he cut the branch on which it was, and carried the whole on ship-board. The bird became sufficiently tame to suffer herself to be fed with honey and water during the passage; and hatched two young ones. The mother, however, did not long survive; but the young ones were brought to England, and continued some time in the possession of Lady Hammond. These little creatures readily took honey from the lips of her ladyship with their bills. One of them did not live long, but the other survived at least two months after their arrival."

It is difficult to keep these lovely and delicate creatures alive in a state of captivity, even in a climate much more favourable to their preservation than ours. Dr. Latham mentions, as a rare occurrence, the success of general Davis, who kept several ruby humming-birds alive for some months. He fed them with honey and syrup, which he dropped into the tubes of artificial flowers; so that the little creatures might suck it out with their long tongues, as they did from the natural flowers in a state of freedom. In the centre of each of these artificial flowers, a tube, formed of a piece of tobacco-pipe, was fixed; and this became the receptacle of the honey. It was a very elegant device, to make the drinking vessels of the little captives resemble those natural

vases, out of which they were wont to sip their daily portion in the flowery fields where they first fluttered their brilliant wings, with other gay creatures of their kind. But, happily, even with the most ingenious contrivances, they cannot long be kept alive when deprived of freedom; and therefore few are caught for that purpose.

THE HUMMING-BIRDS.

Bright birds of the sun, how has every hue
Of the sky and the rainbow been layish'd on you!
What are the robes that a monarch enfold,
Compared with your feathers of silver and gold?
Ye are richly arrayed, without toil and care,
And the flower-bells furnish your daily fare:
A feast every morning before you is spread;
Ye are gloriously clothed, and luxuriously fed.
And ye drink the pure nectar, and cry te-re,
As ye fly from the flower to the blossoming tree.

Swift as an arrow ye hasten along:

Now

ye are gleaming the lilies among;

Now through the gardens of roses you speed;
Now on the lofty magnolias you feed.

Gay birds of the sun! your plumes are as bright,
As if you had bathed in his fountain of light.
It is lovely indeed your wings to behold,
All gleaming and glistening with azure and gold,
While ye drink the pure nectar, and cry te-re,
As ye fly from the flower to the blossoming tree.

ORDER PASSERES.

The Kingfisher. Halcyon.

Alcedo Ispida.

THE ancients had many superstitions connected with these birds; and to the present day they are held in great veneration in some parts of the world. The Greeks called the common species Alcyon, from Alcyone, the wife of Ceyx. Ceyx being accidentally drowned, Alcyone, as "the fabling poets fein," threw herself into the sea, and they were both transformed into kingfishers. One strange legend universally credited was, that these birds hatched their eggs on the waves; and that, on certain days in the year, they might be seen floating tranquilly over the waters, thus occupied. During this season, it was believed that the tempests were charmed to rest, and no chilling breeze had permission to ruffle the azure wing of the halcyon, as she glided peacefully along; until, having hatched her young, she quitted the waters, and left the imprisoned winds at liberty to lift up their stormy voices again, and