began to revive, dissolved a little sugar in her mouth, into which she thrust its bill, and it sucked with avidity. In this manner it was brought up till just fit for the cage, and it lived for upward of three months. It was supplied with loaf sugar dissolved in water, which it preferred to diluted honey; and every morning it had fresh flowers sprinkled with the liquid; from one to another it hovered with great activity and spirit, as if in its native wilds, always expressing, by its motions and voice, great pleasure when fresh flowers were introduced into the cage. Unfortunately it escaped from its little prison, and, flying about the room, so injured itself that it soon afterward died. Mary Howitt sings sweetly, "Thou happy little Humming-bird, No winter round thee lowers; "A reign of summer joyfulness To thee for life is given; Thy food, the honey in the flower, Thy drink, the dew from heaven. "How glad the heart of Eve would be "Among the rainbow butterflies, Before the rainbow shone, "Thou shining little creature, God saved thee from the flood, "Who cared to save the elephant, And gave those broad lands for thy home, A bird of very different character claims a brief notice, and closes what we have to say of the Insessores. It is accurately represented in our drawing, (No. 30,) and is known as the Hoopoe, or, as called by the Italians, the Bubbola, probably from its note, which is a perpetual repetition of the sounds bu, bu, bu. The Hoopoe is distinguished by a crest on the head composed of a double row of lengthened plumes, which it raises or depresses at pleasure. It is common in Egypt, and a variety is found at the Cape of Good Hope, and another in the East Indies. The Scansores, or climbing birds, will form the subject of our next chapter. With long'd-for days to come; "Desire shall fail," because the old man tendeth Fast to his narrow home. E'en now, its shadows o'er his spirit linger, While Time's uplifted hand with warning finger, Points to the coming Night! In the gay scenes of mirth he hath "no pleasure," As in the days gone by: And better thus, if but his heart and treasure Be surely fix'd on high. Then as with beauty clad, the ruin hoary So from the Father's throne, a solemn glory Youth's restless passions, manhood's pride unbending, All vanquish'd now, or dead; Life's storms forgotten, in the calm descending He sees but in the grave's unfolding portal There the tired wanderer finds a rest immortal, He hails each passing trial as the token An earthly treasure reft, a fond tie broken, The loving looks. that light earth's fondest greeting, Now mock his darkening eye; They shall not smile unseen, to bless our meeting In our bright home on high. Earth's sweetest music on his dull ear falleth With an unheeded tone; Yet heareth he the "still small voice," that calleth, "Come! for thy task is done." For us, who yet stand on the scene of trial, The battle-field of life, Of its high duties be there no denial, No flinching from the strife! Dark doubts, strong passions, evil thoughts will haunt us: We may not yield, nor flee; And, "in an hour we know not," may confront us Life's last, dread enemy. O! be our conflict earnest, and enduring Our fearless trust on high; The strength we pray for shall be ours, insuring Our final victory. THA S. A. BENSON, PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA. Lands command forty and fifty dollars an acre. In 1852 nine thousand pounds of sugar were made on the banks of this fine stream; it is of good quality, light in color, and as well granulated as the best Porto Rico. HAT portion of the west coast of | tivators. Africa known as Liberia, extends from the Shebar River on the north (near the British colony of Sierra Leone) a distance of about six hundred miles, toward the south and east, between the parallels of four and a half and seven and a half degrees north latitude. Perpetual verdure covers the ground, while the face of the country is diversified with gentle hills and sloping valleys. Bishop Scott, who visited the republic in 1853, says: "The climate, in my opinion, is healthy, much more so than that of our southern coast. I never saw a more vigorous and healthy people than the natives, nor did I ever see the human form better developed. The acclimated colonists, too, enjoy excellent health. As to emigrants from another clime they must pass through a process of acclimation, which will, in general, be severe or otherwise according to their own habits." Several rivers flowing into the Atlantic water the country, the principal of which are the St. Paul's, Junk, St. John's, Mechlin, Sinou, and the Cavally. On the St. Paul's several towns have been commenced, and its sides are studded with comfortable brick dwellings. Upward of four hundred farms are located on this river, on which reside three thousand cul Besides the great staple articles of sugar, coffee, and cotton, there can be raised, to an indefinite amount, rice, cocoa, ginger, pepper, arrowroot, ground nuts, and indigo. Nearly all our garden vegetables, and those peculiar to the tropics, may be abundantly and easily cultivated. A vast variety of fruits abound, among which may be named the banana, pine-apple, guava, lemon, orange, tamarind, and cocoa-nut. There are immense forests of woods suitable for ship and house building purposes and for furniture. The camwood is sought after in Europe and the United States as a dye. The most common tree is the nut-bearing palm, from which is extracted the palm oil, now most extensively exported to England, France, Germany, and America. Eighty thousand tons were shipped from the African coast in 1852 and 1853. Education is cared for and encouraged, and the refining light of Christian truth diffused throughout the length and breadth of the land. Where thirty years ago the degraded heathen native built his rude hut and offered human sacrifices to appease the supposed anger of his false gods, or the tangled bush overspread the cattle, a civilized nation now dwells, comprising no less than twenty-five towns and villages, the happy abode of ten thousand emigrant citizens and two hundred thousand native Africans. The public buildings, churches, and school - houses, evince the elements of an enlightened Christian community, destined to secure the universal freedom and elevation of the colored race, and to afford peace, happiness, and full manhood to its worthy dwellers, and virtue and civil and spiritual life to all Africa. In the NATIONAL for March, 1854, there appeared a somewhat extended biographical sketch of the first president of the Liberian Republic; and we now present a reliable narrative of the somewhat romantic career of his successor, which, we doubt not, will be read with interest. Stephen Allen Benson was born of free colored parents, in Cambridge, Dorches ter County, Maryland, in March, 1816. With his parents he sailed from Baltimore, in the Brig "Strong," in May, 1822, and arrived in the colony of |