HUM" <^&^// //e? THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID ^ % v v * .V '.-.&\V \v**^ % <^x t^ ^ " vx>^ %\ ^k\ ook> <>n Natural History, undertaken by tin- author, with the design of introducing into Common Schools, Sabbath School Libraries ami Families, interesting and instructive truths, instead of those fictitious stories \\hich are now so common in the hands of children. lie is -ratified to learn that the plan of graduating the pictures, so as to make them show the comparative dimensions of the animals, is considered by the public, as not only new, but highly useful. Great care has been taken to render the pictures accurate in this respect, and also to make them correct representations of the living birds. In doim; this, considerable difficulty was experienced, for in some instances, no correct drawing of the birds could be found, and therefore the artist was under the necessity of executing original drawings from nature. HARTFORD, Dec. 1847. A volume of the size and price of this, on the Quudrapcds, by Dr. C'omstock, 13 now in press by the same publishers. The two may be had separately, or bound together. . .>RK, Jan. 1M-. IEDS IN GENERAL. TIIKHI \s no class of animals, a knowledge of wh- habits and manm TV is so much calculated to make 11- admire the wi.-dom. the -oodm ---, and the design of the [or, as the Unds. The form- ot 'their bodies, and the strucime of then- hones, quills and feathers, uie so admi- rably adapted to theii modes of life, and so completely answer the purposes for which they were made, that they can hardh ! examined without a reference to Cre- ative wisdom and intelligent design. LAND BIRDS. The Land Birds may again be separated into two orders or division*, namely. Granivorous Birds, and Car- nivorous Birds. The Water Birds may also be separated ini<> two orders, to wit, ihe Waders and the Swimmer*. Tin-Omnivorous Birds live on grain, seeds and insects. Tln-ir food is taken into the stomach whole, where it is softenc-d by warmth and moisture. It then passes to (he gizzard, where il is ground to powder, and thus filled to Tin- bodies of birds are clothed with feathers, one of |1(im . ivh tl|(> anima i. T |, e powe r of the gizzard is so the lightest of all substances, and these are so arranged as to lie over each other, like the shingles of a house, so that they are aioi.iph-te protection against the rain and the cold. That they may irlide easily through the nir, their heads are small, their breasts smooth and gradually swelling, their wings flat, und turned backwards, and their logs so placed, as to make little resistance. Their bones and quills are round and hollow; their lungs are large, and in some kinds, the air passes from them into the hours of the legs and wings ; thus making every p:\rt of the animal as light as possible, consistent with .sufficient strength. That the shape of each tribe or family of birds is peculiarly fitted to the modes of life which they lead, will be obvious when we become acquainted with their natural history. The mandibles of birds are the two halves of their bOls. Birds may be divided into two great classes, or kinds; namely, LAND BIRDS and WATER BIRDS. With what are the bodies of birds covered .' How is this covering nrrar. What is the use of this covering ? What is said of the bones and quills of birds ! Are the shape* of birds peculiarly fitted to their different modes of life > Into how many great classes, or kinds, are birds divided > 2 great, that the hardest seeds are crushed and reduced to powder liy its action. To assist in the grinding, these birds swallow a few little stones, and it appears that these stones are so necessary, that chickens or other birds, when confined and fed ever so well, grow poor without tin in. Hence those who have the care of chickens, either let them out once in a week or two, or feed them with gravel in their coops. Granivorous birds have short bills, which are straight, or a little hooked towards the end. They have small nails on their toes; the toes being divided to (heir roots, are either fitted for scratch- ing in the dirt, or grasping the limbs of trees, or for both. These birds are mild and gentle in their dispositions and habits. They spend their live* in seekini: U,. i food, rearing their young, and avoiding rapacious birdrf and the snares of man. To this order belong the Hen, Partridge, Canary bird, Sparrow, and many others. The Carnivorous, or rapacious birds, live on animal food, and instead of being mild and innocent in their dis- How sre the land birds divided On what do (Ii.inivuroiiM bin!- How do these birds grind their food ? \Vli.ii k,.,.l . : billl li.n.- these birds ? Are these birds milil, or ferocious.' Mention some uf (In- birds n hich belong to this order On what do Carnivorous birds live ? Are they mild, or warlike in their habits) BIRDS IN GENERAL. positions, they are ferocious and warlike in their man- ners and habits. They are not formed to live on corn, and seeds, since they are without gizzards for grinding them. They have strong claws for seizing and holding their prey, and sharp, hooked bills, for tearing it in pieces. These birds live by war and plunder, and prey upon all such animals as they can master. In their manners, they are fierce and solitary, never associating together in flocks, like Granivorous birds. They have uncommon length and power of wing, by which means they are able to overtake and grasp other birds in the air. To this order belong the Eagles, Falcons, Vultures, and many others. WATER BIRDS. The Water Birds are divided, as we have already seen, into Waders and Swimmers. The Waders have long legs, long necks, and some of them long bills. Most of them have their toes divided, like the Land Birds, but some of them are web-footed as far as the second joint. These birds are admirably fitted in their forms for the mode of life they lead. Their long legs enable them to wade about in the water in search of their food, while their long necks make it convenient for them to seize their prey while it is swimming, or to search for it at the bottom. Some of them have long, blunt bills, with which they probe the mud and sand, and from thence draw out their food. Others have sharp bills, with which they strike their prey as with a spear. Those which have their feet partly webbed, can swim when necessity re- quires, but most of this order do not venture into deep water. To this tribe belong the Cranes, Bitterns, Cur- lews and Snipes. The Swimmers have, in general, short legs, webbed feet, necks of moderate length, and broad, flat bills. Most of them have their feet placed far back, by means of which they are enabled to paddle themselves through the water with great swiftness. These birds are not only covered with feathers, like How are their bills and claws formed ? Do these birds associate in flocks ? What birds belong to this order ? How are the Water Birds divided ? How are the Waders shaped ? Are they web-footed .' Where do the Waders live 1 What birds belong to this order How do some of them obtain their food ? What birds belong to the Waders ? What kind of legs and feet have the Swimmers ? With what are they covered, besides feathers? the rest of the race, but they have an additional covering of down next the skin, which completely protects them from the cold as well as the water. The Swimmers live almost entirely in the water, some of them at great distances from the land, but most of them are found in bays, and about the mouths of rivers, near the shore. Their food consists chiefly of roots, sea-grass, and small shell-fish. Many of these birds obtain their food by diving to the bottom after it, while others pick up theirs along the shores. To this order belong the Ducks, Geese, Penguins, and a great variety of others. From the above descriptions, the young student in Natural History can readily distinguish the different classes and orders of Birds from each other. If he is presented with a bird, without knowing whether it belongs to the land or the water, he must examine the bill, neck, feet and legs. If the bill is of moderate length, the neck and legs short, and the toes divided to their roots, he may be certain that it is a Land Bird. If he wishes to know whether his bird feeds on flesh or grain, this is determined by another examination. If the bill is hooked, with a sharp point, the upper mandi- ble curving over the lower one, and the feet aie furnish- ed with sharp claws, it is a Carnivorous bird, and lives by the destruction of other animals. If the bill is of moderate length, and nearly straight, and the feet are without sharp claws, it is a bird that feeds on grain and insects. Again, suppose the student is presented with a bird whose legs and neck are of uncommon length, or which is web-footed, he may be sure that it is a Water Bird. If the legs and neck are very long, the bill sharp, and the toes divided, it is a Wader. But if the legs are short, the neck of moderate length, the bill flat and blunt, and the toes are connected by a membrane, it is a Swimmer. These general descriptions, although they will apply to the Classes and Divisions at large, do not hold true, in every individual case. Thus the Crow and the Jay, though their bills are not hooked, sometimes destroy small animals and eat their flesh ; and the Daiter and Rail, both swim in the water, though the first has a long neck, and long sharp bill, and the second has its toes divided to their roots. Where do these birds live ? How do many of them obtain their food .' What Birds belong to this Order ? What kind of bills, necks and legs, have the Land Birds? How can you tell whether a bird lives on grain, or flesh ? What is the difference between the Waders and the Swimmers ? Do these distinctions hold true in all cases? Wiiat birds are mentioned as exceptions ? ' HI R I) S IN GENERAL. Tlir-i 1 , and nlliiT exceptions, do not, howe\n, allcct the great distinctions which naiine. lias mail. . and mi which llic.-i- divisions air founded. In neatly all cases wheie animals pass from one Class or kind into another, we fiiul that it is through .- in- dividuals, which partake more or less of tin- nature' of each Class. Th us. llio divi-inn between land annuals and li-!i. is so indistinct, lliat it is difficult to say, lo which kind sonic individuals bc]<>n_'. Tht 1 sann- ob.-ervaiioii m-iv In- made in respect to tin 1 biids. There is, fur instance, iuiahiu|)l division between tin- Land and Water liiids, the Waders forming a kind of link l>y which these two kinds arc connected. Among tin- \\ad.-i- there arc -nine which arc tolerably well fit- ted fin the land or tin: water, lull are not perfectly well adapted fur either. Such arc (lie Flamingo, the Heron, and the IVIirun. The- >,une gradual from one kind to another, is obseivrd among the Land liirds. The Crow, the Jay and several I'theis, eat both seeds and tlesh, thus being intermediate In tween the (iianivorons and Rapacious birds. INsr.NiT (IK l;n; There is haidly a more striking proof of the wisdom and benevolence of the ( 'reator, than is exhibited by that ; terious (jiialiiy which is called instinct, and which is I in a icmatkahlc decree by the birds. The nesta of some birds are built with such exqui- skill. ce to set all the art of man at defiance, and it is still more wonderful, that evei\ bird of the same species, should build its nest in the game form, and gen- erally of the same materials. The nests of the Robin are every where formed so exactly alike, that no differ- ence can be seen between them. The same remaik may be made in respect to the nests of the Wren, the ' Quail, and indeed of most of the birds with which we an- acquainted. It makes no difference if the bird has been brought from a distant country, or has never asso- ciated with any of its own kind, its nest will still be like those of its ow n species, almost to the laying of a straw. The situations will aNo be similar : thus the Robin builds on a tree, the Quail on the ground, and the Woodpecker in a hole. The Great Author of nature has also endowed the fowls of the air with surprising sagacity in the means of escaping from each other, and from man. Were this not I> the division between land and water animals very distinct What unlor of Birds an? lilted in a degree both for the land and water 1 What Birds eat both seeds and flesh .' What docs the instinct of Bird* prove .' What 19 said of the form in which birds build their nests? Do all birds of the same kind make their nests alike? Where do Rohius, Quails, and Woodpeckers build their nests? the case, it is probable that the weaker tribes would soon become lew in number, being destroyed by the stroiiL The Hen appears to know by instinct, (he enemy of her race, though far distant in (he an, and will warn her chickens to escape from the Hawk, though flic had ue\cr seen him before. The Canary bird, it is said, will tremble, and turn pale at the sight of a Hawk, while the sight of a Dove will not disturb her. Fear and co^>- lidetice, do not, in this case, arise from experience, since the little bird, having always been confined in its cage, could have no knowledge of the ferocity of the one, nor the mildness of the other. The Quail and Piittridge will pretend to be lame and wing broken, to attract at- tention, while (heir young are escaping; and the Night Hawk will seek a place on the ground, the color of which is so near its own, as not easily to be seen. These aie a few among the instances where the God of Nature has taught the fowls of the air to shield them- selves from hatm, by that instinctive power, which man, with all his wisdom, can neither imitate nor compre- hend. MIGRATION OK HIRDS. Migration signifies the aiinnul passage of Birds, from one country to another. It is well known (hat during the winter, in this country, few birds are seen. The Swallow, the Martin, the Robin, and most other birds leave us on the approach of cold weather, and retire to a warmer climate. Each kind of bird has a particular time of the year, when they commence their flight, and it is astonishing with what exactness they observe this period. During the Autumn, we may one week see thousands of Swal- lows, or Martins in the air, and the next week not one of these birds is to be found. In the spring, they observe the lime of ihcir coming with nearly equal exactness, and hence must leave the country where they have spetil the winter at the same period every year. Most species of birds assemble together, before tin y begin their flight, and seetn to hold a consultation on the subject of their long journey. The Swallows, Black- bird.", Storks, Wild Geese and many other species, per- form their voyages in large florks. Some birds migrate only from one part of the same country to another, while others take immense journeys, What is said of the instinct of the Hen ? What is aaid of the Canary bird 1 What is said of the Quail and Partridge ? What a said of the Night Hawk ? What is meant by the Migration of Birds I What is said about the time of their miirrations ? Do most Birds assemble in flocks, before they begin their journeys ? s BIRDS IN GENERAL. and fly from one continent, or quarter of the globe, to another. The Wild Goose, the Crane, and several other species, are supposed to rear their young farther to the north than any human being has yet penetrated, thus making journeys twice every year of three or four thousand miles. Nothing in Natural History is more wonderful, or more unaccountable, than the migration of birds. It is a subject on which the reasoning, and (he knowledge of man, is of little use. We can only say, that they leave one country and fly to another, apparently either for the purpose of enjoying a warmer climate, of obtaining food, or with the intention of rearing their young. But how they should know which way to fly, when to begin their journey, or by what means they are able to keep their course over vast oceans and continents, is entirely beyond our comprehension. On this subject man is obliged to own his ignorance, and in silence attribute directly to the Great Author of Nature, those qualities which his reason cannot com- prehend. " USEFULNESS OF BIRDS. In addition to the pleasure we receive from seeing and hearing those birds that visit our houses and cultivated grounds, we derive a real advantage from their labors. The vast number of insects which they destroy, would often render the labors of the husbandman and gard- ener useless, had not a kind Providence thus prevented their increase. These birds, says Mr. Bewick, are the industrious, regulating little messengers of Providence, without whose assistance the plough and spade would often find their labors bestowed in vain ; and weak as these instru- ments may appear, without their aid, instead of a land of overflowing plenty, adorned with flowers, and fruits, and trees, in rich luxuriance, we should too frequently meet with nothing but barrenness, and the silence and dreariness of a desert. j The number of insects which birds destroy is immense, ( and altogether beyond common belief. Mr. Bradley, in I his Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening, says, that a I pair of Sparrows carried to their nest, on an average, < forty caterpillars every hour during the day. This would make nearly five hundred of these insects in twelve hours, and more than three thousand during a week. Where is it supposed the Crane and Wild Goose rear their young .' For what purpose do Birds migrate ? By what means are they able to keep their course over oceans and continents ? How are Birds useful to the farmer .' What number of insects is it said a pair of Sparrows destroyed in a ~> week .' Ten pair would therefore destroy more than thirty thou- sand caterpillars per week, a number perhaps sufficient to ruin all the expectations of an honest gardener, and reduce his family to want. LAND BIRDS. DOMESTIC FOWLS. Birds belonging'to this tribe, have neither hooked bills for tearing, like the eagles ; nor sharp ones for striking, like thft cranes ; but they have short thick bills for pick- ing up grain, which is their principal food. Some of them have strong nails for scratching in the dirt, in search of insects, worms and gravel. They build their nests on the ground, and as the brood leave them as soon as hatched, little care is taken in constructing them. To this tribe belong the Cock and Hen, Peacock, Guinea Hen, and many others. COCK AND HEN. These birds are so universally known, that to describe them would be only a waste of time. The Cock has been long a domestic bird, and it is well known, that all animals when taken under the protec- tion of man, and made his property, undergo more or less changes, both in figure and color. Those animals there- fore, which have been longest in captivity, have suffered the greatest changes in these respects. Of all the feathered race, the Cock seems to have been the longest in captivity, and hence he differs most widely from birds of the same kind, which have con- tinued in a state of nature, and enjoyed their indepen- dence. COCK AN I> U r. \ All \vill birds of the same kind, wliicli flock together, ir alike, :HIC| an' marked with (lie same spots, or arc ot' the same color. Thus one bine-jay, or one robin. Will give OOrreel idea of all tin- olli roliins, in the neighborhood. But it is not so wuh ihe d,rk ami Hen. Some me red, others while, and others spoiled with vaiioiis colors. These bmls differ also in other respect*. Some Cocks are ornamented with large and tieinKifiil tails, while olheis arc entirely without this ornament. The bodies of SIM -red with smooth shining plumage, while others ore clothed with feather.*, standing in all direc- tions ; and >o wide are these dilti rences, that one kind which comes from Japan, is covered with hair instead of fcalh -i this all ; for there is as much difference: in the si/.e of them, as there in in their colors. One kind is nearly three feet high ; and from this down to the l',.m- lam cliicken, which is little larger than a pigeon, these buds are seen of all sizes. All these varieties of colors nnd sixes appear to bl- owing entirely to domestication, and the difference of climate and feeding. This is known from comparing the domestic fowls, with (he original stock from whence they came, which still exists in its wild slate in several of the islands of the Indian Ocean, and also on the coast of Malabar, in the East Indies. These fowls are black and yellow, the same parts on each being of the same color. The color of the comb is yellow instead of red, ns among us. The size as well as the color of these wild biids. i- the samp wherever ..re found. There is one peculiarity in them, winch, so far as we know, is unaccountable. Their bones, when boiled, instead of being white, like those of our fowls, ate as black as eboin. The Cock, when attacked by one of his own kind, is one of the most courageous nnd unyielding of all ani- mals ; nnd such is his nice sense of honor, that he often commences the attack himself, because one of his fellows happens to crow in his presence. When the battle has once begun, the pride of both panic-, .-veins to be uncon- querable, and they will hold out to the last breath, and die on the spot, rather than yield the victory. In these contests, when one becomes so exhausted thai he can no longer stand, but lies bleeding on the ground, the other crows over him in loken of victory and triumph, (hus cruelly insulting his fallen enemy. \Vhen this is beard, the poor prostrate bird, as though he had resolved to sutler dcaih, rather (ban endure insult, jumps up, and if he can stand, renews the battle, and fights until his last breath. But the Cock often ffonducts himself in quite a differ- ent manner, on other occasions; for when he meets the hawk, an enemy of his race, and the destroyer of his 3 brood, his pride and courage generally forsake him, and he skulks away into the fnvt i . |en\ nig In- con- sorl, (be Hen, (o take erne of herself and her rhi.-l ill the b< -I in.inn. i .-In- ran. The conduct of this gilly brute is imitated at (he j ent day, by some human beings, who call th< men of honor. If one of ihee men happen t,. spc -bar]) word to the other, lie considers it as n i \er him, and immediately offers to do battle wilh him, by sending him what is railed a challfngt, thn an offer to fight him wilh swords, pistols or guns, unlil one or the other is killed. This is called a duel, and sonn! lines when one is \\ minded, bill not quite killed, the other will crow over him, by saying thai he is a cow- ard, unless he continues to fight as long as he can hold his sword or pistol in his hand, and (hus he is insulted, even while his blood is running, unless he fights until he kills, or is killed himself. At the same lime, these men, who are so ready lo spill their blood in defence of their honor, or in other words, who had rather die than suffer what they call an insult, are very often both of them cowards. For let an enemy come into their country and destroy it with fire and sword, and very likely these men would be the first to skulk away into some safe place, and like the Cock, let their wives and children take care of themselves. It is personal pride, therefore, and not true courage, which makes men fight duels, and kill one another for the sake of honor. And he who does this, it is quite plain, is as much guilty of the bloody crime of murder, as he who lies in wail and shoots another because he is angry with him. The Cock is, however, generally very attentive to his females. He leads them into the fields to feed, hardly r going out of their sight, and appearing very conse- quential and happy at the bead of his family. If a stran- ger of his own kind ventures among ihe group on such occasions, he instantly, and without ceremony, attacks him, and if possible drives the intruder olT the ground. He then returns to his Hens, crows several limes in token of victory, and seems to expect from them some . -p. -rial nolice, as a reward for his bravery. This bird is a very early riser, generally beginning lo crow at the dawn of day, soon after which he goes forth with his family in search of breakfast. The number of eggs which some Hens will lay in a year, if well fed, and allowed the liberty of ranging in the open air, is about two hundred. If left to herself, she howcM-r seldom lays more than twenty eggs, before she shows a disposition to hatch them. Hut if the eggs are taken away, she will continue to lay others, in the hope of increasing ihe number, and thus laying the foun- dation of a more numerous family. If she ia disappointed in this, and ihe season for hatching has nearly expired, 10 COCK AND HEN. she will begin to sit, even if she has only one or two eggs. The nest of the Hen is constructed with very little care, because her instinct teaches her that it is useless to make a place for the comfort of her brood, since they leave the nest and run about, as soon as they are hatched. She however takes care that the place where she retires to produce her brood, should be covered from the rain, and as much as possible out of the way of such animals as would rob her nest. When she begins to sit, she seems to show by her con- duct, that she is aware how important a business she has undertaken. On such occasions, nothing can exceed her perseverance and her patience. She remains on her nest whole days and nights in succession, without eating or drinking ; and when she is forced, by hunger, to leave her eggs for a few minutes, she runs to the door of her mistress, and by her clucking, makes known her wants ; and having taken a few kernels of corn, hurries back to her charge. If, however, she gets nothing to eat, she does not loiter on this account, but goes to her nest, and if ever so hungry, takes care that her future brood does not perish by her eggs growing cold in her absence. While sitting, she turns her eggs over, and now and then puts the outside ones into the middle, so that each may be equally warmed. And when the time comes near for the chickens to break their shells, she seems still more anxious, and often does not leave her nest a moment, for several days, and as many nights. The strongest and largest chickens burst their shells first, while the weaker ones leave theirs last, and some- times die in attempting to escape. When all that are living have come forth, she then leads them into the open air, and begins to provide food for them in the best man- ner she is able. In this however she is generally assisted by her mistress, who watches the coming of the brood with interest, and the moment she finds them moving, supplies all the necessary provision. The mother however does not stand idle and see them eat, but desirous of gaining their affection by her tender care, takes up small particles of the food, and one after the other calls them and puts it into their mouths. At this time, affection for her young, and the piide she seems to feel as a mother, produce a remarkable change in her character. From being cowardly, and voracious, she becomes courageous, and a very small eater. She will attack any animal, whether it be dog, horse, hawk or man, which comes too near her brood, and she will eat nothing herself which her chickens can swallow, un- less there is enough for all. When marching out to take the air, and find food for her little troop, she acts as their guide, and commander; calls them when she finds a morsel fit for their food, and when she sees a hawk in the air, warns them of their danger by a peculiar note, on hearing which every one seeks a place of safety, and hides itself from the enemy. At night, or in damp weather, she gathers them under her wings to keep them warm, and by a peculiar and gentle voice, seems to hush them to sleep. It has been stated, that the Hen will lay, in the course of the year, about two hundred eggs, which is twenty times as many as she can hatch, and bring up the chickens. Now it seems to be the nature of man, so far as lies in his power, to turn every thing to his own profit or advan- tage; and if chickens could be hatched and reared in some artificial manner, they would yield a vastly greater profit than the eggs. Hence men sought out and in- vented a way of hatching chickens without Hens, and thus by an unnatural method, of producing immense broods without mothers. The invention of hatching chickens by artificial heat, appears to have been made in Egypt, in which country it has long been practiced, and is still carried on as a tiade. Men who follow this business, go about seeking employment, by offering to take charge of the ovens in which chickens are hatched. These ovens, according to Mr. Bingley, are of differ- ent sizes, but large enough to contain from forty to eighty thousand eggs each. They are of very simple construc- tion, consisting only of low arched apartments -of clay. In these apartments are two rows of shelves on which the eggs are laid, care being taken that they should not touch each other. Each egg is slightly moved, five or six times every day. During the first eight days, a con- siderable degree of heat is kept up, but after this time, the warmth is gradually diminished, until at the period when the eggs are about to be hatched, the fire is entirely put out, the air in that country being sufficiently warm for the comfort and health of the brood. After they are hatched, the chickens require very little care besides feeding, the heat in that country being so great as not to make it necessary to brood, or cover them, even in the night. The Cock never sleeps so soundly as not to be easily awakened. His great watchfulness is known by his crowing in the night, and particularly towards morning, to- let us know that the day dawns, and that the sun is rising to enlighten the earth. To the crowing of this bird towards morning, our Sav- iour alludes, when he exhorts his disciples to be ever watchful and ready for his coming. " Watch ye, there- fore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh ; at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crow- ing, or in the morning." Mark, 13 ; 35. The Cock crows regularly at dboul midnight, as well as in the morning, and these periods have been called the first and second cock crowing. If, however, refer- T 11 K P K ACOC K . II ! n< i -is made to tlu- crowing of this bird without mention- ' THE PEACOCK. i In- HIM,-, it ig understood ( anthe moinmgci There are only four species ,,f the Peacock known. I.ecailM- llus is the pen..d when In' I.- l.losl coin- ( )f , |,, ,,., , Wl , :u ,'. f , 1|H| ,| ,,, ^j^ , Aln ,.a, .) one inoiily beard. in China. Tile? kind known ami il. -sii.-ai.'d in KM To these BuUltCliofU OUr S&viour Mem lo have refer- and Arn. no.,, cam l-jmally from Alia. 1 hr\ a, rail red, when It.- warned hi* disci|)lt- Peter, that In- was birds of lar-.- si/.- ami _ n-at I.. Their food is corn, ultout in disown, and deny Ins MI-I.-I. And Jesus herbs and insects. saiili iinio him. vi-rily 1 >ay nnio ill.-.', that this day, even ' in this nielli, 1.1-fon- the cockciow tinci; thoil shall deny '''HE CRESTED PEACOi K. I'"' tl"-' ." Marfc,l4j80, (TU.l.o U reo.Pek.] By this ,t j, understood, that before ihe n.-xt morning, ll,,w Urge, bird i. the Cre.ted Pecork > oi perbejM between midnight, when the Cock crows il.,. -,.,. rr ,. M ,.,| p,.,, ( .,,, L j, .,,,, five fee( , ong> l|lc tai , first nine, and il,,. dawn of day, when lie crows ugain. | H ,,^ ,| ,,.,., ., ., ,,.,,,-, ., ,,. ,, Qne foQt an( , that Peter would deny that he knew the Saviour. ;i i |;i ||- | And this came lo pass a. cmding lo ihe prediction ; :.e ofihin l>ir.i > for when this disciple saw Ins Masier in ihe hands of his The shnpeof llus hird is in some respects very bcauti enemies, who were leading him away to crucify him, his fill. The head is small, and crowned with a crest, con- fears foi In* own safety pn-\ ailed over his formi-r attach- sisling of a few straight feathers ; the neck is long and meni,and In- cruelly and deceitfully d.-nii'd that he ever small, lap.-rinir most gracefully from the breast upwards ; knew him. ' And as 1'eler was i.eiu-alh, in (he palace, the body is of considerable i/e ; the wings short, and there conieih one of the maids of the high priest ; and tin- tail \ery large and long. when she >a\v 1'eter warming hims< II. she looked upon , What i the color of the Peacock ? him, and said, and ihou also wast with Jcsns of Na/a- ^ colors are very splendid, and so arranged, as to reth." ' Hut he denied, saying, I know not what thou produce the mosl striking effect. The back and wings st. And In- went out into the porch ; and the Cock are of a ''g" 1 ash color, mingled with black ; the head, cn-w.' 1 Mark, 14; 66-68. ' neck and breast are greenish blue, with a gloss, which, After tins, he was again accused by this maid, nnd by i in the sun, appears exceedingly brilliant; the eyes are another person, of being one of the Saviour's disciples, i t between two stripes of white; the feathers of the and at ea. h time be declated that he did not know him. tail are a changeable mixture of green, blue, purple And immediately after the third denial, the Cock crew and gold ; towards the end, each one has a dark sp..i, the second time. So that the prediction, " Ik-fore the '/ surrounded with gold and green, appearing like Cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice," was ex- j The whole of this tiain the bird can spread into the form nctly fulfilled. of a half circle, when it becomes one of the most brill- Hut as in othei cai . !' tor's deceitfulness and lying ! iant and beautiful objects imaginable, did not go unpunished, for bis conscience accused him of j The Peacock, though a native of Asia, was at a very his ciinie as s, , on as it was committed, for he " remein- early period carried to various parts of the world. In ber'-d the words of Jesus." "And he went out and the days of Solomon, we find that these birds were im- wept bitterly." ported from the east, in order to gratify the taste of that The Hen, it is well known, gathers her chickens un- monarch for the beautiful productions of nature. Among der her wind's, both to piotect them from danger, and to other articles which his ships brought him. are mentioned them warm. To this trait of tenderness in her "gold, silver, ivory, apes nnd Peacocks." 1 Kings, natural history, our Saviour alludes, when he addressed 10; 22. the Jews, and warned them of the miseries about to de- \ Among the Romans, in their days of luxury and ex- d on iheir city, as a punishment for having rejected travagancc, Peacocks were held in the hi^h.