THE WILD GARDEN 



a gross neglect — the dragon-flies will consume a 

 few thousands of the mosquitoes that are in such 

 case bound to breed In it. And you are never to 

 kill a dragon-fly, or " devil's darning-needle," 

 even if you do believe that it stings and that it 

 will sew up your ears. In the south it would be 

 proper to add to the menage a lizard or two — 

 harmless, pretty creatures, these, and I know 

 people who keep snakes about their premises, 

 because they feed on mice and possibly eat an 

 insect now and again. Many birds have visited 

 my reservation in town, mostly house-sparrows, 

 that keep up an astonishing chatter even on their 

 courtesy visits; but we have had robins, hum- 

 ming-birds, sea-gulls, night-hawks, and starlings 

 are habiting some trees less than a quarter of a 

 mile away. These starlings, which I hope are 

 going to adopt us, are quiet, shy, with soft and 

 flute-like speech, and prefer the security of high, 

 remote places. They are with us from August 

 to April, and make music at all seasons. A col- 

 ony has occupied the Brooklyn water-tower for 

 the past few years; there is a family in the trees 

 behind the Alexander Hamilton grange, in New 

 York, and in a certain prison that I know — re- 

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