Litchfield enquirer., 1857-05-07
The name given BY Indians to Humming-


ate they call them beams" or clocks of the
sum-" and the ancient people of those chimes
used their feathers for embroidery. That they
inhabit cold as well as hot ATTITUDES, the ele-
vatons at which they are found will show
and they go so far south that Captain King
saw many of them, quite happy and lively, in
a snow storm in the Straits Of Magellan new
ertheess We are told that continual cold will
make them torpid Some few are gifted with
song, but the general cry resembles two boughs
scraping together. Of twenty-five taken by
Mr.. Gosse, only seven were tanned and these
varied much in disposition. One became so
familiar as to be an annoyance, pcrching upon
him at all times darting its beak into his
mouth etc. He soon Taught it to obey pc
culiar sound made with the lips, into which he
had taken syrup which was instantly obeyed.
The tongue is very curious. 1t consists Of two
tubes, which are separated a short distance
from the tip at which part they are fattened,
and they can dart this tongue out to great
distances, and as suddenly retract it. They
! creep under spiders webs to look for insects
but the spiders soon cause them to retreat
For some years, Mr. George Loddges, of
collection, which Europe could boast, of these
had never seen them in the western world,
could form notion Of their extraordinary beau
ty his work upon them, his beautiful arrange
ment, the exquisite nests, the attitudes in
which he placed them, could only be surpassed
| by the living birds and to pay visit to this
asscmblage of beauty and skill and converse
with the owner was one Of the intellectual
feasts which England alone presented. But
this excellent and talented man was overtaken
by an illness which terminated fatally; and
the collection Ct Mr.. Gould, the eminent orni-
biologist, has now surpassed that of Mr. Lod-
diges it amounts to more than two thousand
birds, three hundred of which are different spe-
ces, eXqistely and scientifically arranged
Mrs. Lees Habits Of Birds, &c.
! LIBR ARIEs-The great and increasing de-
mand for books, aud the numerous private IL
braries which are being formed in our country,
are gratifying evidences cf the intellectual adj
vance of the people,, 1t is not the less CRAFTY
ing to know that this increase is universal and
that it not only creates a large demand for
American literature thereby advancing the i'll
tere>ts of our native talent, but, has also made
a vast market for foreign works. We learn
! that in Europe the prices of old books aud
standard literature have advanced at least
thirty per cent, and that this advance is at
tr,buted by dealers in England, France, and
Germany to the American market. We have
now in this country bibIiographical collections
that bid fair to rival any private libraries in
Europe and if our readers could visit the H.
hraries of some of our Southern plan ters, they
would be surprised to lcara even the money
value Of the books before them. 1t is a spe-
cialty of many Americans, and noble object
it is, to secure all Of the earl y printed works
relative to the history of Cur own country.
Others have selected the period of our Reve-
luton the object of their collections.
It is pleasing to know, that amid the leth-
argy Of our public institutions and state gov
eminent, private enterprise is doing SO much
for the future history of our nation. Some of
our historical societies deserve great praise
but it will hardly be credited that the
State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 50
young a sister in our Confederation, has ex-
readed r:ore money for books, the past year
than any other society of the same character
in the United States. This demand for for
eign publications is by no means confined to
works relating to our own country. Many
gentlemen have large libraries on special sub
jects, such as trade and commerce, numiSnat
les, agriculture, and in fact almost every topic
has its yotary National IntdHgeEcer.
! 4 STRANGE CHARAcrER-Gcorge Sand, or
rather Madam Dudevant, gives an amusing ac-
count of her deceased mother, WHO had a ha-
tired Of repose She would buy, for instance,
a bonnet, because she thought it charming
The evening of the day she bought, she would
find it hidcous-take off the ribbons and then
the fowers--take out the lace-and change
the arrangement with readiness and taste Her
bonnet would please her all the next day. But
the day after, there must be another radical
reform, and SO on, for some eight days, until
the unlucky bonnet, always in a state of meta
morphosis, became totally Indifferent to her.
Then she would wear it with the utmost dis
dan, protesting that she did not care what she
put on--tili the fancy should seize her to buy
another new bonnet ! Her black hair was
still very fine. She got tired of being brt,-
nette, and put on blonde wig yet, by so
doing, she could not manage to disfgure her.
self. She took fancy for herself as blonde
for awhile, then she abused herself for being
/ tiaxen, and chose to be bright chestnut.
Presently she returned to ashy pale looks,
then went back again to her own mellow black
hair, and this to such purpose, that saw her
with different hair for every day in the week.
This childish frivolity did not exclude laborious
occupations and very minute domestic cares.
She had her own delights of ina sination, and
would read the romances of NJ. D'Aliucourt
with positive frenzy-far into the night but
. that did hot hind. her from being astir at six
in the morning, to begin anew her toilets; her
excursions, her needle-work, her merriment, her
despair, aud her fits of passion"
According to one of the provisions of the new
Mexican Constitution all persons born in the Re-
public of Mexico born free and all slaves touch
ing the Mexican territory regain by that act their
liberty, and have right to the protection of the
flaws.