Chapter IX: Part 9

It seems to me that these birds must have a very pleasant time during the setting season. To start out some fine morning, after it has had its breakfast of bugs and things, to gently push its nest from shore; to jump on board; to sit down comfortably on the eggs, and sticking out its web-footed legs on each side, to paddle away among the water-lilies and the beautiful green rushes, in company with other little grebes, all uniting business and pleasure in the same way, must be, indeed, quite charming to an appreciative duck.

If it were to happen to storm, however, when the grebe was at a distance from shore, her little craft might be upset and her cargo of eggs go to the bottom. But I expect the grebes are very good sailors, and know when to look for bad weather.

A nest full of young grebes just hatched, with the mother swimming behind, pushing them along with her beak, or towing them by the loose end of a twig, must be a very singular and interesting sight.

An Ostrich has very different views in regard to a nest from a little grebe. Instead of wishing to take its nest about with it, wherever it goes, the ostrich does not care for a great deal of nest-work.

It is, however, a bird of more domestic habits than some writers would have us believe; for although it does cover up its eggs in the sand, and then let the sun help hatch them, it is not altogether inattentive to its nest. The ostrich makes a large nest in the sand, where, it is said, the eggs of several families are deposited. These eggs are very carefully arranged in the great hole or basin that has been formed in the soft sand, and, during the daytime, they are often covered up and left to be gently heated by the rays of the sun. But the ostrich sits upon her nest at night, and in many cases the male bird has been known to sit upon the eggs all day. An ostrich nest is a sort of a wholesale establishment. There are not only a great many eggs in the nest, but dozens of them are often found lying about on the sand around it.

This apparent waste is explained by some naturalists by the statement that these scattered eggs are intended for the food of the young ones when they are hatched. This may be true; but in that case young ostriches cannot be very particular about the flavor of the eggs they eat. A few days in the hot sun of the desert would be very likely to make eggs of any kind taste rather strongly. But ostrich eggs are so large, and their shells are so thick, that they may keep better than the eggs to which we are accustomed.

From nests which are built flat on the ground, let us now go to some that are placed as high from the earth as their builders can get them. The nests of the Storks are of this kind.

A pair of storks will select, as a site for their nest, a lofty place among the rocks; the top of some old ruins; or, when domesticated, as they often are, the top of a chimney. But when there are a number of storks living together in a community, they very often settle in a grove of tall trees and build their nests on the highest branches.

In these they lay their eggs, and hatch out their young ones. Soon after the time when these young storks are able to fly, the whole community generally starts off on its winter pilgrimage to warm countries; but the old storks always return in the spring to the same nest that they left, while the young ones, if they choose to join that community at all, must make nests for themselves. Although these nests are nothing but rude structures of sticks and twigs, made apparently in the roughest manner, each pair of storks evidently thinks that there is no home like its own.

The stork is a very kind parent, and is, in fact, more careful of the welfare of its young than most birds; but it never goes to the length of surrendering its homestead to its children.

The young storks will be carefully nurtured and reared by their parents; when they grow old enough they will be taught to fly, and encouraged in the most earnest way to strengthen and develop their wings by exercise; and, in the annual expedition to the south, they are not left to themselves, but are conducted to the happy lands where all good storks spend their winters. But the young storks cannot have everything. If they wish to live in the nest in which they were born, they must wait until their parents are dead.

It may be that we have now seen enough of birds' nests, and so I will not show you any more.

The next nest which we will examine--

"But I thought you were not going to show us any more birds' nests!" you will say.

That is true. I did say so, and this next one is not a bird's nest but a fish's nest.

It is probably that very few of you, if any, ever saw a fish's nest; but there certainly are such things.

