Part 5

In character our little visitor showed energy and courage, usually driving off any new-comer, even of his own family, from his feeding-ground. He journeys in mixed crowds, but prefers a table to himself. He even won respect from English sparrows by his pugnacious traits. They generally let him alone, though they attacked the other strangers unmercifully. He explored his tree thoroughly, and with great agility, often spending hours in traveling from bough to bough, twig to twig, up and down our maple, and especially examining the underside of all the leaves within reach. Sometimes on tiptoe he stretched his pretty head to its farthest extent to investigate a dangling leaf above him; sometimes he hung, head downward, to clean the eggs and larvæ from a leaf below. I have seen him dextrously somersault to a lower bough, or hold on to a slender twig, scolding and pecking alternately, as the wind-tossed him to and fro. Occasionally he sang a little song, rather thin and monotonous, but not unpleasing. It has been compared to the song of the Nashville warbler, and also to that of the black and white creeper.

The cause of his long stay was no doubt the abundance of insects during our warm fall. Swarms of gauzy-winged insects were seen everywhere, wheeling in airy circles in the sun, and sometimes covering the wraps and hats of pedestrians. There were crowds of birds in our parks. One sunny afternoon I watched with interest the likeness between a wood pewee, catching insects in the air, and a flock of Cape May warblers engaged in the same pursuit. But there was a difference; the warbler darted straight out from his magnolia tree, caught his gnat and returned, whether to the same bough I could not see for the leaves were so thick, but probably only near by. The true flycatcher fluttered in an aerial circle, returning to precisely the same perch after capturing his insect.

The tiny fringed and cleft tongues seemed useless in this occupation, but like some parts of the human body for which we have not yet ascertained the present use, they may be invaluable as records of past history under different conditions from those of to-day.

* * * * *

"Look at Nature. She never wearies of saying over her floral pater noster. In the crevices of Cyclopean walls--on the mounds that bury huge cities--in the dust where men lie, dust also--still that sweet prayer and benediction. The 'Amen!' of Nature is always a flower."--_Autocrat._

The gorse is yellow on the heath, The banks with speedwell flowers are gay, The oaks are budding; and beneath The hawthorn soon will bear the wreath, The silver wreath of May. --_Charlotte Smith._

THE RAVEN.

(_Corvus Corax._)

This handsome and truly interesting bird is found in nearly all portions of the globe wherever there are wide expanses of uncultivated ground. It is a solitary bird, living in the wildest places it can find, especially preferring those that are intersected with hills. In such localities it is said the raven reigns supreme, "scarcely the eagle himself daring to contest the supremacy with so powerful, crafty, and strong-beaked a bird."

The raven lives almost entirely on food of an animal nature, and there are few living things which it will not eat when the opportunity is given it. Worms, grubs, caterpillars, and insects of all kinds are swallowed by hundreds, though carrion is its chief diet. Its wings are large and powerful, and its daily range of flight is so extensive that many hundreds of objects pass under its ken, and it is tolerably sure, in the course of the day, to find at least one dead sheep or lamb. So strongly is the desire for attacking wounded or dying animals implanted in the breast of the raven, that, according to Mudie, the best method of attracting one of these birds within gunshot is to lie on the back on some exposed part of a hill with the gun concealed and close at hand. It is needful to remain perfectly quiet, because if there is the slightest sign of life the raven will not approach, for, as Mudie rather quaintly observes, "he is shy of man and of all large animals in nature; because, though glad to find others carrion, or to make carrion of them if he can do it with impunity, he takes good care that none shall make carrion of him." It is needful to watch carefully, and not to be overcome by sleep, as the first intimation of the raven's approach would to a certainty be the loss of an eye.

The tongue of the raven is rather curiously formed, being broad, flat, covered with a horny kind of shield, and deeply cleft at the extremity. At the root are four rather large projections or spines, the points being directed backward. The use of the spines is not known.

The cunning of the raven is proverbial, and many anecdotes are told of its intellectual powers. Charles Dickens in "Barnaby Rudge" has made of it an interesting character, which is by no means overdrawn. From the mass of these stories we will select one which is not generally known:

"One of these birds struck up a great friendship for a terrier belonging to the landlord of an inn, and carried his friendship so far as to accompany his ally in little hunting-expeditions. In these affairs the two comrades used to kill an astonishing number of hares, rabbits, and other game, each taking his own share of the work. As soon as they came to a covert, the raven would station himself outside, while the dog would enter the covert and drive out the hares from their concealment, taking care to send them in the direction of the watchful bird. On his part the raven always posted himself close to one of the outlets, and as soon as any living creature passed within reach, he would pounce upon it, and either destroy it at once or wait until the dog came to his assistance, when by their united efforts the prey was soon killed. Rat-hunting was a favorite sport of these strange allies, and it was said by those who witnessed their proceedings that the raven was even more useful than a ferret would have been."

