In the Forest; Or, Pictures of Life and Scenery in the Woods of Canada Part 11

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAUGHT AT LAST]

"Oh, nurse, a humming-bird--a real humming-bird!--pretty creature! But it is gone. Oh, nurse, it darts through the air as swift as an arrow! What was it doing--looking at the honey-suckles? I daresay it thought them very pretty; or was it smelling them? They are very sweet."

"My dear child, he might be doing so; I don't know. Perhaps the good G.o.d has given to these creatures the same senses for enjoying sweet scents and bright colours as we have; yet it was not for the perfume, but the honey, that this little bird came to visit the open flowers. The long slender bill, which the humming-bird inserts into the tubes of the flowers, is his instrument for extracting the honey. Look at the pretty creature's ruby throat, and green and gold feathers."

"How does it make that whirring noise, nurse, just like the humming of a top?" asked the child.

"The little bird produces the sound, from which he derives his name, by beating the air with his wings. This rapid motion is necessary to sustain his position in the air while sucking the flowers.

"I remember, Lady Mary, first seeing humming-birds when I was about your age, while walking in the garden. It was a bright September morning, and the rail-fences and every dry twig of the brushwood were filled with the webs of the field-spider. Some, like thick white muslin, lay upon the gra.s.s; while others were suspended from trees like forest lace-work, on the threads of which the dewdrops hung like strings of s.h.i.+ning pearls; and hovering round the flowers were several ruby-throated humming-birds, the whirring of whose wings as they beat the air sounded like the humming of a spinning-wheel. And I thought, as I gazed upon them, and the beautiful lace webs that hung among the bushes, that they must have been the work of these curious creatures, which had made them to catch flies, and had strung the bright dewdrops thereon to entice them--so little did I know of the nature of these birds. But my father told me a great deal about them, and read me some very pretty things about humming-birds; and one day, Lady Mary, I will show you a stuffed one a friend gave me, with its tiny nest and eggs not bigger than peas."

Lady Mary was much delighted at the idea of seeing the little nest and eggs, and Mrs. Frazer said, "There is a wild-flower that is known to the Canadians by the name of the Humming-flower, on account of the fondness which those birds evince for it. This plant grows on the moist banks of creeks It is very beautiful, of a bright orange-scarlet colour. The stalks and stem of the plant are almost transparent. Some call it Speckled Jewels, for the bright blossoms are spotted with dark purple; and some, Touch-me-not."

"That is a droll name, nurse," said Lady Mary. "Does it p.r.i.c.k one's finger like a thistle?"

"No, my lady; but when the seed-pods are nearly ripe, if you touch them they spring open and curl into little rings, and the seed drops out."

"Nurse, when you see any of these curious flowers, will you show them to me?"

Mrs. Frazer said they would soon be in bloom, and promised Lady Mary to bring her some, and to show her the singular manner in which the pods burst. "But, my lady," said she, "the gardener will show you the same thing in the greenhouse. As soon as the seed-pods of the balsams in the pots begin to harden they will spring and curl, if touched, and drop the seeds like the wild plant; for they belong to the same family. But it is time for your ladys.h.i.+p to go in."

When Lady Mary returned to the schoolroom, her governess read to her some interesting accounts of the habits of the humming-bird.

"'This lively little feathered gem--for in its hues it unites the brightness of the emerald, the richness of the ruby, and the l.u.s.tre of the topaz--includes in its wide range more than one hundred species. It is the smallest, and at the same time the most brilliant, of all the American birds. Its headquarters may be said to be among the glowing flowers and luxurious fruits of the torrid zone and the tropics. But one species, the ruby-throated, is widely diffused, and is a summer visitor all over North America, even within the arctic circle, where, for a brief s.p.a.ce of time, it revels in the ardent heat of the short-lived summer of the north. Like the cuckoo, it follows the summer wherever it flies.