The fish which builds them is called the Stickleback. It is a little fish, but it knows how to make a good nest. The male stickleback is the builder, and when he thinks of making a nest he commences by burrowing a hole in the mud at the bottom of the stream where he lives. When with his nose and body he has made this hole large enough, he collects bits of grass, roots, and weeds, and builds his nest over this hole, which seems to be dug for the purpose of giving security to the structure. The grass and other materials are fastened to the mud and earth by means of a sticky substance, which exudes from the body of the fish, and every part of the nest is stuck together and interlaced so that it will not be disturbed by the currents. There are generally two openings to this nest, which is something like a lady's muff, although, of course, it is by no means so smooth and regular. The fish can generally stick its head out of one end, and its tail out of the other.

When the eggs have been laid in the nest, and the young sticklebacks have been born, the male fish is said to be very strict and particular in the government of his children. For some time--while they are yet very small--(and the father himself is a very little fellow) he makes them stay in the nest, and if any of them come swimming out, he drives them back again, and forces them to stay at home until they are of a proper age to swim about by themselves.

We have now seen quite a variety of nests, and I think that we may come to this conclusion about their builders:--The bird or other creature which can carefully select the materials for the home of its young, can decide what is most suitable for the rough outside and what will be soft and nice for the inner lining, and can choose a position for its nest where the peculiar wants and habits of its little ones can be best provided for, must certainly be credited with a degree of intelligence which is something more than what is generally suggested by the term instinct.

THE BOOMERANG.

Civilized folks are superior in so very many respects to their barbarous brethren that it is well, when we discover anything which a savage can do better than we can, to make a note of it, and give the subject some attention.

And it is certain that there are savages who can surpass us in one particular--they can make and throw boomerangs.

It is very possible that an American mechanic could imitate an Australian boomerang, so that few persons could tell the difference; but I do not believe that boomerang would work properly. Either in the quality of the wood, or in the seasoning, or in some particular which we would not be apt to notice, it would, in all probability, differ very much from the weapon carved out by the savage. If the American mechanic was to throw his boomerang away from him, I think it would stay away. There is no reason to believe that it would ever come back.

And yet there is nothing at all wonderful in the appearance of the real boomerang. It is simply a bent club, about two feet long, smooth on one side and slightly hollowed out on the other. No one would imagine, merely from looking at it, that it could behave in any way differently from any other piece of stick of its size and weight.

But it does behave differently, at least when an Australian savage throws it. I have never heard of an American or European who was able to make the boomerang perform the tricks for which it has become famous. Throwing this weapon is like piano-playing; you have to be brought up to it in order to do it well.

In the hands of the natives of Australia, however, the boomerang performs most wonderful feats. Sometimes the savage takes hold of it by one end, and gives it a sort of careless jerk, so that it falls on the ground at a short distance from him. As soon as it strikes the earth it bounds up into the air, turns, twists, and pitches about in every direction, knocking with great force against everything in its way. It is said that when it bounds in this way into the midst of a flock of birds, it kills and wounds great numbers of them. At other times the boomerang-thrower will hurl his weapon at an object at a great distance, and when it has struck the mark it will turn and fall at the feet of its owner, turning and twisting on its swift and crooked way. This little engraving shows how the boomerang will go around a tree and return again to the thrower. The twisted line indicates its course.

Most astonishing stories are told of the skill with which the Australians use this weapon. They will aim at birds or small animals that are hidden behind trees and rocks, and the boomerang will go around the trees and rocks and kill the game. They are the only people who can with any certainty shoot around a corner. Not only do they throw the boomerang with unerring accuracy, but with tremendous force, and when it hits a man on the head, giving him two or three terrible raps as it twists about him, it is very apt to kill him. To ward off these dangerous blows, the natives generally carry shields when they go out to fight. Sometimes an Australian throws two boomerangs at once, one with his right hand and one with his left, and then the unfortunate man that he aims at has a hard time of it.

Many persons have endeavored to explain the peculiar turning and twisting properties of the boomerang, but they have not been entirely successful, for so much depends not only on the form of the weapon, but on the skill of the thrower. But it is known that the form of the boomerang, and the fact that one of its limbs is longer and heavier than the other, gives its centre of gravity a very peculiar situation; and when the weapon is thrown by one end, it has naturally a tendency to rotate, and the manner of this rotation is determined by the peculiar impetus given it by the hand of the man who throws it.

