The Urostice Bengamini, a species recently discovered, is the only known departure from this law. White is one of the principal ornaments in the plumage of these birds, and it is so used as to come in striking contrast with the darkest tints. Tufts and lines of the purest white shine among the greens and violets of the head and neck; the four central feathers of the tail are a solid glaze of pure white, while, as if to mark the exception, the marginal feathers are kept wholly dark. It is always the male bird that thus outvies Solomon in his glory-the females being, after the usual order of Nature, much less brilliant. raise two broods a year. The period of incubation is about two weeks; the young are about the size of bees, and leave the shell naked and blind. Capt. Lyon speaks of some that were hatched on February 14th, remained blind until February 28th, and flew away on March 7th, without previous practice, as strongly and swiftly as the mother bird. If any one meddles with their eggs, they will remove them, carrying them in their mouths, as Audubon ascertained by patient watching, and they have been known to remove even their young. They are very pugnacious and combative, especially at the pairing season and during the incubation of the female, and these qualities, combined with their marvelous beauty, may account for the tradition of the ancient Mexicans concerning them. Humboldt says that, The nests of the humming-birds are very artistically constructed of grasses, lichens, and lined with the down of the cotton-wood, Asclepias, or any soft filamentous substance the lichens and bits of leaves being glued to the outside by the saliva of the bird—the whole structure often being bound round with the webs of the spider, and secured in the same manner. Some are pendent, long, and pointed; others conical, with the entrance at the side or bottom, and others cup-shaped. In position, these nests are as different as possible: some are bound to a twig or branch of a tree; others pendent from the frond of a fern, the leaf of a flag, attached by filaments to the bare front of a precipice, or the slender tendril of a vine. From some a projection is seen to bulge out containing a small stone or bits of hard earth, which were evidently placed there to preserve the equilibrium. Some of the cup-shaped nests curve inward at the top, and are built up higher in successive stories by the mother bird as her young increase in size. Such are the nests of the Ruby Throat, of which Mr. Wilson has given a minute description. Their eggs are two in number, and they shut out God from His own creation. "according to their religious beliefs, the spouse of their god of war conducted the souls of those warriors who had died in defence of the gods to the mansion of the sun, and there transformed them into humming-birds." We know that they were objects of deep interest and reverence to those ancient people, and they bestowed upon them names as beautiful as significant-such as "Rays of the Sun," "Tresses of the Day-Star," "Murmuring Birds," &c. To those scientific men who see nothing in the universe outside of physical law, who deny that beauty for its own sake can ever be an object or an end in organic forms, the existence of this group of birds, in all its wonderful beauty and variety in unity, must be a stumbling-block of peculiar significance. That they may have a use in the great economy of organic life, is not to be denied ; possibly, it may be to confound the wisdom of those who thus attempt to A CHINESE LOVE SONG. Now the wind is softest, Lightest now the shower, And in an hour the barren boughs Happy thoughts are brooding As to the arch of yonder bridge Pitiful the miser, Who digs the earth for gold: No, I love thee, sweetest, And the wandering dove- "Go count the silken tresses TOMMY. BY A BARLOWITE. WHEN I read Mr. Dickens' defence of Tommy, in "Uncommercial Samples," several months since, I heartily subscribed thereto. Since then I have known and undergone a Tommy, and now am a stanch follower of Barlow. I made my Tommy's acquaintance behind a door in a parish school. The door flapped and banged incessantly; low growls and mutterings were audible; now and then the head of Tommy was visible, at which all the boys giggled. "He says he'll cut her head off!" reported one of the younger ones of our class. a water-spider—with head down, and striking out with hands and legs-and stood grinning, with legs wide apart, waiting for further orders. All the boys laughed. This was my first glimpse of Tommy. Of course I philosophized, and wished I had him for a week or so, and profited by the first chance that threw him in my way. "Come, Tommy, sit by the big boys and write your name," I said, encouragingly, not appearing to notice that he had taken a long run and had leaped into the school-room like Little Breeches at a circus. "Her" referred to the gentle teacher Tommy chose his seat by Jack, the of Tommy's class. She bore his reviling tallest boy of the class, and began entermeekly, and let him out at the first symp- taining him. He sat with a foot in each tom of repentance-that is, when he was hand, preserving his equilibrium, when tired of banging the door, and wished to he leaned over too far Jackward, by letwrite. ting one foot fly out of his hand with Tommy emerged after the manner of the artificial grace of a puppet. Before securing his foot he would give the boy the other side of him a poke in the ribs, merely to keep his hand in. If the boy retaliated he squared off with threatening brow, in perfect good humor then at the prospect of a fight. "Hush, Tommy! Stop, Tommy! Behave yourself, Tommy!" on the part of the teacher, entirely unnoticed by him. "Can't do them," is his sole reply when his slate with a copy upon it is handed to him. Should the writing hour become dull, by undue attention on the part of the other boys, he drops his slate. Any scraps of learning that have been accidentally caught in his brain, like the fleece of sheep in brambles, he parts with at any moment, under any circumstances. If Jack's class should be reciting in geography, Tommy may be heard saying, "Ithmus of Panama! Antar'tic! Northcast! 