to cover most of the body. The two 

 central tail feathers, nearly a yard long, 

 are destitute of webs and have a thin 

 wire-like appearance." 



"How very beautiful the 'emerald' 

 must be," said Alice, "but he has no such 

 sweet song as my canary I'm sure." 



"Mr. Wallace says," continued Aunt 

 Jane, "that these birds are easiest cap- 

 tured at their dancing parties during the 

 breeding season, when the males assume 

 attitudes which display the golden glory 

 of their plumage to best advantage. The 

 yellow head and emerald throat feathers 

 are like softest velvet." 



"Are any others so beautiful?" John 

 asked. 



"There is the king bird of paradise 

 that has two middle tail feathers elongat- 

 ed and flattened out like ribbons, but 

 destitute of web. 



"The twelve-wired bird of paradise has 

 twelve of its yellow plumes transformed 

 into wire-like bristles a foot long. The 

 rest of the plumage has metallic tints." 



"How about the hummers?" said 

 Howard, "aren't they also very gor- 

 geous ?" 



"Yes they are only equalled by the 

 sun-birds in brilliancy of plumage. The 

 colors of the precious stones, ruby, ame- 

 thyst, sapphire, emerald, and topaz, are 

 needed in describing the beauty of their 

 varied attire. The flight feathers are 

 unusually dark, but tie tail is often 

 iridescent as stained glass, while in vari- 

 ous parts of the body gleam the jewel- 

 like hues. Sometimes the feathers are 

 modified into crests, frills, tufts, and 

 beards. In the sable-winged variety the 

 male has a peculiar shaped wing the 

 feathers bent in a saber form. The her- 

 mits are the plainest variety and dwell 

 in the woods and valley oi the Amazon. 

 The feathers of one kind emit the odor 

 of musk." 



"Is the hummer a foreigner or a pure 

 American?" Howard inquired. 



"It is peculiar to America, its nearest 

 relative abroad being the swift. Though 

 there are four hundred and more species 

 only one is common in the United 

 States." 



"Oh, Auntie! I'm acquainted with it, 

 for its 'ruby-throat' now isn't it?" cried 

 Madge. 



"You are right," responded Alice, 

 "and the poet says of him — 



'The hummingbird is drinking from the honey- 

 suckle flask, 



A spirit of some flashing gem, whose heaven 

 is where I ask.' " 



"I am glad that you children seem 

 to agree with me," said Aunt Jane, "that 

 aviaries well stocked with foreign birds 

 in goreous attire are really less interest- 

 ing to us, after all, than our own citizen 

 birds of plainer plumes, whose life his- 

 tories may be studied in their own 

 familiar haunts." 



"Sometimes," John observed, "fine 

 feathers are a delusion and a snare, at 

 least the bird of paradise must think so 

 when he tries to fly against the wind." 



"There is a legend that at first birds 

 were created without plumage and hid 

 themselves ashamed. But at length they 

 were told to send for feather uniforms 

 which had been prepared for them. The 

 turkey buzzard offered to make the 

 journey in quest of the much desired 

 coverings. The way was long, so he 

 who before had been a clean bird, was 

 compelled by hunger to eat carrion, hence 

 his present nature. When he found the 

 various suits of feathers, he selected for 

 himself the most beautiful of all, — the 

 raiment of the bird of paradise; but, 

 finding that he could not fly well against 

 the wind in such a garb, he changed ^it 

 for his present plain suit." 



"I have read somewhere an Indian 

 legend about the varied hue of the plum- 

 age of birds," said Edith. "In the fall 

 when the leaves were about to die the 

 Great Spirit bade them live in another 

 form; therefore the robin sprang from 

 the stained red oak, the cardinal from the 

 maple, the yellow bird from the willow 

 leaf. 



"Even the pale brown leaves the pageant 

 joined, 

 Sparrow and lark awakened to rejoice, 

 And though they were less fair, he gave to 

 them 

 The more melodious voice." 



"What a pretty fancy," Aunt Jane re- 

 sponded. "It reminds me of the story 

 of how the hoopoe came to his golden 

 crown. Once when King Solomon was 

 traveling the sun's rays were so hot he 

 summoned a flock of hoopoes to protect 



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