der a lens the head and thorax were a 

 clear yellow, and the w ing covers shone 

 like dull gold. A pretty visitor, but an 

 unwelcome one, I fear ! Then there were 

 two other species of beetles, both small 

 and brown, but one distinguished by short 

 wing covers. 



Besides the beetles there were innum- 

 erable ants purloining sweets, the 

 larva of a bee moth, and hundreds of 

 tiny yellow spiders. 



There is an eneni}- that these creatures 

 have that I did not find in this nest, but 

 probably if I kept all the sealed cells from 

 some of them would en-serge cuckoo bees 

 — bees that never provide for their own 



young, but put their eggs in the cells pre- 

 pared by other bees. 



What a nuisance these pests must be 

 to the bumblebees ! At times they must 

 feel like giving up housekeeping. 



Fortunately there is a new nest every 

 year, for only the queen mother lives 

 there in the winter and at the beginning 

 of summer she crawls out from under the 

 stone or log where she has been hiding 

 all winter, and starts a new nest. So 

 soon as she has a little pollen gathered she 

 lays some eggs, and it is not long before 

 she again has a household to work for 

 her. 



WiLMATTE Porter Cockerell. 



THE SEER AND THE BIRD. 



II 



A wise man sat in a garden 



Where the breezes gently stirred, 



And while he nnised of his power, 

 A wee little yellow bird 



Fell a-fluttcring down with a broken wing, 



In the midst of a song he'd begun to sing. 



The wise man sought in the grasses 



And lifted the songster out, 

 He held it close in his fingers, 



And spoke in a tone of doubt, 

 "What a quivering atom of life," he said, 

 "The stroke of my hand and I'd leave it dead !" 



The birdling trembled a moment, 



llhen out from its tiny throat. 

 Which throbbed with inward longing. 



Came a low, sweet plaintive note. 

 Then the threatening hand was drawn away, 

 And the wise seer's soul voice seemed to sav : 



"Ay, power of brawn is mighty, 



But another, greater still. 

 Can make of a man a weakling. 



Can take from a man his will. 

 For the strength of arm) is of no avail, 

 \\nien Mercv is shield of the weak and frail." 



Jac Lowell, 



'18 



