The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-07-20

by her window, and laughed and
laughed. "Bless his dear little man.
ly hearth said she.
HOMES OF BIRDS.
Two varieties of the swallow, the
sand martin and the rough-winged
swallow nest in the banks OF the
earth. The sand martin is very
abundant In sections, as many as 2OO
burrowing in one bank along the
Kalamazoo River. The holes are
straight. about a foot and one half
long. and bedded with dry grass, on
which the good housewife lays five,
six and sometimes seven crystal white
eggs. The rough winged swallows
breed In pairs and burrow deeper than
the previously mentioned cousin. A
curious difference between the homes
of these winged cave dweilers of the
same family, is in the shape of the
entrances to their homes. The rough
winged swallows excavation is round,
while the hole admitting to the sand
martins nest is elliptical. But one
species of warbler nest in holes. 1t is
the prothonotary or lawyer warbler,
termed also the golden swamp warb-
Ter. 1t is beautiful, lively bird and
nests near the water.
The great crested f1ycatcher is the
only one of that family which bur-
rows its home. Hollow limbs, tele-
graph poles, fence rails and holes in
stubs are variously chosen by this
bird for it's excavation. When the
cavity is completed the fycatcher
furnishes it with rubbish. and almost
in every instance with cast-off snake
skin. Sometimes two, and even three
snake skins are found in the nest Of
this queer bird, an eccentric habit not
practiced by other feathered denizens
of the forests.
OF the birds of prey which lay their
eggs in holes, the common sparrow
hawk, the screech and barred owls,
burrow in tall dead stubs. and the
great horned owl often builds in huge
forest trees. although it frequently
constructs its abode in the crotches
of tree.
The belted kingfish is famous
earth turnover. Its tunneled abodes
are four or five feet deep, and wind
slightly. The extremity is enlarged
sufficiently to accommodate six or
eight globuiar eggs and the faithful
hatcher. The tunnel is not equipped
with rubbish and down to soften the
couch, for the kingfsher here deposits
her eggs on the bare sand in early
May.
Many birds betray capacity to
seize the opportunities given them by
men to enhance their comfort and Sc
curity. For instance, the bronzed
grackle nests In hollows, in stubs, in
newly cleared quarters, although it is
species of bird which ordinarily
builds it's home on limbs of trees.
The caves and barn swallow, the
purple martins and the swifts make
their retreats in barns and sheds, bird
houses, cornices and caves of build
ings.
CHARMING NEW PAINTINGS.
Our modern toys are as ingenious as
they are varied and pretty, but the
young people of Europe and America
have no monopoly in this regard, says
the Youths Companion. For centuries
the children of the far East have
delighted themselves with the very
queer and interesting contrivances
known as expanding water toys.
They come in small wooden boxes
similar to the little paint boxes that
are so we'll known, and they look like
dirty shavings, broken matches and
dilapidated toothpicks. But throw one
Of them into water and the ingenious
little toy at once shows itself to be
-cmething more than a bit Of stick.
The wood has been Kindred, and as
soon as IL touches the water it be-
gins to absorb the same and to expand
almost indefinitely.
As it increases in size it separates,
and suddenly opens and becomes a
very pretty toy. One stick changes
into flower pot containing q rose
bush in full bloom, another becomes
a fat mandarin carrying an umbrella,
a third sea serpeant ferocious in it's
tiny dimensions. A whale, a tiger
and lady of fashion taking her daily
promenade are all represented.
The figures are colored and present
an astonishing variety in design and
treatment
How they are made and COM
pressed is one of those trade secrets
which are kept inviolate by the guild
which makes a livelihood by their
manufacture.
On rare occasions it is possible to get
larger and more artistic figures, his
torical characters and portraits of
great monarchs. poets and teachers.
dwarfed trees and tiny houses whose
doors and windows are full of n
mates.
The ordinary kind cost a mere song.
but the finer qualities are often very
expensive. Expensive or cheap, they
have for long years given pleasure to
the children of Kyoto and Canton.
Reindeer Flesh For Food.
1t is stated that strenuous attemut
is being made by some enterprising