-st e-iuna- his offers of mercy. " Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ihou thai lion ; and the person who first ordered them lo be sen > d killest the prophets, and stonest (hem which are eenl up at his table, as an article of food, became so c< !<- unto thee, how often would I have leathered thy clnl- brat, d on this account, (hat Ins name is known to this dren, even as a H.-n ij'ithereth her chickens under her day. wings, and ye would not." Matthew, -22; :t7. .\fter their first introduction to the table, il soon be- How beautifully and how affectionately does this ex- came fashionable amoiii: the great nu n at Rome, to eat ]>T.-S the S.aioiir's love towards rebellions men. Even Peacocks; not probably on account of tin ir yoo.h after they had rejected, and despis. d him ami his warn- but because their expense was such as lo pievent most ings, still he was willing to take them undi r his divine people from offering so cosily a dish ; so that the man protection, as a Hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and to save them from everlasting ruin. who first undertook ih<- business of fattening them for the markets, made his fortune by the trade. 12 THE PEACOCK. THE PEACOCK. In Greece, at one period, these birds were so highly esteemed, that the price of a pair of them was more than a hundred dollars our money ; and we are told that when Alexander the Great was in India, he was so struck with their beauty, that he laid a heavy fine and punishment on any person who should in any manner wound, or injure them. At that time, when a pair was carried to Athens, the rich went from all parts of Greece, for no other purpose than to behold so great a curiosity ; each person paying a certain sum for the sight. In what manner the Romans cooked their Peacocks, we are not informed, but at the present day, after the highest seasoning, their flesh is still black, tough, and when compared with that of other birds, but very poor and insipid eating. How long Peacocks were considered a delicious, as well as a costly article of diet, does not appear; but in the time of King Francis First, of France, about the be- ginning of the sixteenth century, these birds were still used at the entertainments of the great, though they were not eaten. At that time, the fashion was to take off the skin, and then having prepared the flesh with spices and salt, the THE G ROUS. 13 skin was airain drawn on, so llml iho bird appeared in full plumage, .ui.l was in noway injured by this pn-p.-i- rntion. Thus fulfil up fur service, ii was kept for many years, to be set on tin- laMf in full dress, on great occasions. At Weddings, and other hi^h tunes, they filled llie beak nnd throat i>f llie bird with cotton and camphor, which was set on tire fur the < nicriainnif ni of the company. For the beauty of its plum uje, few of the featheied "inparf with (he Peacock. But this poor bird can boast of nothing but outside show. His voice, which il a kind of scream, is unplea-aiil, mid e\en shocking to ir : hi-i I eif s are Mack, and so homely, that it is said II never look at them himself. He is a voracious eater, and devours plants, seeds, corn and insects, with- out distinction. In gardens, and planted fields, he is such an intolerable nuisance, that bis owner is often obli- ged to pay money for the damage he commits. The di-LTiistmi,' habits and bad conduct of this bird, therefore, make him a disagreeable companion, notwith- standing Ins Leauty. So that those who are well ac- quainted with him, take little notice of his dress, his character being a matter of much more consequence, to them than the fine appeaiance of his feathers. Let this be a lesson 10 those who expect that personal beauty, and external show, rather than good qualities, will gain them permanent respect, and virtuous influ- ence in the world. The truth is, that personal beauty, like the Peacock's plumage, after being a little while admired, if not combined with other charms, is every where soon forgotten, or despised. Let a person be ever so gaudily dressed, and ever so handsome, if he is disgusting in his manners, and over- bearing in his conduct, he will soon find himself shun- ned and hated by everybody; whereas u person of amiable and obliL'iii:: manners, if neither handsome in person, nor dressed in fine clothes, will always be be- loved, and always have influence, wherever he goes. Who would not rather possess the modest Quaker dress of the turtle dove, with its endeaiing manners, than all the beauty of the Peacock, with his voracious appetite and pernicious habits. THE GROUS. Birds of the Grons kind have thick short bills, the upper mandible being a little longer than the lower nd -lightly bent at the end. Their toes arc four in number, three forward, of which the middle one is much the longest, and one backward, which is quite short. They lly very swiftly, but their wings are so short, that they canitoi continue their (light to any nn-al Jjg. lance. They skulk in the Ui.od-. and are .-ei-n with dif- ficulty, except when on the \\ To this tribe belonir the (irons, Partridge, and some others. THE PINNATED GROUS. How large u the Pinnated Grou* ? The Pinnated Grous is a foot and a half long, and with the wings extended, two feet and three inches wide. It has a second pair of wings on the neck. What if the color of this bird ? Its color on the back, is yellowish brown, spotted with black ; the throat is marked with touches of reddish brown, black and white ; the breast is marked across ; with spots of black and brown ; the comb is of an ele- gant yellow, and in the form of a half moon ; under the : neck-wings, there are spots of loose, naked skin, about the size and color of an orange ; the tail is short, and of a pale brown. What is the form of this Grou* .' The form of the Pinnated Grous, as well as its color, very much resemble those of the Partridge. Where is thin bird found ? This bird is found in several parts of the United States, but is scarce, and only inhabits particular places. The figure of this bird is from Wilson. Il is a male, ; and represented in the act of sit lilting. The neck-wings are raised up, so that the peculiar yellow spot under them is to be seen. The principal wings are partly spread, nnd pushed towards the ground, so as nearly to hide the legs. Tli< head and tail are raised high, giv- ing him, on the whole, a very proud and pompous app Mr. Wilson states, that when he- first saw a nnml/er of these birds, they were in the ,H t of slriitlinir. and that the figure they cut \\a~ BO novel and singular, that m- ul of shooting at them, he took out bis paper and drew the picture of one on the spot. The Grous is \.-L.'in their sport.-- as ii-iinl, when ilit- gunner shoots aiiKiiiLT them and - main a." lir Anroni; sportsmen, whether they go out for profit or amusement, and also am.mi: the lovers of delicate mor- sels, there is no liinl moie snuijhl after, or more famous than (lie Grous. On this account, ih.-\ liavi-, of late is-, I'.-come e\ceedin'_'lv rue. so that in the city of r. tamed, for on hatching their [1 under .1 hen, it is found that the young ones make tlieir escape into the woods as soon as (hey can fly.* THE PARTRIDGE. [ Thin bird, in the Southern Stattt, it called Pheaianl.] How large is the Partridge ? The Partridge is a foot and a half long, and nearly two feet in extent, with the wings spread. What it its color > On the hack, upper part of the wings, and neck, it is spotted, or variegated with black, reddish brown, pale brown and white ; on each side of the neck there is a larire Mark spot ; a broad black stripe runs across the tail, on each side of which there is a narrow one of pale blue ; the under parts are pale blue, spotted with brown. U .re is the partridge found ? This bird is found in all parts of the United States. ( >! what IMC ii this bird ? The Partridge is of considerable use as an article of ' See Wilion'i Ornithology. fond. During the tall, and beginning of winter, great uimiliei - of them are taken, either in traps or snares, and carried to market. This heniKifiil l-ird 1,\. - chiefly amoii^ mountain*, covered Wllllev . such a- the pine, hemlock and lamel. Its place of residence is entir.lv dii from that of the grous. The Partridge loves thick shady places, which are cool in summer, and warm in winter while the Broils prefers ..pen, barren plains, where it is hot in summer, ami cold in winter. The grous is never found on the ground occupied by the Partridge, nor is the Partridge often seen on the plains with the grous. The habits of the Parliidge ate very solitary, there being seldom found more than four or five together, and more commonly only one or two are seen at a time. Every one who lives in the neighborhood of these birds, has heard the noise which they make with their wings, and which is called drumming. This noise is often mistaken for the low rumbling of distant thunder, and may be heard, in a calm morning, at the distance of a mile, or more. It is made only by the male, who, seated on some fallen tree, strikes his wings on each side of it, at first slowly, and distinctly, after which the strokes are quickened, and become so rapid as to run into each other, resembling the rolling of a drum. It is singular (hat a person, even after hearing the Partridge drum many limes, cannot form a correct judgment of its dis- tance from him, it always being further off than he sus- pects. Gunners who do not well know the habits of this bird, often think they have their game quite near, when in fact il is half a mile or more from them. The Partridge makes her nest on the ground, and, like other birds of this kind, takes very little care about its construction. A few dried leaves, in some concealed place, are all that she requires. As soon as the young are hatched, they leave the nest, under the direction of their mother, in search of food; and it is quite interesting and curious to observe the >-..ily habits of these little creatures. If the mother happens to be surprised at the head of her family, she instantly ulteis a note of alarm, which is as instantly understood and obeyed by them all ; for in a second or two, one conceals itself so cunningly among the leaves, that it is ran- one can be found. While the young are doing this, the old bird acts her pan to admiration. She tum- bles, or rolls along on the ground, and pretends that her - and legs are broken, so that the peis.m, nist' searching for the joung.M made to believe he-can, in the lii-t place, catch the mother without dilliculiy. When she has led the intruder a few rods from her young, in this way. she all at once lakes wing, and is out of si. a moment. The Parliidge does not, like most of our birds, migrate 16 THE PARTRIDGE. into a warmer climate during the winter, but is a con- stant inhabitant among us. Mr. Wilson relates a curious anecdote of one of these birds. While walking in the woods, he started a mother with only a single young one, which appeared to be only a few days old. The old bird fluttered before him as usual, for a moment, and then, as though she recollected a surer way of saving her young, suddenly flew back, and. seizing it with her bill, to his astonishment, rose above the woods, and with great rapidity and steadiness, flew out of his sight with it in her mouth. This, continues Mr. Wilson, was a striking instance of something more than what is termed blind instinct. The bird acted as the circumstances required. To carry away a whole brood in this manner at once, would have been impossible, and to attempt to save one and leave the others, would have been unnatural. She therefore usually takes the only possible mode of saving a whole brood, by feigning herself lame and unable to fly, so as to attract the attention of the person who intrudes upon her. But in the present instance, having only a single young one, she altered her plan, and adopted the most simple and effectual mode of saving it. This bird is not easily seen, while sitting still among the leaves, and of this she seems to be aware, for she will permit a person, if not seen herself, to come within a few yards of her, before she flies. But if seen, and the person skulks along shyly, now and then giving her a look, she will commonly fly before he gets near her. In other respects, the Partridge, particularly when young, is so silly as not to make use of the most common means of escape. When a brood, which are just old enough to fly, are started, they usually rise up and light on the nearest tree, and there sit, particularly if much noise is made below, until each one in turn, is shot down by the sportsman. They seem to be so amazed, both at the noise, and at seeing each other fall, as not to have the power of moving. The flesh of this bird has the finest flavor in the months of September and October, when they feed on chestnuts and partridge berries. The latter, which are also known under the name of winter- green berries, give their flesh a peculiarly fine flavor. The Partridge is twice mentioned in the sacred scrip- tures. When David expostulated with Saul, concerning his cruel and unjust conduct towards him, and particularly his pursuit of him from place to place, he says; " The king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a Parlridge, in the mountains." 1 Samuel, 26; 20. In the East, as these birds cannot fly very far without lighting, it is said they are hunted, by watching the spot where they alight, and then suddenly starting them again ; and that by doing this several times, they become so fatigued as to be taken without difficulty, even with the hand. It is probable, that it is to this mode of hunting them, the allusion is made ; and it strikingly represents the de- fenceless condition of David, and the humble and lowly opinion he had of himself. He was as innocent before Saul, as this harmless bird was before the hunter, and as incapable of resisting his cruel enemy, except by the interposition of the Almighty, as the Partridge is of stand- ing against the force of its pursuer. But David trusted in God for protection and safety, against all the power of his cruel enemy ; and in this he was not disappointed, for the Almighty delivered him unhurt from all the snares of his pursuer. The other passage where this bird is mentioned, is in Jeremiah, 17 ; 11, and is in allusion to the curse which attends riches, when obtained by fraud or oppression. " As the Partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and his end shall be a fool." The Partridge lays her eggs on the ground, and, as we have already stated, takes very little pains in the con- struction of her nest. When she begins to sit,her instinct teaches her to expect a large brood, but it often happens, that by reason of the rain, or some other misfortune, few of her eggs produce young birds, and thus she sets with- out hatching, and is disappointed. So it is with men who gain wealth by unjust means. They for a time, perhaps, may enjoy themselves, and are looking forward for much happiness in the world ; but even in this life, such people are often disappointed. They brood over their ill-gotten riches, and are incon- stant fear, lest they should, in one way or another, be taken from them. Their consciences accuse them of having been guilty of fraud, and they are in continual apprehension that some circumstance will suddenly re- veal to the world their dishonesty. Thus riches, when obtained by fraud or oppression, become the cause of misery, instead of being a source of comfort and hap- piness. Then let us always remember, " that honesty is the best policy," and that we had much better be poor and happy, than rich and miserable. Let us also remember, that if dishonest gain is often a source of trouble and misery in this world, it will be still more so in the world to come, for on the great day of account, all our secret frauds will not only be published to the assembled uni- verse, but we shall be punished according to the deeds done in the body. T H K Q I A I I, 17 TIII: ta AH. [In tome parti of.tmrriea, IMa bird it tailed I'urtrulge.] II. v. The i|iiail IN miii- inches Inn,', and fourteen inches in exii-nl, with the v. .id. What is its color ? Its general color is reddish brown, spoiled with lilark ; over the e\ex and run niiiL r down the neck (here is a patch of while; tin- breast and tinder parts, aie pale \ ellow. I u ith Mack ; ihe throat is white, and I he legs pale ash color. Win :. ..'ill ! The Quail is an inhabitant of the United States, from Canada to Florida. It is also found in almost every part of Euro] Ofwli.it use u the Quail ? This bird is much esteemed as an article of food. In autumn and at the beginning of winter, it is very fat and plump, and is then considered a delicacy for the table. The particular places where Quails love to reside, are not among ihe mountains, like the partridge, nor on the barren plains, with the grous, but about cultivated fields, and in open places around the borders of woodlands. Sometimes they venture even to the barn yard, where they feed with the poultry, and if not frightened away, will become so tame as to pick up corn when thrown them. These poor birds are, however, every where persecu- ted and destroyed ; not on account of the mischief they do, but because their flesh is a delicate morsel to the taste of man. No wild bird of equal value is so easily taken. Their simplicity and want of suspicion, lead them into trap-; and snares, which the more cunning and sagacious of the feathered race take care to -.linn. Almost every boy in the country , during the fall and winter,"is armed with a gun, or the more insidious quail trap, for their destruction ; and did they not multiply in great num- it is not easy to see why the whole race would not be exterminated. Quails build their nests about walls, or fences, or in the open fields, under a bush, or thick tuft of grass ; and in its construction they employ more industry than most birds of this kind. The materials are dry grass, and the is covered over on the top, to secure it from the 4 rain. In lionl there is a d.nr-way. or entiance lor the bird. Quail* lay from twelve to twenty-four eirv . soon as the vouim crawl out of their shells, ih< -. ready to follow then mother in seaich of lh- <, and small insects for food. Should a person surprise this beautiful little I. HIM could not bin be interested iooli-n\r il l( - ail which mother and young employ to escape fiom harm. The old hud, like the partridge, makes use of fal-e pn-i. i tin- ait< niioii of the intruder, luit it is done m a still e artful manner. She pretends, by her actions, that she is nni only sorely wounded, and unuble to get out of the way, hut that her cast; is des|>erale; for she imitates the dy mi: Main go well, that one can hardly help thinking the poor biid is actually at the point oi death. While the person is admiring such a specimen of instinctive art in the old bird, or trying to catch hei, the young dive into the iriav-:. and lie so close, that it is lare one of them can be found ; while (lie mother, the moment she thinks them safe, no longer pretends dis- tress, but takes wing and is out of sight. As soon as all danger is over, she goes back, and utters her call, u hen in a few minutes she is again surrounded by her family, all alive and well. Thus do these innocent birds escape, by means of the instinctive sagacity with which the Cre- ator has kindly endowed them. Young Quails, when hatched under a hen, soon learn the call of their adopted mother, and though more apt to stray away and get lost than other chickens, still they often, for the first season, become so tame as to run for their food with the others, when (ailed. Hut however tame they may become during the first winter, they uni- formly make their escape m the spring, and never return. Mr. Wilson gives an accotintof two of these birds, which wen- hatched under a hen, and which when weaned by her, associated with the cows. They regularly followed these animals to the pasture, in the morning, and return- ed with them at evening, and always staid by, while they were milked. In the winter, they took up then residence in the stable with the cows, but as soon as spring appeared, they flew away, and were not seen afterwards. Common chickens, when hatched by a Quail, will par- take of her manners and habits ; the eflecl being just the contrary of that produced by hatching the Quail under a hen. Mr. Wilson tells us, that a friend of his made an e\. periment, by putting pome In i under a Quail while she was silting, first taking away her CL'L'S, when she was absent. She hatched them all. and for sc weeks afterwards, he often saw the brood, and observed the conduct, both of the chickens and their mother-in- 20 THE SWALLOW. perhaps begin with the song of the robin, then whistle like a quail, then squall like a cat-bird, then twitter like a swallow, and so on, running through the notes of every bird in the woods, with surprising truth and rapidity. . When tamed, he mocks every sound he hears, with equal exactness, and it is often very amusing to witness the effect of this deception. He whistles for the dog ; the dog jumps up, wags his tail, and runs to look for his master. He peeps like a hurt chicken ; and the old hen runs clucking to see who has injured her brood. He mews like a kitten, and mother puss hearkens, and stares to find where the noise comes from, and many other things of this kind he does to perfection. The Mocking Bird is much esteemed by those who are fond of such amusements, and in most of our large cities they are kept for sale by the dealers in birds. The price for common singers is from ten to twenty dollars. For fine singers, from thirty to fifty dollars, and for very extraordinary ones, even a hundred dollars has been refused. When we walk out into the woods, how are we cheered with the songs, and gratified with the sight of the birds which surround us. The green grass, the beau- tiful flowers, and the tall trees of the forest, it is true, are pleasant to the sight. But these are inanimate ; they preserve a dead and perpetual silence. They grat- ify the eye, but the ear would be left untouched, and the charms of nature but half, complete without the feathered songsters. When we walk alone through the solitary forest, they become our companions, and seem to take pleasure in displaying their beauties, and raising their best notes for our amusement. Thus, the fowls of the air, by the benevolence of the Creator, add to our pleasures, and lighten our hearts. What child, then, can be so selfish, and ungrateful, as to enjoy these pleasures without thinking WHO it is he ought to thank for them. It is to " our Father in heaven," that we are to give thanks for the innocent, pleasures we enjoy, as well as for the more necessary provision of our daily bread. THE SWALLOW. The swallow tribe have short bills, which are broad at the root, sharp at the end, and a little hooked : their tails are forked ; their legs short, and in most of them, the toes are placed three forward and one backward. Their wings are long, and they fly with wonderful swift- ness. Besides the several kinds of Swallows, known by that name, the Marten, and some others, belong to this tribe. THE MARTEN. How large a bird is the Marten ? The Marten is considerably larger than the Swallow, being eight inches long, and, with the wings spread, sixteen inches in extent. What color is this bird ? The wings and tail are brownish black, the other parts are of a purplish blue, very deep and rich. In the sun, beautiful violet reflections are thrown out from the neck and breast. What is the shape of the Marten ? In shape, this bird resembles the others of the swallow kind. The body, legs and bill, are short, the wings long, the tail forked, and the eyes full and dark. These innocent birds are well known throughout the country, and are general favorites wherever they take up their residence. Like all the swallow tribe, they migrate on the ap- proach of winter to a warmer climate, and make their appearance again sometime in the month of April, when they are hailed with a hearty welcome. The Martens are come! is always a piece of news that is heard with pleasure, and generally every child runs out, to satisfy himself of its truth. This agreeable bird always takes up its summer resi- dence about the habitations of men, and its confidence and familiarity are generally a protection against injury. There is scarcely a boy, however fond he may be of his gun, who will shoot a Marten. Such an act of deprav- ity, indeed, would be considered, in most neighborhoods, too base and cruel to be soon forgotten. The inhabitants of the forest, and the poor laboring slave, as well as the refined people of the world, agree in offering hospitality to the Marten. It is common, Mr. Wilson tells us, among several tribes of Indians, to cut off the upper branches of a tree near their cabins, leaving their prongs a foot or two long, and to hang a hollow gourd shell to each prong, for these birds to build their nests in. And, on the banks of the Mississippi, the negroes set up long canes with a box on the top, for the same purpose. It is common, indeed, in all parts of our country, for people to set up some sort of accommodation for this favorite bird. Their mode of building is too well known to need description. They commonly repair their nest from year THE SWALLOW ir, ami, unless their box is torn down, continue to rear their VOIMIL; in the same place, from one uenerulion to anodicr. While tin- female is selling on her eggs, tlic ninlr is 'tlenlive lo her, visiting lirr many limes in tlie da\ , and frequently taking her place, while she -jors al>road for exercise and food. When In- comes home, afier an excursion, lie aUvn .redly to the nest, and looks in to see how -lie il.M -. ati'l on Mii-li occasions, their * are particularly soft and tend' r. The-,,- I, iuls always unite in pairs, and arc so attached to each oilier, I hat if a third comes, they will both attack anil drive it away. Tin! Marten is a bird of great courage, and does not ' to attack the crow, or hawk, if they come too near his nest. OHMU-'I MIIV ol them unite for the eneral defence, and do not <:ive up the battle until the enemy i> driven out of the tieiL'hliorhood. The wren olien troubles ihe Marten in a most imper- tinent and piovokinij manner. Beinir the smaller biid, they take adv the Marten's absence, lo fill up the p , so that when the owner comes home, he finds his door shut against him, and his house occupied by another family. Sometimes, also, these impudent little warriors will attack the Martens, and drive them out by main force; or tease them until, for their own comfort, they give them up their property, and go lo another place and build anew. In the following instance, however. It appears that the Martens Were tOO cunninvr. even for the wren. nple of Martens had, for several years, occupied a certain ca-v, which was fixed on the side of the house. One d:i\. these birds Weir observed to be in a stole ot' threat agitation and alarm. They would fly to the cage, butin a moment leave it a^ain.as though afraid logo in, at the same time uttering cries of alarm and dread. On watchinir their motions, and looking at the cage, to find out the- cause of this trouble, a pair of wrens were ob- served to come out of it, and, after giving themselves a ,rs of importance, and triumph, (lew away. The Martens t,,ok this opportunity of returning to the cage, but their stay was short, for the wrens came back in a few minutes, and drove them av This squabbling for the ri-rht of possession, continued most of the day, but on the following morning, when the wren- ipnlted the caire, the Martens instantly, and as though they had l>efore agreed what to do, entered it, and went to work with all their miL'ht,lo break up their It minhi have Ken thought, that out of spite to . they intended lo destroy their ne-l, so that it should be of no use to them. But this did not prove to ij part of their plan. Having broken up tin they began to pile up the pieces, so as lo till the door of their cage; and such was the ingenuity and industry with which ibis was done, that it was soon made against the eiiliance of their little enemies. The Mai- ;tiside. and when (he wrens came, they tneil lo force a passage, but found the pi. ice too strong for them. For nearly two da\s did ibis heroic pair defend themselves, without a mouthful of provisions, while the on the outside pressed the siege with L 1 : trying to be at down (heir works, so as to gam an enti l-'indinir, at last, that (heir force was not sufficient t..r stirh an enterprise, they abandoned the place, anil left the Ma i tens in possession of their property, though some- what injured by the war. THE IUHN SWALLOW. The color of this well known little bird, along the back, is steel blue; the wings and tail arc black, the under parts brownish red. Its length is seven inches, and with its wings spread, it is thirteen inches in extent. The Swallow inhabits almost every part of the world. In this country, it migrates as the seasons change, leav- ing us in the fall, and returning again in the spring. Just before these birds d. they assemble in vast flocks, and setile on the top- of houses and trees, and particularly on the steeples of churches. From these places they take their flight, and in the course of a day or two after they begin to assemble, not a single one is to be seen. The sudden manner in which they disappear, together with (he fact that flocks of them are seen about mill- ponds, before they set out on their journey, has made some people believe, that Swallows go into the mud, and (here lie in a torpid Male duriiiL' the winter. In proof of this, it is said that these h!rd> ha\e been found under the water, at the bottoms of ponds, in the winter, and that on warmmi: them, they have revived from their torpid state, and down away. It is believed, however,, that these birds are incapable of living under the water, and therefore that such stones must be without foundation. The extreme rapidity with which they fiv, would enable them to pass from one country to another, in a very short time, while the man- ner in which they live, that of catching insects in the air, and eating them while on the win-?, would make it tin- 20 THE SWALLOW. perhaps begin with the song of the robin, then whistle like a quail, then squall like a cat-bird, then twitter like a swallow, and so on, running through the notes of every bird in the woods, with surprising truth and rapidity. When tamed, he mocks every sound he hears, with equal exactness, and it is often very amusing to witness the effect of this deception. He whistles for the dog ; the dog jumps up, wags his tail, and runs to look for his master. He peeps like a hurt chicken ; and the old hen runs clucking to see who has injured her brood. He mews like a kitten, and mother puss hearkens, and stares to find where the noise comes from, and many other things of this kind he does to perfection. The Mocking Bird is much esteemed by those who are fond of such amusements, and in most of our large cities they are kept for sale by the dealers in birds. The price for common siners is from ten to twenty dollars. For fine singers, from thirty to fifty dollars, and for very extraordinary ones, even a hundred dollars has been refused. When we walk out into the woods, how are we cheered with the songs, and gratified with the sight of the birds which surround us. The green grass, the beau- tiful flowers, and the tall trees of the forest, it is true, are pleasant to the sight. But these are inanimate ; they preserve a dead and perpetual silence. They grat- ify the eye, but the ear would be left untouched, and the charms of nature but half, complete without the feathered songsters. When we walk alone through the solitary forest, they become our companions, and seem to take pleasure in displaying their beauties, and raising their best notes for our amusement. Thus, the fowls of the air, by the benevolence of the Creator, add to our pleasures, and lighten our hearts. What child, then, can be so selfish, and ungrateful, as to enjoy these pleasures without thinking WHO it is he ought to thank for them. It is to " our Father in heaven," that we are to give thanks for the innocent pleasures we enjoy, as well as for the more necessary provision of our daily bread. THE SWALLOW. The swallow tribe have short bills, which are broad at the root, sharp at the end, and a little hooked : their tails are forked ; their legs short, and in most of them, the toes are placed three forward and one backward. Their wings are long, and they fly with wonderful swift- ness. Besides the several kinds of Swallows, known by that name, the Marten, and some others, belong to this tribe. i THE MARTEN. How large a bird is the Marten ? The Marten is considerably larger than the Swallow, being eight inches long, and, with the wings spread, sixteen inches in extent. What color is this bird ? The wings and tail are brownish black, the other parts are of a purplish blue, very deep and rich. In the sun, beautiful violet reflections are thrown out from the neck and breast. What is the shape of the Marten > In shape, this bird resembles the others of the swallow kind. The body, legs and bill, are short, the wings long, the tail forked, and the eyes full and dark. These innocent birds are well known throughout the country, and are general favorites wherever they take up their residence. Like all the swallow tribe, they migrate on the ap- proach of winter to a warmer climate, and make their appearance again sometime in the month of April, when they are hailed with a hearty welcome. The Martens are come ! is always a piece of news that is heard with pleasure, and generally every child runs out, to satisfy himself of its truth. This agreeable bird always takes up its summer resi- dence about the habitations of men, and its confidence and familiarity are generally a protection against injury. There is scarcely a boy, however fond he may be of his gun, who will shoot a Marten. Such an act of deprav- ity, indeed, would be considered, in most neighborhoods, too base and cruel to be soon forgotten. The inhabitants of the forest, and the poor laboring slave, as well as the refined people of the world, agree in offering hospitality to the Marten. It is common, Mr. Wilson tells us, among several tribes of Indians, to cut off" the upper branches of a tree near their cabins, leaving their prongs a foot or two long, and to hang a hollow gourd shell to each prong, for these birds to build their nests in. And, on the banks of the Mississippi, the negroes set up long canes with