labor that, when building its covered 

 roads, if a crevice in a rock or a shady 

 walk is reached, it utilizes these, then 

 continues arching its path as before.^ 

 If a flood comes these ants form into 

 larije balls with the weak ones in the 

 middle, the stronger on the outside, 

 and so swim on the water. 



The ant benefits man by acting as a 

 scavenger, by turning up the subsoil, 

 and in various other ways. But flowers 

 prefer the visits of moths and butter- 

 flies; as ants are of no service to them 

 in scattering pollen, they do not wish 

 them to get their honey. Some of the 

 flowers have found out that ants, 

 though so industrious by reputation, 



are lazy about getting out early in the 

 morning for they dislike the dew very 

 much. Hence by 9 o'clock these wary 

 flowers have closed their doors. Others 

 take the precaution to baffle ant vis- 

 itors by holding an extra quantity of 

 dew on the basins of their leaves, while 

 still others exude a sticky fluid from 

 their stems which glues the poor ants 

 to the spot. 



Campanula secretes her honey in a 

 box with a lid. Cyclamen presents 

 curved surfaces, while narcissus makes 

 her tube top narrow. Other flowers 

 have hooks and hairs by which the 

 ants are warned to seek their honey 

 elsewhere. 



THE CHARITY OF BREAD CRUMBS. 



THE recent 'cold wave," which 

 with its severity and length 

 has sorely tried the patience of 

 Denver's citizens, has had its 

 pleasant features. Perhaps chief of 

 these has been the presence in our 

 midst of scores of feathered visitors 

 driven in, doubtless, by pangs of hun- 

 ger, from the surrounding country. 



Flocks of chickadees have flown 

 cheerily about our streets, chirping 

 and pecking industriously, as if to 

 shame those of us who lagged at home 

 because of zero temperature. They 

 were calling to one another as we 

 stood at the window watching them 

 last Saturday morning. 



Suddenly, down the street with the 

 swiftness and fury of an Apache band, 

 tore a group of small savages, each 

 armed with a weapon in the shape of 

 a stick about two feet long. 



"What can those boys be playing?" 

 inquired someone, and the answer to 

 the question was found immediately as 

 in horror she saw the sticks fly with 

 deadly exactness into a group of the 

 brave little snt)wbirds, and several of 

 them drop lifeless or flutter piteously 

 in the frozen street. 



"How can boys be so heartless!" said 



the lady, rising in righteous wrath to 

 reason with them. 



"Thoughtless is nearer the truth," re- 

 marked a friend who had witnessed the 

 scene, "Their hearts haven't been 

 awakened on the bird question and it 

 would be better to try and stir up their 

 mothers and teachers than to fuss at 

 the boys themselves." 



But the Denver birds have plenty of 

 friends and this has been proved many 

 times during the past week. 



At the surveyor-general's ofiflce Sat- 

 urday morning there was held a large 

 reception at which refreshments were 

 served and the guests were largely 

 house finches — small, brown birds with 

 red about their throats. For a number 

 of seasons the ladies and gentlemen 

 employed there have spread a liberal 

 repast several times each da)' upon the 

 broad window ledges for these deni- 

 zens of the air. The day being very 

 cold, someone suggested that perhaps 

 if the window were opened and seed 

 scattered inside also, the birds would 

 come in and get warm. 



The feast was arranged with bits of 

 apple, small cups of water, and a liberal 

 supply of seed. And the invitation was 

 accepted with alacrity. A swarm of 



115 



