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Claude E. H. about Mother Carey's chickens. He writes that his uncle shot one while crossing the ocean.

Murray W. T. about birds and plants, "with pictures."

Howell G. about the quail, woodpecker, and other birds. (We wonder if he has seen Grant's book on birds, or "Bird Neighbors"?)

James M. about sea-lions and wild animals; also about cats and domestic animals.

Denison F. about ant-eaters, lions, and whales.

Tom T. about the horse, dog, and python.

You can see by the above letters—and this was but part of one mail—how many things our young people want to know about, and what a task "Naturalist" has taken upon himself.

From Sterling, Ill., comes a request from a number of boys and girls for a book about wild animals and how they live. (Ingersoll's "Wild Neighbors" is just such a book.)

E. C., of Brookline, writes a very suggestive letter. A few of his wants are as follows: chapters on garden-grubs, and insects injurious to vegetation; caterpillars, together with pictures of the butterflies that come from them; birds' nests; colored pictures of beetles, fossils, shells, etc. He says in conclusion: "Even with things to see, you often need to be shown how to look."

In this he is right, for we miss many beautiful things in this world because we do not know "how to look."

We wish to acknowledge with pleasure the well-written letters from Point Grammar School, Gloucester, Mass., from "Brenda P. S.," "Alberta S. M.," "Mary S. E.," and "Susan M."

With No. 66 of The Great Round World will be issued a portrait of the young Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Great interest is being taken in the approaching coronation festivities, which will take place in September of this year.

Current History

The proposed annexation of the Hawaiian islands is still being actively discussed in the Senate.

The friends of the bill are doing their best to present every argument for it in the most convincing way.

Senator Morgan, however, went a little too far the other day in his zeal in its behalf. He declared that ex-President Cleveland wanted the islands to be annexed to the United States, but that he thought the ex-Queen ought first to be restored to the throne and given an opportunity to let the islands be acquired by purchase.

Mr. Cleveland promptly denied this statement. "I can hardly believe Mr. Morgan made the assertions imputed to him," he said in an interview. "He knew perfectly well that I have been utterly and constantly opposed to Hawaiian annexation. The first thing I did after my inauguration, in March, 1893, was to recall from the Senate an annexation treaty then pending before that body. I regard the annexation of these islands as a complete departure from our national mission. I did not suppose that there was any person in public life that had any doubt as to my position in this matter.

"Aside from any question of annexation, and without harboring any design of restoring the Hawaiian monarchy, I investigated the relation of our representatives to its overthrow. This investigation satisfied me that our interference in the matter was disgraceful and wrong, and I would gladly, for the sake of our national honor and fair fame, have repaired that wrong; only this, and nothing more."

These remarks are important, as they refer back to the very beginning of the troubles in Hawaii which led to the present plan of making the islands a part of the United States.

In saying that the annexation of the islands would be a "complete departure from our national mission," Mr. Cleveland meant that it was the policy of our Government not to go outside of America to acquire territory, but to let other nations alone just as we ourselves wish to be let alone.

This policy is very different from that of England, for example, who has for many years been reaching out to add to her already vast possessions. In other words, our plan is opposed to what is known as the "policy of grab."

By speaking of "our interference" in the Hawaiian revolution as "disgraceful," Mr. Cleveland means that the revolution was not only largely planned by American residents on the islands, but that American marines were called from the harbor of Honolulu to the government building to assist the revolutionists, or, as the revolutionists themselves declare, to protect American interests on the islands.

Now that the question of annexation is before the country, a prominent advocate for each side has appeared.

We referred last week to the visit here of the President of the Hawaiian republic, Mr. Sanford B. Dole. He has recently stated his side of the matter, in an interview.

And the deposed Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani, or "ex-Queen," as she is called, has presented her views in the form of a book, giving an account of her whole life.

Let us first see what Liliuokalani has to say.

In the first part of the book she tells us how she was brought up. It is astonishing to read that, though she was the daughter of one of the chiefs of the island, she was sent, very shortly after birth, to the house of another chief, named Paki, where there was only one daughter, Bernice, and made a member of his family.

This chief was married to a granddaughter of one of the Hawaiian kings, Kamehameha I., so the adopted girl was considered a member of the royal family.

Here is the account Liliuokalani herself gives of her adoption:

"I knew no other father or mother than my foster-parents, no other sister than Bernice. I used to climb up on the knees of Paki, put my arms around his neck, kiss him, and he caressed me as a father would his child; while, on the contrary, when I met my own parents, it was with perhaps more of interest, yet always with the demeanor I would have shown to any strangers who noticed me.

"My own father and mother had other children, ten in all, the most of them being adopted into other chiefs' families; and although I knew that these were my own brothers and sisters, yet we met throughout my younger life as though we had not known our common parentage.

"This was, and indeed is, in accordance with Hawaiian customs. It is not easy to explain its origin to those alien to our national life, but it seems perfectly natural to us.

"As intelligible a reason as can be given is that this alliance by adoption cemented the ties of friendship between the chiefs. It spread to the common people, and it has doubtless fostered a community of interest and harmony."

It is odd to think of a princess, even of an Hawaiian princess, as being educated, like other girls, in a school. But the school she attended was for those pupils only who had some claim on the succession to the throne.

Near-by, however, there was another school, where some of the children of American residents were educated. Among these was John O. Dominis, the son of a sea-captain of Italian descent, and whose mother was a Boston woman.

Young Dominis made the acquaintance of the future Queen by climbing over the wall and talking to the pupils of the Royal School, as it was called.

A number of years later, in 1862, Liliuokalani became his wife.

This long name, by the way, was not given her until 1877, when the