ft my mark for ever upon her soft white arm."

"Thank you, Polly," said Herbert. "I see the fairy is right in saying
you have many useful lessons to teach; but I must now go and see what
Mr. Cockatoo is about. I do hope he hasn't flown away, for Uncle James
would never forgive me for letting him off, he thinks so much of his
beautiful plumage."

Herbert had a good hunt all over the grounds for the cockatoo, and was
just going to give him up, when, as he approached the summer-house, he
heard him chattering, and trying to say, "Pretty Cockatoo."

"Oh, you're there, are you?" said Herbert. "It's past the time I allowed
you to stay out, so come along, old fellow,--a bargain's a bargain."

"Just one more flight, sir," said the cockatoo. "My wings are so stiff,
I've only taken a very few."

Herbert having consented, away flew the cockatoo down on to the path;
but at that moment a huge cat, which lived outside, and which had a
lively young family of five kittens, under the summer-house, saw the
bird and made a pounce at him, catching him by the feathers of his tail.
Fortunately Herbert saw what had happened, and before the cockatoo had
time to scream, he had pitched his cap at Mrs. Puss, and then drove her
away with the branch of a tree lying near. Mr. Cockatoo was shaking with
fright, and was thankful to find himself inside his cage once more,
with the door securely shut. For some time after, when Herbert urged him
to take a little exercise, he refused, saying that he agreed with Mrs.
Polly in thinking that, as they were now in a foreign country, flying
about did not seem to suit his health, and that there were worse places
than his cage.

Some days after, Herbert's cousins came to pay him a visit; and as
Minnie was recovering from a severe illness, the sofa was taken out of
doors, and placed under the spreading branches of an oak-tree. There she
lay, enjoying the fresh cool air that wafted along under the branches;
while Herbert read aloud her last new book to her and her sister Grace.
Polly, who had taken a great fancy to Minnie, had requested Herbert to
place her perch close to them; for, though she liked to be out of doors,
her terror of cats was so great, that unless she was closely guarded
she preferred to remain in her cage. It was a book on natural history
Herbert was reading from. In the midst of a dry description of the
habits of the humming-bird, he suddenly broke out with----

"'The humming-bird! the humm