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 
lar^e 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 srfowbirds, 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 office 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 day 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 
