RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Taming Wild Humming-Birds. 



A LADY residing at San Rafael, one of the 

 many pleasant health resorts of California, 

 has sent to friends in London an account of 

 the taming of two free wild humming-birds 

 b3' her daughter, who, under medical direc- 

 tion, has for some months passed several 

 hours dail3^ reclining on rugs spread on the 

 garden lawn. " E. has a new source of in- 

 terest," her mother writes. "The hum- 

 ming-birds have claimed her companionship 

 and manifested their curiosity bv inspecting 

 her, with their little wise heads turned to one 

 side, at a safe distance, watching her move- 

 ments, evidently wishing to become ac- 

 quainted. To entice them to a nearer ap- 

 proach, E. plucked a fuchsia, attached it to 

 a branch of a tree over her head, and filled 

 it with sweetened water. The intelligent lit- 

 tle creatures soon had their slender bills 

 thrust into the flower, from which they took 

 long draughts. Then E. took honey, think- 

 ing they might prefer it, and filled a fresh 

 flower each day. They would sometimes 

 become so impatient as scarcely to wait for 

 her to leave before the}' were into the sweets, 

 and, finally, while she held a flower in one 

 hand and filled it with drops from a spoon, 

 the now little tame pets would catch the 

 drops as they fell, and dart into the honey 

 cup their silvery, threadlike tongues. E. is 

 delighted, and so fascinated with them that 

 she passes hours each day of her resting 

 time talking to them and watching their 

 quick, lively movements. Although these 

 tiny birds are humming all day among the 

 flowers, two only have monopolized the 

 honey-filled flower, and these are both males, 

 consequently there are constant squabbles 

 as to which shall take possession. They 

 will not permit a wasp or a bee to come 

 near their honey flower, and not only drive 

 them awa}', but chase them some distance, 

 uttering a shrill note of protest against all 

 intruders." Referring to them again, at 

 the close of the rainless Californian summer, 

 in a letter dated October 26, this lady writes : 

 " We have had threatening clouds for two 

 days and a heavy rainfall today. E. has 

 continued her devotion to her little humming- 

 birds. Since the change of weather she has 

 tried to coax them to the parlor windows. 

 They appeared to think there must be some 

 mistake, and would hum about the window 

 where she stood with the honey flower and 



spoonful of hone3s or they would sit on a 

 branch and watch every movement, yet not 

 daring to take a sip until to-day, when at 

 her peculiar call, which the}' always recog- 

 nize, one ventured repeatedly to take the / 

 honey from her hand. — Scientific American. 



A CLEVER process has been discovered by 

 which snails, frogs and other reptiles can 

 be preserved and retain the color of the 

 flesh. The animal being cleansed, is soaked 

 in chromic acid until hardened ; then being 

 thoroughly washed in water, it is subjected 

 to a bath of absolute alcohol, until the 

 water which has more or less saturated the 

 skin leaves no trace of its presence. The 

 third operation consists in putting the speci- 

 men in turpentine three or four days, when 

 it will be found ready for the fourth and 

 last process, which is to paint the entire 

 body with a solution of sugar and glycerine. 

 We have kept small . insects in glycerine, 

 and it is wonderful how they will remain 

 unchanged if a rubber cloth be placed alone 

 over the mouth of the bottle. — American 

 Angler. 



" Papa," said Rollo, looking up from 

 Houghing It, " what is gold-bearing quartz?" 

 " Well, my son," repUed Rollo's father, who 

 was glancing in a troubled manner at the 

 milkman's bill for October, " when a man 

 sells diluted water for nine cents a quart, I 

 think he has struck better gold-bearing 

 quarts than ever Mr. Mark Twain dreamed 

 of." — Burlington Hawkey e. 



An ornithologist has discovered that to 

 have an appetite proportional to that of a 

 robin, a man would have to devour daily a 

 string of sausages sixt3'-seven feet long and 

 nine inches in diameter. Make a " bob 'o 

 link" of himself, in fact. — J3oston Courier. 



Night Heron in Winter. — A young 

 Night Heron was killed in Bristol, R. L, 

 Jan. 5th. For several days previous to tiiis 

 date the weather had been below the freez- , 

 ing point. How did he get a living? / 



Owls last winter were abundant, but the 

 change of a year is a radical one, for while 

 several kinds were unusually plenty then, 

 all kinds are now scarce. 



