is an excellent cure for it:--"Make
some size or jelly glue water of moderate thickness. Dip the head of the
plant in such water, or syringe it well all over. After this, the plant
should be placed in a shady place for about two days, and then, after
rubbing the dry head of the plant through your fingers so as to cause
the insects and glue to fall off, syringe heavily with clear water at
120 degrees."

ELAINE.--[The meaning of "A E I" was given in LITTLE FOLKS, Vol. XVIII.,
page 63.--ED.]

NATURAL HISTORY.

A GENTLEMAN OF COLOUR would be glad to know if Indian meal is good for
rabbits. [It can be used in turn with other dry food, but is too
fattening to suit any animals kept in confinement for a permanency,
unless they are to be fattened up.]

SNOUT and M. S. R. wish to know what is the best food for goldfinches,
and whether hemp-seed is injurious to them.--[A very little hemp-seed
occasionally is good, and much is very bad, for nearly all birds. The
best food is a mixture of canary, millet, oat-grits, and rape or
maw-seed, putting about a dozen grains of hemp-seed on the top every
day. The bird soon learns the plan, and leaves off scattering the other
seed to get at the hemp, as he will otherwise do.]

QUEEN MAB wants to know how to tame her goldfinch. It is a last year's
bird, and she has not had it long. It is fed on canary-seed and a little
hemp.--[For food, see above, a little more variety being well. As to
taming, it will soon get tame if you spend time often by it and _keep
still_, and always feed it yourself. Some children are too impatient--to
be _quiet_ near birds and animals is the main thing.]

Picture Story Wanting Words.

[Illustration]

A GUINEA BOOK and an Officer's Medal of the LITTLE FOLKS Legion of
Honour will be given for the best Story having special reference to the
Picture below. A smaller Book and an Officer's Medal will be given, in
addition, for the best Story (on the same subject) _relatively to the
age of the Competitor_; so that no Competitor is too young to try for
this second Prize. The Story must not exceed 500 words in length, and
must be certified as the unaided work of the Competitor by a Minister,
Teacher, Parent, or some other responsible person. All the Competitors
must be under the age of Sixteen years. Stories from Competitors
residing in Great Britain and Ireland must reach the Editor on or before
the 10th of July next; in the case of Stories sent from the English