a box on the top, for the same purpose. It is common, indeed, in all parts of our country, for people to set tip some sort of accommodation for this favorite bird. Their mode of building is too well known to need description. They commonly repair their nest from year T 1! K .s U A LLOW 21 to year, and, miles- their box is torn down, continue to ieai their young in ihc same place, from one iiem-ration to another. \Vhde tin- female is -ruin:: he does, ami mi such occasions, their s arc particularly soli and tender. These liirds always mute in pans, ami an- so attached lo each other, that it' a third comes, they u ill liotli attack and drive K away. The Marten ii a hird of great courage, and does not he-Hate to attack the crow, or hawk, if they come too near his nest. On such occasions, many of them unite for the ueneral defence, ami do not give up the battle until the enemy i> driven out of the neighborhood. The wren often trouble-: the Marten in a most imper- tinent and provoking manner. Being the smaller biid, the} take advantage of" the Marten's absence, to fill up the passage to hi- nest, so that when the owner comes home, he finds his door shut against him, and his house occupied by another family. Sometimes, also, these impudent little warriors will attack the Martens, and drive them out by main force; or tense them until, for their own comfort, they give them up their property, and go to another place and I. mid anew. In the following instance, however, it appears that the Martens were too cnnniti','. even for the wren. uple of Martens had, for several years, occupied rtaiu cage, which was fixed on the side of the house. One day, these birds were observed to be in a stale of great agitation ami alarm. They would fly to the cage, but in a moment leave it again, as though afraid to go in, at the same time uttering cries of alarm and dread. On watching their motions, and looking at the cage, to find out the cause of this trouble, a pair of wrens were ob- served to come out of it, and, after giving themselves a lew airs of importance, and triumph, flew away. The Martens took this opportunity of returning to the cage, but their stay was short, for the wrens came back in a few minutes, and drove them away. This squabbling for the risfht of possession, continued most of the day, but on the following morning, when the w i' 11- quitted the cam-, the Martens instantly, and as though they had before agreed what lo do, entered it, and went to work with all their miL'ht, to break up their t. It mi::hi have hen thought, (hat out of spite lo the \vivns they intended to destroy their nest, so that it should be of no use to them. But this did not prove to be any part of their plan. Having broken up the nest, v began to pile up the pieces, so as to fill the door of their cage; and such was the ingenuity and industry with which this wiifl dom, that it was soon made pi. -I agnillst the entrance of then little enemies. The Mai- Mod inside, and when the \\ tens came, they tiled to force a hut found the place too strong for (hem. For nearly two days did this heroic pan ii themselves, without a uthl'ul of provisions, while the wrens on the outside pressed i be siege with -i trying to beat down their works, so a* to gain an enn Finding, at last, that (heir force was not sufficient for such an enterprise, they abandoned the place, and left the Ma i tens ID possession of their property, though some- what injured by the wur. THE BARN SWAI.I.OW The color of this well known litlle bird, along the back, is steel blue; the winga and tail arc black, and the under parts brownish red. Its length is seven inches, and with its wings spread, it is thirteen inches in extent. The Swallow inhabits almost every part of the world. In this country, it migrates as the seasons change, leav- ing us in the fall, and returning again in the spring. Just before these birds disappear, they assemble in vast flocks, and settle on the tops of houses and trees, and particularly on the steeples of churches. From these places they lake their tliiiht, and in the course of a day or two after they begin to assemble, not a single one is to be seen. The sudden manner in which they disappear, together with the fact that flocks of them are seen about mill- ponds, before they set out on their journey, has made some people believe, that Swallows -o mto the mud, and there lie in a torpid state during the winter. In proof of this, it is said that these bird- have been found under the water, -it the bottoms of pond*, in the v. ,nler, and that on warming them, they ha\e revived from their (orpid state, ami flown away. It is believed, however, that these birds are incapable of living under the water, and therefore that such Moi ies must he without foundation. The exlieme rapidity with which they fly, would enable them to pass from one country to another, in a very short time, while the man- ner in which they live, thai of catching insects in the air, and eating them while on the win;:, would make it un- 22 THE SWALLOW. necessary for them to stop on their journey for the pur- pose of obtaining food. Flocks of them have been seen far at sea ; and some- times during a storm, they have become so fatigued with their journey, as to light and rest awhile on some part of the vessel. From all northern countries, these birds take their flight towards the south, in time to reach a warm climate before the approach of winter. The time of leaving, therefore, depends on the distance they have to fly. In New England, they leave about the middle of Septem- ber ; but in Florida, they remain until the last of that month, or the beginning of October. They are said to arrive in Africa the first week in Oc- tober, and to leave England the last week in September ; so that they perform the journey from one country to the other, in a week's time. The Swallo^Pis a pattern of the most unwearied and laborious industry. From morning till night, when these birds have a family to maintain, they spend their whole time in skimming along near the ground, in search of insects for their young. At these times, they always fly with their mouths wide open, and when they catch an insect, a smart snap of the bill may be heard, like the shutting of a watch-case. This bird builds her nest in barns, or other out-houses. It is constructed of mud, which is used in so soft a state, as to adhere to the side of the barn or board. The inside is lined with dry grass, with a covering of feathers, for the young birds to lie on. Professor Kalm relates the following anecdote of a Swallow, which he had from good authority. A couple of Swallows built their nest in a stable, and the female, having laid her eggs, was about to sit on them. At this time, the male was seen flying about the nest in great agitation, and was heard to utter cries of distress. On going to the nest, the female was found dead, but still sitting on her eggs, and was taken out and thrown away. The male then went himself, and sat on the eggs ; but after remaining there two or three hours, and perhaps finding the confinement disagreeable to him, lie went away, and was sometime absent. When he returned, he brought with him another female, who took the place of the dead bird, sat upon the eggs, hatched them, and afterwards fed the young birds, until they could provide for themselves. The Swallow is mentioned several times in the Holy Scriptures, and in each passage there is a reference to some part of its natural history. In the 84th Psalm, the sacred writer has a beautiful allusion to the habit this bird has of building her nest about the dwellings of mankind. " Yea the sparrow hath found an house, and the Swallow a nest for her- self, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God." This Psalm is thought to have been written at the time when David was obliged to flee before his unnat- ural son Absalom. In this state of exile from his home, and from the house of God, he remembered that the spar- rows and Swallows were permitted to build their nests about the tabernacle ; and he seems to have envied these birds the privi-lege of being near that holy place, without being sensible of it, while he, notwithstanding his ar- dent attachmnt to that sanctuary, was denied the bless- ing of attendig there. Pious people, who are blessed with the privilege of constantly attending worship at the house of God, ar e often insensible of such a blessing, until they are by some means deprived of it. This seems, in some degree, to have been the case with David, dm ing his absence, for in another verse he says, " Blessed are they that dwell in thy house ; they will still be praising thee." But the holy Psalmist, because he could not possess all his soul desired, did not therefore lie clown in forget- fulness of the former mercies he had received ; but while he pleaded that God would hear him, was, at the same time, willing to own his constant goodness and mercy, for in the same chapter he says, " Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer, give ear God of Jacob : behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anoint- ed." " For the Lord God is a sun and shield ; the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he with- hold from them that walk uprightly." In Jeremiah, 8 ; 7, there is an allusion to the return of the Swallow, after her annual migration to the south for the winter. This shows that the habits of this bird have not changed, since the days of the prophet, and that they were the same at that time, and in that country, as they are at present in this, and other countries ; for every where the Swallow changes its place of residence with the change of seasons. The verse is as follows: " Yea the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time ; and the turtle, and the crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.' 5 What a reproof this to disobedient, wicked man. The birds of the air, by their natural instinct, are enabled to know and perform their duty. They go and come, and rear their young at fixed times and places, and for thou- sands of years have never been known to fail of doing so. But man, notwithstanding his accountability to God for all his actions, and after the offers of mercy on the one hand, and the threatenings of vengeance on the other, still disobeys his Maker. " My people know not the judgments of the Lord." THE N n; ii T ii \ \v T11K MtJHT HAWK. 11 v. :.t Hawk .' Tin- N':jhl Hawk is nine inches lung, Mini when the win_rs are spread, nearly two feet ine\tenl. ril ? Tin- color D|' the hack, and upper parts, is of a deep lilnrkisli ITOWII ; on tin- WIMITS, and about the head and polled with yellow ; the tail and quill fealheis arc in-aily black, with a streak of white across each. What i* the shn< :lil Hawk? In shape, this hird is short and thick ; the head and eyes are large, but the bill is so short and small, as only just to reach beyond the head ; (he month is very deep, opening almost to the eyes; the legs are short, and feathered to the knee. is) tins hird found ? The Night Hawk is an inhabitant of al! parts of the 1 inted Stales, an. I n well known from Canada to Florida. This bird, hy many, is supposed to be the same with the whip-poor-will. But this is a mistake ; for though there is a resemblance between the two in appearance, in their habits they differ materially. The whip-poor- will is M-ni very rarely in the day time, and then only in tlii- woods, where it tlies only a short distance, when started, and lights again suddenly on a rock, or fallen tree. It is a bird of night, and docs not fly about in the day time. The Night Hawk, though most commonly seen at the- dusk of evening, is not so far a night hird as to he unable to fly in the day time, but is often seen al noon day, flying slowly along high in the air. There is also a difference which will distinguish these two birds at once, when taken. The whip-poor-will has a kind of beard, consisting of many long hairs, which grow out of the in>idi; of the upper mandible. The it Hawk has nothing of this kind. The Night Hawk is a bird of very peculiar manners and habits, and on these accounts is easily known from the other fowls of the air. They are birds of passage, and commonly appear in New England about the beginning of May. They are then seen only in the evening, flying high in the air, and apparently piirsinni; (heir piey, which consifitl of insects. Sometime in May, the |, male lays her eggs ; but con- lrar\ to the pmcti.-.- of neaily evciy other l.md hird, the lakes no trouble iibont a ne-i, and deposits them mi the j round, or on a solid rock. Such conduct might seem to show a want of common sense, or of proper care for her fuiine brood. Hut in. I of this, it displays in this bud an uncommon degree of sagacity. The spot on which the, eggs are laid is always dry, and a little higher than the ground around it, so that in case of rain, ihe\ may not be cov- ered by the water. The place seems also to be selected with reference to the color of the bird, and of her e^s. Tin; bird is dark, spotted with yellow, so that a few -tii ksor leaves around her, would make the whole appear much of the same color. The eggs are green, spotted ui(^ black, and ran hardly be distinguished from the ground on which they lie, at a yard's distance. Indeed, the place is chosen with so much judgment, and the deception so complete, that it is not uncommon, when OIK- is walking near her nest, to be startled by her flying up from almost under his feel, without his having before discovered that any living creature was near him. Sb to be a\\ that her nest is less likely to be found if she sits still, than if she flies away ; and hence, although al other times a wild bird, will remain on it, until nearly in dan- ger of being trodden under foot. When obliged to fly, her sagacity is still striking, and often effectual in saving her eggs. Instead of darting away like moat other birds, she acts as though she could neither fly nor run, but tumbles and rolls along within a yard or two of the person, and pretends that this is the best she can do. One not acquainted with the decep- tion, will run after the bird, not doubting but he can catch her in a moment ; but she takes care to just keep out of his way, until she leads him a good distance from the nest, when she takes wing, and in a iimm, -ni is out of sight. The attention of the person is so taken with the bird, that he seldom thinks of the egg* until she is out of sight, and then it is too late, for he miL'bl search for hours, and then only find them, when they \\-, re crushed under his feet. The young birds, when hatched, are not more easily seen than the eggs, or the old one. They are covered with down of a pale hrowirsh color, and look so much like a little. clod of mouldy dirt, that a person would never suspect that they were living creatures, until he touched them. Perhaps there is not a more striking instance of (he effect of instinct in protecting ils possessor from hnrm, in the whole feathered creation, than is displayed by this 24 THE SPARROW. bird ; and it is doubted whether even man himself, under the *ame circumstances, could point out any surer means of effecting the same end. Having no arms with which to protect itself, and being destined by nature to lay on the ground, this bird, as well as her eggs, would be peculiarly exposed to destruc- tion, did she. not make use of all the means in her power to prevent it. Birds, as well as other animals, are taught by the God of Nature^ to take care of their young ; and as one means of protection, they are taught by instinct, where and how to build their nests, so as to make them as safe from the approach of man and other animals as possible. The place where the nest is built, and the manner of its construction, seem, however, always to depend on the other habits of the bird. Thus the marten, by its inno- cence and familiarity, so attaches itself to man, as to be safe in building^ibout houses, and in cities ; but birds which are less agreeable and more mischievous, are obli- ged to retire into the woods, and rear their young out of the way of man. Some build in the tops of the tallest trees, where it is difficult for man, or other animals, to climb to them ; others lay their eggs in hollow trees ; others conceal their nests so that there is little probabil- ity of their being found, and others again hang them at the end of a small twig on a tall tree. In all these cases, there is evidently a plan to keep the eggs and young, as much as possible, out of the way of danger. But the Night Hawk makes use of a plan quite different from any of these. Her feet are not made for perching on the limbs of trees, nor are her habits such as to admit of her seeking refuge among men. She is destined to lay upon the ground, and she takes the very best means in her power to protect herself and her eggs in such a situation. She seems to be perfectly aware that her color is her best protection, if she makes a proper use of it, and hence she lays and hatches her eggs in a place, the color of which is so much like her own, that the difference can- not easily be distinguished, so that she may sit plain in sight, and still not be seen. In thus giving the fowls of the air the capacity of adapting themselves to their several situations, and of protecting themselves and their progeny from destruc- tion, the wisdom and goodness of the Creator are plainly manifest. Did they not possess this power, some kinds would soon be entirely destroyed, and thus the design for which they" were created never be fulfilled. That the Creator has condescended to endow the birds of the air with such striking qualities, ought to operate as a convincing proof on our minds, that he is every where, and at all times present, and that he guides, di- rects and governs all parts of his creation. The actions of this bird, as seen in the air; are very singular, and it is impossible so say for what purpose he behaves in such a manner. At evening he may be seen, particularly over rivers, or marshy places, mounted very high over head, flying, first with several quick motions of the wings, and then with a few slow ones, then with the quick motions again, and so alternately. At the same time he keeps going up higher and higher, now and then uttering a harsh peep- ing sound, which may often be heard when the bird is not seen. Having arrived at the highest pitch, he in- stantly turns head downwards, and descends with great rapidity, nearly to the ground, when he wheels suddenly up again, at the same time turning the points of his wings downwards, in form of the new moon, and making a noise resembling that produced by blowing strongly into the bung of an empty hogshead. He then ascends upward, with the usual slow and quick motions of his wings, and then down again as before. The female makes the harsh peeping noise in the same manner with the male : she also flies with the same alternate slow and quick motions of the wings, but never like him precipitates herself in the manner above described. THE SPARROW. The Sparrftw kind have short bills, which are large at ) the root, and sharp pointed. They live chiefly on seeds , and insects are generally small in size, but very active. To this tribe belong the Canary bird, the Gold Finch, the House Sparrow, and many others. THE HOUSE SPARROW. How large is the House Sparrow ? The House Sparrow is a little more then five inches i>in-r Innl. It is by habit so lame and familiar, as frequently i<> come mlo the jard. anil if well treatcil, will Imp about the door, a nil pick lip (In- ci limb-. K\ery child is aci|iiainle(l v\ilh ibis innocent little bird. Some chiltlrrn 1o\e to ft ed it. and if llie\ \\ill do this every day, it will become HO lame as to come mlo the house alter us meal of bread crumbs. Tin- sociable and familiar habits of this bird continue only during the summer season. In the fall it is not se.-n about houses, bill goes away into ihe fields iind bed where it >>titys until tin- approach of winter, when H de- part* to the south to find a warmer climate. The House Sparrow builds her ne-t m -..me thick luir-h, often near the house, preferring' the cedar bush to all others. The ne^i i- made of dry urass, and lined with hair, \\hich it Costa her a L r reat deal of labor to pick up. For a day or two after the voting birds are hatched, they are so small and weak, ns not to be able to cat any food, but after this they begin to chirp, and open their mouths ; when the mother flies away, and brings them some small worms, which are their first nourishment. From lliis time she continues to fe< d them once in half an hour, or oftencr, during the day, until they are able to take care of theniM 1\ es. While the parents are gone after provision, the young birds lie perfectly still, and seem to sleep, not making the slightest noise until she returns. When she arrives with ihe food, she wakes them up by a chirp, which they answer, and instantly hold up their heads, and open iheii mouths to receive it. The old bird takes care to feed them all in turn, never 'ecting one and giving the othei too much. When the young birds are so strong as to be fitted for a short flight, the old ones, on a fair day, lead them a little distance from the nest, taking care that they do not go so far as to be unable to return. At this lime they are fed ns usual, setting on the bush, or ground. But as eoon as they are able to fly and catch insects for themselves, the parents fuixtke them entirely, and never aftei wards pay them any further attention. These birds were well known to the Israelites ; were considered clean by the Levitical law, and hence were bought and sold as an article of food. In the New Testament, the Sparrow is s r \eral times mentioned. In the twelfth chapter of Luke.it is spoken of in allusion to the care which God takes of all his woiks. " Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings ; and not one of them is forgotten before Ciod ? Hut evm the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye are of more value than many Sparrow*." Verses 6, 7. 5 The^e are the words of our Saviour to his di-ripl. ft, He wa-j warning them against indulging in too much anxiety about the things of this world: ami to assme them of the care anil protection of their Creator, In reminds them (hat the smallest and meanest of his works an- not fniMotteii, and that even the Sparrow is not be - Heath bis not II (iod, then, extends his protect inir care towald the smallest and most perishable of his creature*, how much more shall man, the noblest work of his Lands, be the object of his peculiar blessing. " Fear not, therefore, ye are of more value than many Sparrows." \V i.it could give a more sublime and striking idea of the power and extent of God's providence, thnn the thought, that he is able to watch over every part of his creation, however small, and in our view insignificant. Thus every bird which flies, every Quadruped which walk.-, and every fish which swims, in Ate whole woild, are under his constant and immediate notice. Not a single Sparrow is forgotten before God. How careful, then, ought we to be, who are the only accountable beings on earth, lest we should offend this great and good Creator, by sinning against him, and thus bringing down on ourselves his holy indignation. THE CANARY BIRD. The Canary Bird came originally from the Canniy Islands, as its name indicates. It is also a native inhabitant of Italy and Greece ; bul for neaily two hundred years, it has been bred in oilier parts of Europe, and more lately in America. For along period, these birds were bred only in Ger- many, but were sent into all parts of Europe for sale. Within the lasl hundred years, they were so uncommon and expensive, that they were kept only by piinces and people of wealth. At the present day, these buds are raised in most of our large cities, b\ persons who follow the business of selling bird* ; rind are sold at modeiate. prices. In its native island, where the Canary Bird i* still found wild, its color is of a dusky green. But the tame ones, like all other domestic animals, are of various colors. Most commonly they rir>- ome shade of vellow, but some are grey, others while, and others beautifully shaded 26 THE CANARY BIRD. with green. But they are more esteemed for their note than their color. The common practice of keeping these birds in our houses, as things of amusement, has made the demand for them considerable, so that great numbers are raised and sold every year. Some account of the manner of rearing them, may therefore be interesting to the readei. In selecting a bird, those are best which stand upright on the perch, appear bold and lively, and are not fright- ened at every noise they hear, and at every thing they see. If its eyes are bright and cheerful, it is a sign of health, but if it keeps its head under the wing, it is droop- ing and sickly. Its song should also be particularly noticed, for there is much difference in this respect : but as it often depends on the peculiar taste of the purchaser, no directions can be given as to this qualification. Canary birds sometimes hatch their young every monih in the year, but'more commonly they breed only in the spring, summer and fall months. In Germany, they prepare a large and expensive aviary, or place in which they rear their young. This is built like a barn, only that it is longer in one direction than in the other. At each end it is divided off by a partition, making a square room. In each of these rooms they plant several trees, the partitions having large win- dows through them, so that the birds can pass from these rooms into the large room in the middle. The windows of these end rooms are made of wire, so as to admit the air and light, and still keep the birds from flying away. The ground, or floor, of these end rooms, they strew with chick-weed, and several kinds of seeds for them to eat. Here the birds take great delight in hopping about among the branches and leaves of the trees, and enjoy- ing the air, and the songs of each other. In the middle room they place all sorts of materials, of which these little songsters build their nests, such as fine hay, hair and cotton. In this room, also, they construct places like pigeon holes, for them to build in, each bird having a separate apartment, in which she rears her young. From this place the light is excluded, as they are fond of a gloomy place while they aie sitting. After Ihe young are hatched, the old ones are fed with soft food, such as cabbage, lettuce and chick-weed, and on these delicacies they feed their young. When the young birds can feed themselves, they are taken out of the nest, and placed in cages away from the parents, and are here fed on a composition made of the yolks of eggs boiled hard, and mixed with a little scalded rape- seed, and crumbs of bread. This is all beaten up to- gether, and furnished fresh every day. In respect to the notes of these birds, there is much difference. Some of tlhem will have very fine notes when taken young and bred up alone. If the song is not fine, they can be educated by being placed with another which is a good singer. They catch the tones of other kindred songsters with considerable facility, and hence among the best singers, there 'u a material differ- ence in the song, depending on ihe bird with which they have been educated. In some countries they employ the nightingale as master musician to the whole flock of Canaries, and it is this which gives some foreign birds, a different tone of voice from those bred in this country. These little birds are exceedingly timid, and some of them are so sensitive, as to fall down and appear as if dead, when frightened. Dr. Darwin relates an anec- dote of one which used to faint away when its cage was cleaned. Being at a friend's house where a Canary bird was kept, he was told that it always fainted away every lime its cage was cleaned. The Dr. desired to see the exper- iment. The cage being taken down, and the bottom drawn out, the bird began to tremble, and turned white about the root of the bill. Soon after, it opened its mouth, as if for bre.ith, and breathed quick ; it then stood up on the perch, hung down its wings, spread its tail, closed its eyes, and appeared quite stiff and motion- less for nearly half an hour. It then, with much trem- bling and panting, gradually came to itself again. Sim- ilar instances, it is believed, are not uncommon. The following anecdote is taken from Mr. Bingley's Animal Biography, and serves to show how much so simple an animal as the Canaiy Bird, can be taught by time and perseverance. In the month of May, 1820, says Mr. Bingley, a Frenchman, named Dujoji, exhibited in London twenty- four Canary Birds, some of which, he said, were from eighteen to twenty-five years old. These birds perform- ed some very extraordinary feats at the command of their master. Some of them would balance themselves on a table, with their heads downwards, and their tails and feet in the air, standing on their shoulders. One of them took hold of a stick, with his claws, and holding on, suffered himself to be turned around, as if in the act of being roasted. Another balanced itself on a string, and swung backwards and forwards, as mountebanks do on a slack rope. A third was dressed in military uniform, having a cap on its head, wearing a sword and ammunition box by its side, and carrying a gun in one claw : after sitting or standing upright for some time, this bird, at the word of command, threw off its military dress, without help, and then flew to its cage. A fourth suffered itself to be shot at, and falling down, as if dead, was put into a little wheelbarrow, and wheeled away by one of the other birds. How the Frenchman contrived to make his birds per- TIM: PIGEON form Midi singular tricks, is unknown. Hut it isceriam that their iMliir;ilion must have msl lulu much lime, labor and url, wlndi miirht have been spent for a nobler and better pmpnse. TIIK Pigeon tribe is quite numerous, for to this family belong the Doves, as well as tin- -e\ era I kinds of Pigeons. Some of lliis tribe are to lie found in al ..... .si every part of the world. Their food is grain, and the seeds of plants. The female |a\s tw.i. !_"_'*, and ll.r young are coluinoiily brother and sister. In the wild slate, they veniy or eighty miles, audio this place (bey regularly fly every morning, and re- turn again in ihe course ol ihe day. to some place which appears to have been aL'i' rd on amoiiL' ihemsrl ves, and where they spend the niL'hl. 4'hese places are always in ihe woods, and sometimes 28 THE PIGEON. occupy a large extent of forest. Such places, after being occupied for many nights by the Pigeons, present a very curious and surprising appearance. The surface of the ground is every where strewed with the large branches of trees, which have been broken down by the weight of the birds. All the tender grass and underwood is destroyed, and the large trees themselves are as com- pletely killed as if they had been girdled with an axe. Sometimes, for thousands of acres in extent, this destruc- tion is as complete, as it would have been, had.it been burned over, and the marks of it remain for many years afterwards. When an encampment of this kind is discovered, the news is spread abroad, and the people come from vari- ous distances, with guns, long poles, and other means of destruction, and attack the poor birds on all sides. These attacks are made in the night, when the birds can see nothing, and consequently cannot take any means to avoid destruction. In athort time, thousands are killed, so that these hunters fill their sacks, and load their horses and wagons, and are ready by morning to go off with their booty. Accounts of the places where these birds build their nests, and hatch their young, are still more extraordi- nary. In the States above mentioned, places of this kind pre- sent the most novel and curious appearances. The nests are built on the trees of the forest, and nearly every tree is occupied with a greater or less number, through a large extent of country. In the State of Kentucky, some years ago, one of these nestling places extended through the woods, it was said, to the distance of forty miles, in a straight line, and was generally several miles wide. In this tract, nearly every tree contained as many nests as the branches could accommodate. As soon as the young were fully grown, the people caine from all parts of the country, with wagons, axes, beds, cooking vessels, and some of them with their whole families, and encamped around this vast nursery, where they lived on the young Pigeons, and carried away as many as they wanted. Such was the noise made by this vast multitude, that the horses were terrified, the people were astonished, and no person could hear another speak, without bawling in his ear. The top of every tree presented a tumult of Pigeons, crowding about their young, and fluttering with their wings, so as to produce a perpetual roar like that of thunder. Mingled with this, was the frequent crash of falling trees, for the people cut down such as contained the greatest number of nests, so as the more readily to come at the young ones. Sometimes one tree in its fall, would sweep two or three smaller ones along with it, so that the cutting down a single tree would often produce two hundred Pigeons. Only the young ones were sought for, but these were almost as large as their parents, and almost one mass of fat. Some trees contained more than one hundred nests, and it was dangerous to walk under them, on account of the frequent fall of large branches, which were broken off by the combined weight of the nests and Pigeons. At the time Mr. Wilson was in Kentucky, the Pigeons had consumed most of the food in that part of the coun- try, and had found another feeding place in Indiana, sixty or eighty miles distant. From one of these places to the other, they were flying in such vast numbers, as to exceed all his belief, though he had received the most wonderful account of their flights from the inhabitants. "They were," says Mr. Wilson, "flying with great steadiness and rapidity, at a height beyond my gun-shot, in several strata deep, and so close together, that could shot have reached them, one discharge could not have failed of bringing down several individuals. From right to left as far as the eye could reach, the breadth of this vast procession reached, seeming every where equally crowded. Curious to determine how long this appear- ance would continue, I took out my watch to note the time, and sat down to observe them." Our author goes on to state, that for four hours these birds continued their flight in one uninterrupted stream, and that so far from diminishing in numbers, he thought they increased. He afterwards made an estimate of the number of Pigeons which passed him during the four hours. " If we suppose this column," says he, " to have been one mile in breadth, (and I believe it to have been much more,) and that it moved at the rate of one mile in a minute; four hours, the time it continued passing, would make its whole length two hundred and forty miles. Again, supposing that each square yard of this moving body comprehended three Pigeons ; the square yards in the whole space multiplied by three, would give two thousand two hundred and thirty millions, two hundred and seventy-two thousand Pigeons." This, to be sure, is almost an inconceivable multitude, " but," says the author, " it is probably far below the actual amount. The quantity of beach nuts, and acorns, which this number of.Pigeons would consume in a day, allowing half a pint for each, would be upwards of seventeen millions of bushels." The Creator has endowed these birds with a wonder- ful rapidity of flight, so that they are enabled to wander over immense tracts of country in a short time. Were this not the case, they must starve, since no small extent of country could supply them with food even for a short time. T II K PIGEON. Mr. Wilson esiimaie.