on each side of the rump. The bitterns 

 have two pairs of patches; the true her- 

 ons three, while the curious boat-bills 

 have eight, which, if at times all lumi- 

 nous; would give the bird a most con- 

 spicuous, not to say spectral appearance 

 at night. 



Some years ago a party of explorers 

 entered a large cave on the island of 

 Trinidad that had hitherto been con- 

 sidered inaccessible. To their astonish- 

 ment they found it filled with birds 

 which darted about in the dark in such 

 numbers that they struck the explorers 

 and rendered their passage not only 

 disagreeable, but dangerous. The birds 

 proved to be night hawks, known as 

 oil birds, and in great demand for the 

 oil they contain, and it is barely possi- 

 ble that these birds are also light-giv- 

 ers. The powder-down patches of the 

 oil bird are upon each side of the rump. 



As to the use of such lights to a bird 

 there has been much conjecture; but it 

 is thought that it may be a lure to at- 

 tract fishes. It it is well known that 

 fishes and various marine animals are 

 attracted by light, and a heron stand- 

 ing motionless in the water, the light 

 from its breast, if equal to two candles, 

 would be plainly seen for a considerable 



distance by various kinds of fishes, which 

 would undoubtedly approach within 

 reach of the eagle eye and sharp bill of 

 the heron and so fall victims to their 

 curiosity. If this is a true solving of 

 the mystery it is one of the most re- 

 markable provisions of nature. 



There is hardly a group of animals 

 that does not include some light-givers 

 of great beauty; but it is not generally 

 known that some of the higher animals 

 also produce light at times. Renninger, 

 the naturalist, whose studies and obser- 

 vations of Paraguay are well known, 

 tells a most remarkable story of his ex- 

 perience with the monkey known as 

 NyctipithitJieais trivigatus. He was in 

 complete darkness when he observed 

 the phenomenon, which was a phos- 

 phorescent light gleaming from the 

 eyes of the animal; not the light which 

 appears in the eye of the cat, but shafts 

 of phosphorescent light which were not 

 only distinctly visible, but illumined 

 objects a distance of six inches from 

 the animal's eyes. 



The subject is an interesting one and 

 research among the various phenomena 

 disclosed by naturalists may discover 

 many other animals capable of strange 

 illuminations. 



THE PINK HOUSE IN THE APPLE TREE. 



NELLY HART WOODWORTH. 



NOT the least interesting of my 

 summer neighbors is a Quaker 

 family named Chebec, the least 

 fly-catchers. 



They are little people, else they 

 would not be least fly-catchers, plainly 

 dressed, with olive shoulder- capes lined 

 with yellow, wings finely barred with 

 black and white and heads dark and 

 mousy. The large eyes, circled with 

 white, are as full of expression as a 

 thrush's. 



W.iat is lacking in song is made up in 

 an energy decidedly muscular, the 

 originality of the note chebec, uttered 

 with a jerk of the head or a launch into 

 the air after some passing insect, never 

 being confused with other bird voices. 



It is not Chebec himself that com- 

 mands my special admiration, but 



" Petite," his winsome little lady, with 

 her rare gentleness and confidence. 

 Our intimacy began when she was liv- 

 ing on a long maple branch that nearly 

 touched my chamber window, and she 

 was dancing attendance upon four pure- 

 white eggs when I became conscious 

 of her neighborly intentions. She soon 

 settled down into the most demure lit- 

 tle matron, a regular stay-at-home, 

 really grudging the time necessary 

 for taking her meals. Later, when I 

 "peeked in" at the nestlings, Petite 

 only hugged them'closer, nor did she 

 leave until my hand was laid on her 

 shoulder. We were soon fast friends. 

 The most tempting morsels the neigh- 

 borhood afforded were brought to her 

 door, and, though she was unwearied 

 in the family service, my efforts were 



