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would have done. A gentleman, riding one night through a dark wood, struck his head against the branch of a tree, and fell from his horse stunned by the blow. The horse immediately returned to the house which they had left, about a mile distant. He found the door closed, and the family gone to bed. He pawed at the door, till one of them, hearing thẹ noise, arose and opened it, and saw, to his surprise, the horse of his friend. No sooner was the door opened than the horse turned round, and the man, suspecting there was something wrong, followed the animal, which led him directly to the spot where his master lay on the ground, still insensible.

An old horse belonged to a carter in Scotland. The man had a numerous family, and the horse thus became familiar with children, and would never move when they were playing among its feet, lest it should injure them. On one occasion, when dragging a loaded cart through a narrow lane near the village, a young child happened to be playing in the road, and would have been crushed by the wheels, had it not been for the sagacity of this animal. He carefully took it by the clothes with his teeth, carried it for a few yards, and then placed it on a bank by the wayside out of danger.

LXX. THE HUMMING BIRD.

THERE are many varieties of the humming bird in South America, the West Indies, and Mexico, but there is only one kind found in the United States. About the middle of March it appears in the sunny plains of Louisiana, and as the weather grows warmer, gradually goes on to the north, and is seen in New England in May. It is the most minute and delicate of the feathered tribe, being only three and a half inches in length, and four and a half in the extent of its wings. But upon this little creature Nature has lavished her most brilliant colors. The bill, legs, and feet are black; the back and wings

are of a rich golden green; the sides and body are of a dusky white, mixed with green.

But the chief beauty of the humming bird consists in the splendor of the feathers of his throat, which, when placed in a proper position, glow with all the brilliancy of the ruby. These feathers are of a singular strength and texture, lying close together like scales, and vary, when moved before the eye, from a deep black to a fiery crimson and burning orange. The humming bird is as restless as it is minute; its little body seems filled with life, and power, and motion. It darts from one blossom to another with such speed that the eye can hardly follow its flight, or distinguish it from an insect. It is very fond of tubular flowers, that is, flowers which have the shape of a tube, or pipe, like those of the trumpet vine and the honeysuckle. When arrived before a cluster of these that are full blown, he poises or suspends himself on wing, for the space of two or three scconds, so steadily that his wings become invisible, or look like bits of gauze. In this position he is seen to great advantage; his head is full of movement; and the glossy, golden green of his back, and the fire of his throat, dazzling in the sun, present a most beautiful appearance.

The humming bird is also a creature of a fiery spirit, easily kindled into anger. They often fight with each other, gliding through the air in swift and curious circles. Their flight is then so rapid that they seem merely to trace a gray line upon the air. They will sometimes attack and chase much larger birds, such as the yellow bird, the sparrow, and the martin. To man they show but little of fear or aversion, and are not disturbed by his near approach. They likewise frequently enter the greenhouses and windows of dwellings where flowers are kept in sight. They do not alight on the ground, but often settle on twigs and branches, where they dress and arrange their feathers with great care, as if they were conscious of their beauty.

It is supposed by many that the humming bird lives entirely

upon the honey, or liquid sweets, which it sips from flowers by means of its long, delicate bill; but this is a mistake. The juices of flowers form part of its food, but it also eats insects. These it secures by its tongue, which is long, and provided with a kind of glutinous liquid. The bird protrudes it, touches the insect, which sticks to it, and is drawn into the mouth and swallowed. A gentleman, who lived many years in a city in Mexico, says that he used to see the humming birds stealing flies from the webs of spiders; and that the large spiders would sometimes resist, and drive the little creatures off.

The nest of the humining bird is about an inch in diameter, and as much in depth. The outside is made of the gray moss that grows on trees and fences, firmly glued together. The inside is lined with the softest vegetable materials that can be procured, such as the downy substance of the mullein, or the delicate covering of the tender fern stalks. The eggs are two in number, pure white, and of equal thickness at both ends. The young are hatched in ten days, and in a single week after are able to fly. Two broods are raised in a season.

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Among the broad palmetto leaves,

And through the fan palm tree.

There builds her nest the humming bird
Within the ancient wood,

Her nest of silky cotton down,
And rears her tiny brood.

She hangs it to a slender twig,
Where waves it light and free,
As the campanero* tolls his song,
And rocks the mighty tree.

All crimson is her shining breast,
Like to the red, red rose;

Her wing is the changeful green and blue
That the neck of the peacock shows.

Thou happy, happy humming bird,
No winter round thee lowers;
Thou never saw'st a leafless tree,
Nor land without sweet flowers.

A reign of summer joyfulness
To thee for life is given;

Thy food the honey from the flower,
Thy drink the dew from heaven.

Thou little shining creature,

God saved thee from the flood,

With the eagle of the mountain land,
And the tiger of the wood.

Who cared to save the elephant,

He also cared for thee,

And gave those broad lands for thy home, Where grows the cedar tree.

A bird in South America whose note sounds like a bell.

LXXII. THE SPIDER AND THE FLY.

MRS. HOWITT.

"WILL you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;

""Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy;

The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,

And I have many curious things to show when you are there.” "O, no, no," said the little fly, "to ask me is in vain;

For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down

again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high; Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the spider to

the fly.

"There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,

And if you like to rest a while, I'll snugly tuck you in."

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"O, no, no," said the little fly, "for I've often heard it said, They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed."

Said the cunning spider to the fly, "Dear friend, what can
I do

To prove the warm affection I've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome

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"O, no, no," said the little fly, "kind sir, that cannot be ; I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see."

"Sweet creature," said the spider, "you're witty and you're

wise;

How handsome are your gauzy wings! how brilliant are your

eyes!

I've a little looking glass upon my parlor shelf;

If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."

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