[May, 
188 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
SivV 
[COPYRIGHT SECURED.] 
-From a Painting by J. F. Gookins, of Chicago. 
■Drawn anil Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
figure is placed after a name, it indicates that the answer 
to that number was correct and the others not: 
C. D. Hawkins, J. T. McLain, E. R. Miller, H. Hunter, 
C. N. Sears, Clias. F. Tolhurst, Jas. N. B. Clemmons (374), 
.1. N. Shedenhelm, Kobt. J. Wilson, B. H. Roberts, C. A. 
McCartny, Fred. Rush, Irene Ellison, A. F. Mum, S. W. 
Ilanke, M. B. Kauth, J. C. Scanlan, diaries E. & Fred. 
S. Bronson, Clias. M. Walker, Sam’l Ewing, M. G. 
Keeney, Julia E. Kyle, G. L. Syplicr, J. W. Miles, Jr., 
A. II. Hood, C. S. Wakefield (374), Minnie Allen (374), J. 
Sicbenthalcr, G. F. Mumma, L. E. Shriver, M. Butler, A. 
McMorc, E. Tallman, E. Dollenmaycr, J. W. Walker, M. 
^Prosper Phillips, Eli Keith, L. C. Cowles, J. C. Slater, T. 
J. Laurie, F. II. Rohn, O. Woolston, “D. A. P.,” E. F. 
Warner, J. Twininga, Jr., E. Cabot, Geo. M. Heming¬ 
way, J. N. Wilson, A. L. Hemingway, E. II. Scott, J. W. 
Cherry, Mrs. S. Littlefield, Maria Hayworth, P. If. Feth- 
erman, C. F. Dcibert, N. IT. Haynes, W. T. Walters, R. 
L. Condon, Clias. B. McClure, W. A. Jacobs, C. A. Wilson, 
P. H. Mattes, “Dan.,” “ T. 1I.J.,” L. P. Burt, F. Doubraun. 
Some of the older boys and girls will be interested in 
the article on the aquarium given on page 185. Those 
who can refer to back volumes will find in April and May, 
1807, something interesting about tadpoles or polliwogs. 
Tlte E’airy Iliipandcrs. 
In a beautiful garden, where sweet Honeysuckles 
twined, where the Fuchsia hung its gorgeous pendants 
and hundreds of other flowers added their color and fra¬ 
grance to make it just such a place as you would like to 
live in were you a humming-bird, a pair of humming¬ 
birds had built their nest. Such a cunning nest it was ; 
all soft within, with the finest down, and without all cov¬ 
ered with mosses so deftly put on that it would readily 
be taken for a knot upon a branch. The eggs were laid, 
and beautiful little eggs they were, not bigger than beans, 
and the humming-birds were happy. Mistress Humming¬ 
bird was sitting upon the nest one night, thinking what 
she should name the little ones when they should bo 
hatched; while Mr. Humming-bird sat upon a twig near 
by admiring his wife as the bright moonlight made the 
feathers on her breast look brighter than jewels. A 
little noise below, a slight shaking of a rose leaf, and their 
long dreaded enemies were upon them— 11 The Fairies 1” 
they both chirped at once, and instantly the peaceful scene 
was one of strife and confusion. There were the dreaded 
fairies, Fcrn-sccd, Pea-blossom, and others, all out on a 
midnight raid. How stealthily the enemy approached 
and how valiantly the birds fought to protect their nest 1 
These little imps with long boots made of the flowers of 
Honeysuckles and helmets of Columbine, what pranks 
they played and how the garden rung with tiny 
shouts and screams 1 — Oh dear, what a pity there 
are no fairies. Children all love to read about them, 
and older people too like to let their fancy run upon 
them. One of the most charming poems ever written 
is all about a fairy, and the artists paint beauti¬ 
ful pictures of fairies all from their imagination. The 
above picture is from an elegant painting in which the 
artist has made a little rogue so cunning and bright, that 
we cannot help liking him, though lie is a marauder. The 
one at the nest looks like a mean fellow—he is letting 
the other do all the fighting, while he secures the plunder. 
The outline figures used to fill in around the oval, arc 
worth examining ; they are drawn by another artist, who 
seems to have thought that the fairies deserved punish¬ 
ment for their attacks upon the humming-birds, and has 
represented them in various difficulties. The hornet has 
taken upon itself to battle in the cause of the humming¬ 
bird, and we think that the little elf is in danger of a 
stinging rebuke, to say the least. Down below, a party 
of evil-doers arc put into a leaf of a pitcher plant 
for safe keeping, while on the other side, a big 
spider is securing more fairies as prisoners of war. 