It is well that we are able to explain the boomerang a little, for that is all we can do with it. The savage cannot explain it at all; but he can use it.

But, after all, I do not know that a boomerang would be of much service to us even if we could use it. There is only one thing that I can now think of that it would be good for. It would be a splendid to knock down chestnuts with!

Just think of a boomerang going twirling into a chestnut-tree, twisting, turning, banging, and cracking on every side, knocking down the chestnuts in a perfect shower, and then coming gently back into your hand, all ready for another throw!

It would be well worth while to go out chestnuting, if we had a boomerang to do the work for us.

* * * * *

Now our Ramblings must come to an end. We cannot walk about the world for ever, you know, no matter how pleasant it may be.

And I wish I was quite sure that you have all found these wanderings pleasant.

As for me, there were some things that I did not like so well as others, and I suppose that that was the case with all of you.

But it could not be helped. In this world some things will be better than others, do what we may.

One of these days, perhaps, we may ramble about again. Until then, good-by!

THE END.

_Charles Scribner's Sons Books for Young Readers._

* * * * *

Written and Illustrated by Howard Pyle

_A NEW BOOK JUST PUBLISHED._

THE STORY OF SIR LAUNCELOT AND HIS COMPANIONS

Profusely illustrated. Royal 8vo, $2.50 _net_.

The account of the adventures and deeds of Sir Launcelot, fully and beautifully illustrated in Mr. Pyle's characteristic style, and uniform with his other two books, "The Story of King Arthur and His Knights" and "The Story of the Champions of the Round Table." This book takes up the adventures of the greatest of the Arthurian heroes, from the very beginning, and also that of his son Sir Galahad.

"There is nobody quite like Howard Pyle, after all, when it comes to stories for children, nobody with his peculiar freshness and enthusiasm, and his power of choosing quaint and lovely settings for the sometimes quiet, sometimes stirring tales that appeal at once to his readers by their truth and naturalness."--THE SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN.

* * * * *

_OTHER BOOKS BY MR. PYLE_.

THE STORY OF THE CHAMPIONS OF THE ROUND TABLE. Profusely illustrated. Royal 8vo, $2.50 _net_.

"He has caught the very spirit of chivalry. It is one of the best of holiday books."--SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE.

THE STORY OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS. Profusely illustrated. Royal 8vo, $2.50 _net_.

"Nothing could be better to give a boy or girl for Christmas than Mr. Pyle's rendition of these stately, ennobling old legends."--CHICAGO RECORD-HERALD.

THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. Illustrated. Royal 8vo, $3.00.

"This superb book is unquestionably the most original and elaborate ever produced by any American author. Mr. Pyle has told, with pencil and pen, the complete and consecutive story of Robin Hood and his merry men in their haunts in Sherwood Forest, gathered from the old ballads and legends."--BOSTON TRANSCRIPT.

OTTO OF THE SILVER HAND. Illustrated. Royal 8vo, $2.00.

"The scene of the story is mediæval Germany in the time of the feuds and robber barons and romance. The kidnapping of Otto, his adventures among rough soldiers and his daring rescue make up a spirited and thrilling story."--CHRISTIAN UNION.

* * * * *

Heroes of the Olden Time.

By JAMES BALDWIN. Three volumes, 12mo, each beautifully illustrated. Singly, $1.50; the set, $4.00.

A STORY OF THE GOLDEN AGE. Illustrated by HOWARD PYLE.

"Mr. Baldwin's book is redolent with the spirit of the Odyssey, that glorious primitive epic, fresh with the dew of the morning of time. It is an unalloyed pleasure to read his recital of the adventures of the wily Odysseus. Howard Pyle's illustrations render the spirit of the Homeric age with admirable felicity."--PROF. H.H. BOYESEN.

THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED. Illustrated by HOWARD PYLE.

"The story of 'Siegfried' is charmingly told. The author makes up the story from the various myths in a fascinating way which cannot fail to interest the reader. It is as enjoyable as any fairy tale."--HARTFORD COURANT.