- tlicir flight to be n mile in a min- ute, iiiid no man was heller able to judge on.-nch a suit, jecl than himself. A mile in a minute, would in seven hundred and twenty nidi s ;n twelve hours, or one day, a r.ite of tra.elm-.: ahoul t'-n Uincsa8greatnstli.it at which our mail coaches onlmanlv run. We see, therefore, thai in tin- space of ;i few davs, these birds could explore all pails of our western territory in search of food. In the New Kn^'l mil Slates, though these birds n appear in such immense numbers, -.till they are some- times \ery numerous In Coime, -lii-ut. and the other Atlantic States, great numbers of lliem are every year taken in what are called rl ni-ts, and cairn-d to market, in all the large towns. Many ] lurinsr the aiilnmnal months make it ibcir business to tend these neis, and carry their produce to maikei. During particular seasons, l! birds are caught in such ahundaiire, that they will sell for only two or tlnee pence each. At such times, they are shut up in coops and fattened on corn, and ki pi. until they can be sold for a irrraler price. By heiiiLT fed in this mamiei, llicir lli sh is much improved, and they commonly sell for a price which well repays for the trouble and expense of ('aliening them. THE TURTLE DOVE, lli.w laruc a bird is the Tnrtlt> Dove ? The Turlle Dove i- one foot long, and wilh the wings spiead, a fool and u half in extent. U l,. t t is the shape of this bird ? In shape, it very much resembles the passenger pi. but is considerably smaller. Wlitit is the color "1 I'M- Turtle I - In color il also resembles tbe passenger pigeon, but all the tints ue paler, and its eyes arc black, instead of being red, like those of that pigeon. Besides the dilig- ence in si/.e, Us appearance is, then-fore, considerably different from that of the pigeon. lii* bird found ? The Turtle Dove is found, more or less frequently, in all parts of the United States; but ihe-c birds ne\er congregate in u-n-ai llocks like the pigeon-. Sometimes they i in small llocks, but much mon commonly appear SIIIL'!; "iiples. This bird is known in the southern slates undei tin- name of Carolina pigeon, and in New England, it lias the name of Mourning I>o\e, on account of the doleful sounds which it tin "This," says Mr. Wilson,- ute bird with those who love to wander among the woods in the spring, and listen to their varied harmony. They will (here hear many a iniMilar and spii^litly performer, but none so inoirnfnl as this. The hopeless woe of settled sorrow, -wellinir (he heart of fetnah; innocence itself, could not a>suini > tones more sad, oi more tender and aflTecling." 14 Its notes are lour; the firsi is somewlint the highest, and preparatory, seeming to be niteied wilh an inspira- tion of the breath, as if the afflicted creature was jusl recovering its \oice from (he last convulsive sobs of dis- tress; this is followed by three long, deep, and mournful moanings, that no person of sensibility can listen to with- out sympathy. A pause of a few moments ensues ; and again the voice of sorrow is renewed as before. 1 ' But these dob-fill loiiesare not the notes of distress, hut of afTeriion. They are the language of love and contentment, which these faithful birds niter towards each other. Turtle Doves, to a certain extent, are birds of passage. They leave the northern and middle states on the ap- proach of winter, and retire to the warmer climate of the southern states, where ihey ^pend the cold season, and return to the north again in the spring. These birds make ,1 peculiar whistling noise with their wings when they fly, and particularly when they rise and light: and by this they ma\ always be known from the pigeons. They ^it on ire. . or on the ground, as is most convenient, or as they are invited by the pro?] of food. They build their nesison trees, generally pre- ferring an everirieen for that purpose. It is composed of a handful of twigs, laid together with little art, and lined on the inside with dried roots and leaves. The eggs are two in number, and alnn>>i as while as snow. Tin- two birds, like the pigeons, unite in feeding and taking . !' (he \ ounir. The flesh of (his Dove is much superior lo that of the pigeon; but its gentleness. MS innocence and beamy, together with the lemleine-? of iis notes, ate it- pn.tec- lion. except wilh iho-'- whose appei'ie* an- stronger than their feelings of hiimnnii \ . or .(impassion. Such per- sons shoot tin se innocent birds wbenexer they ran find them. The attachment and fidelity of Turtle Doves to each other, has been known and taken notice of in nil nges, and not nnfreipiently celebiaied in poetiy. Noi is the idea of ao uncommon affection between them ima- 30 THE PIGEON ginary, for if a pair be placed in a cage and suffered to remain together for a while, and then one be taken away, the other will soon pine away and die of grief. A pair of Turtle Doves had been long together in a cage, when, during the absence of one of them, the other was killed by an unruly dog. When the other came home, and found that his partner was gone, lie searched for her in all the places where she might be expected to be found, but not finding her, he came back to the cage, and there perched himself on the feeding place, where they usually sat together. Here he waited her return, constantly moaning her absence for two days. But being disappointed in his hopes of seeing her, he after that time refused to take any more food, and perpetually moaning his loss, gradually pined away and died on the spot. The Dove is several times mentioned in the scriptures, and by the Levitical law was not only allowed to be eaten as a clean bird, but was also, sometimes, enjoined to be used in sacrifice. " A Turtle Dove and two young pigeons," were a part of the offering which the Lord directed Abraham to make, as preparatory to the revela- tion he made him concerning the destiny of his poster- ity. In certain cases of sacrifice, directed by the Levit- ical law, wheie the poverty of the person was such as not to allow the use of a more costly animal, Doves or pigeons were enjoined. The words are, " And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two Turtle Doves, or two young pigeons ; the one for a burnt offer- ing, and the other for a sin offering." Leviticus, 12; 8. We may learn from this, that it is not the value or largeness of the offering that makes it acceptable to the Lord, but the motive with which it is made. If presented with a humble and willing mind, the Turtle Doves, or pigeons, were just as acceptable in the eye of Heaven, as the lamb. The two mites of the poor widow, were estimated above all the splendid offerings which the rich, in their pride, were induced to give. Let us, therefore, when we do acts of charity, take care that our hearts are in the work, and then we may be sure that the smallest gifts will be acceptable offerings before the Lord ; but if we give ever so much merely to be seen of men, our offerings, like that of Cain, will be refused, and we shall be guilty of hypocrisy in his sight. In the Book of Genesis, the Dove is mentioned as the bird, by means of which Noah ascertained that the waters of the flood had abated, and that the dry land had ap- peared. The raven whicli was first sent forth for this purpose, did not return, probably because that bird, which feeds on flesh, found abundance of food in the dead ani- mals which the waters had destroyed. But the clean and delicate Dove, whose food is only the seeds of plants, could find nothing to eat, nor any place on which to rest herself, and was therefore obliged to return to the ark. The account, as contained in Genesis, is too interesting to be omitted here. After the raven had returned, Noah " Also sent forth a Dove from him to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground. But the Dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she re- turned unto him into the ark ; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. Then he put, forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came in to him in the evening, and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth." Genesis, 8; 8-11. Among the whole feathered creation, there is not, per- haps, a bird better fitted to perform such an errand than the Dove. Her wings are so long and powerful, that she remains on them for many hours without tiring, and to whatever distance she may go, she always returns home again at night. The olive leaf which she brought home, it appears was not picked up on the water, but was plucked off from a living tiee. This, then, was certain proof that the waters had not only abated, but that within the circuit which the Dove had taken, the ground was left naked, otherwise she could not have come to the olive tree. How cheering to Noah and his family must have been this sure indication, that the waters of the flood were re- tiring.and that after their long confinement, they should soon again behold the light of the sun, and stand on the face of the earth. Hence it is, that by all civilized na- tions, the olive branch has ever been considered a token of peace and a harbinger of mercy. The Dove itself, has, from the first ages, been celebra- ted for its beauty, innocence and softness of manners; and hence women of uncommon beauty have been named after this bird. One of the daughters of Job is an in- stance. "And in all the land, were no women found so fairasthe daughters of Job." His eldest daughter, there- fore, was called Jemima, which in the Arabic language signifies Dove. The swiftness and innocence of this bird, is beautifully alluded to in the 55th Psalm. "Oh, that I had wings like a Dove! for then I would fly away and be at lest ; I would hasten my escape from the. windy storms and tempests." Good people are always in pain, when (hey are obliged to be in company with the wicked. They desire to es- cape from the windy storm and tempest, the boisterous riotings of evil men. Hence it is, that pious and godly men, are never seen in the company of the wicked and ungodly, unless it is for the purpose of setting them a good example, and trying to make them better. T II K I 1 A R K o 1 31 The Dove is m. 'illumed in several other plao s in the holy scriptures, !u we can heir alliule to onh .me men, Till- l.inl, as I- Well known, h.> Seen ailinireil for it- innocence, anil aiuiiilili- di-po-mon. Our Saviour, in allusion In tin- [tail "I its rhai.irli r, makes H an i \.nn- ple for imitation to his disciples. ; .isser- , and a* IM inili^- a- I >"\ . B,' 1 WU an nn|ii I a nl part oflhe duel-linns which he enjoined mi lln-ni In i>b-' , \ ,-, when ihe\ should UH ONI into (he world in preach the gospel. irr would he impeller!, willmnl wisdom and innocence; lint wild lli> se two ipial.lies combined, a chararler would he funned, than which nothing in hu- man II itllie rollld he- more pcrlerl. \Vi-dom willionl innocence, would qualify ils possessor to do much evil in ihe world, liy impu-mi: np"ii others; and l>\ carrying mlo elleci amh,lion> plans, to the injury of mankind. Innocence, withoul wi-d , would mly expose its possessor lo he cheaied, and de- ! hv the ails of designing men. Hul he who has a sound judgment, and an enlightened linder-lallilin::, c limed With illtei:ril\ and belie Volelice, i> prepared to prosecute the most important '-nd.s hy the judicious me&nfl. Such a man would heliolh i n. i- liled and inclined, to prove all things, and lo hold fast only to that which is good. THK PARROT. This trihe of bird-, are natives of warm countries. They associate in Docks at ceiiaia seasons, but live clik-lly m pan.-, and are e\ce ively noisy and clamor- ous. They lay then eggs in hollow IrefS, and the two birds take turns in silting on the eggs. The legs are short, and the toes are four in iiumher, of which two are set forward and two backward. The bill is short and hooked, and the upper, 38 well as the lower mandible, moves. The head i* larye, and the crown flat. They live on fruits and seeds, which they carry lo ihe mouth with one of the claws. They assist themselves in climb- inir with iheir bills. Some of them can be taught to speak words. Parrot- seem lo hold ihe same place among biids, lhal monkeys d ainonir cpiadrupeds. Both are numerous, imitative and mischievous. The I.UL'e-i birds of this kind are called Macaws; the next size are called Patrols, and ihe smallest, Paroquet* THK I:UK,:N MACAW. lln\v l.ir_-i- 11 tl.r (Jr.-cn Macaw f The Ci. . n M i,-aw |, ;i fool and a hnlflong, from ihe head to the end of the tail. The tail is somewhat longer than the body. What n UK- n.lor o( this bird ? The gem-ral color of ihi^ bird is green, as its name indicates; its bill is black; around the eyes it is white, marked with black lines; the forehead is chestnut pur- ple, and the crown blue : on the thighs the feathers are red ; and the wings are in dillerent parts crimson, blue and black. \Vhere is the Green Macaw found .' The Green Macaw is found in Brazil and other ports of South America. The-e hinN. if properly treated, will beni the cold of northern climates, but they never mnlii- ply out of their own country. They are easily dom-^u- caied, ami soon become familiar with (he family in which they are kepi. TowanN stl . however, they are exceedingly snappish and ill-natured. The (MCI n M.IC.IW i> very fond of the notice and at- tention of ils mistress, and is highly offended, if -he pavs any aliention to a child in ils pre-ence. If she takes ihe child on her lap and caresses ii, the bird becomes out* la^'eous, and willdait upnn and lute it, if not prevented. From the -aine jealous di-posiimn, ibis bird cannot bear tin- presence of other Parrots ; but if one be brought into the room, becomes angry, and en|o\ ^ ,,,. p, are until il is removed. This kind of P. mot i- exceedingly noisv and mischiev- ous. Il will leai ihiiiL's in piece-, luie -. and -ipiall in a inosl nnpli a-.inl manner. It i.s somelmiex laughl to speak words, but never talks w ih ihe -ame facility that some of the smaller kinds do. It is chiefly admired, therefore, for U9 size and beauu . 32 THE PARROT. THE GUINEA PARROT. This bird is called the little red-headed Parrot, and by some the Guinea Sparrow. It is among the most beau- tiful of the Parrot kind, and in size not much larger than the lark. This Parrot is found in Guinea, Ethiopia, and the East Indies, where great flocks of them are often seen. Its general color is green ; the bill, chin and forehead are red, and the lower part of the back is blue. These birds are exceedingly kind and affectionate towards each other, and it has been observed that the female generally perches on the left side of the male, and that she seldom attempts to eat before he sets the example. Mr. Bingley relates that a couple of these birds were kept together in a large cage, on the bottom of which their food and drink were placed in the usual manner. The cage had several perches in it, but the birds com- monly sat on the same perch, and close beside each other. When one went down fot food, the other went also, and when both had satisfied their appetites, they returned together to the highest perch. In this manner they passed four years in their confine- ment, and from their attention to each other, and their apparent contentment, it was evident that a strong at- tachment existed between them. At the end of this time, the female fell into a state of weakness, which had every symptom of old age ; her legs swelled, and knots appeared on them, as if the dis- ease had been of the gout kind. It was no longer in her power to go down to the bottom of the cage and take her food, as she had always done before, and the male seeing this, kindly carried it up to her, taking it in his bill, and putting it into her mouth, as she sat on the perch. In this way he continued to feed her with the greatest care and attention for four months, she never attempting to come down from her place. Her infirmity, however, increased every day, until she was no longer able to sit there, but fell down to the bottom of the cage. She now, from time to time, made feeble efforts to get on the lower perch, and in these attempts, the male tried every way in his power to assist her. Sometimes he took hold of the upper part of her wing, and used all his power to draw her up to him on the perch, and this not succeed- ing, he laid hold of her bill, and tried to pull her up in that way, repeating his efforts for that purpose several times. His countenance, his actions, and his continued anxiety, showed in this affectionate bird, a strong desire to assist the weakness of his companion, and to soften her sufferings. But the scene became still more interesting and touch- ing, when the female was at the point of death. Her unfortunate partner went round and round her, without stopping; he increased his attentions, and his tender cares, as her weakness increased ; he tried to open her bill to give her food, when she no longer had power to open it herself; his grief seemed to increase every mo- ment ; he would go to her, and return again, without doing any thing, because he knew not what to do : now and then he uttered the most pitiful cries, and at other times he stood with his eyes fixed on her in sorrowful silence. At last the poor bird breathed its last breath ; and from that time he became feeble, and moaning his sol- itary state, he languished a few months, and then died also. Here we see an example of affection in a pair of little birds, well worthy of our imitation. In this world of sickness and trouble, there is not a duty we owe our fel- low creatures more obvious, than that of assisting those who cannot help themselves. Nor is it to our particular friends only, that we owe this duty ; for Christ says, " if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye 1 do not even the publicans the same 1" This shows that we are not to expect any reward for loving and helping our friends, and those who love us ; on the contrary, it is wicked and unfeeling not to do so. Even the birds of the air, as we see by the above story, possess natural affection, and repay kindness with kindness. As reason- able beings, and above all, as Christians, we are bound to do more. We must extend the hand of charity and be- nevolence to strangers, when in affliction, and like the Good Samaritan, pour oil and wine into the wounds of the distressed, wherever we meet them. THE ASH COLORED PARROT. How large is the ash colored Parrot ? The ash colored Parrot measures nearly a foot and a half long; but the tail is considerably longer than the body. THE CROW. 33 Uh.il n lln- .-"lor of thubin! .' Its plumage is chielh of tin 1 color of wood ashes ; the bill in Mack ; tin- head and neck an- u'i' > ; ib' 1 'ail i* briirhi red ; the len> aie ash colored, and claws blackish. Wlii-n- i~ tl 'ind .' This bird is a native of Guinea, and oilier parts of Africa. This is tin- kind of Parrot that is most highly valued, on account of ihr facility with which it imitates tin.- hu- man voice. It listens with gn-al attention to its instruct- or, and will try to u-pcat its lesson when alone. Its memory, if cultivated when young, is sometimes very surpii-ing. An author of credit tells us of a Parrot, which could repeal the whole of the Apostles' creed, without making a mistake. Same of these birds of uncommon talents in the art of talking and singing, have been sold for considerable sums of money. Colonel O'Kelly, an English gentle- man, gave for a Parrot five hundred dollars. This bird could repeat a great number of sentences, answer many questions, and sing or whistle a variety of songs. While singing or whistling, it beat lime with all the accuracy of an experienced musician. If any mislake was made in the performance, il would go back to the place of the error, correct it, and then sing the tune through with wonderful (\.I.ITU ss. This singular bird could express her wants in such a manner as lo be well understood by the family. llei exact aire was not known, bul it was certain that she was upwards of thirty years old when she died. Colonel O'Kelly was repeatedly offered five hundred guineas a year for the use of this bird, by those who wi-hed to carry her about for public exhibition ; bul oul of tenderness to his favorite, he constantly refused to let her go at any price. This bird was so celebrated in London, that when she died, an account of her death, with a sketch of her life, was given in the London Evening Post. Dr. Goldsmith says, that a Parrot which belonged to king Henry the Seventh, having been kepi in a room ihe river Thames, had learned to repeat many words and sentences from the boatmen and passengers on the river. One day while it was sporting on the perch, which happened to l>e over the river, it unluckily fell into the water. The bird no sooner found itself in this situation, than it called aloud, "A boat! twenty pounds for a boat !" A boatman, happening lo be near the place where the Parrot was floating, immediately took it up, and carried il to the king, at the same lime demanding of him the twenty pounds which the hird had bid for the boat. This the king refused, but agreed to leave it to the Parrot to say bow much the man should have. The bird, understanding this conversation, in- stantly screamed out, "Give the knave a groat !" Mr. Locke ha- related an anecdote of one of these bird-, still more extraordinary, and were it not the case, that the evidence was sufficient to satisfy him of its truth, we should not relate it here. There was a certain old Parrol al Brazil, which was M> celebrated for giving answers like a tational crealure, that Prince Maurice had the curiosity to send for it, and see for himself, whether (he extraordinary stories he had heard about it were true. When first brought into the room, the bird exclaimed, "What a company of while men are here." One of the company then asked it, "who is thai man," (pointing towaids ihe prince.) The Parrol answered, "some greal general or other." The prince then asked it, "from what place do yon come." The bird replied, "from Maringan." "To whom do you belong? said the prince. "To a Portuguese," said Poll. He asked again, " what do you do there ?" "I look after chick- ens." The prince, laughing, exclaimed, "You look after chickens !" The Parrot answered, "Yes, I, and I know well enough how to do it;" at the same time beginning lo chuck, like a hen. This story is related by Mr. Locke, in his Essay on Human Understanding. THE CROW. The Crow tribe feed both on flesh and vegetables. They associate in flocks, and are sometimes very noisy and clamorous. They inhabit almost every country in the world, and generally build their nests on trees. Some of them do much mischief by pulling up and eat- ing ihe corn after il is planted. This tribe have claws for seizing their prey, which they sometimes take alive ; but their bills are not booked, for tearing, like those of the falcon. One or two of this family can be laughl lo sing, and to speak words. The Raven, common Crow, and Rook, belong to this family. THE RAVT.V 34 THE CROW. How large is the Raven .' The Raven is two feet long, from the bill to the end of the tail, and nearly four feet in extent, with the wings spread. What is the color of this bird .' The general color of the Raven is deep, glossy black, with steel blue reflections. What is the difference between the Raven and the Crow? This bird differs from the Crow in being larger, and in having its bill more hooked at the end. It also differs in color, the Crow being of a bluish black, and without that gloss which is seen on the Raven. This bird is hardy, bold, voracious, sly, and very mis- chievous. When tarned, which is easily done, it be- comes familiar, and gentle, and by the variety of tricks which it plays, is often very amusing. It may be taught to bring and carry things, like a dog, to talk, like a par- rot, and even to sing with a tolerable voice. But the cunning and vicious tricks which the Raven is always in the habit of playing, often renders him a very disagreea- ble animal. He is so voracious, as to eat any thing that comes in his way, either raw or cooked. He is also a thief by habit, and even when he has enough, will con- tinue to steal, and hide his plunder. He is curious to know what is contained in every nook and corner of the house : and particularly if any thing is covered up, and carefully concealed, he will continue to poke and pry, until, if possible, he comes at the secret. He torments the dogs and cats, by bawling, and striking at them ; plays his tiicks upon the liens and chickens ; drives away every rook, crow, or other Raven, that comes near his habitation ; and picks out the eyes of every sick sheep or lamb in the barn yard. He is so in the habit of stealing, as to take things of which he can make no sort of use. Any article that has a shining surface, is always a strong temptation to him. A tea-spoon, a piece of money, a ring, or a knife, are things on which he sets a particular value ; and he never fails, when they come in his way, to carry them to his favorite hiding place. A cook in a family missed many tea-spoons, one after another, but could not account for the loss. He also missed several other articles, in a manner quite mysteri- ous, and unaccountable. The poor honest cook might have been accused of taking these things himself, had he not one day caught a Raven that was kept in the house in the act of stealing a tea-spoon. He watched the bird, and saw him carry it away to his hiding-place, and there conceal it. The cook now laid open the mystery, for on searching this place, he not only drew out this spoon, but a dozen more along with it. In the wild state, the Raven is a most greedy and fero- cious bird. He destroys and devours any helpless animal that falls within his power. About his food, he has not the least delicacy. No kind of flesh, whether living, or long dead, comes amiss to him. Any thing which is lame or sick, and which he can master, or which once had life, excites his craving appetite, and he falls eagerly to work to satisfy it. Having eaten all he can himself, he then goes and gives notice to his fellow Ravens of his good fortune, and invites them to go and partake of what he has left. The Raven is not, like the eagle and falcon, a bold and courageous warrior, who attacks animals in the vigor of life, and thus gives them a chance of escaping if they can; but he is a base and cowardly assassin, who attacks the young or the disabled, when they can make no re- sistance. In his disposition, he is artful, mean and cruel, and in his habits unclean and voracious. Such is the character of the Raven. In it we find nothing generous, or noble, or any thing that is worthy of imitation ; but on the contrary, every part of his con- duct is hateful and worthy only to be despised. Even his color is made to correspond with the darkness of his character. The Raven has always been considered a bird of ill omen. Its croakiugs were supposed to be a sign that some evil was about to happen to one or more of the persons who heard them. Even at the present day, some ignorant people believe that if a Raven lights upon their houses, some dreadful accident will happen to one or more of the family. This belief, however, arises from folly, and the want of knowledge ; for nothing can be more ridiculous, than to suppose that this bird is sent by a superior power, to warn us of evil ; and it would be still more foolish to believe that the bird came of its own accord for this purpose. The Raven is several times spoken of in the Scriptures, and generally in allusion to some of its peculiar habits ; once or twice it is mentioned in connexion with interest- ing historical events. This bird often builds its nest on the top of some an- cient tower, or in some part of a ruined or forsaken building ; a place once inhabited, but which has be- come desolate, by the death, or removal of the people. In allusion to this circumstance, several of the prophets, when they have spoken of the approaching ruin of a people, or nation, have figuratively expressed it, by say- ing, that where cities once stood, and where the voice of mirth and melody was once heard, there should come such desolation, that the Raven should inhabit that place. Thus Isaiah says of Edom : "The cormorant and the bittern shall possess it, the owl, also, and the Raven shall dwell in it." Isaiah 34 ; 11. When we consider that the Raven and the owl live only in places which are distant from the habitations of men, and that in their wild stale, they slum all human THE C R O \V . 39 society, we cannot but lie struck with the awful desola- tion that attended the fulfilment of tills prn|iln-cy. And yet it is thus thai God sometimes punishes the wicked- ness ol' nations. Tin- youiiiT Havens, in another place are spoken of, as being tinder (lie particular care of providence. The M.I-I II jh lid to Job, "who provide'th for the Raven his I'm .(I ' when Ins yoimi; one> ciy unto ( iod, they wan- der for lack of meat." JohliS; 41. Again, it is sttiil, " He uivetli iii the la-i his food, und to the young Ra- ven> when they cry." These passages, while they show the care whirl, takes of all his creatures, are striking illustrations of the natural history "f this bird. The old Ravens, as soon as the yomiL r ones are uf a certain age, and sometimes even before they are able to take care of themsehes, either forsake them, or drive them away from the nest. And hence they are often heard to cry, and are seen to wan- for lack of meal." It is at this time that the native inslinct of these young creatures is tirsi called into action, in order to seek out their food, and thus u is, that the God of Nature and of Heaven, feeds them, by endowing them with sagacity to provide for their own wants. Tins is a striking example of the fatherly caro which the AlniiiriiiN exercises overall his works ; and from it we may conclude, that since He "feeds the young Ravens when they cry." there is a certainty that the children of men will never suffer waul, so long as they put their trust in Him. Solomon alludes to this bird in his awful warning to children against disobedience to their parents. "The e\ that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey the voice of his mother, the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it." Proverbs 30; 17. Solomon here refers to the valley of Tophet, in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, which was called the valley of dead bodies, because the remains of executed crimin- als were thrown there. This place was the resort of ra- pacious biids, for, as the bodies of these criminals were left iinbm ied, they here found full gratification for their voracious appetites. The most disgraceful and ignominious treatment that could be inflicted on the worst of men, was to cast their bodies into this valley. And hence, it was not every criminal who suffered death, but only the most guilty, that umleiwent this punishment. How horrid and unnatural, then, must the crime of disobedience to parents have appeared in the eyes of Solomon, when he says, that such children deserve the punishment which is leservcd only for the most guilty malefactor. Let children, then, lake care how they treat then parents with scorn or contempt, but hi them render due obedience to their commands; always remembering, that by so doing, they obey, not only the law of God, but of nature ; and that, by refusing to do so, they run tin- nskof becoming miserable outcasts, both in this world and that which is to come. Another interesting fact concerning the Raven, is, that these birds fed the holy prophet Elijah, at the command of God, in the time of famine. The Lord said to Klijah, "Gel ihee hence, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the Havens to feed thee there." 1 Kings, 17; 3-6. " So he did according to the word of the Lord." " And the Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook." If the inquiry be made, where the Havens obtained the bread and meat for the supply of the prophet, we have no certain answer lo give on that subject, as the Sciiptures do not inform us. THE ROOK. The Rook is about the si/.e of the common crow, being ( a foot and a half long, and nearly three feet in extent. The Rook and the crow appear so much alike, that one is often mistaken for the other. But the Hook dif- fers from the crow in having no feathers between ihe root of the bill and the eye, and in having a more glossy and beautiful plumage. These l.irds, also, differ widely in their habits, the. crow living on putrid flesh, while ihe Rook feeds only <>n insects and corn. Rooks are very sociable in their h 1 in their manners harmless and innocent. They aemlile in large flocks, and are so fond of the society of each oilier, as to build iheir nests together on the same tree, li .