Captain McClure, the Arctic voyager, says that the raven is the hardiest of the feathered tribe, and even in the depths of winter, when wine freezes within a yard of the fire, the bird may be seen winging his way through the icy atmosphere, and uttering his strange, rough, croaking cry, as unconcernedly as if the weather were soft and warm as springtime.

In captivity the raven is an exceedingly amusing, although mischievous creature, and displays a talent for the invention of mischief which is only equaled by its rapidity of execution. Except when placed in an inclosed yard where there is nothing that is capable of damage, "a single raven will get through more mischief in one hour than a posse of boys in twelve, and as he always seems to imagine himself engaged in the performance of some extremely exemplary duty, and works his wicked will as methodically as if he had been regularly trained to the task, and very well paid for it, he excites no small amount of rage on the part of the aggrieved person." He readily learns to speak, and retains many sounds which he has once learned.

The raven is nowhere abundant in Illinois. According to Mr. Nelson, it was formerly a not uncommon resident in the northeastern portion of the state, but now occurs only in winter and is rare. It frequents the sand hills along the lake shore from the last of October until spring. In winter they unite in small flocks and move from place to place.

WILD FLOWERS OF MAY.

President Marsh, in his report to the commissioners of Forest Park, Springfield, Mass., for 1899, mentions the following wild flowers as in bloom in the park during the month of May. We avoid the use of the botanical names:

WHITE BLOOM.

Star flower. Canada Mayflower. Shepherd's purse. White violet. Solomon's seal. False Solomon's seal. Bellwort. White baneberry. Wild strawberry.

YELLOW BLOOM.

Yellow violet. Common cinquefoil. Golden cup. Dandelion. Watercress.

PINK BLOOM.

Twisted stalk. Wild pink.

ORANGE AND RED BLOOM.

Lousewort.

BLUE AND PURPLE BLOOM.

Blue violet. Forget-me-not. Wild geranium. Ground ivy.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Jack-in-the-pulpit. Wild ginger. Wild pink azalea. Japanese hybrids. American rosemary. Parkman's crab. Flowering apple. Thunberg's barberry. Ashberry. Japan ashberry. Bayberry. Leatherleaf. American Judas tree. Golden chain. Japan weeping cherry. Siebold's double red flowering cherry. Weeping wild cherry. Choke cherry. Wild plum. Sweet fern. Flowering dogwood. Red flowering dogwood. Weeping dogwood. Red osier dogwood. Siberian red osier. Sheep berry. Cranberry tree. Naked viburnum. English wayfarer's tree. Common snowball. White thorn. Pear-leaved thorn. English hawthorn. Japan quince. Chinese lilac. Flowering peach. Buffalo berry. Wild rose. Sweet brier rose. Weeping willow. Bridal wreath. Tree peony. Flowering almond. Shrub yellow root. Wild red raspberry. Thimble berry, or black raspberry. Huckleberry. Blueberry. Common high blackberry.

In the June number of BIRDS AND ALL NATURE we shall give the flower shrubs which bloom in that month. The annual report of the commissioners of parks at Springfield is a worthy example for others to follow.

RICE PAPER.

The rice paper tree, one of the most interesting of the flora of China, has recently been successfully experimented with in Florida, where it now flourishes, with other sub-tropical and oriental species of trees and shrubs, says the _St. Louis Republic_. When first transplanted in American soil the experimenters expressed doubts of its hardiness, fearing that it would be unable to stand the winters. All these fears have vanished, however, and it is now the universal opinion that it is as well adapted to the climate of this country as to that of the famed Flowery Kingdom.

It is a small tree, growing to a height of less than fifteen feet, with a trunk or stem from three to five inches in diameter. Its canes, which vary in color according to season, are large, soft and downy, the form somewhat resembling that noticed in those of the castor-bean plant. The celebrated rice paper, the product of this queer tree, is formed of thin slices of the pith, which is taken from the body of the tree in beautiful cylinders several inches in length.

