63 



THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



SOME INCONSPICUOUS BEAUTY. 



5Y JULIA M. HOOPER, WEST BRIDGEWATBR, 

 MASSACHUSETTS. 



Did you ever notice the loveliness and 

 surious structure of each separate floret 

 of the milkweed ? The stalk is so coarse 

 and ungraceful, and the collective blos- 

 som of so dull a hue. that it would not 

 attract attention from the passer-by. 

 But take one tiny blossom by itself, and 

 look at it — it is exquisite. Each division 

 of the crown looks like a tiny, delicate, 

 seashell, and is shaped like a kitten's 

 jar. It is of an unusually thick texture 

 and has the appearance of being two- 

 fold. The corolla, turned backwards, 

 makes another blossom, larger, and bell- 

 shaped. It might be called a two-faced 

 flower. The whole cluster forms a pink- 

 ish-drab pompon, and no prettier orna- 

 ment for a bonnet could be made than a 

 copy of this neglected flower. It is also 

 fragrant. 



The lovely, fragrant, single-flowered 

 pyrola has petals shaped like broad three- 

 scalloped seashells — a bunch of short 

 stamens laid in its centre, and a pistil 

 starting from a green ball, and ending 

 in a crown. The small leaves lie close 

 to the ground — flower stalk, three to five 

 inches in height — petals five. 



The twin blossoms of the mitchella or 

 partridge beri-y, are lovely pink and 

 white trumpets, with a peculiar fra- 

 grance. The buds are prettier than the 

 blossoms, the outside of the petals being 

 of a nicer texture. 



A very lovely flower is the blue-eyed 

 grass; and tho' inconspicuous when sin- 

 gle, I have seen a patch of meadow-land, 

 which was blue with the countless num- 

 bers ot them. The blossom is interest- 

 ing when examined. Each petal is 

 veined with a darker hue of the same 

 color, and at its base, a little yellow 

 petal is outlined on it. At the end of 

 the petal is an inward curve; and from 

 this, a little tail pi ejects. 



You do not kno'Y the possibilities of 



bouncing bet and wild carrot until you 

 put them together, and note how they 

 harmonize. Tho' not attractive by them- 

 selves and their coarse surroundings, 

 they make a very pretty and delicate 

 bouquet. But of wild carrot I must say, 

 •'admire the flower and destroy the seed." 



THE ORCHARD ORIOLE. 



BY .TAMES HILL, EDINBURGH, ILL. 



The orchard oriole ( Icterus spurius ) 

 is the most common of his genus in this 

 locality. The head, neck, tail, and 

 parts of the wings of the male are black; 

 underparts, lower parts of the back and 

 part of the wings brownish-chestnut. 

 The female is olivaceous above and dark 

 yellow below, greenish tinged, with two 

 white bands under tJie wings. This 

 oriole comes at almost the same date 

 each year ( about April 15th in this lo- 

 cality ). A few days are spent in se- 

 lecting a suitable building site and then 

 both male and female join in building 

 the nest. This is almost invariably 

 made of fine grass, which, when dry 

 has a golden yellow hue, and is easily 

 discerned among the green branches. 

 As a rule the nest is most dexterously 

 woven. It is usually placed upon the 

 tip of a small limb, from fifteen to thir- 

 ty feet in height. The nest and female 

 present a picturesque appearance sway- 

 ing in the breeze. Almost every or- 

 chard in the habitat of I. spurius is in- 

 habited by at least one pair. The' eggs 

 ai-e from three to six in number, pale 

 bluish ground color, sprinkled with 

 brown. Both male and female join in 

 caring for the young. 



I please myself with observing the 

 graces of the winter scenery, and be- 

 lieve that we are as much touched by 

 it as by the genial influences of sum- 

 mer. — Emerson. 



The worst kind of a tick to get under 

 your skin is yourself in an irritable 

 mood. — Thoreau. 



^WgS" 



