with its brilliant radia'tions of light, is less dazzling in its tints than the plumage of many a bird. 2. Sometimes, at the peep of dawn in the desert, where you have perhaps been sleeping all night on a simple mat, if you glance along the surface of the sand-hills, you may discern millions of spikes, diminutive as the finèst needle, and green as an emerald, spreading forth a fairy mantle to the sky. It would be difficult to imagine anv thing softer or more lustrous than this evanescent robe of verdure, which fades as the dawn advances, and disappears altogether at the first touch of the sun. 3. An Arab said it was as green as the wings of the angel Gabriel, or as a feather plucked from the breast of Abou Tob. Who and what is Abou Tob? we inquired, and to our surprise found it was the phenix, which, after having been expelled from the natural history of Europe, has taken refuge in the warmer faith of the children of the desert. 4. One of the most exʼquisite sights we have ever beheld was produced by the agency of feathers. Sitting on a broad, sandy flat in the Upper Nile, about hälf an hour befōre sunrise, we listened, in a delicious rěvery, 5 to the storied waters, as they flowed and rippled on either side of the isle. Time, in such situations, flies rapidly by. The sun, êre we were aware of it, rose, as if with a bound, from behind the Arabian mountains, and immediately the whole earth lay flooded with golden light. At the same instant, the flapping and rustling of countless wings were heard overhead'; and looking up, we beheld an immense flight of pelicans voyaging southward. 5. The breast of the pělican, it is well known, is milky white; yět now, being touched by the beams of the young sun, it became covered with a roseäte flush. In one bird this would have been striking; but when the delicate tinge passed like an irradiation ǎlong the soft curves of a thousand bosoms at once, it produced an effect truly marvelous. 1 Lus'trous, shining; bright. ? Ev'an es'cent, vanishing like vapor; fleeting. Phenix, a bird fabled to live single, and, after death, to rise again from its ashes. ful; most grateful or sweet to the senses. 5 Rěv'er 'ý, a loose or irregular train of thoughts occurring in musing; a vision. "Ir ra'di a'tion, act of giving 4 Delicious (de lish'us), delight- out beams of light; illumination 6. To our shame, we confess it, we killed, and attempted to eat, one of these harmlèss dwellers amid the waters. But our punishment was instantaneous: no human teeth could masticate its tough fibers, nor could any human stomach digěst them. It is true we could gaze upon its dead breast, and try to fancy the celestial hues that had gladdened our sight in the morning; but they were no longer visible. The breast was indeed soft as that of the swan; but as it suggested ghastly ideäs, we flung it into the Nile; so that nothing remained to us but the regret of having slaughtered the beautiful bird in vain. 7. Far ǎway up in Afʼrică, we met a cărʼavan 3 bringing slaves, gold, ivory, odoriferous gums, and ostrich feathers toward the shōres of the Mediterranean. Some of these feathers were white, -not the cold white of snow, but the creamy soft white upon which the eye loves to linger. In London, Paris, or New York, we fancy they would have been worth their weight in gold. 8. Each feather was in itself a picture. There was nothing in it which, when touched, produced that harsh, grating sensation of the nerves caused by passing the finger along ordinary feathers. It hung in soft, wavy cûrls, like the finest lace, on both sides of the stem, and terminated in a little fan of ringlets, that fell soothingly upon the hand, like nothing else we are acquainted with in the creation. 9. Yet the bird on which these marvels grew is one of the mōst awkward, ungainly, flat-footed creatures that Africa—the cradle of monsters-brings fōrth. While on the body of its owner, a tuft of these lovely feathers looks positively ludicrous, as, with its huge, long legs, long neck, little head, and body like a stuffed cushion, it scours away in droves athwart the waste. 