-oine- timef, lmwe\er, happens in this community, us well as in others, thai individuals miarrel, and are occasionally ii pulling the nests of each other in pieces, and fight- 36 THE SHRIKE. ing for the mastery. Such conduct would seem unfavor- able to their living together in harmony, and yet, if a pair take offense at such a quarrel, and retire to a sepa- rate tree, and there build their nest, the others will follow and pull it in pieces. Some unhappy pairs are not per- mitted to build their nests at any place, until all the rest have finished theirs, for as soon as they have placed a few sticks together as a foundation, a party will come, and throw them on the ground. This, probably, is owing to some offense they have given to the commu- nity. As soon as the Rooks have finished their nests, and before they lay their eggs, the males begin to bring food and feed the females ; and they continue to supply them in this manner during the whole time they are sitting, and until the young are of considerable size, thus leav- ing the mothers entire leisure to take care of their young in the best manner. When a community of these birds is once formed, they seldom admit strangers among them. If new comers from other societies appear in the neighborhood, the old inhabitants are so uncivil as to give them a severe beat- ing, and drive them away. A curious instance of this kind happened at Newcastle, in England. Near that town there was a large rookery, which had been established for many years ; and it seems that this community had, as usual, adopted the iule,that their numbers should not be increased by the admission of strangers among them. One year, however, in defi- ance of this rule, a pair of strange Rooks came and at- tempted to join this society, by building their nest among the others. But they were constantly beaten by the old inhabitants ; their nest was pulled down, and they were finally compelled to quit the place. These poor birds then took refuge on the spire of the Exchange, in the midst of the town, and although perpetually insulted and interrupted by the other Rooks, they continued to work, until they finished a nest on the top of the vane. Here they reared their young, and although the nest and its inhabitants were turned about by every change ofwind, still they became so attached to the place, as to return and occupy the same nest for ten successive years. The spire was then pulled down, and these faithful birds were compelled to seek another place. This circumstance was so curious, and the inhabitants of Newcastle felt such an interest in these birds, that an engraver there, executed a small representation of the top of the spire, the vane, and the nest, and such was the demand for this litlle curiosity, that the artist made a considerable sum of money for his pains. The substance of the following account of a commu- nity of Rooks, is related by Dr. Percival. A large colony of Rooks lived many years in a grove on the bank of a river, near Manchester, in England. On a pleasant morning, it was curious and interesting to watch the various labors and amusements of this crowd- ed society. The idle members amused themselves by chasing each other in every direction; and in their flight, they made the air resound with their discordant croakings. In the midst of these playful tricks, it unfortunately happened that one Rook, by a sudden turn, struck his bill against the wing of another, and the blow was such as to throw the wounded bird into the river. On seeing this, the sport ceased in an instant, and a general cry of distress was heard throughout the community. All the birds hovered, with every expression of anxiety, over their suffering companion. Encouraged by these marks of their kindness, and perhaps advised by a language known only to each other, the wounded bird sprang into the air, and with one strong effort reached the point of a rock at the edge of the water. On this, the expressions of joy were loud and animated from the whole company. But this cry was soon changed into notes of lamentation, for the poor bird, in attempting to fly towards the nest, fell into the river again, and there was drowned, amidst the moa'nings of the assembled community. The Rooks, probably by sad experience, know very well how to distinguish when they are in danger, from the approach of a man, and when he can do them no injury. Hence a person may go very near a rookery, empty handed ; but if he carries a gun, the whole com- munity instantly take the alarm, and with loud screams warn each other of the danger ; the whole flock, at the same time, taking wing before he comes near them. THE SHRIKE. The Shrikes are a tribe of birds which live both on animal and vegetable food. They have hooked bills, much resembling those of the hawk, and claws with which they are enabled to seize and hold small birds, and other little animals. Considering their small size, they are a courageous and daring tribe, and most of them have an air of smartness and activity in their manners, which indicate their readiness to engage in hazardous undertakings. The species of this tribe are quite nu- merous, and one or more of them are found in almost every country; but the description of a single specimen will give an idea of the manners of the whole family. T II K li I. U E J A V 37 THK (iKKAT SIII;:KK [ I'tiu it alio called the Kulcher Bird.] .1 Slirike? Tin- (Jreat Shrike is ten Miches long anil thirteen inclic- in extent. rd? Tin 1 color (if the hill is black ; the upper parts arc pale ash-color; the throat nnd under pints are dirty white; (he quill-feaihen and tail are black, ending in while ; In-low the eyes there is a patch of black, and tin- legs are of the same color. nid t The Cre.it Shrike is found in most parts of the United :d in Knrope. The manners and hahits of this hirtl are, in some re- . <|iiue peculiar. Whenever he takes more food than he immediately wants, he carries it to a thorn- bush, orilu 1 >harp twig of some other tree, and there hangs it up, by st.rk-nij tin- thorn through it. In orchards fre- (|ueiiled by these birds, it is said that on almost every tree, there may be seen grasshoppers, or other insects, sus- pended in this manner. It is from his hanging up his provisions in this way, as butchers do their meal, that he is called Hatcher Bird. Tin-* practice has been thought to arise from a desire to call other birds neat him, that he might seize them, while- they weie attempting to lake the bait thus fixed in their sight. But the sante habit is common to this bird when tamed, and seems to arise rather from the shortness of his claws, and consequent difficulty he has of holding his food, while he (ears it with his bill. Thus if he kills a small bird, when in the wild state, he takes it lo .& thorn, on which he hangs it, and (hen with his hooked bill, pulls oil' die flesh, one piece after another, until (he- whole is eadMi. When lamed, he acts in a similar man- ner with any piece of flesh that is given him, spitting it on a sharpened slick or nail, which is fixed up in his cage for that purpose. This habit does not seem to arise entirely from a \\ i>h In preserve liis food for future use, for in many, and per- haps in must C.-IM-S, the grasshoppers, which are served in .i.iiirn r, are sullen d to dry and In-come useless in the sim, (he bird never touching them afterwards. In like manner, the raven and crow hide (heir provis- ions, and other articles which (hey cannot cat, in some sly place, but never see (hem afterwards. THE BLUE JAY. How large a bird is the Blue Jay ? The Blue Jay is one foot long, and a fool and a half in extent. What color ii this bird ? Its color is chiefly blue, which is deep on the back and tail, but grows pale along the sides ; the throat, breast nnd under parts are white ; the bill, and a ring about the neck are black, and the tail, and some of the wing feath- ers, are barred with the same color. On the head there is a high crest of purplish blue feathers, which the bird can raise or depress at pleasure. Where i* this bird found 1 The Blue Jay is found in most parts of North Amer- ica, from Canada to Florida. What is the food of this bird i This bird lives chiefly on chestnuts, acorns and insects, but sometimes eats such flesh as he can find, and in times of scarcity, kills small birds for his own use. He is also very fond of the eggs of other birds, which he steals when he can find them. The Blue Jay is among the most beautiful, as well as active and noisy birds of our forests. He is almost every where to be found, and go when you will among the woods, particularly in the fall of the year, you may be sure, that he will force himself on your acquaintance. To the sportsman, this bird is often the most troublesome creature imaginable, screaming out and alarming his LMIIIC, just at the moment when he is ready to fire upon it. Many a sportsman has In en placed in a most awk- ward and provoking condition, by such interference. Perhaps he has been half a mile around, nnd waded up to his knees through the mud, to get within u'un-shol of a Hock of ducks ; and just at the moment when he thinks lo accomplish his object, he happens to see a Blue .Jay silling still and quiet over his head. He (hen knows that 38 THE CUCKOO. his labor is lost, for the bird, on seeing him, instantly squalls out, and away goes his game. The gunner now fires at the Jay in revenge for such a provocation, but gen- erally without effect, for the cunning bird takes care not to give the alarm until he is well on the wing. This bird is seldom silent, unless lie has some secret, or some mischievous object in view. While the female is sitting on her nest, the male visits her only in the most secret manner. He never, on these occasions, makes the least noise, while near her, probably because he is afraid the nest will be robbed, in the same manner that he has many a time robbed those of other birds. When he pays a plundering visit to the barn yard or corn field, he is also silent and secret, until he happens to be discovered, when he screams out in triumph, and instantly makes his escape. Mr. Wilson says that this bird is not only bold and vo- ciferous, but possesses a considerable talent at mimicry, and seems to enjoy great satisfaction in mocking and teasing the little hawk, imitating his cry whenever he sees him, and squealing out as if caught. This soon brings a number of his own kind about him, who all join in the frolic, darting at the hawk, and imitating the cries of a bird sorely wounded, and already in the clutches of the devourer. But this ludicrous farce often ends in the destruction of one of the actors ; for the hawk, after bearing these insults for a time, singles out one of the most noisy and provoking, and at one swoop brings him to the ground. The cry of distress, instead of being a mockery, now becomes real, all the Jays at the same time changing their tone into loud screams, to give notice of the disaster. The hawk, mean time, being sure of his prey, eats it at his leisure. THE CUCKOO. This tribe of birds have long bills, which are a little crooked ; their toes are placed, two backwards, and two forward ; the tail consists of ten feathers, the outer ones being only about half as long as those in the middle. They feed chiefly on insects. THE COMMON CUCKOO. How large is the Common Cuckoo .' The Common Cuckoo is fourteen inches long, and two feet in extent. What is the color of this bird ? Its color along the back is light brown ; the breast and under parts are white ; and the throat is pale grey. The plumage of the young is brown, mixed with black. Where is this bird found ? The Common Cuckoo is found in England, and other parts of Europe; but not in America. What is said concerning this bird's nest ? It is said that this Cuckoo does not build for herself a nest, but that she lays her eggs in the nests of other birds. We are indebted to the celebrated Dr. Jenner, for the substance of the following account of this singular bird. He states, that during the time when the hedge spar- row is laying her eggs, the Cuckoo goes and deposites hers among the others, in the nest. This sparrow, for some reason which is unknown, has a habit, while she is sitting, of throwing some of her eggs out of the nest, and of injuring others in such a manner that only two or three of them produce young birds. But it is very remarkable, that she has never been known to throw out, or injure the eggs of the Cuckoo. When the sparrow has sat her usual time, and has hatched the young Cuckoos, and some of her own off- spring, it has been found that the young sparrows, to- gether with any unhatched eggs that may remain, are thrown out of the nest, thus leaving only the young Cuckoos to be nurtured by the old sparrow. The young sparrows are not killed, nor are the eggs broken, but both are left to perish, entangled in the bushes, or lying on the ground under them. From observations afterwards made by Dr. Jenner, he found that the old sparrow was not herself the means of turning out her eggs and her young, but that this was done by the young Cuckoo. He states that he looked into a sparrow's nest which contained two sparrow's eggs, and one Cuckoo's egg. Afterwards, on going to the nest, he found that it contained only one young sparrow and the young Cuckoo. He now watched the proceed- ings, and saw the young Cuckoo in the act of throwing out the little sparrow. The manner of doing this was quite curious, and displayed in a wonderful degree the instinct of an animal only a day or two old. The young Cuckoo contrived, after working for some time, to get the sparrow on its back ; then holding up its wings to prevent its rolling off over the head, it climbed backwards, up the side of the nest until it reached the edge ; where resting for a moment, it threw the poor little outcast quite from the nest, and it fell on the ground. After staying for a moment, and feeling about with its wings, to be certain that the work was properly THE WOODPECKER. done, ill'' ynuiiir I y i. 'lit hy quietly down in i of tin- whole IP |)r. Jenner afterWHidi) made seveial experiments l>y pulling an e^' at a (inn-, into the nest \viih iliis \oini-j Cuckoo, anil alwa\s fi.miil, ihat like (lit- little sparrow, they weie ?i mil I ' 1 1 wn nil tin- MM'tmd. It miirhi serin improbable I'tom the ruiinil slinpe of a younj,' liiril's l>ark, that an fj'^ could lie made to lie tli while ihc hille animal crawled up the >ide of the neat and cast it out. But our author siss that n.itme M-ems to have formed (his l>ird with reference to such an object, for the hack is shaped dillei ent ly from that of other youtiir hllcls, heillfj wide jllsl hack of the Wing's, and having a hollow place there in which the egg can bo safely h>'!. To us. tin- reason why the Cuckoo, in common with Other birds, doi-s not l.uiM a nest and hatch her younir, is unkiiow n. Perhaps n may ! owm_' to the short time which she si;i\- MI Knu'land, where Dr. Jeimer made his observations. In that country, this bird n . like many others, with the seasons, but she comes late and ing only a short time. The Amer- ican Cuckoo is also a. migratory bird, but her stay is lon-er. and she lays ami hatches her young like other birds. In the United States there are two species of the Cuckoo, both of which differ from the Common, or Eng- lish one already described. These are the Yellow-billed and the Black-hilled Cuckoo. Both these are a little smaller than the Common one of Europe. The yellow- billed is of a yellowish brown color on the back, and white underneath; the lower mandible being yellow. The black-billed Cuckoo does not differ materially in color or size from this ; but both mandibles are black, h these birds are common in this country. fin: WOODPECKER. The Woodpeckers are a tribe of birds which differ in their manners and habits from all others. They live chiefly on woims and oilier insects, which they obtain by perking holes in decayed trees. Their tongues are long, sharp, bony at the end, and barbed; formini: an instrument, by means of which they draw the worms out of the devices of the wood. Ttiey lay their eggs ia hol- low tiees. HI m holt-- which they make fur themselves. Their toes are placed, two backwards, ami two forward; and their tails consist often -harp pointed feathers. IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. H"W large ia the Ivory-billed Woodpecker t The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is twenty inches long and two feel and a half in extent. I U the shape of this bird ? The form and appearance of this bird, are very striking and beautiful. His neck is elegantly curved ; his heod is crowned with a noble crest, more than two inches high ; his bill is smooth and while, like polished ivory ; his eye is biilliant and daring, and his whole aspect noble and dignified. What is the color of this Woodpecker ! II is color } black, with a white stripe beginning near the eye and running down the neck and alon^ the buck ; the upper i|iiill feathers are also white; the forward part of the crest is black, and the back part, of a most splendid crimson. Wh.redoettbubird . The Ivory-billed Woodpecker inhabits all the soutn- ern parts of North America, from Virginia to Florida. He resides in the great forests, and is seen only on the tallest and largest trees. This noble bird stands at the head of the tribe to which he belongs. By his size, his superb crest, and his ivory hill, nature seems to have designed him as the king of his race. In his manners and character, he is by far superior to the common kind of Woodpeckers, and as if conscious of bis rank and dignity, he nev< ites with those who seek their food among shrubbery, and alon-r fallen trees. He seems to scorn such lowly situa- tions, and is to be found only amon-.' the towering In of the forest. There the strokes of his lull, like those c f the wood cutter, may he heard for miles, resounding through tilt 1 solitary wilds of nature. 40 THE KING-FISHER. At such places, may be seen enormous pine or cypress trees, dead and dry at the top, with cart loads of bark and chips at the root, the fruits of his industry. He never attacks sounder growing trees, because they yield him no food for his labor, as it is only decayed ones in which worms and insects are found. Hence, although endowed with strength and power to do much mischief, by destroying the forest timber, he never does the least injury. The character of this curious bird will be best illustra- ted by Mr. Wilson's account of the conduct of one which he wounded and took alive. "The first place I observed this bird at," says he, " when on my journey to the south, was about twelve miles from Wilmington, in North Carolina. There I found the bird from which the drawing of the figure in the plate was taken. This bird was only wounded slightly in the wing, and on being caught, uttered a loudly reiterated, and most piteous note, exactly resem- bling the violent crying of a young child ; which so ter- rified my horse, as nearly to have cost me my life. It was distressing to hear it. I carried it with me in my chaise to Wilmington. In passing through the streets, its affecting cries surprised every one within hearing, particularly the females, who hurried to the doors and windows with looks of alarm and anxiety. I drove on, and arriving at the piazza of the hotel, where I intended to put up, the landlord came, and a number of other persons who happened to be there, all equally alarmed at what they heard. This alarm was greatly increased, by my asking whether he could furnish me with accom- modations for myself and baby. The man looked blank, and foolish, while the others stared with great astonish- ment. "After diverting myself for a minute or two at their expense, I drew my Woodpecker from under the cover, and a general laugh took place. I took him up stairs, and locked him up in my room, while I went to see my horse taken care of. In less than an hour I returned, and on opening the door, he set up the same distressing shout, which now appeared to proceed from grief, that he had been discovered in his attempts to escape. He had mounted along the side of the window, nearly as high as the ceiling, a little below which he had began to break through. The bed was covered with large pieces of plaster ; the lath was exposed for at least fifteen inches square, and a hole large enough to admit the fist opened to the weather boards; so that in less than another hour, he would certainly have succeeded in making his way through. "I now tied a string around his leg, and fastening it to the table, again left him. I wished to preserve his life, and had gone off in search of suitable food for him. As I reascendcd the stairs, I heard him again hard at work, and on entering, had the mortification to, perceive that he had almost entirely ruined the mahogany table to which he was fastened, and on which he had wreaked his whole vengeance. "While engaged in taking the drawing, he cut me severely in several places, and on the whole displayed such a noble, and unconquerable spirit, that I was fre- quently tempted to restore him to his native woods." These birds lay their eggs in the bodies of trees, gen- erally selecting for this purpose one of the largest they can find. The pair assist each other in the work of dig- ging out a large cavity, which is sometimes four or five feet deep, and at the bottom of which it is scooped out in form of a dish, to contain the eggs and bird. The common note of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, resembles the sound of a trumpet, or the high tone of the clarionet, and is repeated every three or four seconds. It is so loud as to be heard to the distance of half a mile or more, though it seems to be within a few rods of the hearer. The more we study the works of creation, as presented in the different kinds of animals, the more we shall be convinced that there was a design in forming each one for the peculiar mode of life which it lives. If we particularly examine the bird, whose history is given above, we shall be struck with the fact, that every part of him is formed exactly for the kind of life which he leads. His bill is strong, hard and polished, so as to enter the wood with the greatest ease ; his head is large and heavy, answering all the purposes of a hammer ; his neck is longer than most land birds, by which the great- er force is given to his head ; his claws are sharp, and placed, two forward, and two backward, in the best po- sition for grasping, or holding on to the side of a tree, and climbing; his tongue is long, hard, pointed, and barbed, for the purpose of drawing his food from the cavities of the wood, and his eyes are sharp and piercing, and so placed as that he can look directly forward to the point of his bill, and see the smallest insect under the bark of the tree. THE KING-FISHER. The King-fisher tribe frequent the banks of rivers, and the shores of lakes and p*bnds. They live on small fish, which, divipg down, they catch with much dexterity. Their bills are sharp at the end, and are large and long. ! They do not seize their prey with their claws, like the fish-hawk, but take it with their bills. There are sev- THE CONDOR. il eral species of this tribe, only one of which is found in this country. RAPACIOUS HIRDS. THE RAPACIOUS BIRDS live entirely on flesh, whu h some of (In-ill kill for themselves, while others eat only such as ihry find aln-adx di-:nl. They arc all furnished with sharp talon--, nr daws, willi which they seize lln-n prey, and with hooked bills to tear the flesh. These birds associate in pairs, Imt never unite in flocks. In this tribe the female is larger and stronger than the male. To this order belong the Condor, the Vultures, the Eagles, the Falcons and the Owls. TIIK I'.n.TK.I) Urge is the Belted King-fisher ? The Belted Kin-; nMier is about one foot long, and twenty inches in extent, when the wings are ppread. il is the shape of this bird .' In shape it is short and thick ; (he head is large and crested ; the legs short and small ; and the bill remark- ably long, thick and sharp. What u the color of tlii* bird > Its prevailing color is light blue; around the neck, there is a belt of while, from which the bird takes its name ; the breast is red, mixed with blue ; the under parts are while, with a spot of red just before the legs ; the lull is black, with a white spot near the root of the lower mandible. Where does the Belted King-fisher live I This bird is found in most parts of the United Slates where there are rivers, seas or lakes. In what situation does the King-fisher make its neat ! The Kimr-fisher makes its nest in the ground. The female finds a sandy place on the bank of the river or lake, and there digs a hole with her bill and claws, three or four feet into the bank. Into this hole she carries some grass, and on it lays her eggs, and hatches her young. The King-fisher is among the most beautiful of our bird-. He may be seen on almost any summer's da\ , silling on some dry tree or po-i near the water's edge, glancing his <|tiick and piercing eye in even, direction. in search of the lillle fish that swim near the sur! When he sees one that suits him, he darls down, catches and swallows it in an instant, and then Hies hack, and qnietl) takes his stalion again. He loves to visit brawl- ing brooks, and Midi little casra'dr- a- are made by mill- dams, and when he has no luck in fishing at one station, he flies swiftly to another. Sometimes in his flight, he clops, and balancing himself by a rapid motion of the wings, he dives, and having caught and swallowed a little fish, away he goes again. 7 THE CONDOR. There is fortunately but one species of this terrible bird, and although it is of the Vulture kind, it differs so much in size and habits, from the rest of the species, aa gener- ally to be described by itself. What kind of a bird a the Condor ! The Condor is a bird of the Vulture kind, and is much the largest and most powerful of that voracious and dis- gusting tribe. I low large if this bird ) The length of the Condor is about five feet, and his extent, with the wings spread, from twelve to fourteen feet. What if the color of this bird ! The color of bis back and wings is black, and the breast and neck are dark brown. Are the head and neck of this bird covered with feathers, or naked ! The head and upper part of the neck are naked, or only coven-d with down ; but the lower partof the neck is surrounded with thick feathers, resembling hair. In what country is this bird found ' The Condor is found only in South America. Where doe* the female build her nest ! The female builds her nest in the highest mountains, where men can approach only with the greatest difficulty and danger. She raises but two young birds in each \ear. Does this bird appear ferocious or innocent ! The Condor, in appearance, is one of the mosl terrible of all birds. His great sixe, his hooked bill, his naked head, his tremendous daw-, and the gieat comb which grows on his head, all together, make him a most fright- ful looking animal. How many toes has the Condor .' This bird has four toes on each fool, three of them standing forward and one backward. They are armed with long, black, sharp claws, with which he ran make the most dreadful wounds. 42 THE CONDOR. THE CONDOR. The Condor is not less ferocious in his manners, than he appears to be by his looks. He destroys without dis- tinction any living creature that he can master, and his wings are so large and his strength so great, that it is said he can carry off a sheep or calf, without difficulty. Even men are afraid of his approach, and shun him as they would a wolf or tiger. A writer who travelled in South America, stales that he one day saw a Condor seated on a high rock, and having approached within gun-shot, he fired at him; but his gun being only loaded with shot, the bird was not brought to the ground, but flew to another place. The traveller then loaded his gun with a bullet, and fired at him again, when he fell to the ground mortally T II K V U L T U R K . wounded. On i;oinir io linn, tin- L'enileman found that lit- was re, idy to defend himself ill the most ferocious and formidable manner, ami \v;i~ i.hli-red (o call the help of another IIKUI, befoie he could conquer so terrihle an animal, The \viiiL r - of this liinl, say the traveller, \vere twelve t, three inches, from one lip In (lie nlhei. The <|llills were of ,1 heaiitiful shining black, and two iVet, four inches Ion::. The hill wns four in. , and of pro- portionaie thickness ; its color \va> black, except io wards the end, \\here it was white. The head and neck were red with a short down of a brown color, nnd the - were hlark, surrounded with a circle of reddish brown. Tin- feathers of the hreast, neck, head and wings, were of a brown color; those on the bark were darker. The h L:- weie c-i.vi red with brown feather* to the ki Tin- ihiiih-hones were ten inches long, and those of the live inche^ long. In the desert-* of Pachomac, in South America. Dr. (ioldsmiili, where this liird is chiefly to be seen, men seldom venture in ir.ivel. Those wild regions nre suffi- cient of themselves to inspire a secret horror; broken precipices, prowling panthers, forests only vocal with the, hissinir of serpents, nnd mountains rendered still more terrihle by the Condor, the only bird that venimes to make iis residence in those desolated regions. Surely, in (he history of this terrible bird, we cnn sec the kind provision of a merciful Creator towards man. I( produces only two young in a year, while some birds which an- harmless and useful, produce thirty or forty yoiinir iu the same time. The Condor lives only in a certain part of South America, while the birds that are most beneficial to man, inhabit nearly every part of the earth. Now since all the birds were made by the same hand, it is certain that there wns a design in permitting the most useful and harmless to increase in abundance, while those that are destructive and ferocious, are always few in number, and generally confined to certain parts of the earth. Were the Condors as numerous as tin- pigeons, or the swallows, the earth would scarcely afford animals sufficient for their food, and even man himself would not be able to make good his defense against so strong and fierce a bird. THE VULTURE. The Vultures differ from the other rapacious birds, in wanting feathers on the head, and upper part of the neck. They also differ from them, in choosing to devour such animals as they find already dead, rather than to kill them for their own use. There are several species of this bird, but they all agree in their habits and man- ners, heinij equally voracious ami unclean. The descrip- tion of one will theiefore give a good idea of all. Till 1 . GOLDEN VULTURE. urge ii the Golden Vulture ? The (Jolden Vulture is four feet and a half long, and with the wmgs spread, about nine feel in extent. The lentil of the upper mandible is about seven inches, and the weight of the bird is about twelve pounds. < i- the color of thii bird? loi about the breast and lower part of the neck is dull red ; it is black on the back, and the wings and (ail are yellowish brown. - this bird live 1 This bud is found in Egypt, Arabia and the southern parts of America. i if wh.it use to man is the Vulture ? The Vulture, although a most unclean and voracious bird, is still, in the hot countries where it lives, a very ii-eful inhabitant. It carries away, and devours, the carcases of dead animals, which would otherwise make the air unpleasant and sickly. Of all animals, this can smell its prey at the greatest distance. The Vulture seems to hold the same rank among birds, that the hyena docs among quadrupeds. In Egypt, and other eastern countries, great flocks of them are at all times seen about every city, where they are of the great- est benefit to the inhabitants, by carrying away all sorts of putrid animal matters. So useful are they, on this account, that no person is allowed to kill or disturb them, under the penalty of a fine; and in consequence they become quite tame, and gentle, hardly moving out of the way of persons who walk the streets. At New Oilcans, and other southern cities, these birds arc seen about the streets, in the same manner as in Egypt, and there, also, no person is allowed to injure or disturb them. They are protected and valued for the good they do in cleaning the streets. At Brax.il, and other parts of South America, it is pleas- ant to witness the art which these birds display, in de- stroying the eggs of the crocodile. In that country the crocodile is one of the most terrible of all animals. He grows to the enormous length of tweniy-five, or even thirty feet, and is so ferocious as to attack nnd destroy any land animal that comes within his reach. It is therefore a very happy circumstance, and one in which the hand of an over-ruling Providence is clearly appa- rent, that the Vulture should be the mean- of prevent- ing the great increase of so terrible an annual. These ferocious monsters, were it not for the Vul'.un--, would in a short lime become so mini' -ions as to make it dangerous, or even impossible, for men to inhabit the 44 THE VULTURE. THE GOLDEN VULTURE. country, for the females lay from one to two hundred egg-s each, every year. The crocodiles take care to place their eggs in situa- tions so secret that other animals do not often find them, and having covered them with sand, they are left to be hatched by the heat of the sun. The Vultures seem to understand all this, and during the season of the year when these monstrous animals come out of the water to deposit their eggs, these birds are seen perched on some tall tree, wailing the event of such a visit. When one comes on the land, they patiently and silently watch the place to which she goes, and keep slil] until the huge beast has laid and covered her eggs with the sand, and returned to the water. Then, encouraging each other with loud cries, they all together, pour down upon the nest, hook up the sand with their crooked bills, and in a few minutes devour every egg the crocodile has left. Nothing can be more filthy and offensive than these birds. The food which they prefer, is to all animals, ex- cept the hyena, the most disagreeable of objects. But notwithstanding this disgusting appetite, which renders them so hateful in the sight of men, the Allwise Creator T ii K i: A t; i i: has designed ilirm in answer a valuable puipuse in the world. The ctaming of the treeta of cities, in hot cli- mates, anil the destruction of llie crocodile's eggs, are hem-fits i I i consequence t(j those wlio inhalnl such cliln A knowledge nf ihr-v Inn lit-, in an nniinnl so ob- noxious in ajqie.i a\s Mi.