Naturalist.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 411, 31 March 1904, Page 7

Naturalist.

ANTS AS DAIBTrMEti.

&J3KHESE aphides constitute the dairy M'ao of the ants. If one of the little £&&>* creatures is examined tbrongh a pocket lens it will be seen to possess, towards its hinder end, two short tubes which stand up from the back These exude a sweet, stick; fluid, of which the ants are passionately fond, They are constantly to be seen visiting the aphides in order to consume it, and to stimulate its flow they are in the habit of stroking the 'hpneydew' tubes with their aniens», thus "somewhat imitating the ptoses? of milking cows. Some species of ants oarry off the aphides to their subterranean galleries, where they regularly feed and milk them. This sounds rether a tall story; but it is literally true, as every student of ant life is well aware. -

THE CHEEEY PICKEE.

Lord Vivian, grandfather of the present Lord Vivian, was a tall, spare man, and as he had an enormous hook nose and wore an eye-glass he was known as ' Hook »>nd Eye.' In his capacity as LordLieutenant of the Connty of Cornwall he once hai occasion to visit a lunatic asylum, and in the course of the visit he put some questions to one of the inmates, who proved to be a very voluble customer.

The man, on being asked what Ma occupation was, went off as though he had been wound up, and chattered like a monkey. «I'm a cherry picker cherry picker pick pick picker cherry picker cherry picker cherry picker; your Lordship could earn twice as much aa I could cherry picking.' ' How is that ?' asked Lord Vivian.

• Oh/ replied the man, ' I have to, hold on with one hand and pick cherries with the other; you could hang on by your nm and piek with both hands. I'm a cherry picker cherry picker pick pick picker.'

ME. SEABEOW, BUILDER. The principles upon which a houaesparrow builds its aest are a mystery passing the comprehension of man. As to outward form, the structure is simply shapeless, and its composition is of the most miscellaneous materials possible. The only principle of selection seema to be that of weight; everything that the birds can lift is commandeered for that purpose. Even such .uncompromising materials as hairpins and champagne-wires are freely used; and in one case a considerable portion of a torn-up MS, that the editor had declined with thanks was accepted with gratitude by an enterprising couple who built in one of the trees.

All through the nesting season our lively by the constant duels that tstfekjplace between the rival lovers and of the sparrow community. WitK-foathSffS greet and beaks agape they dash at one another with untiring fury, often tumbling to the grouad in a confused mass of flattering wings and snapping bills. From time to time our sparrow community has included some rather notable members. Of these the moat remarkable was a white specimen, which was hatched under the Virginia creeper three summers ago.- Its featheis were cream-coloured; but probably if it had lived ia the country, away from the smoke of the great city, it would have been seen to be perfect!* white.

We had also a sparrow that managed somehow to break off the tip of the lover mandible of its beak, with the result that the upper one, having nothing to oppose, it, grew until it was as hooked as that of a hawk. This gave the bird a most singular appearance, but hindered it greatly in picking up food, aad it probably died of starvation in the end. Another of our sparrows developed musical abilities, and used favour us with a somewhat feeble imitation of the song of the canary. This was explained by the history of the bird, which, when quite young, had fallen from its aest, and had been taken indoors by oae of the children, who brought it up as a pst in the company of a canary, whose notes it soon learnt to imitate. One day the bird escaped through the window, and though it frequented the garden ftr several months it could never be induced to enter the house again.

A WILD BABBIT. It is a well known fact and has often been proved, that a rabbit watching a hawk soaring above its head becomes aa absorbed that a man approaching can pick it up in his hand.

That when any lady who has boon to the theatre is asked to describe what she has seen, she will begin at once to describe the dresses the other ladies had on P

A bat is a large feeder* eating twioe W.p ova weight in a night. A bat nave* bun . more ihas two little ones at a timo,