The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-04-12

man once making inquiries In Russia
about the method of catching bears in
that country, he was told that, to entrap
them, pit was dug several feet deep,
and after covering it over with turf,
leaves, ETC., some food was placed on the
top. The bears, if tempted by the bait,
easily fell into the snare.
"But," he added, eff four or five
happen to get in together, they will all
get out again."
." How is that ?" asked the gentleman.
"They form sort of ladder by step,
ping on each others shoulders, and thus
make their escape"
How does the bottom one get out ?"
"Ah these bears, though not possess
ing mind and soul such as God has
given us, yet can feel gratitude; and
they won't forget the one who was the
chief means of procuring their liberty.
Scampering off, they fetch the branch of
tree, which they let down to their
poor brother, enabling him to speedily
join them in the freedom in which they
rejoice"
Sensible bears, we would say, are a
great deal better than some people that
we hear about, who never help anybody
but themselves.
A PAPER-MAKING SPIDER-Spiders
have been noticed SO long as spinners of
the finest of silk, that it strikes. one q
little oddly to think of one as a paper
maker. But hear this true story that
has just been told to me. In the heart
of the African Continent, where no other
paper is manufactured, the spider
paper-maker does her quiet work. Back
and forth, over fiat surface about al
inch and half square, on the inside
wall of hut, the spider slowly moves
in many lines until the square is covered
with pure white paper. Under this
she places from forty to fifty eggs; and
then, to fasten the square of paper more
securely to the wall, she makes strip of
paper about quarter of an inch broad
and with this CLUES the square carefully
around the edges. When all is done,
the spider-which is quite large one
places herself on the center of the out
side of the little fat bag so carefully
made, and begins watch, which is to
last for three weeks without intermission.
Apparently the young spiders would
have had many dangers to fear, did not
their anxious mamma wage fierce war
upon the cock-roaches and other insects
that come near. After three weeks of
unremitting watchfulness, the mother
spider leaves her nest in the day-times
to hunt food, but she always returns at
night, until her young are strong enough
to take care of emselves.-"J ack.in-the-
Pulpit" st. Nicholas.
PRETTY PETs.-A lady, noted for her
fondness of pets, became possessed of
two butterflies of different species in a
chrysalis state, and resolving to try how
far they would be amenable to kindness,
placed them for security in a glazed
cabinet in her well-warmed bedroom. A
few days before Christmas she was de-
lighted by the appearance of little
yellow butterfly, but was puzzled how
to cater for the delicate creature. TAX
ing fairy rose then in bloom, she drop
ped little honey and rose water in a
blossom, and put the plant in the cabinet,
and soon had the satisfaction of seeing
the butterfly take its first meal. In a
fortnight it would leave the rose to set
tie on her hand when she called its name,
Psyche. By-and-by q peacock butterfly
emerged into nctive life from the other
chrysalis. The new conner accepted the
sensation of active life at once, and,
like its companion, delighted in being
talked and sung to, both especially en-
joyiDg being waved in the air and
danced up and down while quietly rest
ing upon the hand of their mistress.
Upon the coming of summer the cabinet
was moved close to the window, and its
doors thrown open. For some days
~ 20 fAt.n A<
beyond the window-sill, but one bright
afternoon their protectress, with many
bitter tears" beheld them take wing and
join some wild companions in the gar
den; at night, however, they returned to
their lodgings. Next day they took the
air again, and were not seen until Sep
TENDER. One afternoon there came
heavy thunderstorm, and when it was
over yellow butterfly was found dead
ON the window-sill-which the lady, with
some warrant, lamented over as her own
particular one; the peacock, too, would
seem to have met like fate, for it was
never seen again.
DISGUISED AS AN OspRICH.-A hunter
in South Africa thus writes: "In the
desert of Kalahan are to be found
great number of ostriches, but 80 rapid
is their flight that no English race.hOrse
could overtake them. We found it im.
possible to shoot them, but one of the
Hottentots, Kuld by name, who was
remarkable good shot, told us that he
would undertake to show us how we
could easily procure some of the shy,
swift birds. Finding about that time a
nest with fifteen eggs, which the mother
bird had quilted to join her companions,
we accepted friend Kulu's offer, and
found that the plan he had resolved
upon was neither more nor less than dis
gulsing himself as an ostrich, and thus
introducing himself unknown among
the enormous birds. Ostrich feathers
were speedily collected in sufficient num-
Der, and skillfully made into skin. and
Kulu practiced his intended part among
us so many times with success that we
felt no doubt as to the result.
I'VE had always advised Kulu to take |
with him a gun, but he preferred taking
bow with some poisoned arrows, as he
could by that means, he said, easily shoot
down a good many without frightening
the others away. We three accom- panied,
or, rather, followed him ON horseback, |
and slight elevation of the soil enabled
us to keep in sight of our disguised
friend, withoutfear of being seen by the
objects Of our meditated attack.
"But matters turned out quite diff |
ferently from what he had anticipated. |
Kulu, the ostrich-personator, was at first |
very successful in keeping up bis dis
guise; we saw him striding along over
the plain quite like a real ostrich, ard
through telescope we could disc)ter
that he had as yet excited no suspicion
IN any member Of the flock. He was