the different species range all the way from 
two or three inches to a loot iu length. 
The common gray parrot, about the si/.e 
of a small pigeon, is very remarkable for its 
docility, loquacity and distinctness of utter¬ 
ance, and is most common in Africa. It, is 
when captured alter growth, this bird be¬ 
comes familiar, and sings frequently. It ex¬ 
hibits no great variety of notes, but the few 
it lias are rather peculiar, though not really 
unmusical. The most common one is some¬ 
what like the syllables conk-quer-ree ; others 
QUIT YESTERDAYS, 
that he did. Harvard College has taken one 
little step towards recognizing woman within 
its walls—she is to he admitted to its lectures. 
Other first-class institutions wc hope will 
follow such glorious lead. We had rather 
see woman in educational than political halls; 
treats anal 
BV A. A. HOPKINS 
He a InnRiitul weary ways 
AY ho wandera through his yesterdays : ” 
Thus sntth niy heart to mo, 
As sadly ninshiR back I Raze 
My yesterdays to see. 
The trope thut nr. r.io hours beguiled, 
That U*.rough tors darkness sweetly smiled 
Doth ttowhei'O eunUgnteast. 
For Hope la out the. Cresout’s child 
And a welts not in t.ho Civil. 
WOMAN AS A LEARNER, 
One right denied to woman wc have long 
acknowledged and advocated — the right to 
as full and thorough an education as she 
may aspire to. Wc have claimed that she 
should have the right, equally with man, to 
enjoy all educational privileges granted by 
our highest institutions of learning. Our 
position has not been the popular one ; the 
claim wc have put forth has met objections 
of many kinds; and yet public feeling, or 
the feeling of educators, has of late been 
undergoing a change upon the subject. The 
change has rejoiced us greatly, because wc 
have seen, in this half-way recognition of 
one of woman’s rights, a, promise of quite 
as much good as is likely to accrue from the 
full enjoyment of all that the foremost re¬ 
formers demand for her. 
Among the numerous objections offered to 
throwing open college doors generally to 
woman, her inability to compete with man 
in many studies embraced in the regular 
curriculum has been earnestly urged, and, in 
the absence of rebutting testimony, has 
seemed to possess weight. If woman could 
not pursue certain branches of collegiate 
study with success, attempts to do it would 
prove useless to herself, and why should she 
make them? We have never believed in 
her inability to compete with man as a 
learner, and were therefore very glad to have 
the question brought up before the University 
Convocation, during one of its late sessions 
in Albany, that we might hear the evidence 
of eminent instructors. 
Tlic question was suggested by a paper 
prepared by Mrs. E. J, Lke Blunt, of De¬ 
posit Academy, on “ Literature as a Study 
for Young Ladies,” which was read before 
In ovm-y w»l!c our foot 'cuiro trod. 
Or pebbly pmU or jelvcfc soil, 
Some Mil Mrs liuto presnot! us sore; 
But some iIinu* rimel, mint of UOD, 
Unn over stone bolero. 
And led ua on m direst, need 
Till Faith, nauir cm . from doubting iiroed, 
A souk but. l ull b could tonrn; 
Yot Uoo’8 dear mmols on want loud. 
And never tmoltwnru turn." 
Not so, my hoar!,," I liuski to say, 
The path of every ) csl.onlay 
Because t.lio iidkcCm loot 
Have pressed it, Ir.uliiiK on ray way, 
Is over I o me : went, 
And thouKli Mic r.utfol Kotts not o'er 
The backward way. uy stops before, 
I sen bis foot-prtnts I bore. 
And him for Kuldanve t ivdoro, 
And mitiKlc praise with prayer! " 
And so I ho ways llial dimly frond 
Far backward Mill, iior seem to end, 
I walk with rare delight, 
Tliougli Hope doth ne’er the twilight blend 
With radiant colors bright; 
And back from roamings such ns this 
1 come, to feel a keener bliss 
Aa onward ut.tll l climb, 
And find that, joys l long did miss 
To-day has made subiimo I 
tents for 
MY LITTLE STOUT. 
BY .JANE N’EY. 
Everybody in this ago 1ms an autobiogra¬ 
phy. Other people's experiences, though 
not always instructive, may at least be enter¬ 
taining. My little story may please some¬ 
body. it might benefit also, if 1 knew how 
to tell it strongly. But I. have until lately 
lived so much on the surface that I cannot 
now get hold of the deep and common feel¬ 
ings of humanity. 