THE STORY OF ROLAND. Illustrated by R.B. BIRCH.

"Mr. Baldwin has culled from a wide range of epics, French, Italian, and German, and has once more proved his aptitude as a story-teller for the young."--THE NATION.

* * * * *

The Boy's Library of Legend and Chivalry.

Edited by <sc>SIDNEY LANIER</sc>, and richly illustrated by FREDERICKS, BENSELL, and KAPPES. Four volumes, cloth, uniform binding, price per set, $7.00. Sold separately, price per volume, $2.00.

Mr. Lanier's books present to boy readers the old English classics of history and legend in an attractive form. While they are stories of action and stirring incident, they teach those lessons which manly, honest boys ought to learn.

THE BOY'S KING ARTHUR. THE BOY'S FROISSART. THE BOY'S PERCY. THE KNIGHTLY LEGENDS OF WALES.

"Amid all the strange and fanciful scenery of these stories, character and ideals of character remain at the simplest and purest. The romantic history transpires in the healthy atmosphere of the open air on the green earth beneath the open sky."--THE INDEPENDENT.

* * * * *

Stories for Boys.

By RICHARD HARDING DAVIS. With 6 full-page illustrations. 12mo, $1.00

CONTENTS: The Reporter who made himself King--Midsummer Pirates--Richard Carr's Baby, a Football Story--The Great Tri-Club Tennis Tournament--The Jump at Corey's Slip--The Van Bibber Baseball Club--The Story of a Jockey.

"It will be astonishing indeed if youths of all ages are not fascinated with these 'Stories for Boys.' Mr. Davis knows infallibly what will interest his young readers."--BOSTON BEACON.

* * * * *

Marvels of Animal Life Series.

By CHARLES F. HOLDER. Three volumes, 8vo, each profusely illustrated. Singly, $1.75; the Set, $5.00.

THE IVORY KING. A POPULAR HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT AND ITS ALLIES.

"The author talks in a lively and pleasant way about white elephants, rogue elephants, baby elephants, trick elephants, of the elephant in war, pageantry, sports and games. A charming accession to books for young people."--CHICAGO INTERIOR.

MARVELS OF ANIMAL LIFE.

"Mr. Holder combines his description of these odd creatures with stories of his own adventures in pursuit of them in many parts of the world. These are told with much spirit, and add greatly to the fascination of the book."--WORCESTER SPY.

LIVING LIGHTS. A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF PHOSPHORESCENT ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES.

"A very curious branch of natural history is expounded in most agreeable style by this delightful book. He has revealed a world of new wonders."--PHILADELPHIA BULLETIN.

* * * * *

White Cockades.

An Incident of the "Forty-five." By EDWARD I. STEVENSON. 12mo, $1.00.

"A bright historical tale. The scene is Scotland; the time that of Prince Charles' rebellion. The hero is a certain gallant young nobleman devoted to the last of the Stuarts and his cause. The action turns mainly upon the hiding, the hunting, and the narrow escapes of Lord Geoffrey Armitage from the spies and soldiers of the King."--NEW YORK MAIL AND EXPRESS.

* * * * *

Prince Peerless.

A Fairy-Folk Story Book. By MARGARET COLLIER (Madam Gelletti Di Cadilhac). Illustrated by John Collier. 12mo, $1.25.

"More admirable and fascinating a fairy-story book we have not lately set eyes upon. The stories are most airily conceived and gracefully executed."--HARTFORD POST.

* * * * *

By William Henry Frost.

FAIRIES AND FOLK OF IRELAND. Illustrated by SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. 12mo, $1.50.

"Fresh and delightful materials are incorporated in witty and interesting narratives."--PHILADELPHIA PRESS.

THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. Stories of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. Illustrated by SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. 12mo, $1.50.

"The book is especially commended to boys, who will delight in the martial spirit breathed through the tales, and cannot fail to be benefited by reading of the courage, honor, and truth of these 'brave knights of old.'"--CHICAGO INTER-OCEAN.

