[Illustration: _Bird Seller_]
said Caroline. "What is the name of that large bird, papa? He will
not hurt us, will he? I think he looks angry." "No, my darling!
he will not hurt you," replied her father; "it is a blue Macaw, a
larger species of Parrot. Like all foreign birds the plumage is more
vivid and brilliant than ours, but we have the advantage in song.
The Humming-bird is the smallest bird in the world, being little more
than three inches. The male is green and gold on the upper part, with
a changeable copper gloss; the under parts are grey. The throat and
fore part of the neck are a ruby colour, in some lights as bright
as fire. When viewed sideways, the feathers appear mixed with gold,
and beneath of a dull garnet colour. This beautiful little bird is
as admirable for its vast swiftness in the air, and its manner of
feeding, as for the elegance and brilliancy of its colours. Lightning
is scarcely more transient than its flight, nor the glare more vivid
than its colours. It never feeds but on the wing, suspended over the
flower from which it extracts its nourishment. If they find that any
of their brethren have been before them, they will, in a rage, if
possible, pluck it off and throw it on the ground, and sometimes even
tear it to pieces.
"Beautiful as is the plumage of the foreign birds, I give the
preference to our own. Who that ever heard the exquisite note of the
plain brown Nightingale would regret its want of brilliant plumage?
What can equal the melodious tones of the Robin, the mellow note of
the Linnet, the sweet call of the Blackbird, and numerous others
whose daily song seems to arise in grateful thankfulness to the
throne of the Creator. We have some birds, however, which may
almost vie with the beautiful plumage of the foreign species. The
Goldfinch, King's Fisher, Bullfinch, and various others, many of
which you have seen at your grandpapa's. The Pigeon and Dove, the
Peacock and Pheasant are extremely beautiful. Indeed, nothing in my
opinion can equal the splendour of the Peacock."
"From nature we will once more turn to art," said Mrs. Durnford,
"surely nothing of foreign manufacture can exceed the elegance and
design of that