-s Hi wlet, alludes to the art and diligence of men m dicing subterraneous ways throiii:li nis and mines, in order to acquire (he riches that are hid in tin- IMI-OIII of the eaith. lint though man is en ilo\\d with wiMlolii far hey ond the beasts of the field, and the fowls f heaven, man has never, by his own un- aided elioit-i. found the way to God and happim >s 1'iit is groping in the dark, and spending his strength upon that which can neither satisfy nor endure. It is not until a light from heaven reveals the path of life, and divine grace enables him to discern and pursue it, that man can attain the " fear of the Lord, which is true wisdom." THE EAGLE. This tribe of birds are not less rapacious than those of the vulture kind. The Eagles may readily be distin- guished from the vultures by having their heads and necks fully clothed with feathers, while these parts of the vulture kind are naked. The claws and bills of the Eagles are sharper and more hooked than those of the vultures. The Eagles also differ from the vultures in their habit of killing their prey for themselves, while the vultures generally eat only such as they find already dead. Eagles never associate in flocks, and are so solitary in their habits, that more than two of them are rnreh together. They are extremely quick-sighted, and can see objects at an amazing distance. They often lly at such a height in the air, as to be entirely out of the sight of man; and even from such a distance, ihey can di-cern their pn-y on the earth, when they dart down upon it with the swiftness of an arrow. Their strength great, that they have been known to carry away animals nearly as heavy as (hemst'lves, to the distance of forty miles. Mu.,1 i if i he in build their nests in I lie highest and most dill'icult places in the mountains. The females of this tribe are always larger and stronger than the male*. There an- m this 1. in), l.nt their habits and m:iiimis ;,,( Minilai, the chief difference being in their ml color. Til! !! \\ lii-iii' .1 '.Hi. I is tin- (J.'Mi-n I'.ngle ? I'll-- (iolden I'.:--;.- is the largest and noblest of the le. tribe. His length is three feet and a half, and with his wings spread. In- extends ten feet. His bill is four inches long, and he weighs twelve or fourteen pounds. u li.it is tho color of this bird ? The color of his head and neck is deep brown ; along the breast it is yellowish brown, and on the back, it is a darker shade of the same color. The bill is deep blue, and the legs yellow. Wh.it can be laid of the feet and lega of this bird .' The legs of this Eagle are covered with feathers to the toes, and are verv large and strong. The toes are cover- ed with scales, and armed with the most terrible claws, the middle one being two inches long. Where does the Golden Eagle live .' This king of birds is found in almost every country, but never in any considerable numbers at the same place. How lon docs the Eagle live > It is said that the Eagle lives to the age of an hundred years, and that he then does not die of old age, but in consequence of the growing of his bill inward, so that he cannot eat. An Eagle died at Vienna, that was known to have been in confinement upwards of an hundred years. The Eagle, among birds, is what the lion is among quadrupeds. His strength and swiftness give him the mastery over nearly all the feathered creation. Like the lion, the Eagle is said to be generous, and sometimes so merciful as not to attack small and weak animals, when he can find those that are lamer and stronger. It is not until he has long suffered the insulting cries of the rook and magpie, (hat this noble bird thinks fit to punish them for their folly. Like the lion, the Eagle disdains to share hi* plunder with any other animal ; and, unless pressed with hunger, will not eat any thing which he has not killed himself. Like him. also, the Eagle is solitary, always driving away all other rapacious birds, find keep- ing the desert where he lives to himself. It is as un- common to see two paiis nl K.-J s in the same moun- tain, as it is to see two lions in the Mine desert. The lion and the Etgle have both fierce, sparkling eyes; their claws are of the same form, and (he cry of both is 46 THE EAGLE. THE GOLDEN EAGLE. equally terrible to the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air. The Eagle is tamed with great difficulty ; and even when taken young and treated with kindness, will some- times turn upon his master, and wound him in a terrible manner. Of all birds, the Eagle flies the highest, and can see to the greatest distance ; but his sense of smelling is not so good as that of the Vulture. He is so strong, as to fly away with lambs, kids, geese, and sometimes even with children. In Scotland, a child happening to be at play out of doors, an Eagle flew down, took it up, and carried it to his nest. But fortunately, the poor infant received no injury on the journey, and the affrighted parents pur- suing after the robber, went to the nest in time to take it away, before it was in the least hurt. The Eagle is at all times powerful and ferocious, but is particularly so at the time when he is bringing up his young. At this time the pair make use of all their courage, strength, and fierceness, in order to provide meat for their brood. The quantity of provision which these birds carry to their young, is sometimes sufficient to maintain a family. Mr. Smith, in his history of Kerry, a county in Ireland, relates that during a season of famine, a poor man obtained nourishment for himself and children by rob- bing a pair of young eagles of the food which was brought them by their parents. When the young birds became large enough to fly, the poor man clipped their wings, so as to keep them in the nest, and thus make the old ones continue to bring them food. In this man- ner was this poor family supported, with kids, lambs, geese, and hens, during the summer. It was fortunate for this man, that the Eagles never caught him at their nest, for had this been the case, his life would have been in danger from their fury, as may be seen by the following story. A man in the county of Kerry determined to rob an TH K I-' 1 S il-ll \ \v K . Eagle's in-st, which was on an island, of its young. He "rdingly swam to the i>l;iml. al a lime when lie saw llial the old Imils were awax , and having secured (lie yomii: onev. \\asieiuriiiiig in tin- land, hax mi; wailed into tin: wain nearly up to In- neck. At thi^ moment tin- old Kai;le> relumed, anil fimlmi; that tlirir young were mil in the nest, but in the hands of llu- man. lhe\ fell upon him with such tiemendous fury as to kill him in the water. The nest of the Eagle is commonly l>uilt among moun- tains, and in places win-re it is most difficult for men to ml. It is cousii ucieil wiih much labor, being about six feet a. I"., .mil coniaimiiir more tlian a cart-load of tlix slicks, and the roots of trees. These liirds.it is said, never build hut one nest, but continue to occupy (lie same, repairing it from year to year, as long as they live. The nesi is nol hollow, like those of other birds, but flat on the top. The eggs are only two in number, and it is often the case, that only one of these is hatched. Th>- Eagle is often alluded lo in the Scriptures, and sometimes m a very mlereslmLT and sinking manner. The fifty-ninth chapter of Job contains a description of the halms of i his bin!, which is wonderfully true and ime. " Doth the Eagle," says Jehovah to Job, "mount up at thy rommaml, and make her nest on high ? Shi: dwelleth and abidethon the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she sct-keth the prey, and her eyes behold afar off; her you ii:; on.- also suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is she.'' In this striking description, says Miss Hewlet.are dis- played huih ili- wisdom and greatness of the Creator, and the insignificance and impotence of man. Man cannot control the movements of the Eagle, nor direct his flight ; nor did he derive from man his desire, or strength to soar among the clouds, nor his choice of (he inaccessible precipice for his abode. His vigorous frame, hi^ daring temper, and all his instincts, are the contri- vance and the work of God. The design of the Creator in din-dim,' (he Kaule thus to build is obvious. On the brow of the precipice, this king of the feathered race, and this terror of the smaller quadrupeds, dwells in soli- tary securiiy, and rears his young almost beyond the reach of danger. The great height to which the Eagle flies, and the lofty places in which she builds her nest, are figurative of the proud and lofty manner in which sinners some- times lift llremselxes up, when they seem to think that they are above the reach of calamity or misfortune. But though they exalt themselves as high as the Eagle's flight, and hide themselves in places as secure as her nest, yet, if they provoke the righteous indignation of (iod, he will assuredly bring them down, and in his own lime level them with the dust of the earth. The swiftness of this bird through the air, is alluded to in the hook of Job, as a figure of the rapid flight of time. My d.ixs are passed away as the swift ships, as the Ea^'le that hasteth io his prey." Job 9 ; 26. In another place the (light of this bird is mentioned as an i mlilem of (he uncertainty of worldly possessions. ' Kiches certainly make to themselves wings, they fly - .m Kagle towards heaven." Proverbs 23 ; 5. This may remind worldly men, that after all their pains to lay up money, then- n no certainly, that even in this world, their ill-gotten wealth will be of any per- inanent advantage to them, for their riches may all al once fly away und leave them in poverty. A good les- son to the expectations of mortal creatures, and a warn- ing, that if they would possess durable riches, they must lay up their treasure.- m heaven. The strength and wide spreading wings of this bird are alluded to in the Scriptures, in comparison with the care, which the Lord took of his chosen people. "Ye have seen what I did unto Egypt, and how I bare you on Eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Exo- dus 19; 4. Again, in another passage, it is written, '' As the Eagle stirreih up her nest, fluttered! over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, bearelh them on her wings; so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Deuteronomy 32; 11. These passages both refer to the manner in which tin- Lord supported tin- children of Israel, and led them out of their bondage in the land of Egypt. i in.- reflection, in the language of Miss Hewlet, shall close what we have to say concerning the eagle. " The < 'In i-tian, like the Eagle, should soar in the daily exer- cise of his faith, and contemplation, to (he glorious real- ities of an invisible world; be ought to have no com- munion with the earth, nor be dragged down to inferior objects, nor grovel in the dust; but always mount up- wards, and gaze with Eagles' eyes on the Sun of Right- eousness." THK KiSII-HAU'K. [THii bird ii alto called Ihr Fuhinf Eagle.] II .w large ii the Fish Hawk ? The Fish Hawk is two feet long, and five feet and a half in extent. What is ih. .-..lor of this bird .' His color, on the head, is brown, spotted with white ; the back, tail and wings are daik brown, and the throat, hreat and under parts, are while. 48 THE FISH-HAWK. THE FISH-HAWK. Where does this bird live ? The Fish Hawk is found in Europe and in America. He resides chiefly on the sea coasts, and about large rivers and lakes. What is the food of this bird ? His food consists entirely of fish, which he catches by diving into the water. Where does this bird build its nest ? The nest of this bird is built on the top of some dead or decaying tree, and is so large as to be seen at a great distance. The Fish Hawk migrates to the south on the approach of winter, and returns to our coasts again in the spring. His appearance in the spring is hailed by the fishermen as indicating the arrival of the herring, shad, and other fish. The habits of this bird are harmless and sociable. He often builds within a short distance of houses, and is pro- tected and valued by the farmers, on account of the good he does in driving the crows and black-birds out of the neighborhood. During the time when the female is sitting on her eggs, the male is very attentive to her, and often supplies her with fish. In aninstance where the female had lost one of her feet, so that she could not well fish for herself, the male constantly supplied her with provision, so that she never left her nest to seek food for herself. For several seasons, this kindness was observed by the people who lived near the nest. They watch their young with much tenderness, one of the pair staying about the nest, and keeping guard over them, while the other goes out to bring them a supply of provisions. On the approach of any person at this time, the old birds seem in much distress, and utter a plaintive cry, at the same time taking wing, and sailing around the nest. Sometimes, also, they dive down, as though to attack the person, but usually mount up again without coming very near him. In some instances, however, they have been known to attack persons who have climbed up to their nest, and to wound them in a terrible manner. The actions of this bird during a fishing excursion, and the manner in which he seizes his prey, are quite inter- esting. When he leaves his nest on such an occasion, he goes directly to the fishing ground, flying in a straight line, and not very high in the nir. Having come to the water, he rises two hundred feet or more into the air, and sails elegantly and slowly along, eyeing the face of the deep, in search of his game. Suddenly he stops, to sur- vey more particularly any fish that he happens to see, but generally glides along again in a moment or two. Again he stops, and balancing himself by flapping his wings, looks intently into the water, now and then rising or sinking a little, as if to obtain a better view of his ob- ject. Having taken his aim, he now descends from his great height, with the swiftness of a leaden bullet, and plunging into the water with aloud rustling sound, buries himself for a moment under its surface. He then rises, with his struggling prey hanging on his claws, and when a few feet high, stops and flutters to shake (he water from him, which flies in the form of spray in every di- rection. Having thus prepared himself for his flight, he shapes his course directly for the land, and quietly eats his fish, sitting on the limb of a dry tree, or carries it to his young. It sometimes happens, however, that the Fish Hawk is neither permitted to eat his prey himself, nor carry it to his young, but is obliged to yield it up to the bald eagle, who generally lives by robbing the present species. THE FALCON. While tin 1 Fi-h Hawk is ;it \V(irk, na above d< >. -i ibed, in order in provide for himself or family, the. la/.y bald cii^lc is comfortably seated on sonic dr\ tin- m the neighborhood. Watching Ills mol|..n-', and expec! good mi-ill whi -never hid labors ,-nc successful. Now anil then, while tin- industrious Fish Hawk is pursuing; Ins pivy, tins indolent piialf shakes his feathers, lyul pre- pares his wmu r s for .tin- pursuit, (he instant, he shall see the good luck of his neighbor. When, therefore, the Fi-h Hawk rises with his prey, _:le he-ins the chase. The Fish Hawk often seem-. to know that his enemy is in the neighborhood, and therefore the moment he comes out of the water, tries to avoid the rohher, hy rising as fa-t as possible into the nir. This he does by making small circles, ^radualh upward in the form of a screw. The eagle, meantime, exerts all his strength and swiftness, in attempting to i,ve the other, and in this manner the contest is sometimes continued for half an hour, or mure, the Hawk coiM.'iuly -.reaming, in a loud and distressing At last the pur-ned, finding that his enemy has gained upon him, and that, with all his exertions, he cannot . dioj,- the |Mi, \\hicli i- nearly in everv m-taiire can- hi l.y tin- fflfjle, hel'oie it leaches the ground; and thus the poor hungry Hawk is left to do his work again. The conduct of the bald eagle ii an apt emhlcmof ihe course pursued h\ certain men in tin- \\oiKI. For how often do we see persons, who an- themselves lazy and worthless, liviiiL- comfoital.lx on the earnings of indiii- trious ami hard working people. Perhaps these per- sons are not guilty of robbing outright, or of cheating in -iich a manner as to be brought before the magistrate, and ,)imished according to law. But they contrive in take advantage: of the ignorant and laborious, in such a manner as to get into their own hands most of their earn- ings, and thus to live in idleness on the sweat of anoth- er's face. Such vile and deceitful conduct may possibly en-ape punishment jn this world ; but that God, who of men, and knows all their secret ac- tions, will most assuredly punish such injustice at the day of final account. THE FALCON. Till. SECRETARY KALCON. The Falcon is another of the Rapacious tribes of hi id-. They agree with the eaL'lo in having their head- and covered with feathers, and in having sharp hooked hills ami strong claws. They are, in general, much smaller than th hut like them they live by catch- ing game, which commonly consists of the smaller birds 8 of the fore=t. Some of them visit the farm yard carry oil' the chicken?, and one variety lives chiefly on serpents. These birds are more commonly Known under the name of Hawks. There are many vanetie-of them, but with one or two exceptions, they agree very nearly in form and habits. 50 THE FALCON. THE SECRETARY FALCON. How large a bird is the Secretary Falcon ? The Secretary Falcon is one of the largest of this tribe, being about three feet high from the ground to his head. What is the form of this bird ? In form this bird resembles both the eagle and the crane. Its head and bill are like those of the eagle, while its legs and body are similar to those of the crane. Why is this bird called Secretary Falcon ? This bird is called Secretary Falcon, because there grow from the back of his head several long feathers, which make him look like a secretary, or writer, with his pen placed behind his ear. Where is this bird found ? The Secretary Falcon lives in Africa and Asia, but has not been seen wild in any other country. What is its color ? Its color on the back and breast is bluish white ; the tail is ash colored, except near the end, where it is black ; around the eyes, the color is deep orange. On what food does this bird live ? This Falcon lives chiefly on serpents, in the taking of which he displays a great deal of cunning. It would appear from the habits of this singular bird, that Providence had designed him as one of the means of preventing the great increase of serpents in those hot cli- mates, where he is chiefly to be found. In seizing these dangerous reptiles, this bird always has regard for his own safety. When he conies to a serpent, he is always careful to carry the point of one of his wings forward, in such a manner as to prevent the reptile from wounding his flesh with his poisonous teeth. Sometimes he takes the serpent on one of his wings, and throws it into the air, and after having worried it in this way fora time, he takes the first safe opportunity of despatching it, by a single blow on the head with his bill. He then makes a comfortable meal of his fallen enemy, at his leisure. This Falcon is easily tamed, and when domesticated, will eat any kind of food, whether raw or cooked. If well fed, he will not only live with hens and chickens, on friendly terms, but when he sees any of them quarreling, will run and part them, and restore order and harmony in the poultry yard. If, however, he is neglected, and becomes hungry, he will satisfy his appetite from among the chickens with which he had lived on such kind and familiar terms. THE COMMON FALCON. [This bird has also been called Gentil Falcon.'] How large is the Common Falcon ? The Common Falcon is about two feet long, from the bill to the end of the tail ; but the body is small and light, only weighing three or four pounds. THE COMMON FALCON. What color is this bird ? The color of his beak is reddish ; the head and neck are brown, with black spots ; the back and wings are brown ; the tail is striped across with black and ash color, and tipped with white. Where is this bird found ? This Falcon is found in Scotland, France, and other parts of Europe. What is the shape of this bird ? The shape of this Falcon is similar to that of the eagle only that the bill is still more hooked, and the whole ap- pearance of the bird is more slender and sprightly. His legs and feet are exceedingly strong, and his wings very long and powerful, in proportion to the weight of his body. Formerly this bird was tamed, and taught to catch other birds, for the use of his master. The training of the Falcon for this purpose, was called Falconry, and the hunting with him was called Hawking. Among the ancient nobility of England, hawking was considered as the most noble and princely of all sports. Falconry, or the training of the Hawk, was, therefore, a business of gteat importance. The king's Falconer, or the man who took care of his Hawks, was among the most dignified officers of his household, and the expense attending this sport was so great, that none but men of wealth could afford to indulge themselves in it. During these times, a pair of Hawks sometimes sold fora thou- sand dollars, our money, and in one instance, even five thousand dollars were paid for an extraordinary brace of these birds. At the present day, we look with pity and contempt on such silly and wicked extravagance ; and yet in our own times, we have many fashions, which, if they are T 11 i: i \ LCON. 51 not ns cxp -.re fully as ridiculous, and which will l>c looked iijioii by future ijenerafions, wilh equal con- tempt and pity. The Kali-oil is :i bird of vei \ extiaordiiian \< rocity, courage and strength. When l.ntied, and trained for hawking, lie is, however, under the i iplcle command of his in IS|,T, and when taken out for sporl, was carried siltini: on Ins hand. These birds would fly wilh such force, and knew so well in what part to Mnke their game, that they would pounce upon any other Itird, however large. The stork, the In ion, and tin: crane, each of whirli is tu o or three time- il,,. .;,/.,. ,,1'ihe Falcon, were their coinuion game. They alwavs struck their prey under the wing, and ill a few minutes so disabled it with their beaks and claws, as to bring it to the ground. If the Falcon did not succeed in sti iking his game, lie always returned, anil took his seal again on the Falcon- er's hand; hut when the name was struck to the ground, he staid and kept il down until hi- master came and took il from him. Tip- training of these wild and ferocious birds, so as to make them ily and retuin as occasion required, and lobe under the entire command of their in quired much time and expni, nee. Mm made this kind of in- struction the business of iheir lives, and often became rich by the sale of their birds. This kind of instruction :ideed, at one time considered a matter of so much importance, that books, almost without number have been wiiiiin on the \,,-~( methods of training n Haw k. \\ r.inni>i here go fully into this subject, but pcihaps a shoit account "I the common mode of training these birds may iriai.l'v some of our young readers. It is in- deed an interesting part of natural history, to inquire how lure and habits of animals can be chair.. <1 hy (In- discipline of man. The fn-i IC-MIII which the Falconer taught his bird, '.<) submit patiently to be blindfolded, or lo have his eyes covered fiom the light. This was done cliie Ily by starving the poor bird until lie made no resistance to having IUM hood put on or taken off. As a reward for such el, and thus gradually became attached lo his instructor. After the fir-t l.--.>n had Micceeded, the bird was carri- ed out of door-, the hood taken off, and by means of food and peisiiasion, he was taught to jump on the hand of his master, and to sil quietly there. Al'let this he wa< made acquainted with the lure. The lure was the skin of a bird stuffed ; and care was taken that it should be of the kind which it was intended the Falcon should pur- sue for gam*-, when he actually in Hawking. On this there was placed some delicate food, which the II i\\k was permitted to eat. The use () f i|, P f oo d W n.i lo tliillei the bud to come back, alter lie bail flown into the air and also lo attach him to the living binl, winch (In- line represented, when he should be permitted to fly at it in the field. During the period of this inslruclion, the Hawk was lied with a long siring, so that he could notescnpe; and after the-r I, .--.ins had been many limes repealed and properly learned, the bird wns shown the live game in- stead of the lure, but so tied thai il could not escape, and on tli |ii im.iteil lo pounce. Afler the Falconer had exercised his Hawk in this manner for some lime, and found that (he bird was so attached to him as to obey his call from a distance, and come ami perch upon his hand without fear, ho then look him out into the field for actual gport. When in the field, the Falconer removed the hood by which his eyes were covered, nnd gave him his full lib- erty, at the same time showing him the game, of which the lure was made. At this he would generally Ily with a\ idity, and soon bring il lo the ground ; when his mas- ter would give him ii large piece of meat as a reward for his courage. Sometimes, however, he would take this opportunity to escape, never to return, thus leaving the disappointed Falconer nothing but regrel for all his pains. Bui more commonly the ma-ter never gave him his freedom, until well assured of his attachment and obedience. By long perseverance in this method of instruction, the Falcon may be taught to fly at any game whatever, and to bring lo the ground almost any bird, not larger than himself. Tin- sport, if such il can IK- called, consists in behold. in:; the ferocity and swiftness wilh which the attack is made ; the terror and dismay into which the game it thrown by such an attack : and the art employed by (he two birds, the one escaping for his life, and the other pursuing to destroy. Seine particular birds, such as the heron and wood- lark, are said lo afford the tim -t sporl lo the lovers of such scenes. These birds, the moment (bey lind them- selves pursued by the Hawk, instantly lake to the skies. They tly alnio-t perpendicularly upwaid-, while their rapacious pursuer keep- pace with (In ir Highland make s use of all his !-trengih of wing, in trying to rise ah. them. As the spectator watclp .- the ronlesi, both birds gradually appear smaller, in proportion as they j;.i fn.ni him, until they are Io-l from his sight among the clouds. Hut they are soon ofter seen coming down together, strugirlin'j de-peralely wi(h each other, the one ii. (he other to grasp, and disable his pn-y. But this iiii< - qual combat i- generally soon finished, for the Falcon, by means of his hooked bill, and ten ible claws, lears the 52 THE BUZZARD. poor defenceless lark in such a manner, as to disable, or even kill it, before they reach the ground. This, among the lovers of such cruelty, is called delightful sport. The reason why animals were made so differently from each other is unknown to us, and therefore we have no right to find the least fault with the works of creation. We however see that some are made weak, and without the least means of defence, while others are strong, and armed in a most powerful manner. We see, also, that some are apparently designed for the food of others, and there is no doubt, but in this, the Creator consulted the sum total of happiness, to be enjoyed by the whole brute creation. Among the fowls of the air, as well as among the beasts of the field, we see that one kind is designed to prey upon another kind. The Falcon, from the very fact of his having claws for seizing his prey, a hooked bill for teaiing its flesh, and an appetite for flesh and blood, was evidently designed to live by the destruction of other animals. In doing this, therefore, he makes use of the only means in his power to satisfy his appetite, and must either destroy life or perish himself. But the question arises, whether man, the lord of cre- ated things on earth, has a just right to assist one animal in the cruel destruction of another, merely for his own amusement. The Falcon, when he pursues the timid lark, at the command of his master, does not do it for the purpose of satisfying his own hunger, or that of the sportsman, but he is taught to do this merely to gratify the curiosity of a number of idle spectators. It is there- fore certain, that Hawking is both unjust and wicked, because it gives great pain, without satisfying any natural appetite, and exhibits a scene of wanton cruelty, calcu- lated to harden the hearts, and deprave the tastes of men, without any good motive. THE BUZZARD. What kind of a bird is the Buzzard ? The Buzzard is a bird of the falcon kind, but is far less beautiful, and not so swift, nor so easily taught as the true falcon. How large is this bird ? His length is about a foot and a half, and with the wings spread, he is about three feet and a half in extent. What is the color of this bird ? His back is of a dark ash color, which grows pnler along the breast, and under parts; his wings and tail are marked with dark colored bars; the legs are yellowish, and the claws black. What is the form of the Buzzard ? The form and appearance of this bird are between those of the falcon and the owl. His body, wings, and tail are short, like those of the owl, and his eyes are sim- ilar to the owl's, but not so large. His legs, claws, and bill, are like those of the falcon. THE BUZZARD. Where is this bird found ? The Buzzard lives in most parts of Europe, and is also found in America. Is this bird ever trained for Hawking ? This bird is so lazy in his habits, and so stupid in his character, that he is not capable of being taught, like other falcons, to fly after game, and obey the call of his master. What is the food of the Buzzard ? The food of this bird consists chiefly of frogs, mice, and such insects as he can catch without the trouble of flying after them. The following anecdote of one of these birds, is told by Buflbn, and was related to him by one of his friends. It shows, contrary to the common opinion, that the Buz- zard can be tamed, and be made to know his master, and attach himself to him. A Buzzard was taken in a snare, and given to Buffon's friend. At first he was wild and ferocious, but on leav- ing him without food for a time, he became more tame, and would eat out of the hand. In about six weeks, he became quite familiar, and was allowed to go out of doors, though with his wings tied, to prevent his flying away. In this condition he walked about the garden, and would return when called to be fed. After some time he became quite tame, and seemed to be attached to his master, and then his wings were un- tied, a small bell was attached to his leg, and a piece of copper was fastened around his neck, with the owner's name marked on it. He was then given full liberty to go where he pleased, which, however, he soon abused by flying away into the woods. The gentleman now gave up his Buzzard as lost, but in four hours afterwards, he rushed into the house, followed by five other Buzzards, from whose attacks he was glad to seek a place of safety. After this caper he became more tame and familiar than T ii i: o \v i. . iiiul so annelid) himself to his in.i-(. r, as to sleep e\er\ infill in his bed-room. IT was always |>iv-t n( ;\VI. This rapacious tribe of birds, instead of pursuing then pn-\ in the day-lime, like rhose already described, make war ujion their fellows only during the night, and like and cowards, fall upon their victims when they cannot defend themselves. Their eyes are so construct- ed, that they can see much belter at the dusk of evening than b\ the light of the sun. Their heads arc round, and their eyes large and staring, like those of tl, Their bills ;i nd claws are hooked and strong, and their whole form calculated for rapine and plunder. They live on mice, young birds, and such oilier small animals as they can catch. There are about forty varied (hi- bud, all of which have similar habits and manners. TIIK <;i;r.. o\vu II.'W "Wl The Creat Horned Owl is two feel and a half: and five feet in extent. \\'h,il is tlic slia| c iif llii- I. In shape, this bird appears shorl and thick, the head is hioad and large, and on the top of it iheie use 54 THE OWL. tufts of feathers, which look like horns, and from which he takes his name. What is his color ? His color is is yellowish red, elegantly spotted with black and brown ; the legs are reddish, and feathered to the toes. Where is this bird found .' This Owl is a common inhabitant of Asia, Europe, and America. The Owl is a ferocious, sly, and savage bird. He does not, like the eagle and falcon, attack his prey by broad day-light, and give it a chance to escape, but like the deceitful robber, goes under the cover of night and wages war, when it is least expected. The Owl cannot, how- ever, see best in the darkest nights, as some people sup- pose. It is in the dusk of the evening, and in the grey of the morning that his eyes are best fitted for seeing : and it is at these times, that he is most successful in seiz- ing his prey, for he then finds most other birds asleep, and has only to seek, and take such as he likes best. There is, however, considerable difference in the sev- eral species of this bird, in respect to their being able to see in the day time. The Great Horned Owl can see to fly soon after sun-set, and even if caught away from home in the day time, he wiH sometimes find his way back. But the Barn Owl sees best when it is quite dark, and if he happens to be caught at a distance from his hole, when the sun shines, becomes blind, and seemingly stupified with the light, and will not move from the place where he is found, until it begins to grow dark. The Great Horned Owl brings up its young in the cavern of a rock, or in the hollow of some old tree, far in the woods. Its nest is built of sticks, bound together with the small roots of trees, and lined on the inside with leaves. These birds are strongly attached to their offspring, and when they are stolen and carried away, the parents will sometimes seek out the place where they are con- fined, and continue to supply them with food. A gentleman lived near a steep mountain, in which a pair of these Owls had made their nest. One day, his servant found one of the young Owls, which had strayed away from the others, and having caught it, carried it home, and confined it in a hen coop. The next morn- ing a dead partridge was found before the door of the coop. This, the gentleman supposed had been left there by the parent birds, in order to supply their unfor- tunate young one with provisions ; and this proved to have been the case, for every night, for fourteen nights afterwards, some provision was found to have been left in the same place. The gentleman and his servant watched at the window for seveial nights, in order to as- certain at what time this supply of food was brought ; but in this they were disappointed, for it seems that the bird was so quick-sighted as to see them at the window, and would not come and lay down her food, as long as she was watched. But the moment they left the window, she laid down the provision and flew away. The old birds continued this care, until the young one had arrived at an age when young owls are usually left by their parents to take care of themselves, when no further supply was brought. THE SCREECH OWL. The Screech Owl is so called on account of the pecu- liar and distressing noise it makes in the night. Its voice is harsh and squeaking, and its notes rapid and disagree- able. Timid persons have often been dreadfully fright- ened by the noise of this bird, when they did not know its cause. This Owl is much smaller than the great horned owl, being only about one foot long. Its feathers are soft and beautiful, and its color a mixture of yellow and ash-color, spotted with white. The breast, and under parts are nearly white, and the legs feathered down to the claws. This Owl feeds on mice and small birds, and hunts only during the night. In the day-time, when the sun shines, it is so blind as to be unable to fly from one tree and light on another, and hence it commonly returns home before the light of the sun appears. Sometimes, however, when its success has not been such as to satisfy its appetite, it is so imprudent as to remain abroad until the sun rises, and thus to become blind, by the same cause that enables all other animals to see. Nothing can be more distressing to the poor bird than such an accident, since it is now, as much at a loss to find its way home, as a child would be, if left in the woods during the darkest night. Dazzled by the light, and bewildered in total blind- ness, it is obliged to take shelter in the first tree, or hedge it can find, and there hide itself, until the darkness of evening enables it to return home. But it often happens that the poor bird cannot conceal itself, so that the birds THE OSTRIC II. 56 of day will not ipy out iU hiding plan-, and ilicn u This lurtl, tliough so large, and powerful, does not sun- In re.