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tRambles wttb IRature Students 



crevice at the back of a picture-frame and make 

 their way under the glass. Thus I have frequently 

 found thirty or forty of them spread over the inner 

 surface of some valuable print, and there was no 



Natural size. 



PTEROMALUS. 



getting at them but by removing the picture and 

 refraining it. 



These flies perform a very useful office in reducing 

 the number of caterpillars and other noxious insects 

 which would otherwise abound in our gardens. 



OWLS 



We are constantly hearing the brown owl's hoot, 

 both in the daytime and in the dusk, and occasionally 

 I see it and the white barn owl flitting across the 

 lawn in the twilight. 



These birds are of essential value in ridding the 

 land of mice ; they are like winged cats always on 

 the watch for their prey, and very successful they 

 are in catching, not only mice but young rats, 

 sparrows, and beetles. 



Owls like to roost on certain trees which afford 

 them a thick covert during the day, and beneath 



