180 Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



"Blooms at thy coming stirred, 



Bend on each brittle stem, 



Nod to the little gem, 

 Bow to the hummingbird frolic and free. 



Now around the woodbine hovering, 



Now the morning-glory covering, 



Now the honeysuckle sipping, 



Now the sweet clematis tipping, 



Now the bluebell dipping; 

 Hither, thither, flashing, bright'ning, 

 Like a streak of emerald lightning; 



Round the box, with milk-white phlox; 



Round the fragrant four o'clocks; 



O'er the crimson quamoclit, 



Lightly dost thou wheel and flit; 

 Into each tubed throat 

 Dives little Ruby-throat." 



Among my clippings I find an account of a locomotive en- 

 gineer who had made observations on the speed of various 

 birds and insects. Many birds, he says, make a practice of 

 flying beside or in front of his engine, and when the weather is 

 clear and there is no wind he opens the throttle and races 

 with them. He estimates that the turkey buzzard flies at the 

 rate of twenty-three miles an hour. The pigeon is one of the 

 fastest birds in the United States. It makes a speed of forty- 

 six miles an hour with ease. When chased by an engine it can 

 beat the fastest express. The wild duck travels at the rate of 

 forty miles. The blackbird, robin, dove and other small birds 

 travel at a speed of thirty-eight miles an hour. The humming- 

 bird can and does excel a speed of a mile a minute. 



And now we have followed the ruby-throat through his 

 sojourn with us, while as, 



"A flash of harmless lightning, 



A mist of rainbow dyes, 

 The burnished sunbeams brightning, 



From flower to flower he flies." 



Summer has gone and autumn is here, and he is off to the 

 sunny south. In the words of Howitt : 



"Thou happy, happy hummingbird, 



No winter round thee lowers; 

 Thou never saw a leafless tree, 



Nor land without sweet flowers." 



"A reign of summer joyfulness 



To thee for life is given; 

 Thy food the honey of the flower, 

 Thy drink the dew of heaven." 



