BIRDS AND ANIMARS. 
23 
They are apparently covered with a fine netting, which is 
the reason for the statement, in the few botanies which no¬ 
tice the seeds at all, that they are “ reticulated.” In real¬ 
ity, the netted appearance is due to innninerable tiny pits, 
regularly arranged in diagonal rows over the entire sur¬ 
face. 
It is to be hoped that the readers of Nature Study 
thronghont New Kngland, the eastern portion of New York 
and Pennsylvania, possibly, too, even as far south as Ken¬ 
tucky and the mountain region of North Carolina—wher- 
ev^er, in fact, the trailing Kpigsea ma}^ be found—will make 
careful observations next year as to the seeding of the May¬ 
flower, and report the results, that they may be published 
in our magazine and also in the Proceedings of the Man¬ 
chester Institute. 
Birds and Animals. 
You will recall James Russell LoweH’s tribute to June, which be¬ 
gins with those familiar lines : 
“ And what is so rare as a day in June? 
Then, if ever, come perfect days.” 
These expressions also linger in our memories : ” The little bird 
sits at his door.” ” The high tide of the year,” and ” Ever3dhing is 
happy now.” We all a^ree with Rowell that everywhere in June 
there is home-life and happiness. And what a host and variety of 
homes there are! We find them of many forms and down in cpieer 
places. 
Perhaps one of the queerest is the home of the swifts inside a 
chimney at the farmhouse. All day these soot-colored little birds 
have been racing through the air, twittering socially and gathering 
in.sects for the little ones in the many homes down in that big chim- 
nej'. Perhaps there ma}'- Ije as maii}'^ as a thousand birds living in 
one of these large, old-fashioned cliimneys—^a bird village in soot 
and smoke. Did you ever see a chimney swift alight on a tree? 
Did 3'ou ever see him alight anj^where? What ])ersistent work¬ 
ers thej' are ! 
Another family gathering that interests us is that of the porcu- 
