oks, if nothing else!" He
is thus often sacrificed _really_ on account of his appearance, while
pretending he is a villain. It is true his "feathers" will not vie in
brilliancy with the plumage of the humming-bird, and do not gratify
ideality--therefore he is dispatched. The next week the complaint is
made that the little bugs, that he might have destroyed, "have eaten up
all the little cucumbers and cabbages." His food is probably small
insects. Whoever has seen him swallow bees, must have watched closer
than I ever did.

WASPS AND HORNETS NOT FAVORED.

As for the frequent visits of the black-wasp in the sunny days of
spring, but little can be said in their favor--they seem to have no
other object but to tease and irritate the bees. I never could discover
that they entered the hive for the purpose of plunder. They have
frequent battles with the bees, but I never saw any bees devoured or
carried off, nor even killed. After the first of June they are seldom
troublesome. The yellow wasp or hornet, that is around in autumn, is of
but little account; their object is honey, which they take when they
can get it, but are not apt to enter the hive among the bees.

ANTS--A WORD IN THEIR FAVOR.

Ants come in for a share of condemnation. This little industrious
insect shall have my endeavors for a fair hearing; I think I can
understand why they are so frequently accused of robbing bees. Many
bee-keepers are wholly ignorant, most of the time, of the real
condition of their stocks. Many causes independent of ants, induce a
reduction of population. Suppose the bees are so reduced as to leave
the combs unprotected, and the ants enter and appropriate some of the
honey to themselves, and should the owner come along just then and see
them engaged, "Ha! you are the rascals that have destroyed my bees,"
without a thought of looking for causes, beyond present appearances.
They are often unjustly accused by the farmer of injuring the growth of
his little trees, by causing the tender leaves to curl and wither.
Inquiries are often made in some of the agricultural papers for means
to destroy them, merely because they are found on them; when the real
cause of the mischief is with the plant louse, (aphis) that is upon the
leaves or stalk in hundreds, robbing them of their important juices,
and secreting a fluid greatly prized by the ants. By destroying the
lice, you remove all the attraction of the ants. The peculiar habits of
the small