Part 8

Their treasures next the ashes yield, And hot potatoes lie revealed, Which little hungry mouths invite, With dainty smell and welcome sight.

Lord! all Thy ways are great and good! Thou giv'st e'en orphaned birds their food-- Thy blessing and Thy fostering care Alike the hut and palace share!

OUR WILD BIRDS.

I dare say you notice that all the birds in this picture have long beaks. We may be sure from this that they live in places and seek for their food in ways in which long beaks are just what they want. The fact is they are all marsh birds, and the soil of marshes being wet and soft, and full of worms, these long beaks enable them to probe it, and so get at the worms. I think the beaks of birds afford a striking example of how good God is in adapting creatures to the mode of life He has appointed for them. The eagles and hawks, you know, are provided with strong, short bills to enable them to seize and tear flesh. Those of canaries and all the finches are just the very instruments to crack seeds with. Parrots, with their tremendous weapons, can crush the hardest nuts of the tropic forest. The crossbill is fitted with a wonderful tool for tearing fir-cones to pieces. Robins and the other warblers have soft bills, which are all they want for eating insects and grubs.

I would rather be my lady's hawk, And perch upon her hand, Than I would be the deerhound grim, To range this forest-land.

P--THE PELICAN.

On river banks, on shores of lakes, Or marge of sounding sea, The Pelican, in quest of fish, Roams uncontrolled and free.

Q--THE QUAIL.

When come the leaves and buds of spring Then comes the swift-winged quail: But ever quits our western lands Before the winter pale.

R--THE RHINOCEROS.

Down to the waterside to drink, Within the jungle's shade, Has come the huge Rhinoceros, In knotty hide arrayed.

BLACKBIRDS AND YOUNG.

A country lad having taken the nest of some blackbirds containing young ones, made off with it, but was closely pursued by the parents, who tried to peck his face so as to make him give them up. Mr. Jesse relates a similar instance, where a pair of old birds followed a boy into a house, pecking at his head while he was carrying off one of their young ones. People little think of the misery they cause when they rob the birds of their nestlings.

The bird's nest is thus described:

Now put together odds and ends, Picked up from enemies and friends: See bits of thread and bits of rag, Just like a little rubbish bag.

A USEFUL PILOT.

There is a trained sheep kept on board a steamer plying in California. It goes out on the gang-plank, when a flock is to be loaded, to show that the approach is safe, and to act as pilot to the flock, which readily follows it on to the boat. The sheep, when in a flock, are all alike timid, and it is difficult to find a leader among them, each being afraid to go first; but when one goes, they all follow after, so that this clever sheep is very valuable. The only other way to get a flock on board a ship is to catch one and drag it on board; but this is not such a good way as having the clever "Pilot."

JACK.

The name of the bear is "Jack." I fetched him from the West India Import Dock on the 5th of November, 1870. He was running about with another bear on board ship, but the job was to catch him. After many attempts we at last put a strong collar round his neck, to which was attached a long chain, and then we got him into a large barrel, and fastened the head on with hoop-iron, lowered him over the side of the vessel into a boat, and then pulled to the quay, and hauled him up into a cart. For a time the little fellow was quiet enough, but he got very inquisitive when being driven toward the city, and wanted to have a look round. I managed to quiet him by giving him pieces of lump sugar. He arrived safely at the Crystal Palace, and has lived in an aviary till the beginning of last month, when he was put into his new bear-pit. The little fellow has grown twice the size he was when he first came. He is very playful, but sometimes shows his teeth when he is teased.

S--THE SWALLOW.

Now hovering on rapid wing, Now down to earth, now high, And, circling round in airy ring To chase the painted fly.

T--THE TIGER.

Fiercest of all the beasts of prey, With eyes that glow like fire, And glossy hide, who does not dread The Tiger, yet admire?

U--THE URSINE OPOSSUM.

In hollow trees the Opossum lives, And slumbers through the day, But when the shades of night descend, Goes forth in search of prey.

A SINGULAR HABIT OF THE WOODCOCK.

Among several curious habits of the woodcock, described by the editor of the Zoologist, its practice of carrying its young is perhaps the most interesting. The testimony of many competent witnesses is cited to corroborate the statement. The late L. Lloyd, in his "Scandinavian Adventures," wrote, "If, in shooting, you meet with a brood of woodcocks, and the young ones cannot fly, the old bird takes them separately between her feet, and flies from the dogs with a moaning cry."

The same author makes a similar statement in another work, this habit of the woodcock having been observed by a friend.