I was Scbette Joint. You sec by the 
name 1 am French. My father was a 
Frenchman, bill my mot,her was American. 
When quite young I was left with t small 
property to the care of my Aunt Louse. 
People in the Western village where we 
lived called her Madame Jure, and she was 
of mighty authority among them. Mv Aunt 
Louise was very genteel. We lived in a 
Small but handsome house and kepi one ser¬ 
vant, or “ donmtiquef aa my aunt conde¬ 
scended to call our handmaiden, thus com¬ 
promising half way with the hated Ameri¬ 
canism, “hired girl.” Our life was quiet 
and commonplace. I attended the “ Young 
Ladies’ Seminary” in the village, and at a 
proper period left it with blue-ribbon ■ 
diploma. Aunt Louise taught me music 
and the paternal tongue. 
My heart and the blood in it was divided. 
I used to imagine one artery gushing with 
the effervescent fountain of France, and the 
other flowing in a steady stream with the 
purpose of America. 1 told Aunt Louise 
this fancy once; she said, “ Bah! ” as if I 
had asked her to look upon the veritable dis¬ 
section of one of my vital organs. 1 was 
wildly vivacious, but often very thoughtful. 
And, oh! how haughty 1 was! No vision 
satisfied me to couple with the handsome 
one in my glass, but a marquis, who should 
come over from France to meet and admire 
and to make me bis marchioness. 
I had one serious annoyance. There was 
a young carpenter in blouse and overalls, 
who, whenever wo met, lifted the hat from 
bis shapely forehead and greeted me “ C-" 
Busy!” No French softening would no 
givi; the name, no piquant turning; always 
“ Susy ! ” almost “ Kitchen Busan, ” 1 
thought, with boiling indignation. Then 
“ Susy!” If he was my mother’s 
kinsman, why should lie force bis hateful 
claim upon me? I used to avoid him; I. 
dropped my parasol lower; and once I gave 
him the cut direct. But still courteous, self- 
respecting, with an air of true breeding, lie 
lifted the hat above Ids amused eyes, and 
greeted me “ Cousin Susy.” So, driven from 
my defense, and humbled by some superior 
power in him, I surrendered, and paid him 
tribute everywhere in the low reply, “ Cousin 
Cyril.” 
1 grew to be eighteen, and to luxuriate in 
my beauty. 1 loved dress and admiration; 
both desires were, gratified as far as my 
aunt’s purse, and French tact, and circle of 
village society extended. One summer I was 
whirled oil' to the springs, and had a score 
of flirtations. But all! the men that fol¬ 
lowed me were so stupid! I had a knowl¬ 
edge-seeking fit after coming home, reviewed 
my old school-books, read some volumes of 
poems and a metaphysical work. But 
France asserted itself again. 1 flew from my 
study like a repressed jet escaping. 
There had to he an cud of this life, Aunt 
Louise took me gravely aside one spring 
THE AMERICAN RED-WINGED STARLING - (Argelaius 
are more shrill; some are rather guttural; 
and others are very clear indeed. The ordi¬ 
nary home language of both male and female 
consists in a single articulation— chuck. Like 
his European namesake, our American Star¬ 
ling has, in a few instances, been taught to 
articulate words with considerable distinct¬ 
ness. 
In the South the starlings are very numer¬ 
ous during the winter, where, collected in 
immense flocks, they frequent the rice and 
com fields. During spring and summer they 
feed on grubs, caterpillars and other insects. 
Wilson, the ornithologist, pleads strongly 
for the bird, on the ground that its destruc¬ 
tion of noxious insects is so extensive as to 
overba lance all the mischief it does, and says: 
“ For their principal attacks upon the farm¬ 
er’s property the starlings select the months 
of August and September, when the ears of 
the Indian corn are young, soft and succu¬ 
lent, and present a temptation too great to 
resist. At this time, reinforced daily from 
all parts of the interior, they pour down on 
the low countries in prodigious multitudes. 