"'The ruby-throated humming-bird [Footnote: Trochilus Rubus] is the only species that is known in Canada. With us it builds and breeds, and then returns to summer skies and warmer airs. The length of the humming-bird is only three inches and a half, and four and a quarter in extent from one tip of the wing to the other When on the wing the bird has the form of a cross, the wings forming no curve, though the tail is depressed during the time that it is poised in the act of sucking the honey of the flower. The tongue is long and slender; the bill long and straight; the legs are very short, so that the feet are hardly visible when on the wing. They are seldom seen walking, but rest on the slender sprigs when tired. The flight is so rapid that it seems without effort. The humming sound is produced by the wing, in the act of keeping itself balanced while feeding in this position. They resemble the hawk-moth, which also keeps up a constant vibratory motion with its wings. This little creature is of a temper as fierce and fiery as its plumes, often attacking birds of treble its size; but it seems very little disturbed by the near approach of the human species, often entering open windows, and hovering around the flowers in the flower-stand; it has even been known to approach the vase on the table, and insert its bill among the flowers, quite fearless of those persons who sat in the room. Sometimes these beautiful creatures have suffered themselves to be captured by the hand.

"'The nest of the ruby throated humming-bird is usually built on a mossy branch. At first sight it looks like a tuft of gray lichens, but when closely examined shows both care and skill in its construction, the outer wall being of fine bluish lichens cemented together, and the interior lined with the silken threads of the milk weed, the velvety down of the tall mullein, or the brown hair like filaments of the fern. These, or similar soft materials, form the bed of the tiny young ones. The eggs are white, two in number, and about the size of a pea, but oblong in shape.

The parents hatch their eggs in about ten days and in a week the little ones are able to fly, though the old birds continue to supply them with honey for some time longer. The Mexican Indians give the name of Sunbeam to the humming-bird, either in reference to its bright plumage or its love of suns.h.i.+ne.

"'The young of the humming-bird does not attain its gay plumage till the second year. The male displays the finer colours--the ruby necklace being confined to the old male bird. The green and coppery l.u.s.tre of the feathers is also finer in the male bird.'"

Lady Mary was much pleased with what she had heard about the humming-bird, and she liked the name of Sunbeam for this lovely creature.

CHAPTER X.

AURORA BOREALIS, OR NORTHERN LIGHTS, MOST FREQUENTLY SEEN IN NORTHERN CLIMATES--CALLED MERRY DANCERS--ROSE TINTS--TINT-LIKE APPEARANCE--LADY MARY FRIGHTENED.

One evening, just as Mrs. Frazer was preparing to undress Lady Mary, Miss Campbell, her governess, came into the nursery, and taking the little girl by the hand, led her to the window, and bade her look out on the sky towards the north, where a low dark arch, surmounted by an irregular border, like a silver fringe, was visible. For some moments Lady Mary stood silently regarding this singular appearance; at length she said, "It is a rainbow, Miss Campbell; but where is the sun that you told me shone into the drops of rain to make the pretty colours?"

"It is not a rainbow, my dear; the sun has been long set."

"Can the moon make rainbows at night?" asked the little girl.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE AURORA BOREALIS]

"The moon does sometimes, but very rarely, make what is called a _lunar_ rainbow. Luna was the ancient name for the moon. But the arch you now see is caused neither by the light of the sun nor of the moon, but is known by the name of Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. The word Aurora means morning or dawn; and Borealis, northern. You know, my dear, what is meant by the word dawn; it is the light that is seen in the sky before the sun rises."

Lady Mary replied, "Yes, Miss Campbell, I have often seen the sun rise, and once very early too, when I was ill, and could not sleep, for nurse lifted me in her arms out of bed, and took me to the window. The sky was all over of a bright golden colour, with streaks of rosy red; and nurse said, 'It is dawn; the sun will soon be up.' And I saw the beautiful sun rise from behind the trees and hills. He came up so gloriously, larger than when we see him in the middle of the sky, and I could look at him without hurting my eyes."

"Sunrise is indeed a glorious sight, my dear; but He who made the sun is more glorious still. Do you remember what we read yesterday in the Psalms?--

"Verse 1 The heavens declare the glory of G.o.d and the firmament showeth His handywork.

2 One day telleth another and one night certifieth another.

3 There is neither speech nor language, but their voices are heard among them.

5 In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course.

"The Northern Lights, Lady Mary, are frequently visible in Canada, but are most brilliant in the colder regions near the North Pole, where they serve to give light during the dark season to those dismal countries from which the sun is so many months absent. The light of the Aurora Borealis is so soft and beautiful, that any object can be distinctly seen; though in those cold countries there are few human beings to be benefited by this beautiful provision of Nature."

"The wild beasts and birds must be glad of the pretty lights," said the child thoughtfully; for Lady Mary's young heart always rejoiced when she thought that G.o.d's gifts could be shared by the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, as well as by mankind.

