Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-09
A VERY SMALL LION.

In Africa deep pits are often made by
human hunters to capture game, and
| among the insects We find the ant-lion
| (INpr7eieaH4 adopting similar .ruse. Its
eggs are laid in sandy places, and when
| the young ant-lionS appear they have no
wings, and are fiat little creatures with i'm
menSe jaws. AS soon as born, the curious
larv;e proceed to work. Each young ant
| lion selects a soft place in the sand, and by
turning itself around and around, it traces
al exterior circle; and by continuing the
spiral notion and gradually retreating to
the center, it marks out and forms q cavity
| having Spirals like those of a snail shell.
Next, these are smoothed down by an in
| genious process. If pebble rolls in, or is
found in the slope, the ant-lion
places it upon its head. and
with sudden jerk sends it far
out of the pit. But sometimes pebbles are
found that are too heavy to be thrown out
in this way. and then another plan is
adopted. The pebble is carefully rolled
upon the fiat back of the ant-liOn, which
starts up the incline with its tail high in
air, so that the load is kept upon level
and finally deposited upon the outside. If
the pebble is round many attempts have
to made. The pit completed is seen to be
circular or conical depression, at the
bottom of which the willy hunter conceals
itself only its jaws and many eyes being
visible, and here it awaits its prey, that
sooner or later comes tumbling in. Ants
that happen to be off on fOraging journey,
are the most frequent victims. The ant
comes running along rapidly, and Is over
the edge of the pit before he knows it, the
treacherous sand giving way and precip-
itating him down toward the concealed
lion. A moment more and two Ito him)
enormous jaws open, and the ant quickly
disappeared from sight forever. Sometimes
instead of tumbling down into the pit, the
ant obtains foothold and almost escapes;
but in such a case the ant-ion throws aside
all cOncealment rushes out, and shOvelS
sand upon its struggling victim, and by
successive Jerks bombards it with such
fusiIade of sand that, beaten and confused,
it rolls down into the open jaws OF the
cruel hunter For two years the ant-lion
carries on its predatory warfare, gradually
growing larger and enlarging its pit, until
finally II is ready to change into d chrysalis
1t then envelopes itself in a round ball of
sand, cemented together by fine silken
cords. In this cocoon it lives for about
three weeks, when it energes perfect four
winged insect resembling the dragon-hy.-
TSt. Nicholas
THE PRINTER BOY.
About the year 1925 an American boy,
some 10 wears old, found himself in Lon
don, where he was under the necessity of
earning his bread. He was not like many
young men in these days, who wander
around seeking work and who are Z" will
ing to do anything" because they know
how to do nothing but he had learned
how to do something, and knew just where
TO go to find something to do. So he went
straight to printing Office and inquired if
he could get employment,
Where are you from?" inquired the
foreman.
America" was the answer.
" All" said the foreman, " from Amer
lea 4 lad from America seeking employ
ment as a printer Wei, DO you really
understand the art of printing? Can you
set type?
The young man stepped to one of the
cases, and in a brief space set up the fol-
lowing passage from the first chapter of
John: Nathaniel said unto him, Can
there any good thing come out of Nazar-
eth? Philip said unto him, Come and
see
It was done so quickly, so accurately,
and administered delicate reproof so APP
propriate and powerful, that ii at once gave
him influence and standing with all in the
office. He worked diligently at his trade,
refused to drink beer and strong drinks,
saved his money, returned to America, be
came a printer, publisher author, Post
master-General, member of Congress,
signer of the Declaration of Independence
ambassador TO the royal courts, and finally
died in Philadelphia April Il, 1870, at the
age Of 81, full Of years and honors; and
there are now more than 100 counties,
towns and villages in America named after
the printer boy, Benjamin Franklin, the
author of Poor Richards Almanac, -
Exchange