'Scription of th' earth's surfiz!" When called up to his own lesson he stands on one leg, and cries out, by way of answer, any word that he has heard last, vibrating his little body and ever poking the nearest boy. He always asks for a ticket for good conduct when school is over, and while his teacher is trying to explain to him why he does not deserve it, he runs out with a shout and hides behind the steps. He is a little less restive the morning he hands us a note from his mother saying, "I have chastised my little boy severely, and hope you will let me know how his behavior is to-day." Two days after he dashes into school just before it is dismissed, followed by two other boys, and seats himself with his feet in the air. "Where have you been, Tommy?" "Sellin' fish." "Whose fish?" "A man's." "Did he pay you?" "Fifty cents." "Ate it up!" After school that day, Tommy behind the steps, we heard Danny say to him— "What did you tell that lie fur? You was settin' in a boat by the wharf-you know it." Tommy peeped out with an ecstatic expression, which, if it could be painted, would be as famous as Raphael's Angels. We do not think he was lying-merely answering questions; just as when he is asked the shape of the earth he replies, "Pacific." One day when I asked the boys-without any reference to Tommy, considering him out of the question-why they did not come more regularly to Sundayschool, he answered, boldly, "Killin' birds at the Zervatory-Danny too!" And once again he had our hearty sympathy. He was sitting in his own class, quite demure, only twinkling in eye and mouth corners, and twitching his legs a very little. The boy next him was in a loud blubber. A great calf he was, blubbering and complaining, because Tommy's little fists had been active to secure a nice slate. "He hit me!" bawled the calf. Tommy actually did his sums in silence. It was bliss enough for a while to have Calf blubbering at his side for "nuffin." He had established his position and won the contested slate from a big fellow. After my first week of Tommy I concluded to consult his mother as to the best method of subduing and restraining him. She advised a dark closet, having heard Tommy say that would be worse than whipping. Her own plan was to take off his clothes to keep him from running in the street. "I hope you won't have to turn him away," she said, "for he seems to know a good deal, and he says his prayers every night and morning." Having heard a low soliloquy always from Tommy's place in school during "Did you give the money to your prayers, I was not prepared to find him mother?" "Bought candy." "What did you do with fifty cents' worth of candy?" voluntarily praying at home. This made the matter serious. What if he had the faculty of acquiring knowledge while he bobbed about in school, and poked the boys, and chattered? What if he imbibed moral sentiments lying across a chair, squeaking, with heels up? What if good principles were insinuated while he growled behind the door? What if he were only half Jumping Jack and the other half human? Poor, fatherless little Tommy! I had seen him once or twice give up a nice slate to Jack, and once after school he had manfully toiled on in front at least a mile, in the hot sun, to show me where Jack lived. Such a funny little figure, too! Sun-browned face; large, bulging forehead, set in brown, closely-cropped hair; laughing, snapping, scowling gray eyes; nose so hasty to turn up that it turns up almost before it is a nose, and humorous mouth; little flapping, flopping, flipping legs, and stout little fists, very ready to clinch. Fancy Tommy saying his prayers! Kneeling down, with no one to punch by him, saying, “Our Father who art in heaven." Think what may happen one day if he should come to a knowledge of the sense of the words that he repeats now! But these are not loyal sentiments for a Barlowite. THE GREAT FIRE OF 1835 IN NEW YORK.* IN 1835, I and my family had rooms for the winter at the City Hotel, then on the west side of Broadway, below Liberty Street. The following details are found in a paper written in pencil the day after the occurrences happened to which they refer: I was awakened between eleven and twelve at night, and told a great fire was raging in the lower part of the city; that the Merchants' Exchange was in danger, where was the statue of my father by Ball Hughes; and that I might, by going there, be useful in saving that work. I was at the same time told that nothing could be done to arrest the fire for want of water; the engines, their leaders, and the hydrants being all frozen. I immediately said, powder must be used, and went to the fire. I sought the authorities, and meeting Aldermen Jourdan and Labagh, urged the necessity of blowing up buildings to arrest the flames. They replied, "Powder cannot be got." I said, "I will procure a letter to Commodore Ridgely, commanding the Navy Yard, requesting powder." Alderman Jourdan turned to Labagh, and asked him if he would unite with him in that proceeding. Labagh said, "I will not take the re*From advance sheets of "Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton." Charles Scribner & Co., publishers. sponsibility; the Mayor is on the ground, let him do it." Jourdan said, "Then I will," and turning to me, said, “If you will procure the letter, I will find a man to take it." The Hon. Charles Livingston wrote the letter, and Mr. Jourdan sent it with an officer. Mr. Charles King accompanied the officer; went with great speed, and returned with the letter, with an order endorsed thereon directing the keeper of the Arsenal at Red Hook to deliver powder to the civil authorities of New York. During the absence of the messenger, Alderman Jourdan endeavored to get a meeting of the Aldermen and Mayor at Lovejoy's, corner of Nassau and Cedar Streets, and with Mr.