throat surrounded by a frill of darker feathers, and these again guarded by a collar, rufous gold in colour, and pointed with sharp spikes, behind which spreads out a tail of a golden orange hue; its beak pointed like a needle, and three long, black feathers as fine as hair springing from and hanging down on each side of its head; a most comical creature, as beautiful as strange.

We will conclude our notice of the humming-birds with an extract from Audubon on the ruby-throat, (Trochilus Colubris), which admirably describes the mode of breeding and general habits of the whole family. "No sooner has the returning sun again introduced the vernal season, and caused millions of plants to expand their leaves and blossoms to his genial beams, than the little humming-bird is seen advancing on fairy wings, carefully visiting every open flower-cup, and, like a curious florist, removing from each the injurious insects which would otherwise ere long cause their beauteous petals to droop and decay. Poised in the air, it is observed peeping cautiously and with sparkling eye into their innermost recesses, while the ethereal motion of its pinions, so rapid and so light, appear to fan and cool the flower without injuring its fragile texture, and produce a delightful murmuring sound well adapted for lulling the insects to repose. This then is the moment for the humming-bird to secure them. Its long delicate bill enters the cup of the flower, and the protruded double-tubed tongue, delicately sensitive, and imbued with a glutinous saliva, touches each insect in succession, and draws it from its lurking-place to be instantly swallowed. All this is done in a moment, and the bird as it leaves the flower sips so small a portion of its liquid honey that the

theft, we may suppose, is looked on with grateful feeling by the flower, which is thus kindly relieved from the attacks of her destroyers.

"I wish it were in my power to impart to you, kind reader, the pleasures which I have felt whilst watching the movements and viewing the manifestation of feelings displayed by a single pair of these most favourite little creatures, when engaged in the demonstration of their love to each other: how the male swells his plumage and throat, and dancing on the wing whirls round the delicate female: how quickly he dives towards a flower and returns with a loaded bill, which he offers to her, to whom alone he feels desirous of being united: how full of ecstasy he seems to be when his caresses are kindly received: how his little wings fan her as they fan the flowers, and he transfers to her bill the insect and the honey which he has procured with a view to please her: how after their union the courage and care of the male are redoubled: how he even dares to attack the tyrant flycatcher, hurries the blue-bird and the martin to their boxes, and how on sounding pinions he returns joyously to the side of his lovely mate. Reader, all these proofs of his sincerity, fidelity, and courage, with which the male assures his mate of the care he will take of her while sitting on the nest may be seen, but cannot be portrayed.

"Where," adds Audubon, "is the person who, on seeing this lovely creature moving on humming winglets through the air, suspended as if by magic in it, flitting from one flower to another with motions as graceful as they are light and airy, pursuing its course over our extensive continent, and yielding new delights wherever it is seen;-where is the person, I ask of kind reader, who on observing this glittering fragment

you,

of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and instantly turn his mind with reverence toward the Almighty Creator, the wonders of whose hand we at every step discover, and of whose sublime conceptions we everywhere observe the manifestations in his admirable system of creation ?"

As we read of these most striking natural productions of Mexico, we may join with the psalmist and exclaim, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches," Each living creature, down to the meanest, is found to fulfil its own designed part in the economy of God, and those who, like the zopilote, are most repulsive to our notions have yet a value and use in their appointed offices.

"These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this universal frame,

Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then!
Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens
To us invisible, or dimly seen

In these thy lowest works; yet these declare

Thy goodness beyond thought and power divine."

As the poet hints, this is the right use of the study of nature, that the God who made it. up to nature's God."

it should lead us to seek after We ought to "rise from nature Sun, moon, and stars, in their courses, and nature in its order, teach that there is a God; but the Bible alone teaches that there is a Mediator between God and men, a Saviour through whom all that believe are justified. As we read the accounts of his works, we may learn that God is wise and good; but as we feel our own sinfulness, we must go to the Scriptures and learn that he is Love. Nature

tells us that there is a God, but it does not bring us near to him, it does not enlighten us as to the mode in which we may find acceptance with him. Most perilous is it to be content with the knowledge of God revealed in his works without studying the revelation he has given us in his word. There only we learn that he has appointed a way by which we may be reconciled to him, and that his surpassing love has devised a salvation such as man's heart could never have conceived. Oh let it be our concern that this free salvation be made our own, and that we are safe in an unreserved reliance on his promise-"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Yielding to this gracious invitation we may look beyond the grave for a world whose glories "eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

INDEX.