THE COURT OF KING ARTHUR. Stories from the Land of the Round Table. Illustrated by SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. 12mo, $1.50.

"Mr. William Henry Frost in 'The Court of King Arthur' has succeeded admirably in his attempt to make the doughty knights and fair ladies of ancient days seem distinct and interesting to boys and girls of our own time."--PUBLIC OPINION.

THE WAGNER STORY BOOK. Firelight Tales of the Great Music Dramas. Illustrated by SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. 12mo, $1.50.

"The story of the Knight of the Swan, of the Ring of the Nibelungen, the Search for the Grail, of Lohengrin and of Parsifal, are among the richest and deepest of the great mediæval stories. They are pre-eminently the natural food for children of imagination, and in this volume these stories are retold in a very effective way."--THE OUTLOOK.

* * * * *

Robert Grant's Two Books for Boys.

JACK HALL; or, the School Days of an American Boy. Illustrated by F. G. ATTWOOD. 12mo, $1.25.

"A better book for boys has never been written. It is pure, clean and healthy, and has throughout a vigorous action that holds the reader breathless."--BOSTON HERALD.

"A capital story for boys, wholesome and interesting. It reminds one of 'Tom Brown.'"--BOSTON TRANSCRIPT.

JACK IN THE BUSH; or, a Summer on a Salmon River. Illustrated by F.T. MERRILL. 12mo, $1.25.

"A clever book for boys. It is the story of the camp-life of a lot of boys, and is destined to please every boy reader. It is attractively illustrated."--DETROIT FREE PRESS.

"An ideal story of out-door life and genuine experiences."--BOSTON TRAVELLER.

* * * * *

Books by Kirk Munroe.

A SON OF SATSUMA; or, WITH PERRY IN JAPAN. Illustrated by RUFUS F. ZOGBAUM. 12mo, $1.00 _net_.

"If there is a man who understands writing a story for boys better than another, it is Kirk Munroe."--SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN.

BRETHREN OF THE COAST: A TALE OF WEST INDIAN PIRATES. Illustrated by RUFUS F. ZOGBAUM. 12mo, $1.25.

"There is enough of history and enough of action in this story to make it valuable as well as readable, and this story of adventure and description will be read with interest and profit."--HERALD AND PRESBYTER.

MIDSHIPMAN STUART; OR, THE LAST CRUISE OF THE ESSEX. A tale of 1812. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.25.

The story tells of the exciting adventures of an unusually plucky and enterprising American boy whose career at sea is marked with hairbreadth escapes.

IN PIRATE WATERS: A TALE OF THE AMERICAN NAVY. Illustrated by I.W. TABER. 12mo, $1.25.

The boy hero of this book assists in the extinction of this cowardly system, taking part in some of the sea fights which brought glory to the American navy.

* * * * *

The White Conqueror's Series.

Each 12mo, $1.25. The set in a box, four volumes, $5.00.

WITH CROCKETT AND BOWIE; or, Fighting for the Lone Star State. Illustrated by VICTOR S. PÉRARD.

"One of the most spirited and interesting tales that he has written."--NEWS AND COURIER.

THROUGH SWAMP AND GLADE. A tale of the Seminole War. Illustrated by VICTOR S. PÉRARD.

"No boy can get hold of this story without being carried away with it." --BOSTON COURIER.

AT WAR WITH PONTIAC; or, the Totem of the Bear. A tale of redcoat and redskin. Illustrated by J. FENNEMORE.

"The book is admirably written throughout and has not a dull page in it."--BOSTON BEACON.

THE WHITE CONQUERORS. A tale of Toltec and Aztec. Illustrated by W.S. STACEY.

"The book is filled with incident and permeated with the high color and life of the period and country."--CAMBRIDGE TRIBUNE.

* * * * *

Frank R. Stockton's Books for the Young.

"_His books for boys and girls are classics_."--NEWARK ADVERTISER.

THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE, AND OTHER STORIES. With 24 illustrations by BLASHFIELD, ROGERS, BEARD, and others. Square 8vo; $1.50.

PERSONALLY CONDUCTED. Illustrated by PENNELL, PARSONS, and others. Sq. 8vo, $2.00.

THE STORY OF VITEAU. Illustrated by R.B. BIRCH. 12mo, $1.50.

A JOLLY FELLOWSHIP. With 20 illustrations. 12mo, $1.50.

THE FLOATING PRINCE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES. Illustrated. Square 8vo, $1.50.

THE TING-A-LING TALES. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.00.

ROUND-ABOUT RAMBLES IN LANDS OF FACT AND FICTION. Illustrated. Square 8vo, $1.50.

TALES OUT OF SCHOOL. With nearly 200 illustrations. Square 8vo, $1.50.

"The volumes are profusely illustrated and contain the most entertaining sketches in Mr. Stockton's most entertaining manner."--CHRISTIAN UNION.

* * * * *

Edward Eggleston's Two Popular Books.

THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.00.

"'The Hoosier School-Boy' depicts some of the characteristics of boy-life years ago on the Ohio; characteristics, however, that were not peculiar to that section. The story presents a vivid and interesting picture of the difficulties which in those days beset the path of the youth aspiring for an education."--CHICAGO INTER-OCEAN.

QUEER STORIES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. 12mo, $1.00.

"A very bright and attractive little volume for young readers. The stories are fresh, breezy, and healthy, with a good point to them and a good, sound American view of life and the road to success. The book abounds in good feeling and good sense, and is written in a style of homely art."--INDEPENDENT.

* * * * *

Evening Tales.

Done into English from the French of Frederic Ortoli, by JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS. 12mo, $1.00.

"It is a veritable French 'Uncle Remus' that Mr. Harris has discovered in Frederic Ortoli. The book has the genuine piquancy of Gallic wit, and will be sure to charm American children. Mr. Harris's version is delightfully written."--BOSTON BEACON.

* * * * *

Hans Brinker: Or, The Silver Skates. A Story of Life in Holland. By Mary Mapes Dodge. With 60 illustrations. 12mo, $1.50.

"The author has shown, in her former works for the young, a very rare ability to meet their wants; but she has produced nothing better than this charming tale--alive with incident and action, adorned rather than freighted with useful facts, and moral without moralization."--THE NATION.

* * * * *

The Norseland Series.

_BY H.H. BOYESEN_.

NORSELAND TALES. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.25.

BOYHOOD IN NORWAY: NINE STORIES OF DEEDS OF THE SONS OF THE VIKINGS. With 8 illustrations. 12mo, $1.25

AGAINST HEAVY ODDS, AND A FEARLESS TRIO. With 13 full-page illustrations by W.L. TAYLOR. 12mo, $1.25.

THE MODERN VIKINGS: STORIES OF LIFE AND SPORT IN THE NORSELAND. With many full-page illustrations. 12mo, $1.25.

The four above volumes in a box, $5.00.

"Charmingly told stories of boy-life in the Land of the Midnight Sun, illustrated with pictures giving a capital idea of the incidents and scenes described. The tales have a delight all their own, as they tell of scenes and sports and circumstances so different from those of our American life."--N.Y. OBSERVER.

* * * * *

Two Books by Rossiter Johnson.

THE END OF A RAINBOW. AN AMERICAN STORY. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.50.

"It will be read with breathless interest. It is interesting and full of boyish experiences."--N.Y. INDEPENDENT.

PHAETON ROGERS. A NOVEL OF BOY LIFE. Illustrated. 12mo, $1.50.

"Mr. Johnson has shown in this book capabilities of a really high quality, for his story abounds with humor, and there are endless bits of quiet fun in it, which bring out the hearty laugh, even when it is read by older people. It is a capital book for boys."--NEW YORK TIMES.

* * * * *

Mrs. Burton Harrison's Tales.

BRIC-A-BRAC STORIES. With 24 illustrations by Walter Crane. 12mo, $1.50.

