in at the window the messenger flew,
And all around him his gold he threw.

He scattered it here, and everywhere,
He gilded the braids of the mother's hair.

He glanced at the baby, who laughed with glee,
And danced for joy on his mother's knee.

And little Clara, the three-year-old,
Tried to catch at the shining gold;

And she said, "Mamma, if I'm good to-day,
Perhaps this beautiful sunbeam will stay."

[Illustration: OUR POST-OFFICE BOX.]

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

About a month ago my papa came home from Panama, and brought me
two beautiful little birds for pets. I do not know any English
name for them, but in Spanish they are called _Verdones del
Pacifico_. They are about the size of a canary. Their bodies are
beautiful dark blue, the wings and back are glossy black with a
blue stripe, and the top of the head irised green. The under side
of the wings is golden yellow. They have little bright black eyes,
long bills like a humming-bird, and dainty little red legs and
toes. They feed on bananas, and eat all day long. They are very
queer little gymnasts, and hang head downward from their perch to
reach their food. They do not sing, but the moment daylight begins
they commence a sweet little peeping, which they keep up from
morning till night.

We did not know they would eat insects; but one afternoon a big
fly came buzzing round their cage, and they fluttered and peeped
and pushed their bills through the wires in their efforts to catch
it. My brother caught it and gave it to them in his fingers. They
both dived for it, and had a fight to see which should get the
biggest half. Since then we catch flies for them all the time, and
whenever any one goes near their cage they begin to peep and
watch, hoping for a fly.

Sometimes we shut the windows and let them fly around the room and
hunt for themselves. They dart like lightning, and not a fly
escapes them. They are growing very tame, and will come and perch
upon my finger when they are tired flying.

I wonder if any other little boy or girl has any _Verdones_? Their
home is in the forests along the tropical Pacific coast. They
build a nest similar to that of the humming-bird, and are
considered members of the same family, although they do not hover
over their food like the humming-bird.