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Entered accordins to Act of Congress, in June, 1869, by J. W. Burke k Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia Vol. Ill — No. 48. THE CRANE AND THE DRAKE. f)ME years ago a gentleman pos sessed a pair of slate-colored cranes. One of them, r The fe male, died, and the survivor seemed in consolable. According to all appear ance, he would soon follow his compan ion, when the’tnaster thought’of bring ing a large looking-glass into the aviary. The bird no sooner beheld his own im age reflected than he placed himself be fore the glass, made his toilet by smooth ing his feathers, and exhibited evident signs of contentment.l The plan was quite successful. The male recovered his health, regained his spirits, and liv ed for several years. Did this bird im gine that the image reflected in the glass was the shadow of her he mourned? or was it only a diversion from solitude? There exists in India a gigantic crane (Ardea argila ) which shares with the jackals the office of scavenger of the public roads. Even the drake, whose nasal and dis cordant voice denotes but little intelli gence, has 0.1 some occasions shown great sagacity. The following has been related by one of our most eminent na turalists, who heard it from a person worthy of credit: “ A young lady was sitting in a room adjoining a poultry-yard, where chick ens, ducks, and geese were disporting themselves. A drake came in, ap proached the lady, seized the bottom of her dress with his beak, and pulled it vigorously. Feeling startled, she re pulsed him with her hand. The bird still persisted. Somewhat astonished, she paid some attention to this unac countable pantomime, and discovered that the drake wished to drag her out of doors. She got up, he waddled out quickly before her. More and more surprised, she followed him, and he conducted her to the side of a pond where she perceived a duck with its head caught in the opening of a sluice. She hastened to release the poor crea ture, and restored it to the drake, who, by loud quackings and beatings of his MACON, GEORGIA, MAY 28, 1870. wings, testified his joy at the deliver ance of his companion.” Illustrated Library of Wonders. Written for Burke’s Weekly. SPRING. t( Come gentle Springy ethereal mildness come. vi§i pRiNG is n ° w - fuiiy with us > scattering around all her beau rQ ties. This has always been considered the most beautiful season. In the great change that occurs, in the going out of Winter and the coming in of Spring, there is something grand. First, instead of the partridge whistling “ whowe, wkowe, it is so co d/’ he has TUB drake fading the lady to THE rescue. changed his note to a song suited to the season, and is heard in every direction, all day long, whistling to his mate. Grandpapa tells me that, many years ago, there was a very cold winter, which killed nearly all the partridges. In some places nearly every one was kill ed, either by freezing, starvation, or the cruel hawks, which caught them on the snow, as they had nowhere to hide. Early in the Spring one male partridge Whole No. 152. came along, and for days, seated on a tree or fence rail, he called for a com panion ; but there was no answer, and he disappeared. But the past winter was very mild, and now there are plenty of partridges. The little snow-birds are now leaving, or have left, as not one can be seen. Their dress of black and white is too warm for our climate. They go to the tops of our highest mountains, where it is always cool, and there build their nests on the small trees which grow there, and many nests may be found on one small bush, not very far above the ground. Bet other birds have come to take their place. There comes the robin red-breast. The yard is now full of them, hopping about on the green grass. We see them standing, “with head awry and eye askant,” and wonder wffiat they are do ing, when suddenly they draw from the earth a worm and swallow it. When they have enough they perch themselves on the nearest tree and sing their plea sant song, which w-e all love to hear. Now comes the blue bird, and the wren, and the pewee, but above all the mockingbird. Wonderful bird 1 With no beauty of plumage, and very harsh when he screams his own song, he brings us the songs of all the birds he has heard thousands of miles away, on the banks of the Amazon, or in the green forests of Mexico, or in our own dear sunny South. Then comes the whip-poor-will, whist ling his monotonous song all the long night. Most of the birds do their courting in the day time, but the owl and whip-poor-will prefer the night, and really, Irom the unmusical notes they use, their sweethearts must be easy to please. How gradually the trees are clothed in cheerful green, and the flowers come smiling out on the dogwood and all the fruit trees. I admire most the sweet flowers of the apple, especially the wild crabs. The spring fruit will soon be abun dant everywhere, hirst, the bright red strawberry; who does not love stia.v-