"Look now, my dear," said Miss Campbell, directing the attention of her pupil to the horizon; "what a change has taken place whilst we have been speaking! See, the arch is sending up long shafts of light; now they divide, and s.h.i.+ft from side to side, gliding along among the darker portions of vapour like moving pillars."

"Ah, there, there they go!" cried the little girl, clapping her hands with delight. "See, nurse, how the pretty lights chase each other and dance about! Up they go, higher and higher! How pretty they look! But now they are gone! They are fading away. I am so sorry," said the child, despondingly, for a sudden cessation had taken place in the motions of the heavens.

"We will go in for a little time, my dear," said her governess, "and then look out again. Great changes take place sometimes in these aerial phenomena in a few minutes."

"I suppose," said Lady Mary, "these lights are the same that the peasants of Northern England and Ireland call the Merry Dancers?"

"Yes, they are the same, and they fancy that they are seen when war and troubles are about to break out. But this idea is a very ignorant one, for were that the case, some of the cold countries of the world, where the sky is illumined night after night by the Aurora Borealis, would be one continual scene of misery. I have seen in this country a succession of these lights for four or five successive nights. This phenomenon owes its origin to _electricity_, which is a very wonderful agent in nature, and exists in various bodies, perhaps in all created things. It is this that shoots across the sky in the form of lightning, and causes the thunder to be heard, circulates in the air we breathe, occasions whirlwinds, waterspouts, earthquakes, and volcanoes, and makes one substance attract another.

"Look at this piece of amber. If I rub it on the table, it will become warm to the touch. Now I will take a bit of thread and hold near it. See, the thread moves towards the amber and clings to it. Sealing-wax and many other substances when heated have this property. Some bodies give out flashes and sparks by being rubbed. If you stroke a black cat briskly in the dark, you will see faint flashes of light come from her fur, and on very cold nights in the winter season, flannels that are worn next the skin crackle and give sparks when taken off and shaken."

These things astonished Lady Mary. She tried the experiment with the amber and thread, and was much amused by seeing the thread attracted; and she wanted to see the sparks from the cat's back, only there happened, unfortunately, to be no black cat or kitten in Government House. Mrs.

Frazer, however, promised to procure a beautiful black kitten for her, that she might enjoy the singular sight of the electric sparks from its coat; and Lady Mary wished winter were come, that she might see the sparks from her flannel petticoat and hear the sounds.

"Let us now go and look out again at the sky," said Miss Campbell; and Lady Mary skipped joyfully through the French window to the balcony, but ran back, and flinging her arms about her nurse, cried out, in accents of alarm, "Nurse, nurse, the sky is all closing together! Oh, Miss Campbell, what shall we do?"

"There is no cause for fear, my dear child; do not be frightened. There is nothing to harm us."

Indeed, during the short time they had been absent, a great and remarkable change had taken place in the appearance of the sky. The electric fluid had diffused itself over the face of the whole heavens; the pale colour of the streamers had changed to bright rose, pale violet, and greenish-yellow. At the zenith, or that part more immediately overhead, a vast ring of deep indigo was presented to the eye, from this swept down, as it were a flowing curtain of rosy light which wavered and moved incessantly, as if agitated by a gentle breeze, though a perfect stillness reigned through the air. The child's young heart was awed by this sublime spectacle, it seemed to her as if it were indeed the throne of the great Creator of the world that she was gazing upon, and she veiled her face in her nurse's arms and trembled exceedingly, even as the children of Israel when the fire of Mount Sinai was revealed, and they feared to behold the glory of the Most High G.o.d. After a while, Lady Mary, encouraged by the cheerful voices of her governess and nurse, ventured to look up to watch the silver stars s.h.i.+ning dimly as from beneath a veil, and she whispered to herself the words that her governess had before repeated to her "The heavens declare the glory of G.o.d, and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

After a little while, Mrs. Frazer thought it better to put Lady Mary to bed, as she had been up much longer than usual, and Miss Campbell was afraid lest the excitement should make her ill, but the child did not soon fall asleep, for her thoughts were full of the strange and glorious things she had seen that night.

CHAPTER XI.

STRAWBERRIES--CANADIAN WILD FRUITS--WILD RASPBERRIES--THE HUNTER AND THE LOST CHILD--CRANBERRIES--CRANBERRY MARSHES--NUTS.

One day Lady Mary's nurse brought her a small Indian basket, filled with ripe red strawberries.

"Nurse, where did you get these nice strawberries?" said the little girl, peeping beneath the fresh leaves with which they were covered.