* * *, a former member of the Fire Department. General Swift and myself went to the different points to leeward where the fire was raging, to determine where the powder could be used most effectually, that we might be prepared to indicate such points to the Mayor and Aldermen when they should meet. Having accomplished this, we went to Lovejoy's, where we found the Mayor and three or four Aldermen. Mr. Jourdan stated briefly what had been done, and that he wished to meet the authorities. The necessity for using powder was admitted by all. The Mayor asked who understood how to apply it. Mr. Hamilton offered his services to apply and fire the powder; but if the Mayor wished the services of a gentleman who from his military education was acquainted with the subject, he could not find a more competent man than General Swift. It was then asked, where powder could be obtained, and in reply it was stated that General Arcularius had sent two boxes with some loose powder and cartridges which were on a cart at the corner of Wall and Nassau Streets, and that more powder could be found at Alderman Greenwood's. The Mayor, and Aldermen Smith and Jourdan went with me to where the powder was; but finding the quantity too small, we went to various grocery stores and got all we could, and sent it to where the cart was standing. I suggested that a written order should be sent by the Mayor to General Arcularius, directing him to bring powder from the Arsenal, five miles from the city, on the middle road. This was done. In the mean time, Alderman Smith and I procured an empty lime-cask and threw the powder they had in it, which filled it about one-third. This powder, under the directions of the Mayor and General Swift, was conveyed to Garden Street, and placed in a cellar of a four-story store, occupied by a Mr. Swan, as near the centre as could be found. A piece of calico was fastened to the upper rim of the cask, into which loose papers were placed, and we laid the calico on a board along the floor of the cellar to the stuff. A canister of powder, reserved for that purpose, was used in laying a train from the cask, along the calico to the cellar door, where loose paper was laid. When this was done, all present retired to near Broad Street, except General Swift and myself, when I said, "Who is to fire this?-General, as I got the powder, I must have the first shot." The General, laughing, said, "Well, Hamilton, you shall," and retired. I then set fire to the paper with a lighted candle, and retired to where the crowd stood. The train took fire, and went off without igniting the powder in the cask. I then went up the street opposite the store, found the calico was burning, and retired. In a few moments the blast was made. It threw down the front of the building, a part of the adjoining one-threw off the roof, but did not destroy all the floors. The fire carried up by the floors endangered the next building, and thus rendered it necessary to blow up that building also. At about this time (5 o'clock in the morning) Mr. Charles King, who had performed a most important and arduous service, by going during a most terrible night to the Navy Yard in an open boat (the wind blew a hurricane, and the cold was intense beyond example), returned with Captain Mix, Lieutenant Nicholson, and a gang of sailors, with six barrels of powder. It was then determined to apply a barrel to the store on Garden Street, adjacent to that which had been fired ineffectually before. This was done by Lieut. Nicholson. Upon reconnoitring, we determined to blow up a store on the corner of an alley. It was so hot, and there were so many sparks and firebrands flying about, as to render the approach to the store extremely hazardous. This was, however, unheeded by the gallant tars, who carried the barrel of powder on their shoulders, passed over the gangway, and placed the barrel in the cellar. A train was laid to the mouth of the gangway, where straw was placed, the persons present having retired. Captain Mix fired the shot. The two previous experiments were entirely successful in arresting the progress of the devouring element to the westward. It was decided to blow up a wooden building at the corner of Coenties Alley and Slip, about twelve feet wide, westerly from which there was a range of valuable stores filled with merchandise. A barrel of powder (two hundred pounds) was carried to that store. The owner of the crockery in the store came into the cellar when Swift and I were preparing the work of destruction, and asked permission to take out his goods; the General replied promptly and caustically, "Yes, if you can do it in fifteen minutes." The train was laid with muslin picked up in the street; the General saying, “It is your turn," left the cellar with all others except myself and one of the sailors, who had |