The Chinese workmen apply the blade of a sharp, straight knife to these cylinders, and, turning them round either by rude machinery or by hand, dexterously pare the pith from circumference to center. This operation makes a roll of extra-quality paper, the scroll being of equal thickness throughout. After a cylinder has thus been pared it is unrolled, and weights are placed upon it until the surface is rendered uniformly smooth throughout its entire length.

It is altogether probable that if rice paper making becomes an industry in the United States these primitive modes will all be done away with.

GOOD UNCLE TO ANTS.

A kindly old English gentleman, Sir John Lubbock, Bart., is no more. He is not dead, but has ceased to be a plain baronet, as were his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before him. Now he is a peer of the realm, and he is called Lord Avebury. The new honor, lately conferred by the Queen, Sir John probably owes to his great services in Parliament, for he is not only the owner of a big bank in London, and a distinguished financier, but also a representative in the English Parliament of the University of London. In both fields his work for his fellow men has been such as to merit well an honor which all Englishmen are supposed to desire.

But we in America shall always remember him not as Lord Avebury, but as plain Sir John Lubbock, a man who probably knows more than any other in the world about the habits, nature and instincts of insects, especially of ants, bees and wasps, of which he has written more than one interesting book.

* * * * *

What the world needs for its happiness is more work, more achievement. Nature, which is never at rest, sets a superb example, not only of unceasing industry, but of exquisite workmanship. For not a beetle crawls along the ground but has a burnished back of ebony or jeweled green; not a weed by the roadside goes to seed but hides its promise of next year's blossom in a pod of fairy delicacy; not a spider-web glitters in the sun that is not marvelous in its structure. If only the world could be more conscious of "the Master of all good workmen" there would be less heartache than there is.

"Some little nook or sunny bower, God gives to every little flower."

A FLOATING SNAIL.

There is a small snail which is so fond of the sea that it never comes to land, and it builds such a capital boat for itself and its eggs that while large ships are sinking and steamers are unable to face the storm it tosses about in perfect safety, says the Philadelphia _Press_.

The little snail is of a violet color and is therefore called Ianthina. It has a small shell and there projects from the under part of the body a long, tongue-like piece of flesh. This is the raft, and it is built upon most scientific principles, for it has compartments in it for air. It is broad and the air compartments are underneath, so that it cannot capsize.

Moreover, the snail knows how to stow away its cargo, for the oldest eggs and those which hatch the soonest are placed in the center and the lightest and newest on the sides of the raft. The Ianthina fills its own air compartments by getting a globule of air underneath its head, the body is then curved downward beneath the raft, and, the head being tilted on one side, the air rushes in and fills the spaces. It feeds on a beautiful little jelly fish, which has a flat, raft-like form with a pretty little sail upon it, and they congregate in multitudes when the sea is calm.

Sometimes specimens are washed upon the northwestern coast of France, and when they are handled they give out a violet dye.

EGYPTIAN TREES FOR AMERICA.

Here is a new kind of tree with which people in some parts of the United States will probably celebrate Arbor Day after a while. In Southern California, Arizona and some parts of Texas, and, generally speaking, in the southwestern portion of this country, are great tracts of land without a solitary tree. The government has at last found a tree which it is believed will grow and thrive in these warm, dry climates, and has imported seeds and settings with which to make experiments. It is called the lebbek tree and is a native of Egypt. It grows to a large size and has a thick foliage, with compound leaves like those of the honey locust. The bark makes good dye stuff and the wood is fair timber. One of the avenues leading to the great Pyramids is lined with these trees for a distance of four miles. They form a complete arch and the shade is so dense that no sun ever reaches the roadway beneath. In India these trees are called the Siris trees. They grow wild in the forest and their trunks attain a circumference of nine feet.

Their adaptability to the dry sections of the United States was discovered and reported upon by David G. Fairchild, one of the explorers for the agricultural department at Washington. The lebbek tree is a deep feeder and therefore is expected to thrive on the moist subsoil found at great depths even in the American desert.

INDEX.

VOLUME VII.--JANUARY, 1900, TO MAY, 1900, INCLUSIVE.

Figures in Black-Faced Type Indicate Illustrations.

