The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-05-17
SOME SOUTH AMERICAN EGGS.
A Beautiful Collection Made Up and As
sorted by Two Boys.

A Beautiful Collection Made Up and As
sorted by Two Boys.
Are any of you boys and girls fond of
collecting birds eggs? expect some of
the former among you have some nice
collections-for | fancy it is hobby
beloved by boys more than girls. am
sure, though, any of you would have
liked TO have been with me the other
afternoon, when was fortunate enough
to be shown most beautiful collection
Of birds eggs belonging to two boys
who have spent the greater portion Of
their lives in South America. Every one
of these eggs has been found by the
boys themselves, and they number over
two hundred. They are arranged in
neat oak cases, designed and made by
the eldest boy, who is clever
amateur carpenter. I do not
think have seen anything prettier
than the varied colors of these foreign
birds eggs-deep violet and pale
mauve, coral pink, apple green spotted
with crimson, pearly white, sapphire,
and azure blue, and indeed all the hues
of the rainbow. One case was filled
with humming- birds eggs; these were
more Enthusiastically colored than the
others even, and some of them We're
not bigger than tiny pea. The hum
ming birds themselves, my young
friends told me, are Ecme of them as
small as bees, and so gorgeous in their
plumage that the tiny things look like
living jewels as they fash hither and
thither in the sun. 1t took these boys
three years to make this collection,
and they informed me that now they
had come to live in England they were
going to start a collection of British
birds eggs. l agreed with them that
this would be very interesting, but
begged them before we parted never to
rob a nest of all its contents.
/ don't fancy used to think much
myself of what a cruel thing this
was to do until few years ago, and
then an incident happened that showed
me how keenly our feathered friends
can feel the destruction of their homes.
One spring two lfnnets built their nest
in some thick bushes near my sitting
room window. We were all very much
interested in the dear little home, and
when we found four wee eggs inside the
nest took every precaution to prevent
it from being disturbed. But one morn
ing when we went as usual to peep at
the nest, we found some cruel hand
(whose we could never discovery had
robbed it of all it's contents and left it
halfdestroyed. We felt dreadfully sorry,
but thought the brides would perhaps
build again. But, no; when they re-
turned and found their beloved home
broken up, their grief was painful to
see. Uttering all the while the most
piteous cries, they frantically flew in
circles high above the nest; then they
hoped all round and beneath the
bushes, thinking, | suppose, poor mites,
that the eggs had fallen out. For two
days they continued their search, and
on the third we thought they had left,
as we did not notice them about. We
were partly right, for the father bird
had really gone, and did not return
again; but the body of his poor wee
mate was found by us, chill and life
less, on the ground by the bushes, and
we felt quite sure then that the loss of
her dear home had broken her tender
heart. Pail Mall Gazette.