

Evening Star, Issue 23692, 27 September 1940, Page 3

THE POSTIES' BAG

Queenstown. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am hero on holiday, and like it very much. I saw a strange thing in the gardens yesterday, and thought I would write to you a'bout it. It was a red wasp that made a buzzing sound when it passed my ear, which drew my attention to it. It was carrying a spider to its nest not far frpm where I was standing,. and dragged the spider into a hole. Presently it came out again and flew to a spider web on one of the garden seats. It got another spider there and flew back with it to its hole. I watched it for nearly half an hour, and in that time it captured five spiders. What kind of a wasp was it? I shall look for the answer in the next page of the ‘ Evening Star.’ I shall be home on Friday to read it.—Your affectionate I bairn, Merville Tempest.

[Thank you for your letter, Merville Tempest. Your name is on the Honour Post- and you are winner of tho best letter prize. In your next letter to ‘Big Brother Bill, please write on one side of the paper only. What you saw was probably a red spider killer. There are two families of these known in New Zealand, red and black. It is their business in life to capture spiders,

plant them away in underground chambers, then lay an egg in each chamber before sealing it up. The spider is made to sleep by a stab from the wasp’s dagger, and remains asleep until the newly-hatched grub searches for food. It is an example of the red wasp’s provision for its family, but not very comfortable for the spider. The spider is, of course, in something of the same position as the sheep and cattle we fatten in the fields, to provide juicy joints for our dinner tables. So we’d best forget its cruelty, and think only of the marvellous way Nature keeps everything alive by permitting things to feed'on one another. Write again soon.} George street, Dunedin. Dear Big Brother Bill, —1 should like to join your family. I used to live near a place called Pahiatua, in the North Island. We were six miles away, but at was our nearest township. It has one long street, where all the shops are to be found, and there are four churches. I went, to Sunday School, and had to drive six miles there and hack. In the winter it was sometimes ▼cry weti and cold. If there is room on the page I should like to see my letter in print.—Your loving bairn, Molly Hay. [Thank you for your letter, Molly Hay. Brother Bill wonders whether

you belong to some people named Hay whom he knew many years ago. They lived near Pahiatua, too. Brother Bill knows the place very well, and when ho read your letter describing “ one long street where all the shops are to he found ” he saw it again in imagination. Your name is oh the Honour Post for neat writing, but please write on one side of the paper only another time. You must have been a very bravo girl to drive 12 miles to Sunday School. Welcome to the family. "Write again soon.] Main South road. Cavcrsham. Dear Big Brother Bill, —My brother Walter has written a letter to you with a little insect he found near our house. I should like to join our family. I read the page every Friday night and enjoy it. I listen to your talks about insects and enjoy them. I tried to do the code competition, but found it •to be too hard. Please may I have this letter printed on the page?—Your sincere sister, Mary Goodall. [Thank you for your letter, Mary Goodall. Welcome to the bairns’ club. Next time, Mary, write on one side of

the paper only. Brother Bill thought the code competition was a little,hard, and apparently some other of the bairns thought so, too. You will find this week’s competition easier. Write again soon.] Main South road, Caversham. Dear Big Brother Bill, —1 am writing you this letter to see if you can tell me what the enclosed little thing is. I found it underneath one of the boards on the sunny side of our house. It was full of little tiny wriggling things like worms. I should like to join your family.—Your sincere brother, Walter Goodall. [Thank you for your letter, Walter Goodall. The chrysalis was-rather badly damaged, Walter, but not sufficiently to prevent identification. It was the chrysalis of the white butterfly, and the fact that it was full of creepy-crawlies shows the tiny enemy 'of the butterfly had been on the job. This little enemy is small, the tiniest waspy thing, and its lays its eggs on the sleeping caterpillar. They hatch quickly, then feed on their unfortunate host. They are all gardener’s friends, helping the gardener against the destructive green caterpillar, which is the child of the white butterfly. Happily, in this case, they kill the caterpillar while it sleeps, which is much more merciful than many things Nature does. Welcome to the family. Write aggjn soon.]