Here they are seen, like vast clouds, wheel¬ 
ing and driving over the meadows and de¬ 
voted corn fields, darkening the air with 
their numbers. Then commences the work 
of destruction on the corn, the busks of 
which, though composed of numerous en¬ 
velopments of closely-wrapt leaves, are soon 
completely or partially torn off; while tom 
all quarters myriads continue to pour down 
like a tempest, blackening half an acre at a 
time ; and if not disturbed they repeat their 
depredations till little remains but the cob 
and the shriveled skins of the grain. What 
little is left of the tender ear, being exposed 
to the rains and weather, is generally much 
injured.” 
or if she must go to the latter, to save the 
country from irredeemable ruin, let her tarry 
longer in the former, first., that she be better 
fitted for the work which awaits her. Ami, 
finally, wo agree with Mrs. Blunt in the 
closing statement of the paper heretofore 
alluded to,—“ Womanhood’s unrest will find 
its satisfaction in an intellectual peace." 
indeed it. is asserted that they have been 
known to live well-nigh a hundred years. 
The green parrot, a common pet, of which 
there arc many varieties, is a native of South 
America. The ring paroquet, whose imita¬ 
tive powers are very great, was known to the 
older Greeks and Romans, who obtained it 
from India. 
South America is very prolific in these en¬ 
tertaining birds. Some of the rarest and 
most beautiful species are common there, 
but are never seen in more northern climates. 
The golden parrot, there a native, is probably 
the best, imitator of all parrot kind, A friend 
of ours saw one which was indeed a marvel. 
It would talk anything, and sang like a 
prinia donna. On one of those radiant 
nights known only near the equator, our 
friend beard a clear, full and musical so¬ 
prano voice singing the words of a Spanish 
song, and listened fairly charmed while 
several verses were sung, lie was surprised 
that a lady of such fine vocal accomplish 
rnentH could he so near him, but was yet 
more surprised to find, next day, that the 
golden parrot, referred to was the vocalist, 
and distant twenty rods away. This bird 
was kept by an old woman, who made a 
business of training birds for sale, and whose 
chief aid the marvelous singer was. Our 
friend offered a large sum for it, but without 
avail. 
found the young women quite as high iu at¬ 
tainments ns their presumptuous brothers. 
Among his pupils during the time men¬ 
tioned lie had numbered three geniuses in 
mathematics,— three to whom the deepest 
things of mathematics seemed but intuitions. 
Two of these wore boys; but the third, and 
much the greatest genius of the trio, was a 
girl. Other testimony, of a similar nature, 
was adduced, but we have cited enough. 
The prevailing opinion of the Convocation 
seemed to he, and unquestionably was, that 
the average woman is as capable of acquir¬ 
ing a thorough college culture as the aver¬ 
age man. Her mental capability being 
granted, then, the only doubt remaining is 
as to her capability physically. But should 
this doubt, however proper in itself, deprive 
woman of a just right? Should it shut her 
out from any opportunities for culture which, 
knowing her own bodily strength, she may 
believe it in her power to improve? Should 
it close the college doors against her in the 
future, as, under a mistaken belief in her in¬ 
ability as a learner, they have been closed 
against her in the past? 
We think not. All educational advan¬ 
tages wo believe she should share equally 
with man. When at the inauguration of 
Cornell University Mr. Cornell said “I 
would found an institution where any per¬ 
son can find instruction iu any study," we 
asked if he used the words “ any person ” in 
their fullest meaning. We have siuce learned 
THE PELICAN, 
The Pelican is larger than the swan, and 
is chiefly remarkable for its enormous bill, to 
which is attached a pouch capable of bolding 
several quarts of water. It inhabits Asia, 
Africa and South America; is an excellent 
swimmer, yet often perches on trees; and is 
not only susceptible of domestication, but can 
be educated to flsh for its master. In fishing 
it does not immediately devour its prey upon 
capture, but fills its bug and then returns to 
shore to enjoy its repast. It. is a greedy bird, 
and will devour at one meal as many fish as 
would suffice for six men. In confinement it 
will snap up nits and ot her small quadrupeds. 
PARROTS, 
There are said to he nearly two hundred 
species of parrots. Almost all these arc na¬ 
tives of the tropics, and the. greater portion 
of them are very rich in plumage. But one 
species, Ave believe, are found wild in the 
United States —the Carolina or Illinois par¬ 
rot, resident in some of the Middle and 
Southern States, but not numerous. In size 
