NOTES BY THE WAY 



doned quarters. I have even heard of a swarm of 

 hive bees going under a stone that was elevated a 

 little from the ground. After that, I did not marvel 

 at Samson's bees going into the carcass or skeleton 

 of the lion. 



In the woods one day (it was in November) I 

 turned over a stone that had a very strange-looking 

 creature under it, a species of salamander I had 

 never before seen, the banded salamander. It was 

 five or six inches long, and was black and white in 

 alternate bands. It looked like a creature of the 

 night, darkness dappled with moonlight, and 

 so it proved. I wrapped it up in some leaves and 

 took it home in my pocket. By day it would barely 

 move, and could not be stimulated or frightened 

 into any degree of activity; but at night it was alert 

 and wide awake. Of its habits I know little, but 

 it is a pretty and harmless creature. Under another 

 stone was still another species, the violet-colored 

 salamander, larger, of a dark plum-color, with two 

 rows of bright yellow spots down its back. It 

 evinced more activity than its fellow of the moon- 

 bespattered garb. I have also found the little musi- 

 cal red newt under stones, and several small, dark 

 species. 



But to return to the solitary bee. When you go 



a-hunting of the honey-bee, and are in quest of a 



specimen among the asters or goldenrod in some 



remote field to start a line with, you shall see how 



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