38 TiMEHRI. 



there deposited her eggs on a iew bits of grass and sticks. 



Another strange place was chosen by our common 

 house wren, Troglodytes furvus. A friend informs me 

 that a pair of these little birds lately made a nest in an 

 old Tarn O'Shanter Cap that had been thrown aside on 

 the top of a clothes-press. 



Some months ago a pair of pretty little hawks, Hypo- 

 triorchu rufigularts, were to be seen every day for some 

 weeks flying about the tower of the Town Hall. They 

 evidently intended to breed there, but perhaps the dis- 

 cord of the Salvation Army on Sundays made them alter 

 their minds and give the neighbourhood a wide berth. I 

 mention this circumstance simpl} because it is very 

 unusual even to see this species near town. 



The spiders, ants and wasps are noted for their curious 

 homes, which are sometimes placed in the most unex- 

 pe6led localities, as was the case with a small colony of 

 " Curabelly" ants which had established themselves in my 

 penholder. For days I could not make out what was the 

 matter ; every time I had occasion to use the pen, my 

 hands were seized with a burning sensation impossible to 

 describe. At last one day on taking it up to write 

 I noticed a sma'l grain of dirt fait on the paper, and 

 examiwing the penholder na.ro wly, discovered that some 

 tiny red ants ha made it the r home. They were " Cura- 

 bellies," and if i le reader his never made iheir acquain- 

 tance, I can ass re him that he wil' ever remember them 

 if he c oes. Tal ing into consideraiion their minute size, 

 they £.re m my >pinion the worst stinging ants known, 

 and were they c^ the dimen ;ions of a common house fly 

 and vi rule nt in \_ roportion tv o of them might be sufficient 

 to kill a man. Other species of ants make their homes 