"When the little boy, for whose benefit the various articles of bric-a-brac in his father's drawing-room relate stories appropriate to their several native countries, exclaims at the conclusion of one of them: 'I almost think there can't be a better one than that!' the reader, of whatever age, will probably feel inclined to agree with him. Upon the whole, it is to be wished that every boy and girl might become acquainted with the contents of this book."--JULIAN HAWTHORNE.

THE OLD FASHIONED FAIRY BOOK. Illustrated by ROSINA EMMET, 16mo, $1.25.

"The little ones, who so willingly go back with us to 'Jack the Giant Killer,' 'Bluebeard,' and the kindred stories of our childhood, will gladly welcome Mrs. Burton Harrison's 'Old-Fashioned Fairy Tales.' The graceful pencil of Miss Rosina Emmet has given a pictorial interest to the book."--FRANK R. STOCKTON.

* * * * *

Thomas Nelson Page's Two Books.

AMONG THE CAMPS: OR, YOUNG PEOPLE'S STORIES OF THE WAR. With 8 full-page illustrations. Square, 8vo, $1.50.

"They are five in number, each having reference to some incident of the Civil War. A vein of mingled pathos and humor runs through them all, and greatly heightens the charm of them. It is the early experience of the author himself, doubtless, which makes his pictures of life in a Southern home during the great struggle so vivid and truthful."--THE NATION.

TWO LITTLE CONFEDERATES. With 8 full-page illustrations by KEMBLE and REDWOOD. Square, 8vo, $1.50.

"Mr. Page was 'raised' in Virginia, and he knows the 'darkey' of the South better than any one who writes about them. And he knows 'white folks,' too, and his stories, whether for old or young people, have the charm of sincerity and beauty and reality."--HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.

* * * * *

W.O. Stoddard's Books for Boys.

DAB KINZER. A STORY OF A GROWING BOY. THE QUARTET. A SEQUEL TO DAB KINZER SALTILLO BOYS. AMONG THE LAKES. WINTER FUN.

_Five volumes, 12mo, in a box, $5.00. Sold separately, each, $1.00_.

"William O. Stoddard has written capital books for boys. His 'Dab Kinzer' and 'The Quartet' are among the best specimens of 'Juveniles' produced anywhere. In his latest volume, 'Winter Fun,' Mr. Stoddard gives free rein to his remarkable gift of story-telling for boys. Healthful works of this kind cannot be too freely distributed among the little men of America."--NEW YORK JOURNAL OF COMMERCE.

* * * * *

Little People

And their Homes in Meadows, Woods, and Waters. By STELLA LOUISE HOOK. Illustrated by DAN BEARD and HARRY BEARD. One volume, square 8vo, $1.50.

"A delightful excursion for the little ones into the fairy-land of nature, telling all about the little people and all in such pleasant language and such pretty illustrations that the little readers will be charmed as much as they will be instructed by the book."--NEW YORK EVANGELIST.

* * * * *

Two Books by Robert Louis Stevenson.

THE BLACK ARROW:

A Tale of the Two Roses. By R.L. STEVENSON. With 12 full-page illustrations by WILL H. LOW and ALFRED BRENNAN. 12mo, $1.25.

"The story is one of the strongest pieces of romantic writing ever done by Mr. Stevenson."--THE BOSTON TIMES.

KIDNAPPED: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751. By R.L. STEVENSON. 12mo, with 16 full-page illustrations, $1.50.

"Mr. Stevenson has never appeared to greater advantage than in 'Kidnapped.'"--THE NATION.

* * * * *

Two Books by Henry M. Stanley.

MY DARK COMPANIONS

And Their Strange Stories. With 64 illustrations. 8vo, $2.00

"The following legends," says Mr. Stanley in his introduction, "are the choicest and most curious of those that were related to me during seventeen years, and which have not been hitherto published in any of my books of travel." There are in all nineteen stories, new and striking in motive and quaint in language.

MY KALULU.

