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Show and that time m didn't dare to try to control^ her enthusiasm;eonseque*> ntly her three months old colt was nearly tired out when'we got home, Idy new dress had horrid holes ground In its back,but there »&§ lots of mat* eral and the dressmaker could fix it. I think it was while Papa was teaching in the Houghton School that Angie, Geo. and I joined the Agassis; Association. LyndstBurton and Arthur Jones and John Houghton had a science club for some time and at Papa'S suggestion joined the A.A. and started Chapter 889. Margaret Pepoon, Paul Orville and Hale Douglas, Carl Kelsey.STed Card,Will Wiljard and Two or three more from Grinnell were members. A little later a junior chapter was formed and met at our house. Susfee, Lucy and John were members. Also Harry Villard and a number of other little folks.H.H.Ballard was at the 1/lft head of the national Assn. and published a magazine called the Swiss Cross. From letters from members various interesting observations ware printed. I include some relating to our family,to show what the# were likes Hrom January 1888: The Chameleon- like. (112)1 saw some small lizards fighting amonghoney-sucklea. on a wellhouse roof,near Baton Rougfa. Their color changed frequently from black to green and then,when fiercely grappling one another,to red. Again when near a prairie spring in Iowa,I noticed a garter snake trying to swallow a frog. The snake was then black and red,spotted. He lost the frog which moved feebly away,while the snake gradually resumed his ordin- #0p40tf. ary color. A Cat-boy.f114) You have heard ofwCow-girls." I have here observed a cat-boy. Usually there is nothing peculiar in his conduct. He appears like other boys except for a more kindly and perhaps more humorous expression in his eyes but,about evening,let the naturalist secrete himself and watch. He will presently observe some cowa,second,a farmers boy milking, third a family of cats black,white and spotted-standing, as they have been ^ taught,upright in a semi-circle around the young milker,while the cat-boy -) directs a stream of milk from the udder into the open mouth of each in turn, A gentle cow,an intellegent and hungry eat,a kindly and humorou3 heart, a steady hand, all seem essential to the making of a cat-boy. An intellegent Canary bird. (153) Our bird, "Fanny",took dry crumbs and carried them to her water cup to soak. Mrs, Beebe told of a cat that carried her bread to a pail of water and soaked it. Experience with a Heron(152)(Green Heron.) A fir. Washington, living on a prairie faam in Iown,one day caught a slim dark bird which had become entangled in the reeds. He took it home and holding it to the light,examined it. "Greenish slate-colored plumage, a long fcteenish bill,long green legs soiled vith standing in the stagnant water. Zind of herron on doubt". Being suddenly called to the barn Mr.W. shut the bird up in his bedroom. Returning an hour later he took a lamp and entered the room,peering about for his guest. He found it but not until his foot had fallen on something cool and moist on the floor:which proved, like the things found on his bed, to be part of the herrons supper, being a generous supply of frogs and snakes. The unwilling prisoner became at once the unwelcome guest and was vigorously cast out into the rain soaked night. Complementary Colors.(172) A little matter that had puzzled me for years has been explained to me by an item in the Swiss Cross, and I wish to tell about it here. While living on a prairie farm I went with my children one afternoon to where their father was driving posts for a ^vire fence. Rolling land lay all about us. Bear Creek began near us in a big slough. Along the course of the slough I could hear cranes making their peciliar noise. Visaing to hJ see them, I ascended the first knoll but none were in sight. The sun was nearing the horizon and I feared night would overtake me. The eastern sky became dusky but a vivid light green was reflected from the young wild grasses into my eyes and still I persevered until I was rewarded by the view of several young birds stalking before me,and in color they were not white but pink . I believed they were craAas, not stray flamingoes but I Was naturally excited by the amazing sight of pink cranes and followed |
