JENNY 
107 
absorb the moisture of heavy dews, and so transmit it to the 
inner tissues of the leaf. In others the superficial hairs — which 
are always more abundant upon plants in dry places than wet 
ones — can also absorb it. Similarly is it with our own wild 
flowers: if they become flaccid or exhausted in drought, the 
leaves will readily absorb water sprinkled upon them. 
If the student will take a few sprays of various plants, 
expose them for an hour or two in the afternoon, till they are 
beginning to fade, then spread them out on the ground all night, 
and examine them in the early morning, they will be found to 
be quite freshened up again, if there has been any dew. 
George Henslow. 
JENNY, 
ID ever any body (besides me) pet a guinea fowl ? Mine 
is a most loving little bird ; shall I tell you her history ? 
Some time ago I had a pair of guinea fowls given 
me ; they were very wild and shy, and would hardly let 
me get near enough to feed them. They would fly quite away 
when I went near them, over the house-top, or anywhere, so 
they could get out of sight of me. They must have been very 
old birds, for the hen laid but few eggs, and even those were 
hard to find, she hid her nest so cunningly. Well, after a bit, 
she set herself on six brown eggs, and in due time five little 
guinea chicks made their appearance — such pretty, tiny mites 
they were, so soft and flufify, for all the world like little partridges. 
For several days I scarcely saw them, for when I went to feed 
them the old birds were most furious : they flew at me, beat me 
with their wings, knocked my hat off many times, and made 
great scratches with their sharp claws all over my unlucky arms. 
I never saw such furies ; I was quite afraid of them, and some- 
times dropped the food and ran away. But mostly I was brave 
enough to place it near the little ones, which always squatted 
in the grass directly their most pugnacious parents came at me. 
They did not get much good of it, poor mites, for the old birds 
eat it all up themselves in the most greedy manner possible as 
soon as they thought they had driven me away, without giving 
the young ones any. Poor little things, their mother woke them 
ever so early in the morning, and dragged them with her through 
the dewy grass, till one by one four of them died. Of course it 
was nice enough for her, hardy old bird that she was, a regular 
Spartan mother, but evidently that course of treatment was not 
good for baby guinea chicks. So, really at the risk of my life 
I rescued the remaining chick, and under the shelter of a big 
umbrella, with hat torn off, quite breathless, and with many 
scratches, I carried off my trembling prize, and placed her under 