10. Among the treasures of the same căr'avan were other feathers, of colors so bright that they suggested the ide'à of having been freshly dyed by art-some vermilion, others of the brightest green, others turquois, or běryl 5 yellow, or clouded 1 Celestial (se lěst'yal), belonging to the heavens, either spiritual or the regions of air; heavenly. 2 Vis'i ble, to be seen; in view. 3 Căr'a van, a company of travelers, pilgrims, or merchants, traveling together for security. 4 Ver mĭl'ion, a beautiful red color; a lively and brilliant red. 5 Bĕr'ÿl, a hard mineral usually of a green, or bluish-green color. The beryl, when transparent, is of great beauty, and, set as a gem, is called aqua-marine. like the ōpal,1 or sparkling like the chalçěd'ony. One bunch of mingled tints so strikingly resembled a nosegay, that we thought for a moment the young Arab chief who held them in his hand was taking hōme some African flowers to his bride; and so, perhaps, he was; but they were flowers that would not fade, and may still be nodding on the brow of some dark-eyed bru̟nette 3 beneath the tents of Ismael.4 11. In the far East, tiny humming-birds are eagerly sought and used as ornaments. In the Moluccas, the nutmeg bird, with plumage in color like the fruit, is a special favorite, though its sober hues appear to Europe'ans extremely poor in comparison with those of its gaudy neighbors. In old Greece, a věry peculiar use was made of feathers, not after the death of their owners, but while they yet flashed and fluttered with joy on the wings that bred them. 12. Several kinds of birds, having been carefully tamed, were scented with liquid ōdors, and during banquets, let loose in spacious and splendid saloons, where, flitting among the lights, they scattered sweet dews over the guests. Among the luxurious of the same country, counterpanes were made with feathers of the peacock's tail, which cast their gorgeous hues over the forms of the sleepers. III. 21. BIRDS. IRDS! birds! ye are beautiful things, B. With With your earth-treading feet and your cloud-cleaving wings! 1 O'pal, the precious opal has a peculiar play of colors of delicate tints, and is highly esteemed as a gem. The colors of fire opal are like the red and yellow of flame. Common opal has a milky appear ance. 2 Chǎl cěd'o ny, a stone of several varieties and various colors, used in jewelry. 3 Brunette (bro nět'), a girl or woman with a brown or dark skin. 4 Is'ma el, here means the Arabs who are the descendants of Ismael, the son of Abraham. 5 Tiny, little; very small. 6 Mō luc'cas, or Spice 1slands, a name given to the islands of the Malay Archipelago. Where shall man wander, and where shall he dwell, 2. Ye have nests on the mountain all rugged and stark,1 Ye dive in the sweet flags 4 that shadōw the lake; ELIZA COOK.5 IV. 22. IF THOU COULDST BE A BIRD. F thou couldst be a bird, what bird wouldst thou be? IF Screaming and wailing when stormy winds rave, Or anchored, white thing! on the merry green wave? Who is up in the sunshine when we are in shower, 6 3. Or a stork on a mosque's broken pillar in peace, 7 By some famous old stream in the bright land of Greece; 1 Stark, strong; rough. 2 Eaves, the edges of the roof which overhang the walls. 3 Bŏn'ny, bright; beautiful. 4 Flǎgs, water-plants, with long, sword-shaped leaves. 5 Eliza Cook, an English authoress, was born in London about 1818. A collection of her poems was first published in 1840. For several years she edited a popular weekly publication, known as "Eliza Cook's Journal." She has written much in prose and verse for different periodicals. 6 Mosque (mŏsk), a Mohamme dan temple. 7 Waiv'ing, not insisting on. 4. Or a heath-bird, that lies on the Cheviot moor, Perchance thou would'st dwell by some bold baron's hall; 6. Or a linnet, who builds in the close hawthorn bough, The true home of spring and spring flowers to discover; Who, go where he will, takes away on his wings Good words from mankind for the bright thoughts he brings? 8. But what! can these pictures of strange winged mirth Make the child to forget that she walks on the earth? 'Ox-lip, a plant; the great cowslip. 2 Cěl'an dine, a plant belonging to the poppy family. |