-eive mi meiry. All tin- little birds of ilu- air prey upon oilier animals, lull ispeil'.rtly harmless, when i to kii<>\\ lliat this is their natural enemy, anil iliat no! pursued, or insulted, now is their lime to lake vengeance upon linn. Tlic lii tin.l nl r"ddoe I hit bird live? black-liiul, iln- rol.in, the thrush, ilu- king-bird, and the " l '"" 1 '* cll;i ''> "' ll "' Nl '"' ' lll!(1 k>'" ! ! s "ch as mils, .11 com.- in a crow,! to oiler tlu-ir insults and fcbuM. '"'rK ""^ g s ! " ' s exceedingly voracious in bis MIL allest, and most c, >ut< mptible enem ies of tli .-he- appetite, and will swallow leather, billions, tobacco. wildeied Owl, are now th.- most foiward lo torment and ;> thing else that is thrown to him. injure him. They .sel up their l.n.d.-i cries: ih at him; bird live .' Ha,, I,,,,, in the fee* with their wing., and. like all other Tl "^ '" ri1 is . found in tllc hot and linrren deseru of .-..wards, make the - i, al. -I show of roma^e, when llieie Africa and Aa. | ,. . '( It th a solitary or a social bird ? l)wl ' '"" klluv The Ostrich is a very social bird. In the deserts where Where lie is, or from what quarter the next attack is to , . - . . . . ) the* live, they are sometimes seen in large flocks, which, bo made, and being equally unable to escape, or defend ... , ... , , i at a distance, appear like a troop of sold himself, adopts the Lest plan in bit power, and that is, > Tbe Ostrich is as singular in bis habits and manners, tosilstill, nnd hear with stupidity the instils, and evils, ; r <, as he is in his form and appearance. He inhabits the winch be cannot avoid. His little tormentors are, bow- ' , , . , ; most solitary and barren deserts, where there arc only a e\er, careful not to indulge in their sports too lotiff, for { , , , , , ,, n ,. lew vegetables, and where it seldom or never rains. 1 he they know, that as soon as the light is gone, their enemy . , , .. ,. . ,. , Arabs say that this bird never drinks, and probably this will triumph instead of themselves, and therefore before is true, for in the country be chiefly inhabits, no water the sun is fairly down, not one of them is seen, in the ... X i '" l>e found, vicinity of tbe Owl. .. ,. , Like the elephant, this bird never multiplies out of his native country, so that every Ostrich seen in Europe or Amrnra, has once been an inhabitant of the deserts of Africa or Asia. When this bird runs, he makes a proud and lofty ap- pearance, but he cannot, like most of the feathered spe- THE OSTRICH. The Ostrich tribe presents only two species. In both, the legs are long and naked ; the wings are short and j cie8> rjse from the groun d, a nd fly into the air. His useless for flying ; tbe neck is long, and the bill flat ; wings are 80 8norli and snlnll) lhnt he cannol raige hjm . one species has two toes, and the other three, and all of th. in placed forwards. Besides the Ostrich, the Casso- self with them from tbe ground, but they assist him greatly in running, so that he can outrun the swiftest waiy%etongi to this tribe. They are the largest birds ( horse. The (Kindi lays her eggs in the sand, without the OSTRICH trouble of preparing a nest, like most other birds. The yt are nearly as large as the head of a child, and weigh about fifteen pounds each. Dunn- the day, when the The Ostrich u the largest of all birds, his head being 8un . hincS) th ,, 8e egg8 r , m , in stl(ri c,en.ly warm, and (bo from seven to nine feet high, and his back about four bjrd , pavcs thcn)j (o gQ [n Kmh Q( fo l '""' lll(1 >' " ^efcldf The color of (his bird, on the back and breast is per- f S8> I ' V(> '" P1 " ;i " families, one male taking care of fectly blnck ; the Ion- feathers of the tail and wings are " r " x fi'iale. The eggs of the whole family are all white; the legs and neck are yellowish white ; the neck Iilil! '" l1 "' Silll " ! I )lar|1 ' an(1 ll;llf! " ><) nl llle sa " u> ' is covered with thin hair ; tbe legs are entirely naked If tlie >' ar( ' ll ^ t ''>e d <>' frightened, they sometimes f., r . of feathers, and covered with scales. wke llu ' ir nt '* 1 *' alld ncvcr rt ' l " rn a S ain "' ll "' m ; iiml ' How many toes has this bird ? lf > wl "'" lll( 'V arr :iwa >' from lllrlr ou '" " l>ls ll " >' ''"P- The Ostrich has only two toes on each foot; of these, P' " to '"'''t wi'l' tlll> t'?g s of another Ostrich, they will the inside one is much the longest, being seven inches adopt them as their own and hatch the young. It is also in length, and ending in a claw, or nail. The other is said lllil1 tllcs e biids sometimes leave their young, in (he four inches long, and without a nail. Is this a rapacious bird .' same manner they do their eggs, and never again return to them. THE OSTRICH. T II K OSTH I C H. 67 eggs of the Ostrich, in the munliy where they whore the huntns l..i\c Inm, ami i* thus teadiU (bund an- found, an- consult red ilir mn-t delicate kiiul nl' food. MI the morning. On.- e^g will make a good ,!nmrr for four or live prismis. At last tin- poor liinl, hemu' worn dow n \viili fai Tin- lle.sh nf llna bird is also i-aleii l>\ (In- .\ia,bs, 1ml is anil exhausted liy famine, finds when it is too lad-, that coarse, and ill-tasted, and would not be eaten by those j escape is out of his power. He then tru s (< In. If himself who could obtain better meat. minx enemies, by- plunging into a thicket, if one is Thr (Much is chieiU hunted for his feather, which near, or by lying close behind some little- sand hill. an- .-old in Kurope and America, and an- woinoiilhe Sometimes, ho\vc\ ci , wln-n closely pursued. In- lioldly I as an article of ornament. Princes, ladies and tin us njion (he himteis, and defends himself wilh all his warriors, have for a ires Ix-en fond of wearing the feailn is might. of this bird, in older to attract aiiention, or nn Tease the ' Although by nature wild and innocent, he now be. beauty of their appi-aiance. Hut how degrading the comes despeiale, and fights with great force with his thought, thai .le lyings, should he able to gain heak, wings and feet, so that the men are obliged to more atiei u tn>m each other, by wearing the feathers Btoape from his rage, to save themsehes fiom being of a poor silly bird. iir.\TiN<; THI: OSTRICH. thrown down, and trampli-d under his feel. Having escaped from his blows, the hunters renew the attack until the exhausted bird is no longer alile tu make much resistance. The silly Ostrich, then finding that both Ostriches are taken in several ways. Sometime- th ipe and defense are equally out of his power, either are chased by L r s or bv men, mounted on horses; puts his head under his wing, or buries it tinder the sand, limes di' ken liy nets ; and sometimes the thus thinking to hide himself from the sight of his ene- - catch them in the following manner. They take mies. by blinding his own eyes. In this condition he is the skin n!' an < Klrich, and put it over the head, pas-i l\ caiijhl and secured b\ the hunters, one of the arnii= through the neck, (bus imitating in ap- The Arabs after taking their game in this manner, try pearam-e one of (be-i- Innl-. Dressed out ill this decep- every means to keep it alive, and to tame it for the pur- tive manner, the hunter goes among the Ostriches, where pose of supplying themselves with the feathers which it he is taken by them, for one of their own kind, and he sheds, thesi bring much more valuable than those taken having, introduced himself as one of a flock, makes an from the dead bird, prey of several of these unsuspecting birds. But the most common mode of hunting (he Ostrich. . .. . TAME OSTRICH, by ineans ol horses, the swiftest and best of these animals by ine;i being t ig trained fur this sport by the Arabs. Tin- inhabitants of Lyhia keep lame Ostriches, and Whn an 'Arab intends to go out on sm-h an rxpedi- raise up (locks of them ever\ yar, for the sake of pro- lion, he mounts a horse which has been trained to (be curing their feathers. Travelers, therefore, who have sport, and proceeds to the hunting ground, and ri> : ted that barren country, have had opportunities of be- slowly and cautiously along, until he discovers his game. comim: acquainted with the manners of this celebrated He does not then begin the chase, and pursue directly bird. From such persons'we learn that the Ostrich is by after his game, because in that case the bird would take nature kind and playful ; but when insulted and provo- the alarm, and as il can outrun the swiftest horse, would ked, be makes a fierce, angry, hissing noise, and will tli'c in tin- mni.rii.-im- and be lost. He therefore proceeds attack those who insult him, with his bill, and strike at slowly, and follows only at a long distance. Meantime, them with his wings and feet. During tin 1 darkness of (In- silly bird, not seeing his danger, instead of running in the night, they make a most doleful and frightful noise, a straight line to a place of safety, goes round in a cir- resembling the growling of the lion, or the hoarse l-l- rle. The hunter now goes round also, and makes a low ing of a cow. Souu t inns the noise is like the crying small cir.-le within that made by the bird, riding only so >(' a hoaise rhild, but louder and more dismal. near as tn keep his game constantly upon (he run. While In the heat of (he day these birds strut about in the one hunter is doing this, another hunter will approach sun, holding up their heads, and fanning thein*el\< < from someplace which the bird does not expect, and thus with their wings, at tin- same time seeming to ailmiie m. ike him run across the circle at full speed. In this the shadows which they make. With persons of their manner the chase is continued for two or three days. At acquaintance, they are quile familiar, and will come, night, the bird might easily escape, did he foresee that when called, and eat out of the hand ; but they are his enemies would again beset him in the morning: but sometimes fn-ice towards slrungers, and will try to push being both stupid and fatigued, he lies still near the place them down, by running furiously against them, and 9 58 THE OSTRICH. when down they will peck them with their bills, and strike them with their feet. These birds are so strong, as to be able to carry one, or even two persons, on their backs, and still to run with great swiftness. When Mr. Adanson was at Podor, a village on the bank of the river Niger, in Africa, he saw two little ne- groes mounted at the same time on the back of an Ostrich. The bird, as soon as they were on his back, began to move, and soon ran as fast as possible, several times around the village. This sight pleased the gentle- man so much, that he requested to have it repeated ; and to try the strength of these birds, he desired a negro man to get on the back of a small Ostrich, and two other men to mount on that of a larger one. The weight, he states, did not seem too much for these birds. They moved at first at a good trot, but when they became a little heated, they expanded their wings, and went along with such amazing swiftness, that they seemed hardly to touch the ground. The Ostrich is twice mentioned in the holy Scriptures, namely in Job, 39 ; 13-18, and in Lamentations, 4; 3. The passage in Job describes the character and habits of this bird, with wonderful correctness, and shows, that since the day it was written, the silly Ostrich has not advanced, either in wisdom or understanding, but that she remains the same in every respect that she was three thousand years ago. " The Ostrich, which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers. Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her under- standing. What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.'' How perfectly this agrees with the history of this poor foolish bird, given above, and particularly where it is stated, that she leaves her eggs and her young, and that she does not try to escape to the mountains, when cha- sed by the horse and his rider. The same character, in part, is given her in Lamentations, where it is said, " The daughter of my people is become cruel, like the Ostrich of the wilderness." We may consider it a singular circumstance, that an animal, which is by nature so cruel and unfeeling as to forsake her eggs, and to leave her young when they are unable to take care of themselves, should be preserved in existence. Why do not the whole race perish 7 Even with the greatest care, both of the eggs, and of the young, it is difficult to see how these creatures live, since they inhabit the deserts, which are so dry and bar- ren, that any other animal, if left there by accident, would soon pei ish of hunger and thirst. In this, we may behold the wisdom and power of the Creator. It is he who made the Ostiich, that hath fitted her for the place in which she dwells, and has given her the means of pro- viding for her wants, in places where other animals would perish. And is there not every reason to believe, that He, who careth for the Ostrich in the desert, and feedeth her young, when forsaken, will more especially regard the petitions of children, who humbly ask his blessing for themselves and their parents 1 The character of the Ostrich seems to be made up, chiefly of pride and foolishness. It is so proud of its long neck and fluttering wings, as to admire even its own shadow ; and it is so foolish, that when pursued by the hunter, it does not run a straight course, and thus escape, but continues going round in a circle, until it is tired down and taken. Thus we see, that in the Ostrich, pride and folly go together, and we arc sorry to say, that in human beings we too often observe the same thing; for whenever we see a person very proud of his looks, we may be sure that he is very foolish also. Wisdom and goodness will always direct the person who has them, in a straight forward course, so that he commonly escapes any snare that is laid for him : but when we see a person, instead of coming directly to the truth, taking a crooked course, and going round it, as%e Ostrich runs around the hunter, we may be certain that he will be caught at last, and will prove himself to be either proud, foolish or wicked. The Ostrich is still more foolish, if possible, in think- ing that because she shuts her own eyes, or hides her head in the sand, that therefore others cannot see her. But still we find that foolish and wicked people act with as little understanding as the silly Ostrich. They say to themselves, while committing crime under the dark- ness of the night, " no one sees me, and I shall escape punishment for this wickedness." Or in the language of Scripture, " The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it." But such persons should remem- ber that " There is no shadow of darkness, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves, "and that the darkness and the light are both alike to God. T II K C A S S o \V \ H V II Till-: CASSOWARY. 60 THE CASOWARY. THE CASSOWARY. How large is the Cassowary ? The Cassowary, next to the ostrich, is the largest of all the birds. He is about five feet and a half high from the ground to his head. What is the shape of this bird ? His shape is similar to that of the ostrich, but his neck and legs are not so long, and his body is larger in pro- portion. His wings, like those of the ostrich, are so short, that he cannot rise from the ground. Where does this bird live .' This bird is found in the island of Java, and other parts of the East Indies. What is the food of this bird ? The Cassowary, like the ostrich, has a most voracious appetite, and is not at all particular in respect to his food. He seems to be grateful for any thing that is thrown him, whether it be leaden bullets, bits of leather, stones, or pieces of glass, and will swallow any of these substances, as though they were the best of food. He however lives chiefly on mils, grass and insects. How many toes has the Cassowary ? This bird has three toes on each foot, all of which stand forward. What is the color of this bird ? The color of the Cassowary is dark yellowish grey. The ends of the feathers are black, but towards the roots they are yellowish white, so that the whole appears yel- lo"wishgrey. The head and neck are naked, and of a blue color. How long are his wings ? His wings, when the feathers are pulled out, are only about three inches long, and on each of them there are five sharp spines, or thorns, the largest of which is nearly a foot long, and a quarter of an inch thick at the root. These are hollow, and are formed like quills. Is the Cassowary a ferocious, or an innocent bird .' This great bird is not formed for seizing and destroying other animals. His claws are not made for grasping his prey, nor is his bill made for tearing flesh. But his feet are formed for walking, and his bill for picking up his food from the ground. The bill of this singular bird is four inches long; his head is small, and on its crown there grows a large, horny substance, of a black color, which gives him a frightful appearance. The color of his eye is bright yellow, and the eye ball being an inch and a half across, the whole aspect of the head is exceedingly odd and fierce. About the middle of the neck there are two large bunches of skin, and at this place the neck is surround- ed with feathers like a ruffle. The other parts, with the exception of the head and neck, are covered with long thin feathers, which resemble horse hair. This coverino-, ', on the back, is so longas to fall down the sides, and hide the upper parts of the legs. The whole appearance of the Cassowary is fierce and terrible, and one who did not know his character, would nearly as soon approach a lion, as go near him. But his conduct and habits are very different from what one might expect from his looks ; for instead of attacking and destroying others, he seldom fights, except in his own defense, and then does not make use of his bill, but kicks like a horse, or runs against his pursuer, and hav- ing beat him to the ground, treads him underhis feet. The first Cassowary ever seen in Europe, was brought by the Dutch from the island of Java, about the begin- ning of the seventeenth century. This bird was shown at Amsterdam as a great curiosity, and was afterwards presented to the emperor of Germany, as a rarity proper to be given to a great prince. Many years after this, another bird of the same kind was sent from Madagascar, by the governor of that Island, to the king of France, and lived four years after its arrival. Since that time, these birds have often been exhibited in Europe and America ; and at the present day are not uncommon. Like the elephant and ostrich, the Cassowary has never been known to raise its young, out of their native country. A Cassowary, which a few years since was kept at Paris, eat every day about four pounds of bread, six or seven apples, and a bunch of currants. It swallowed all its food without chewing or bruising, and drank from four to five pints of water daily. This bird was sometimes ill-natured and mischievous. He was angry when he saw any person ragged, dirty, or dressed in red clothes, and would vent his spite at such persons, by kicking at them with his feet, and in that way would give very hard, and even dangerous blows. In the wild state, these birds lay three or four eggs, in the sand, which, in the hot climates they inhabit, are said to be hatched entirely by the heat of the sun. But in countries that are colder, the female sits upon her eggs, and hatches them, like other birds. WATER BIRDS. WE come now to a class of birds, which are quite dif- ferent in their manners, habits, and shapes, from those already described. Instead of living among mountains and in forests, or taking up their abodes in cultivated fields, or about the habitations of men, they are to be found out at sea, or along the shore, or in marshes situ- ated on the borders of lakes and rivers. T H i: C R A IS 61 Tin- Water Bird may be divided into two kinds, or is yellow; and above and Mow the eyes, there are two orders, namely, the Waders and the Swimmers. Mripes, of nn ash color, wlii.-li meet ;u tin- root of the lull. Tin- legs, and tiuill leathers an- black. THE WADKKS. where d,*, thi. b.nl Tin- Wader* form a conn. run:; link between ill.- Land ' '"' W1 ""T'"- Ciane is occasionally seen on the sea Hirds and the Swimmers. They d<> not, lik,- (he Land "'"'"' " f tllc American continent, from Cape Horn to liink wander amonglhe mountains and foiesls, nor, like ( ''"'-" l:l - |l '"" 'I'.-.- shores it migrates to the north, ihr Swimmers. do (hey often venture nt at sea. They ; ""' S I"'"' I-J ;i P !lrl uf its l '" lt; nmong the regions of per- take the middle pi.-,,-.-", and n->i,le in the shallow water I"'" 1 ;' 1 ""'' ; "" 1 M '" u ' along ihe shore, and hen.-.- th,-\ are sometimes found in Of nil the f.-aili. -red tribes which visit the I'nii.-d Slate* company with both kinds. "' America, the Whooping Crane is the largest and most The Wad.-rs. like thr Land Mirds, liave most of them, 8tatel y- These birds are seen on our sea-coasts, and in their toe. divided to the on-in, or neaily M, while the '" w - lli;irsl| y I'l^es, chiefly during the winter season. Swimmers have theirs connected l.y a web, or mem- Al '"" t slir| ' l' l: "' (>!! - lll(> .V may be seen watching with the brane, whi.-h series, instead of a paddle, to force them } I11O8t unw<>; " "'' |-'tience in search of small fish, and thiou-l, the water. Son ..... f the Waders have a small xvnr "> s - w ''iHi > il"'ir principal food; they also occa- inemhrane towards the roots of the i,,es, whirl, enables Mon;ill > ' '' " lir e, moles, and probably frogs. Now and them to swim wh.-n n. ,,-:,, y. Most of then, have legs ; '.'" " ''" - V t ^ t> nnd snil wit , h a slow and hcav y flight, of im.-ommon length, so lhat they .-an walk about in the fr m " e flsnin S P lncr '" ''I'lother, making, when a per- water; nnd also lonp nt-cks, l.y means of which they S(> " 1 - '"" ll "'"i> very formidable appearance. search the bottom for food. ""' ir migrations are of the most extensive kind, To this Order of Birds belong the Cranes, Storks, Her- rr:irlli "S to n distance , ,|,,al to more than a third of the ons, Bitterns, Snipes, and otlu-r. c.rcumference of the globe, from north to south. In the spring, or latter part of the winter, they set out on their vast periodical journeys, which end in the frozen regions of Greenland and [.-eland ; and in the autumn they THE CRAM 1 ' : retlir " ' ''"' warlm ' r climatcs of the south. During these journey* they fly at such an immense height in The Cranes have long legs, long necks, and long, tllc air > M 8eldom to he seen, but their voices are so sharp bills. Their toes are four in number, and are con- Ioll( *> aa oflen lo he heard, when the eye cannot discover nected by a membrane, as far as the second joint. them. The Cranes may in general he known from the herons, When started, and obliged to take winjr, they make a by their greater size, by their comparatively short bills, sll;ir P> piercing ciy, which may be heard two or three by their having no extra feathers on the head, and l>v '''<*, ft-T whirh. the tone is changed into a kind of the broad flag-like plumage whirh rises from the hack, whooping sound, from which the name 11 hooping Crane and projects over the tail. These birds live chiefly on is derived. fish, which they rnich by striking them with their bills. When wounded, they do not try to eprape the gunner, They differ considerably in respect to si/e, but all of or ms dog, but when approached, boldly attack both, them have similar habits. w ' l l' gn^'l resolution and strength; nor is such a contest always safe for the man. The sharpness of (heir bills, THE WHOOPING CRANE. and the great force with which their long necks enable How large a bird it the Whooping Crane .' (hem to 8trike j sometimes produce dieadful conse- The Whooping Crane is four feet and a half in length, 'I 114 '"" 9 - from the point of the bill to the tail. When standing, A y" n - """ havim,' wound., 1 one of these birds, his head is five feet from the ground ; and his bill is six raslll >' W(1|U lo "r. when (he formidable cieaturo corn- inches long. menced (he attack, by aiming a blow with its hill, directly What is the form of thit bird? at his eye. In the struggle to getaway from such an Of all the Crane tribe, this is by far the most comely. enemy, the eye-hall was torn n<-arl\ from the socket, His body, neck, head, nnd bill, are in fine proportion to an d il is hardly necessary to say, that the sight was en- each other, and the long, flowing feathers which arise tirely lost. In another instance, one of these birds from his back, and hang over the tail, irive him an air of struck a man with such force, as to drive its bill entirely elegance that few birds possess. i through his hand. What color is this Crane .' There is a belief, that the manner ill which a flock of The color of this Crane is chiefly ash white ; the bill ( Cranes tly, for. (. -IN a change of w. -aider. If, in the 63 THE CRANE. THE WHOOPING CRANE. THE STORK. inoriilnir, or evening, they use up\v:inls, ami fly peace- ( fully in a bo\v whrii to begin its yearly flight, might also loach it ho\v to shun a coming storm. These birds rear their young in the regions of tin- north. Their nests an- placed on the gronnil, amid-L the most solitary and dreary swamps, and their eggs are only two in number. The Cranes are remarkably accurate in observing the time when their I tames, are so far domesticated as to walk about the streets without concern, and pick up whatever food they can find. The\ live chiefly on frogs, serpents and Ir/.ards, but \\ Ii'-n taineil, they will eat any kind of meat that is (brown them. In Egypt and Palestine, Storks are con- sidered of great value, on account of their destroying rats, and mice, which, were it not for these birds, would become so numerous, as to injure the harvest. 'I'ii - bird is of a mild and pleasant disposition, and may In- ea-.il \ tanieil, and trained to reside in gardens, which it will al\\ clear of insects and reptiles. The Stork builds her nest on the tops of houses, or churches, and often in the midst of cities. In Holland, the people prepare boxes for them to build in, as we do for the martens. These birds also build in forests, always selecting the tallest Irees for this purpose. I lie iir-i is constructed with admirable skill and great labor. The materials of which it is built, are dry sticks from the woods, and coarse grass from the marshes. Throughout the whole 'progress of building, every thing is done in the most exact and workmanlike manner, and when the structure is finished, she examines every part of it, tries its firmness with her bill, supplies any defect which she observes, breaks off any ill-looking part, and does not occupy it until the whole agrees with her ideas of comfort and safety. The natural history of ihe Stork, seems to have been well known to the sacred writers ; and she appears in all ages to have been a particular favorite wilh mankind. The mutual love which a pair of these birds bear towards each other, the care which they lake of their young, ami ihe tenderness with which they treal their parents in old age, have been celebrated as examples worthy to be imitated by human beings. The Stork never deserts its parents, but defends and feeds them with the utmost tenderness, particularly when they grow old, and unable to take care of them- selves. A Danish author gives, from his own observations, some interesting particulars concerning this bird. In Denmark, they build their nests among clusters of trees, many of them associating together, and forming a sort of ; community. If any annual comes near this place, par- j ticularly while tin- females are Citing, the whole society alarmed, and they go out and commence the attack in a body. When ihe young are hatched, the parents watch and feeil them, with the utmost anxiety and care. They ne\er leave I)H in alone, bul when one \ go, arch of food, the oilier slays al ihe nest, to see thai they are warm, and that no other animal ' comes near them. 64 THE STORK. THE STORK. When the young are able to fly, the parents take them out for exercise during the day, but bring them back at night. In due time they lead them to the marshes, and point out to them their proper food, such as frogs, ser- pents and lizards. They also seek out toads, which they do not eat, and take great pains to learn their young to distinguish between these reptiles and their proper food. At the end of autumn, these birds come together in a body, and prepare for their annual migration. Before they begin their flight, they arrange themselves in due order, the old ones leading in fiont, then the young ones in the middle, and then again a paity of old ones as a rear guard. In this order they set out on their journey. When they return in the spring, the people assemble in crowds to welcome them as the harbingers of summer. At this time, it is not uncommon to see several of the old birds, which are feeble and fatigued with their long jour- ney, resting on the backs of the younger ones. These aged parents, it is said, are laid carefully on their old nests, where they are fed and cherished by the young ones, which they reared with so much tenderness the year before. Thus we see that the general character of the Stork is worthy of the highest praise. But we are sorry to say that he sometimes behaves in a manner not so worthy of approbation, for when insulted he does not forgive the injury, but seeks the first opportunity of taking revenge on his enemy. A farmer, near Hamburgh, in Germany, had a tame Stork, which lived for several years in the yard with his poultry. This bird, from his size, and the influence he exerted among the geese, ducks and chickens, had be- come a kind of captain among them, and therefore, like other commanders, was quite jealous of encroachments on his own ground. It happened, however, that the farmer, not sufficiently aware of this circumstance, brought a wild Stork into the yard, as a companion for the tame one. This was exceedingly provoking to the tame Stork, who was far from wishing to divide his influ- ence with a rival ; he therefore, without considering who was to blame, fell upon the poor stranger, and beat him so unmercifully, that he escaped with difficulty, but finally took wing and left the place. But this piece of ill treatment the stranger did not forget nor forgive, for about four months afterwards, he revenged himself in the most cruel manner for the insult. Having recovered from his wounds, he came to the poultry-yard, attended by three other Storks, and no sooner had they alighted, than they all four fell upon the tame Stork, and beat him with such violence that he died on the spot. The Stork was spoken of by the ancients, with a de- THE H K RON. <>f respect bordering on veneration. Its name, in the Hebrew language, ignifiM pious, or nier<-i!'ul, and it was so naiin'd n account of the exemplar} care with wliirh these birdf Watch* O vet their ajM-d parents. This bird is mentioned in I'-alin lt>4 ; 17. "As for llie Sloik.the fir trees an- her liousc." It is believed, (hat there is in, ( ; , reference in the Scrip- iy animal whose iiiiinral hislon is known, but what is found to be (UiklDgly appropriate and inie. In the |in - ni in-lance, ih>- plan- inhabited by the Stork is ver\ properly culled liei hon-e, -11101- her nr.