The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-24

i Burroughs, IN MS CuariuinP Iltic Oook-
| Wake Robin, says 1t is an event In ones life
! to find humming birds nest. The event
happened to me without any effort on my
/ part. Looking up from a seat in the grove,
saw the ruby-throal drop down on it nest, like
shining emerald from the clouds; II did
not pause upon the edge OF the nest. but
dropped Immediately upon it, The nest was
situated upon All oak twig, aud was about the
size of black walnut, and from where sat
! it looked more like an cxcrescence than
nest It is situated in the fork OF two twgs;
! it ls firmly glued at the base to the lower, but
| is not fastened to the upper twig.
| waited for the Tiny occupant to leave The
nest and then with the aid of step ladder
had no difficulty in looking into it. | found
| it contained two white eggs about as large Us
medium sized peas. Sometimes the male
would drop upon the nest when the female
! left. never disturbed them while they were
sitting upon It; but often before could get
away, when I thought them out OF sight, the
male woulo suddenly appear, and greater
demonstrations of anger | never saw mani
tested by any bird. He would ruifle up his
tiny feathers, and seem nearly twice as large,
and dash almost into my face, making a
soaking noise-scoding and threatening I'M
nj he had driven me quite distance. de
soon learned that l was very much afraid oil
him, so he turned tyrant, and often drove me
from my seat in the grove when l had not
been near his dwelling. / always submitted
10 the tiny tyran', for what business had TO
be Irving into his domestic affairs? When
the young we're Matched they were not larger
than humblebees, but in week they had
flown. l cut the twig of, and found the nest
was composed of the same soft downy sub.
stance which had noticed IN the wood pc
wees nest, but it is matted so closely together
that it is almost as firm as the softer kinds ct
felt; it ls marvel of skill and beauty, and is
completely covered externally with lichens.
Thomas Edwards, the great Scotch natur-
alist, Is charmlngly presented TO us by s. S.
Conant under the title of The Shoemaker
Naturalist; and DR.. Draper, in continuance
OF Scientific Experiments, gives us some re-
markable experiences in connection with
fame and combustion-all fully illustrated
In fiction, besides the two serials, The Wo.
man Halter and Erema, there are four excel.
lent short stories, among them very humor-
Gus one, with admirable illustrations, entitled
Uncle Zeke's Conscience.
The best poem in any magazine for the
month Is that in the April Harper by Henry
". Longfellow, entitled Vittoria Colonna.
We shall copy 1t hereafter. Other poems are
contributed by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, p.
Bourke Marston and others.
Anna c. Bracket, in briet but vigorous
article, makes strong plea for the Liberal
Education of Women; and Edward Rowland
in an able paper, traces the development in
our Public Libraries.
The Editorial Departments are full! of IN
teresting matter on new themes, new books
new facts in science, the current events of the
month, and timely humors. The Drawer is
especially amusing, and contains seven illus
trations.