Across the Way, 205

A Curious Survival, 233

A Glimpse of Beautiful Pictures, 209

A Good Uncle to Ants, 239

Air, Liquid, 37

Animals as Patients, 162

Animals, Danger from Importation of, 41

Animal Pets in School, 108

April, 145

A Scrap of Paper, 59

A Tragedy in Three Parts, 175

Bird, A Brigand, 176

Birds and the Weather, 29

Birds and Reptiles Related, 188

Birds and Farmers, 228

Birds, A Strange House, 167

Birdland Secrets, 157

Birds, Migratory, 204

Bird Notes, 19

Birds, Snow, 79

Birdlife in India, 187

Birds, Snow Prisons of, 164

Birds, The Wise Little, 7

Birds, Taming, 103

Birds, The We May Hear Sing, 193

Bird, The Dead, 199

Bird, The Silliest, 229

Bison, The American, 42

Bittern, The American, =146=

Blackbird, The Yellow-Headed, =15= 14

Blood-root, =178= 179

Boar, The Brave, 120

Bobby's Cottontail, 67

Brook, The, 176

Butterfly's History, 197

Carbons, =82= 83

Chickadee, The, 168

Chippy, A Baby Mocking Bird, 155

Cotton Fabrics, 5

Cotton Textiles, 53

Coues, The Late Dr. Elliott, 65

Cup, The Scarlet-Painted, 92

Daisy, The Field, 199

Dictionary, Bailey's, 109

Digitalis, =173= 170

Dogs, Something About, 221

Dove, Ring-Necked, =212= 212

Dove, The Turtle, 44

Dove, The. Noah's Messenger, 25

Duck, The Ruddy, =118= 119

Duck, The Ring-Billed, =166= 167

Easter Egg, Origin of, 151

Easter Lilies, 152

Egrets, The Young, 137

Egyptian Trees for America, 240

Fabrics, Linen, 113

February, 85

Fish Have Favorite Haunts, 229

Fishing, Uncle Nick on, 194

Flowers, Wild of May, 236

Forest, A Submerged, 200

Forest, Moral Value of, 152

Fruit Bats in the Philippines, 173

Genista, The, =226= 224

Geography Lessons, 73

Getting Acquainted with the Teacher, 121

Goose Plant in Bloom, 210

Gopher, The, =70= 71

Grosbeak, The Blue, =182=

Hans and Mizi, 72

Heron, A Baby, 49

Illuminations, Strange, 30

Ibis, The Scarlet, =154= 155

I Know Not Why, 119

In the Old Log House, 158

Ireland's Lost Glory, 188

January, 1

Jay, Steller's, =111= 110

Johnny Appleseed, 211

Killdeer, The, =51= 50

Lily of the Valley, =46= 47

Lark, Song of the, 101

Licorice, =87= 86

Magpie, =195= 197

March, 103

Marked with Bleeding Hearts, 44

Martin, The Purple, =207= 206

May, 193

Minerals, Common and, =38=

Minerals, Common and, =82= 83

Minerals, Common and, =142= 139

Mink, The, =75= 74

Mole Cricket Lodge, 78

Monkeys as Gold Finders, 173

Moth, The Cecropia, 223

Mushrooms on Benches, 48

Muskrat, =122=

Naturalist, The Young, 36

Naturalist, The Young, 95

Naturalist, The Young, 143

Naturalist, The Young, 185

Naturalist, The Young, 215

Nut-Hatch, Red-Breasted, =202= 203

Odd Places Chosen, 182

Old Year and Young Year, 1

Opossum, =219= 218

Ores, Common Minerals and, =38=

Ores, Common Minerals and, =82= 83

Ores, Common Minerals and, =142= 139

Our Feathered Neighbors, 181

Our Little Martyrs, 146

Paper, Rice, 239

Partridge, The Call, 180

Peacock, The, 98 101

Plants, Strange, 175

Poppy, The, =128=

Primrose, The, =135= 134

Ptarmigan, The Willow, =106= 107

Quail, The Massena, =158=

Quince, The, =34= 35

Rail, The Clapper, =62=

Rail, The Virginia, =3= 2

Raven, The, =235=

Reflections, 169

Robin's Mistake, 24

Shells, The Rock, =190= 191

Some Early Risers, 212

Sparrow, Not a Falleth, 125

Sparrow, The English, 97

Sponges, 138

Snail, A Floating, 240

Songs, Remembered, 13