-l is limit with much more than commoy rare and skill. In the Kasl, where ihr s.icred writer became acquaint- ed with tin- milliners and hakl- o! this bud, the homes nre built with flat roofs, and are occupied by the inh.ib- n the (summer as sleeping places. The Stork was tberefoie i oinpelled to jo to the fore-t. win-re -he built her nest in the lii tree, instead of making it on the roofs of hiiiiM-s, as she ills, their In-ill,' of modi-rate length. They an- iiiin-li smaller (li Hi (lit- rraiu-s and In-rons. SOUK- of tlicin live on (he ,>re, and about salt marshes, u hilc others reside far inland on the bottlers of lakes, mers anil ponds. This triln- includes thf Common Snipe, the Curlew, the Wood- cock, and many ol : In neiii i.il their shape-, and halms are similar, though they differ in M/C, and more or less in color. TUK LONG-BILLED CURLEW. H" large is the Lonff-billed Curlew ? The Long-billed Cmlew, is two feet in length, and in Mem, three I'ei I three inches. The bill is eight inches long, and crooked towards the end. Whit is (he color of this bird ? The color of this bird on the upper parts is black, spotted with pale brown; neck reddish brown, sprinkled with black ; under pails pale brown ; throat and about the eyes, white ; legs, pale blue, and bill black, except near the root of the lower mandible, w hen- ii is yellow. Wh.ii is the stupe of this bird ? Iii the shape of this bird there is nothing peculiar, ex- cept the length of the bill, which is somewhat longer than Us whole body. a i- llns lnr.1 Iii In- f, The Long-billed Cmlew is a native of America, and it ! be, found no win-re else. This bird inhabits chiefly, the sail marshes in the vicin- ity of the sea, bill is also, Minn tin i on the dholes of the lakes and rivers in the interior. When on the sea shore, their food consists of small crabs, and snails, which they obtain by running their bills into the sand. When awax from the sea, (hey eat - and vat ions kinds of berries. Those taken at a distance from salt marshes, are highly esteemed as food, having none of that marshy taste, which is so disagreea- ble in those taken near ihe sea shore. These birds, during the autumn, assemble in flocks, and are seen flying high in the air, generally in the form of (he letter V, now and then tillering a loud whistling note. They fly with great swiftness, and when about to i alight, make several whirls around the spot, before their descent to the ground. Th.- fml, w migrates during the month of October, towards the south, and spends ils winter in a warm climate. We have already mentioned several striking instances of the adaptation of the forms of birds to their peculiar modes of life, and perhaps there is not in this respect, a more striking instance than that of the Curlew. In general, it is the law of nature in the formation of birds, and especially the Waders, that long legs should have long necks, to correspond with tin in. Were this not the case, it is obvious that the fonn would be very defective and inconvenient, since the elevation of the body, without a neck of sufficient length to reach the gionnJ. would prevent the bird from gathering its food. In the Curlew, ihe le^s ,,re ipiile long, but the neck is short, and as a compensation for what might al first be considered a defect, the bill is lengthened out to such an extent, as to seem out of all proportion to the other parts; and it is inconsequence of this disproportion, that the bird is enabled to reach the ground and gather his food. But the shortness of the neck, instead of being a defect is undoubtedly a perfection, since this bird gathers a part of its food by probing the sand and mud with ils long lull. A short neck, therefore, for this purpose, is an advantage, as it is much stumper and more effective than a long one in introducing the bill to search for food. We see, therefore, that although we may, al fn>l thought, set down sonic of the works of the Creator as unbecoming or defective, still, when we come to incpiire into their u innol fail to arc their perfection, and admire the wisdom of the Maker. 68 THE FLAMINGO. THE RED FLAMINGO. T II !; SPOON. BILL TilK FLAMINGO. Tin- Flamingo (rihe arc formed, in sunn: re>peci -, Lke the Wader*. .in. I in others like (he Swimmers. Theii legs and necks are long like the first, and they an- w< -h-footed likf tin- last. Ill their habits anil manneis, they how- ever must resemble the Waders. TI1K KKI) KI.AMlNV.u. II. .w Uruf i.i tlio Keorn>wful experience, that men are not to be trusted, mid al the present day, no animal is more shy. or watchful of their approach, than the Flamingo. When a flock of them are feeding, they take care to set a walch, which shall be ready In i;i\e wanting, when any d.umei c.nnes iirar. It the mi, ml .!i-. .,\. i any thing uncommon, they utter a loud scream, whu h -ounda like a trumpet, and n^ heating ihi N il,,- wlmlo flock are in- stantly on the win The ne~t of this bin) i> of a \ery -ingular construction. It is formed n( mud, in the vhapi- ni a Lille hill, with a caMtv in ihe lop. This hill I* made so high, lhat when the bird is Minn;,' on her egijs, sin- r.in hi hei legs fall down over ihe side, instead of placing (hem under her, :her birds. In (his manner she sils with her legiat full length on one side of her nest. Sometimes, it is said, she saves herself the trouble of building a nest, by find- ing a hollow near the edge of some rock, where she lays her eggs, and lets hei le^s hang over the side, while she sits on them. ,,-_-~^^~ BILL TIIK SPOON-1UI.I. The Spoon-bill tribe, li'.e the cianeg, have long legs, and long necks, and like them wade in shallow water, and live by gathering (heir food from the bottom. They do not appear to bo a very peculiar race, except in the of their bills, which are long, large, and swell out at tin; end in the foiiu ( of a spoon, and hence (he name tj>oon bill. The several species of this family have simi- lar habits and manners, and differ lillle from each oilier, pi in size and color. THK KOSKATE SPOON-BILL. l.iruc if (ha Ruoeate Syoon-bill ? The Roseate Spoon-bill is iwo feel and a half long, and, with the wings spread, four fi-et in extent. What is its color 1 Its prevailing color is lhat of a pale rose ; the n< white; ihe upper part of the bill is black ; the forehead green ; around and below the eye, orange ; and the tail brownish yellow. Win-re i this bird found ! The K>- .itr Spoon. lull is found on the American const, from Georgia to Brazil. Wl-.il is the shape of thi* hirtl .' The shape of ibis bird, except ihe bill, is similar to that of ihe crane, but the peculiar shape and greal size of this part gives ihe Sp....n bill i rerj -insular a|- :ince. The hill f (lie pre-ent species is about seven inches . mil so large at the upper pail, as to appear like a c.intinuaiion of the head ii.sclf. From the uppei pail K .row.- smaller downward, but toward* the end spread* out a. .mi to the widlh of lw<> inches and a half. 70 THE RAIL. THE ROSEATE SPOON-BILL. The head is entirely naked of feathers, and the neck is so slightly covered, as every where to show the skin. A bird so singularly made might be supposed to pos- sess some peculiar qualities, or hibits, but the Spoon-bill, so far as is known, leads a life quite similar to the crane and other waders. It is, however, probable that there is some especial advantage which the bird derives from the size and shape of his bill, because nature does not furnish such peculiar appendages, without some useful design. This bird, when on the sea-shore, lives entirely on fish, but away from the sea, he eats frogs, and insects. At the Cape of Good Hope, Spoon-bills are tamed, and make themselves useful in the houses, by destroying insects and reptiles. THE RAIL. The Kail tribe are small in size, when compared with the birds just described ; but they are very active, and quick in their motions, some of them being able to run with surprising swiftness. They live on snails and in- sects which they find about marshes. They build their nesis on the ground, and raise a large brood. They are a numerous race, some of the species being found in almost every country. One or two kinds are considered among the most delicate morsels for the table. THE CLAPPER RAIL. How large is the Clapper Rail ? The Clapper Rail measures fourteen inches in length, and with the wings spread, eighteen inches in extent. Its bill is a little more than two inches long. What color is this bird ? Its prevailing color is dark brown, which on the upper parts is nearly black, spotted with light brown. The under parts are lighter brown, and the throat is white. What is the shape of this Rail ? The bill is small, long, and sharp pointed ; the head small ; the tail is blunt, turned up at the end, and so short as to look as if cut off with a pair of shears. The legs and neck are of moderate length. Where does this bird live .' The Clapper Rail inhabits the shores and marshes of the Atlantic ocean, from Connecticut to Florida. It is also sometimes found on the rivers, at a distance from the ocean. This bird is known by several names, such as Mud Hen, Meadow Clapper, Meadow Hen, and Big Rail. The Clapper Rail migrates to the south on the ap- proach of winter, and returns again lo the shores of New England in the months of April and May. The arrival of this bird, is soon known to those who live in the vicin- ity of salt marshes, as they announce it by a loud, harsh kind of cackling, somewhat resembling the noise made by the Guinea hen. This noise they make chiefly during the evening. These birds build their nests on the ground, among the high grass, or sedge, which grows on salt marshes. They are constructed with much labor for so small a bird, being generally raised a foot or more from the ground, probably for the purpose of avoiding the rising of the tide. Over the nest, the top of the grass is drawn together, and the leaves woven in such a manner as to produce a kind of arch. The bird, in this instance, seems to have mistaken her instinct, for in building (his arch to protect her nest from the crow and hawk, she sets up a mark by which it can be found by men at a T u i: i- i: 1. 1 c A N a 71 considerable distance, ;uiil men arr by lai her ijreaie-i enemies. KOI lli'- eggs of thi- bird arc of <> fun 1 a Ilavor as to be pleferred ID all olhei- ; ,n.| people who live in tin- vicinity i>l sail mai-hes, m;ike il a kind of In to collect (hem ; and i' n-.:le man will ' mes collcft a hundred do/en in a d Tin- Clapper Kail does not readily lake wing and escape, like most other birds but when pursued \ just on the point of geiy.ini: them, when they pc with iiieat Mvifinex-. hut light again within a lew rods. The Viririnian Kail resemble., the Clapper Rail in color and habits, and dill'ers from it chiefly in being much smaller. SWIMMERS. This order of birds is distinguished from all others, by having a lliin membrane, or web, between their (">-. forming a foot, whirh may be spread out, or folded |.,- ijether, like u fan. Hence they are called uv It- footed, and by reason of this form, these birds are enabled to swim with wonderful ease and swiftness; for when (he foot is spread, It present" a wide Miilare to the water, by which the bird forces itself along, and when folded, il is carried forward again, without imj>eding her motion. Most of these birds have short le^s, whirh are well adapt- ed to iheir nodes of life, but which unfits them for wading, or foi walking with much facility on the land. They live chiefly on roots, grass and small shell-fish, which (hey either obtain by diving, or pick lip along the .-bores. This order includes the Swan, Duck, Goose, Pelican, and many others. T1IK 1'KLICANS. The Pelicans are a sociable tribe of bird-, and at cer- tain seasons of the year assemble in larire flocks. They live on fish, which they catch by diving, and are exceed- .olis ill their appetite*. Several of (he spe- have l.uue Lays atlae hi d lo the lowei mandible, in which they store (h.-ii li-h whirh they do not imin- alely want. Some ./I tln-ui aie trained to fishing, and are thus inadi- useful i.. mankind. Some live far out at BOB, while others reside- in livers and lakes. There are M-\eial : this bird, wlmh differ considerably from i-arh olher. Till: Cltr.AT I'KI.ICAN. How larijo if the < Iri-at Pelican ? The (Jreat Pel caii is three feet and a half long, from the lull to the end of the tail. The bill \e one foot and four inches in length. nd him. TI1K CORMORANT. The Cormorant trihe. like the Pelicans, live on fUh, which they catch liy diving. They ore a most vor.' ml employ most of their time in fishing for their own provisions. One of this family has a small pouch attached to the lower mandilde, like the pelican, but it does not appear lo be used for the .-ami- pin pose. The (' mon Cormorant and the Fishing Cormorant, an- ih<- two -peries best known, but they differ very little from e.n-li other in appearance. THK. K M; CORMORANT. HCAV hnre i-i tlic Ki-liing Cormorant ? The Fishing Cormorant tt three feet long, and with the Winers spread, alioiil six feet in i-Meiil. U'liat is : :nl 1 Its color, except a white spot under the ihroal, and another on each side, is entirely hlnck. What is the shape of tins bird .' The shape of the Cormorant is Letween thai of the goose and that of the falcon. 11 Like the goose, it has short legs, and is \ve!>- footed, hut (he shape of its bodyi ii' rk and hill, are more like those of the falcon. It- liill is lonir, and the upper mandilile is lient.like a hook over the end of the lower one. are ? This I. ml i- (omul m Asia, and particularly m China, where it inhabits the l>a>< and rivers in ahimdan This Cormorant lives i nl n ly 0:1 li-h. wlnrh h -rairhe* by divine, and is exceedingly expert in sei'/irif; and hold- 74 TH E D ARTER. ing his prey. He cares not whether the water be fresh or salt, provided it contains an abundance of the finny race; and so craving is his appetite, that he not only fishes by day, but goes forth by night in search of plunder. This bird is esteemed the best fisher of all the feath- ered race, and although large, and generally very fat, he flies with great swiftness and strength, and spends most of his time on the wing. In this respect he differs entirely from the pelican, who fishes only to prevent actual starvation. He pursues his prey with the most untiling activity, rising to a great height over the water, and seaiching it carefully with his eye. The moment he discovers a fish, he drops down as though dead, but seldom rises again without success. He seizes his prey with his bill, and not like the fish-hawk, with his claws. When he hap- pens to strike a fish near the tail, he gives it a toss into the air, catches it again with dexterity, and then swallows it head foremost. Travelers tell us, that in many parts of China, Cormo- rants are educated and trained to fishing, as dogs are trained to hunting in other countries, and that they are under such good discipline, that one man can manage a hundred of them at a time. The fisherman carries them out into the lake, or other fishing place, perched on the sides of his boat, where they continue quiet, in expectation of his orders to begin the sport. When arrived at the proper place, he gives them a signal, or word of command, when they all fly differ- ent ways, each one to fulfil his task. It is said to be very pleasant, at this time, to witness the sagacity with which they portion out, among themselves, the different parts of the fishing ground, each one taking the part assigned him, without intruding on that of another. They fly about over the water with great swiftness, and hunt with as much eagerness as a pack of hounds. They dive, rise again, and again plunge into the water, and do not give up the pursuit until the fish is caught, when they do not fail to carry it directly to their master, who sits waiting for them in his boat. If any bird hap- pens to seize a fish, which is too heavy for him to carry, the next flies to his help, and gives him a lift, one taking it by the head, and the other by the tail, and in this manner they carry it to the boat. Having delivered their fish, they sit for a few moments on some part of the boat, and then again go in search of another. When tired, they are permitted to rest awhile, but are never fed until their day's work is done. All the time they are fishing, they have a string tied around their necks, so as to prevent their swallowing, otherwise they would eat so many fish, as to be neither able, nor willing, to catch more. It is therefore hunger only, and the hope of satisfying their appetites, that in- duces these birds to labor for their masters. At night, when the labor of the day is finished, they are well fed, and are thus prepared to go to their work again in the morning. Sir George Stannton says, that on some of the large lakes in China, there are thousands of rafts, or boats, built entirely for this kind of fishing, and that it is as- tonishing to see the enormous size of the fish which these birds will catch and carry to their masters. In England the same mode of fishing was anciently in fashion, but instead of being the business of common fishermen, it was one of the royal sports. Even so late as the reign of king Charles the Second, this sport was still in estimation, for it appears from history, that among the officers of that king t there was one, who had the title of Master of Cormorants. THE DARTER. [This is also called Snake-bird, from the resemblance of his head and neck to aierpent.] How large is the Darter ? The Darter is three feet in length, and with the wings spread, five feet in extent. The bill is four inches long. What is the color of this bird ? The color of its neck, and all the under parts, is green- ish black; the tail is black, tipped with white ; the back and sides are black ; the sides spotted with white ; quill feathers white ; lower mandible, and around the eyes, yellow ; from the crown of the head, awhile stripe runs half way down the neck. What is the shape of this bird ? The form of the Darter is slender and beautiful : the neck is long, and is joined to the body by a graceful swell towards the breast ; the head is small, ending in a long, sharp pointed bill ; the legs are only about three inches long, and the feet are webbed. The aspect of the head and bill is spiteful and dangerous. Where is this bird found .' This bird is an inhabitant of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. It is also found in South America, China, and other warm countries. This biid lives on fish, which he strikes with his sharp bill, and by which they are pierced, as with a dart, and hence the name Darter. They build their nests on trees and rocks, always taking care, however, that the place is so near the water, that they can dive into it in time of danger. Mr. Bartram, who saw these birds in Florida, says, that they delight to sit in little communities, on the dry limbs of trees, hanging over the still water, in order to THE DART 1. R , 75 THE DARTER, cool themselves, and nt the same time to see their images ; mala, and the Penguin outswims nil the feathered tribes. in tin- water, ;ia in a looking glass. At such times, if any one approaches them, they drop off the limbs into the water, as it" dead, and for a minute or two are not to be seen, when on a sudden, at a great distance, their long slender heads and necks appear like a snake, rising erect out of the water. When they -wmi, no part of them is lobe seen, except tin- head and neck, and some- times the tip of the tail. In the heat of the day, they are seen in irreat numbers, sailing very high in the air over the lake- and rivers. They are exceedingly shy, and cunning in escaping from the gunner. When shot at in the water, they dive ut the Hash of the gun, and do not come up again, until they get to the distance of several hundred yards ; and it is in vain to try, after having once missed them, to approacli within gun shot again. So that the most experienced sport-man is often obliged to give over tin- day's fowling, without obtaining a single specimen of this bird. THE PENGUIN. The Penguin secni- l<> hold the same plare among tin- water bird-, that (he Ostrich does amoni: the land birds. Both of them have wings, but neither of them can fly. The ostrich is the swiftest runner among the land ani- The Penguins walk erect, when they walk at all, but their legs are so short, that their gait is rather a waddle than a walk. Their clothing of feathers is extremely thick and warm. They sit erect on their eggs, and cackle like geese, but in a hoarser voice. There are several species of this family, all having the saute shapes, and differing only in size and color. THE PATAGONIAN PK.NCUIN. Hmv l.ir-ii- is tin- Patagonian Penguin ? The Patagonian Penguin, as it stands on the ground, is about three feet high. What is the color of (hit bird ? Its color, from the back of the head downwards, inclu- ding all the back parts, is black. The throat is also black. The front parts, beginning with a line on the middle of the head, which spreads over the lire.-i>(, and down tO the feel, i- entirely white. What it the shape of ill.- IV;i_;iim ? The shape of the Penguin is very singular. The fi-i i are placed so far back, that it cannot, like other birds, balance itself on them, and it is therefore obliged to -i.ind erect, like a man. Iis win^s are so small, and the feathers on them so short, that they appear like fins, rather than like the wings of other birds, and its feathers are so hard and stiff, that they are more like scales than plum What country do these hirds inhabit ? These birds inhabit many of the South Sea islands, 76 THE PENGUIN. THE PATAGONIAN PENGUIN. and the coasts of South America, particularly Pata- gonia. Penguins assemble in flocks, and when they stand on the shore at a distance, they are said to resemble a num- ber of children, dressed in black, with white aprons. These birds are said to be like men, like fowls, and like fishes. Like men, they walk upright ; like fowls, they are clothed with feathers ; and like fishes, they paddle themselves along with their wings instead of fins. The Penguins live on fish, and are exceedingly ex- pert divers, as well as swimmers. The position of their legs, which renders them so awkward on the land, are admirably adapted to their residence in the water. On the land, no creature can be more defenseless, for they have neither arms to fight with, nor legs to run away. But in the water, no bird is more difficult (o approach, or more difficult to shoot when near. If they suspect, that they are in the least the objects of pursuit they instantly sink into the water, so as to show nothing but their bills, and if the pursuit is continued, they dive, and come up at such a distance as entirely to escape being seen again. The nest of the Penguin is made according to her circumstances, or the danger to which she is exposed. In places where she does not fear the intrusion of man, her eggs are hatched on the sand, without the prepara- tion of a nest. But in places which are frequented by men, she digs a hole several feet deep into the earth on the side of a bank, and in it builds her nest. In the work of digging, it is said they join and assist each other, and that when it is done, several of them hatch tlicir young in one nest, each laying a single egg. The flesh of this bird, though very fat, is so fishy, and disagreeable to the taste, as never to be eaten. THE GOOSE. The Goose tribe have strong, wide, and flat bills, the upper mandible being a little longer than the lower one, and ending in a blunt, round point, like the finger nail. Both mandibles are furnished with small teeth, like a saw, for the better holding their food. The toes are four in number, three of which are united by a membrane. Their necks are of considerable length, but their legs are short, and fitted for swimming, rather than walking. Some of this tribe, as the common Goose, are domesti- cated, and live on corn, while others remain wild, and eat roots, and small shell-fish, which they gather from the water. THE WILD GOOSE. How large is the Wild Goose ? The Wild Goose is three feet long, from the bill to the end of the tail; and with the wings spread, about five feet in extent. What is the color of this fowl ? In color, the back part of the head and neck are black; the back is brown; chin, and upper part of the bieast, white ; the under parts, pale brown. Where does the Wild Goose live ? The Wild Goose is very generally known throughout the United States. It however, resides in the country only during the winter. In the spring it migrates to the north, and returns again on the commencement of the cold season. Every person is acquainted with these birds, at least so T II K C OOSE- 77 TilK WILD 00 far as lo liavc often wilnetted their migratory voyages in \Vln-n the tfeesc fly over this place, these men imitate iln-ir notes so exacily thai llic (look will answer, .-mil at tlic spring urn! fall. Their flight is generally so high in the ;iir as tn place them beyond tin- reach of the sports- man's gun. They have great power of wing, and although their flight is not so swifl as that of the pigeon, and pome ether hirds, they proceed with a steady and business-like manner, which, in a few , by showing them the Water. She dues ii, M. like the hen call hei family around her, and teach them how to provide for Ives. If the vermin about the pond deMi. \ 1,. : . -he' d'M-s not miss them, and if flu- hears them cry, she takes little notice of their distress. While sit- ting, she sometimes loiters away her time at the pond, .lucking ami refreshing herself in the water, until her eggs grow cold and lifeless. The hen is a nurse of much belter character. She sits on her eggs with the most determined perseverance ; never leaves them, but for a few moments at a time, and hurries back as though her presence was of the utmost consequence. If her mistress piefers to have her hatch a brood of ducks instead of her own offspring, she adopts the little stiangers, and brings them up with the same care as if they had been her own chickens. THE EIDER DUCK. How }jTfc it the Eider Duck ? The Eider Duck is two feet three inches long, and with the wings spread, three feet in extent ; being about the size of a common goose. What is the color of the Eider Duck. The color of the male, from the throat to the breast, and along the back, is white. The quill feathers, the tail, and all the tinder parts are black ; there is also a patch of black on each .-:de of the head, including the eyes, and a part of the bill. The color of the female is reddish brown, curiously marked with spots of black and red ; the quill feathers and tail are black ; and the bill and legs yellow. 80 THE PETREL. Where does (his duck live ? This Duck inhabits the Western Isles of Scotland, the sea coasts of Norway, Greenland and Iceland, and the northern parts of North America. The Eider Duck has long been celebrated, on account of the down which it affords, and which, in Europe and America, is considered a great luxury, en account of its lightness and warmth. This is called Eider Down, and comes from Lapland and Iceland, in which countries these birds are found in great numbers. The inhabitants of these countries, who live near the sea shore, make it a part of their business to plunder these poor birds of their eggs, and their down. The eggs, during the spring, they use as food in their fami- lies, and by the sale of the down, they every year obtain considerable sums of money. The nests of these Ducks arc formed of dry grass and sea weed, lined on the inside with down, which the female plucks from her breast for this purpose. In the nest, thus made soft and warm, she lays five eggs, which she also covers with down. The inhabitants, having found these nests while building, they know when to visit them again, and after the eggs are all laid, they go and take them away, together with the down which covers them, as well as that with which the nest is lined. The female then begins again, and a second time strips her breast, lines her nest with the down, and lays another nest of eggs; but again she is deprived of both, by the same hand that plundered her before. Once more the poor bird, in her anxiety to raise a family, begins to prepare a place to hatch them, but her breast being naked, can afford no down with which to furnish it. In this extrem- ity, it is said, the male kindly interposes for her relief, and plucks his own breast, to give her the proper quan- tity of down. Even this, these cruel robbers sometimes take away ; when the birds, finding that no mercy is shown them, leave the place entirely, and seek a more secret situation where they can raise their brood in safety. One Duck, it is said, will furnish half a pound of down in a season, and this is so valuable as to sell for two dollars a pound, in Lapland. It is extremely fine, soft and warm, and is so elastic, that a quantity which is sufficient to fill a bed quilt, may be compressed within the two hands. The Iceland Company, every year, bring from that country from fifteen hundred to two thousand pounds of this down. This they sell at Copenhagen, and from thence it is distributed into every part of Europe, and considerable quantities of it come to the northern parts of America. The male Eider Duck is exceedingly attentive to the female, while she is sitting on her eggs, and during that time remains near the shore, swimming backwards and forwards not far from the nest, to see that nothing dis- turbs her. But as soon as the young are hatched, he sails away, and leaves the brood to take care of them- selves. The mother, however, has more feeling for her young and being thus entrusted with their care and education, she proves herself a provident and faithful parent. While they are very young, she takes care to introduce them to the water, as the place on which their after lives are chiefly to be spent. Having led them to the edge of the water, she makes the whole brood crawl upon her back, and then swims off alittle distance from the shore. She then dives, herself, thus leaving her brood on the surface of the water, and in this manner are they com- pelled to exercise themselves in swimming. After this, they are seldom seen on the land, until they go there for the purpose of rearing a brood for themselves. THE PETREL. The bills of this tribe are straight, except at the end, where they are a little hooked. The legs are small, and the wings long and strong. They fly with amazing swiftness, and are often seen far out at sea. In calm weather they sit on the water, but before, and during a storm, they are constantly on the wing. The females lay their eggs in holes in the ground, or in the fissures of rocks. They defend their young by spitting oil from their mouths in the faces of their enemies. There are many species of this bird, differing considerably in size and color. STORMY PETREL. [ These birds art also called Mollier Carey's Chickens.] How large is the Stormy Petrel > The Stormy Petrel is about the size of the swallow, being seven inches in length, and, with the wings spread, nearly fourteen inches in extent. What is the color of this bird ? Its color, except a spot of white near the tail, is black ; the feet are yellow. Where is this bird found ? The Stormy Petrel is occasionally seen on the ocean, T U I' STO U M Y PE I K I'. !.. 81 in nearly every part of the world. '<< >* met with more tli. HI a thousand mile* fiom tin- land. There are iwdity-lonr .-[> the I'etielii which tin' present one i- the smallest, bein I, so far a* i* Ullowil. lilt 1 Irasl of all web-fooled buds. Tins Inrd, Tinioii'. . :ed a in\*leriou* and ominous l>:id. and e\en at tlic piv day, m:iri\ p. IM.IIS belie\e dial it* appeaiance al sea, i* (I. : of approach i lea*t dial it is u nil-- in in warn ilirm t in. ,' ii||.-n seen at .1 gieat distance limn the land, pie w ho do i : r llial il can 11 v ei"hl or nine Innidn-d miles in a day, il can rt . and hence die sailors think thai they liaich their eggB under their wing* u ihe\ .-it on tin- water. hardly i (n say dial this poor litlle bird 1 die occasion of an\ evil to the sailor ; nor do. hali h it* e :;_; under it* u they bclie\e. Il has how 'ie hahils peculiar 10 Kself, and parliculai ly iii re*pe. t to iis flying about over the ocean ( -ndi \a*t distances from the land. Il, i> aKn line thai ihj.- hird i- ino>i lVe(inendy ->een liefoie a sioi in. and during its COD- liiiiianre. Al sin h limes, flocks of them hover mound the ship, ami are mine ai live than common in picking up any thing thai happens to fall overboard, such as die ri'fuM- ot proviaiona, or any oilj mailer which die cook throws away. Hut parln-ular acl:\ily, and even marks of dislress, hi- fore a siorm, are r-'hown hy many hird>. Tlie instinct of the crane, as bat already been retattrked, teaches her lo prepare for a ci.mmir ^ti>im, Bl Well a^ when lo bfirin hei annual (light. Snow LinU are active in searching for food befoie a simm. \\ curlews, and other hird*, are particularly noisy at die *ame time, and every honsewile, when *he ha* a l' of geese, can foretell, by iheii actions, die approach of fullinir weadier. The Stormy Pen el, dierefoie, when il foretells, by its actions, ibnt a storm is approaching, does nothing but what i> comm.iu in many odier lnid~. ami on lhi.s arrniint il to he lo.)keil upon l-y die siiilm*, a- Mimed. which conlribiiles In ; . by \\aniini; him of his danger, iaili.-i than a hird of omen, which ha.- cume lo ilo him miM-hief. Sionny IVtiels halcli their you ,i mimherion lh<' i-laiids nf liermuda, and Cuba, and on die coasts of Florida. They build llieir ne.-is among the guves and of ihi' rucks, and feed llieir vouiiif only iln the uinht. In the day (ime.lhey wander over die oc. and Mich i.-i the rapidity of iheii tlighl, that they can he i'al hundred miles al KIM in (he middle of die day and home airain al evei Mr. \ViI . li is an interesting sight loobMrva llirM- lilt),- birds ill a irale cour-ini: QVee die waves, down die declivities, up tip- oi die foaming surf (hat threatens to hurst over llieir heads; sweeping olong the hollow troughs of thi ,n a sliellered valley, and air-iin inoiinliiiif with die rising billow, nnd j'isi ahov<: -urface, occasionally dropping its feet, which, slrik the water, throw* il up au r ain willi additional foici-; soiiieiiui'-s 1. :i]niiL r , with bold legs parallel, on die sur- face- of llie roughest waves, for M \. ial yards at a lime." Hut the in. .si singular peculiarity of (his bird, is its faculty of standing, or even running on the surface of the water willi upparenl faciliiy. When any greasy mall. -i is thrown overboard, these hird* instantly collect around it, and facing lo Windward, willi then long wings expanded, and llieir webbed feet patting the water, the liglilnesa of their bodies, and the action oi the wind on their wings enable diem lo do ihi* (dial is, to stand on die surface of ih.' . In Calm Weather, they perform the same maiHeuvre, by keepm^ their \\ i jusl*o much in action as lo prevent (heir feel from *ink- ini: below ih \.-c.i riling lo Hiillbn, it is from dus *inu r idar lial.il thai these birds are named Prh'-l. lh' name beinu derived from P. -lit. ihu ape. .-de, \\ho.ihr Scripllire infoini- us. walked upon the v. 1-2 5 1987 -MONTH-MONOGRAPH '138*5