412 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



little water constantly flowing from it. 

 Around the outlet is an upright, rough. 

 brick wall two or three feet each way 

 which is weathered so it is whitish 

 and greenish. The grey squirrels fre- 

 quently come to this wall, licking the 

 bricks most industriously, sometimes 

 continuously for ten minutes or even 

 more, till a spot larger than a person's 

 hand looks bright and clean as though 

 thoroughly washed. 



( )n December 21st, 1908, I saw at 

 least three English sparrows stand 

 close to the wall, reaching up to peck 

 from its perpendicular face, and occa- 

 sionally hover before it higher up long 

 enough to peck at it. Is it probable 

 the vegetable growth that gathers on 

 the wall or some chemical which is 

 connected with the bricks which at- 

 tracts them? 



In September or October of 1908 1 

 saw a water thrush wading in some 

 shallow water in Prospect Park, 

 Brooklyn, N. Y., and in the mud close 

 bv. A large frog came out of the 

 water, creeping along stealthily as a 

 cat and with the same slow motions 

 toward the water thrush. The bird 

 kept stepping out of the frog's way 

 but did not seem at all afraid. After 

 some minutes the bird flew along 

 some feet away and very soon the 

 frog turned, hopped back into the 

 deeper water as though his game had 

 fled. I suppose, however, it would be 

 impossible for a frog to catch a bird. 

 Still he looked as if after game. 

 Yours truly, 

 Caroline M. HartwEel. 



Will our readers please inform as to 

 what the squirrels and sparrows found 

 on the wall? 



lias anyone seen a bullfrog swallow 

 a bird ? 



I am willing to go with "The Guide to Na- 

 ture" for a year, and I certainly wish you 

 great success in the venture. — A. R. Spaid, 

 A. M. 



YOUNG WILD DOVES ON THE NEST. 



San Antonio, Texas. 

 To The Editor: — - 



The wild dove in Texas breeds several 

 times during the summer months — up* 

 to November. Its nest is a very plain 



THE WILD DOVES ON THE NEST. 



and fragile affair composed of a few dry 

 grass or mesquite helmets. The photo- 

 graph shows one such nest with the 

 young brood about ready to escape the 

 nest. 



Yours verv truly, 



R. vIkxger] M. D. 

 INFORMATION. 



Duluth, Minnesota. 

 To The Editor : — 



1. Portrait Attachment: — I would 

 like to get the trade name and address 

 of the manufacturer of the fifty (50c) 

 cent portrait kodak attachment. 



2. Sea Urchin Spines: — Has any 

 one mounted sections of the sea urchin 

 spines, such as shown in the November 

 issue of Tin: Guide to Nature, for 

 sale; or, if not the ornamental mount- 

 ing, can one obtain unmounted sec- 

 tions, prepared ready for mounting, of 

 different species of echinus? 



3. Mounting Insect Eggs: — I wish 

 some one would tell the best way of 

 preserving eggs of moths and butter- 