Southward Bound, 20

Spider, The Grasshopper, 8

Spring, The Herald of, 102

Spring, The Procession of, 145

Spring Has Come, 192

Squirrel, The Black, =22= 23

Stump, The Gray, 12

Tansy Cakes, 180

Teal, The Blue-Winged, =10= 11

Teal, The Cinnamon, =58= 59

The Country! The Country!, 68

The New Sport, 77

The Pink House in the Apple Tree, 31

The Swinging Lamps of Dawn, 62

The Treating of Whitey, 127

Thyme Plant, The, 230 =231=

Tree, The Sorrowful, 44

Tree, The Triplet, 163

Trees, Planting The, 150

Trees, Countries Devoid of, 163

Vegetation in the Philippines, 80

Warbler, The Sycamore, 116

Washington's Monument, 96

Weasel, The, =27= 26

Where Vegetables Came From, 226

Wings, 119

With Open Eyes, 17

Woods, A Winter Walk in the, 90

GENERAL INDEX VOLS. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII.

Boldface figures indicate color-illustrations.

Acorns, Two. Vol v, 210

Across the Way. Vol vii, 205

A Curious Survival. Vol vii, 233

African Folk Lore. Vol iv, 12

A Glimpse of Beautiful Pictures. Vol vii, 209

Ah, Me! Vol iv, 113

A Good Uncle to Ants. Vol vii, 239

Air, Liquid. Vol vii, 37

Alaska, Birds of. Vol iv, 95

Almond. Vol v, =27=, 26 Flowering. Vol iv, =195=, 193

All Nature. Vol iv, 37.

Anhinga or Snake Bird. Vol ii, =26=, 27

Animal Pets in School. Vol vii, 108 World, In the. Vol iv, 136

Animals and Music. Vol iv, 159 Among. Vol v, 185 as Patients. Vol vii, 162 Pet, as Causes of Diseases. Vol vi, 26 Count? Can. Vol iv, 180 Danger from Importation of. Vol vii, 41 Hibernation of. Vol v, 84 Rights. Vol iv, 225 Some Propensities of. Vol iv, 81 Taming the Smaller Wild. Vol v, 127 The Talk of. Vol iv, 140 Water and. Vol iv, 84 When, are Seasick. Vol vi, 192

Antelope, The Pigmy. Vol iv, =94=, 95

Apple Blossoms. Vol iv, 35 Blossom Time. Vol iii, 153

April. Vol vii, 145

Arbutus, The Trailing. Vol v, 229

Armadillo. Vol iv, =147=, 146 as a Pet. Vol iv, 12

A Scrap of Paper. Vol vii, 59

Athena, The Birth. Vol v, 29

A Tragedy in Three Parts. Vol vii, 175

Audubon. John James. Vol ii, 161 Society, One. Vol iii, 234

Autumn. Vol iv, 132

Aviaries. Vol iii, 121

Avocet, American. Vol ii, =15=, 14

Azalea, The. Vol v, =142=, 143

Azamet, the Hermit, and His Dumb Friends. Vol iv, 33

Babies, Wee. Vol vi, 161

Baboon. Vol v, 217, =218=

Bat, Black. Vol iv, =170=, 171 Red. Vol iv, =170=, 171 Hoary. Vol v, =166=, 167

Bats in Burmese Caves. Vol vi, 32 Tame. Vol iv, 168

Bee and the Flower. Vol vi, 164

Bees, About. Vol v, 17

Beetles. Vol vi, =94=, 92

Bird, A Brigand. Vol vii, 176 A Little. Vol iv, 162 A Strange, House. Vol vii, 167 Courtships. Vol iv, 164 Day. Vol iii, 82

Bird Day in Schools. Vol i, 123

Birdland Secrets. Vol vii, 157

Bird Life, Destruction of. Vol v, 109 in India. Vol vii, 187

Bird Lovers, Some. Vol iii, 81 Lovers, Two. Vol vi, 212 Miscellany. Vol ii, 195, 235 Notes. Vol vi, 187 Notes. Vol vii, 19 of Paradise, The King. Vol iv, 124, =126=, 127 Only a. Vol iii, 73 Study, The Psychology of. Vol vi, 53 Superstitions. Vol iii, 172, 132 Song. Vol i, 187 Song. Vol ii, 1, 41, 81 Songs of Memory. Vol iii, 124 Study, The Fascination of. Vol iii, 164 The Flown. Vol vi, 61 The Mound. Vol iii, 114 The Dead. Vol vii, 199 The Silliest in the World. Vol vii, 229 The, We May Hear Sing. Vol vii, 193 The Wise Little. Vol vii, 7 Worth Its Weight in Gold. Vol. vi, 206