Shr] AND SYMBOLS. 317 



meets its end. Of course such "exceptional" legislation as 

 would provide a cartload of toothpicks to ameliorate a famine 

 is altogether outside that definition. s. L. 



Sham Humility. 



There is an insect which may be easily mistaken for dust, or 

 the particles of wool and silk which one sees in the corners of 

 badly swept rooms. It walks slowly in the dust and with 

 measured tread. Having taken one step forward it stops a while 

 and then takes another, leaving at each movement the opposite 

 leg in repose. If you take off the cloak of dust in which it 

 disguises itself, you will see an entirely different animal. It is 

 nothing but the pupa of Reduvius personatus, a species of bug. 

 And it assumes this disguise to enable it to approach little 

 animals, such as bed-bugs, flies, and spiders, in order to make 

 them its prey. When fully developed it takes wings, flies by 

 night, inflicts the most painful of wounds even on men wounds 

 which cause such a numbness in the member wounded as to 

 lead to the belief that venom is secreted in the creature's long 

 beak. Does not the spirit of this little wretch seem to belong 

 to The Brotherhood of Sham Humility ( \ Who has not noticed 

 one of the human members of this guild crawling stealthily 

 along in social dust and ashes, a "Uriah Heep," assuming a 

 humble attitude in order to prey upon very small victims ? 

 Who has not observed the same humble brother when he has 

 become fully developed, and able to fly high ? Does not he, 

 like this bug, delight to soar through darkness towards his 

 superiors, and cannot he too inflict a nasty, poisonous sting 1 



i. 



Shrewd Men. 



The shrewd man reminds us of the red-headed woodpecker. 

 From the statements of Wilson, this bird would appear to be a 

 great epicure in the matter of fruit, so constantly selecting the 

 best, sweetest, and ripest apples for his own consumption that 

 his presence upon an apple-tree may always be taken as a proof 

 that its fruit is the best in the orchard. When alarmed, says 

 Wilson, he seizes a capital one by sticking his open bill deep 