Prince, King, and Slave. A Story of Central Africa. By HENRY M. STANLEY. One volume, 12mo, new edition, with many illustrations, $1.50.

"A fresh, breezy, stirring story for youths, interesting in itself and full of information regarding life in the interior of the continent in which its scenes are laid."--NEW YORK TIMES.

"If the young reader is fond of strange adventures, he will find enough in this volume to delight him all winter, and he will be hard to please who is not charmed by its graphic pages."--BOSTON JOURNAL.

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Jules Verne's Greatest Work.

"THE EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD."

"M. Verne's scheme in this work is to tell fully how man has made acquaintance with the world in which he lives, to combine into a single work in three volumes the wonderful stories of all the great explorers, navigators, and travelers who have sought out, one after another, the once uttermost parts of the earth."--THE NEW YORK EVENING POST.

The three volumes in a set, $7.50; singly, $2.50.

FAMOUS TRAVELS AND TRAVELLERS.

With over 100 full-page illustrations, maps, etc., 8vo, $2.50.

THE GREAT NAVIGATORS OF THE XVIIITH CENTURY.

With 96 full-page illustrations and 19 maps, 8vo, $2.50.

THE GREAT EXPLORERS OF THE XIXTH CENTURY.

With over 100 full-page illustrations, facsimiles, etc., 8vo, $2.50.

Jules Verne's Stories. Uniform Illustrated Edition.

Nine volumes, 8vo, extra cloth, with over 750 full-page illustrations. Price, per set, in a box, $17.50. Sold also in separate volumes.

MICHAEL STROGOFF; or, The Courier of the Czar, $2.00. A FLOATING CITY AND THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS, $2.00. HECTOR SERVADAC, $2.00. A JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH, $2.00. FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON DIRECT IN NINETY-SEVEN HOURS, TWENTY MINUTES; AND A JOURNEY AROUND IT, $2.00. DICK SANDS, $2.00. THE STEAM HOUSE, $2.00. THE GIANT RAFT, $2.00. THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, $2.50.

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Czar and Sultan.

The adventures of a British Lad in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. By ARCHIBALD FORBES. Illustrated. 12mo, $2.00.

"Very fascinating and graphic. Mr. Forbes is a forcible writer, and the present work has the vigor and intensity associated with his name. It is sure to be popular with youthful readers."--BOSTON BEACON.

"A brilliant and exciting narrative, and the drawings add to its interest and value."--N.Y. OBSERVER.

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Books of Adventure by Robert Leighton.

OLAF THE GLORIOUS.

A Story of Olaf Triggvison, King of Norway, A.D. 995-1000. Crown 8vo, with numerous full-page illustrations, $1.50.

THE WRECK OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

The Story of a North Sea Fisher Boy. Illustrated. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

THE THIRSTY SWORD.

A Story of the Norse Invasion of Scotland, 1262-65. With 8 illustrations and a map. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

THE PILOTS OF POMONA.

A Story of the Orkney Islands. With 8 illustrations and a map. Crown 8vo, $1.50.

"Mr. Leighton as a writer for boys needs no praise, as his books place him in the front rank."--NEW YORK OBSERVER.

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Things Will Take a Turn.

By BEATRICE HARRADEN, author of "Ships that Pass in the Night." Illustrated. 12mo, $1,00.

The charm of this tale is its delicate, wistful sympathy. It is the story of a sunny-hearted child, Rosebud, who assists her grandfather in his dusty, second-hand bookshop. One cannot help being fascinated by the sweet little heroine, she is so engaging, so natural; and to love Rosebud is to love all her friends and enter sympathetically into the good fortune she brought them.

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Among the Lawmakers.

By EDMUND ALTON. Illustrated. Sq. 8vo, $1.50.

"The book is a diverting as well as an instructive one. Mr. Alton was in his early days a page in the Senate, and he relates the doings of Congress from the point of view he then obtained. His narrative is easy and piquant, and abounds in personal anecdotes about the great men whom the pages waited on."--CHRISTIAN UNION.