IT For many generations past, My mother's hands this Bible clasp'd; 2. Ah! well do I remember those Whose names these records bear, And speak of what these pages said, 3. My father read this holy book How calm was my poor mother's look, What thronging memories come! Within the halls of home! 4. Thou truest friend man ever knew, Where all were false I found thee true, The mines of earth no treasures give In teaching me the way to live, It taught me how to die. 29. ORNITHOLOGY.3 GEORGE P. MORRIS. T is surprising to see how few of all the birds which annually1 visit us are known by name, and how little their habits are understood. Most natives of New England are acquainted with 1 Con' stan cy, fidelity; faithfulness; remaining fixed in the same opinion. Coun' sel or, adviser.-3 Or ni thôl' o gy, a description of birds; the science which describes the nature and habits of birds.- An' nu ally, yearly every year. the blue jay, one of the earliest of our visitors, who comes sounding his penny trumpet, as a herald of the spring, and either amuses himself by playing pranks upon other more serious birds, or entertains them by acting, to the life, the part of an angry Frenchman. 2. Every miller and vagrant' fisherman knows the belted kingfisher, who sits for hours upon his favorite dead branch, looking, with his calm, bright eye, to the lowest depth of the waters. The robin also makes himself welcome, not only by the tradition of the kindness shown by his European relation to the children in the wood, but by his hearty whistle, lifted up, as if he knew that all would be thankful to hear that the winter is over and gone, and his familiarity with man, whereby he shows his belief, that they who least deserve confidence are sometimes made better by being trusted. 3. The solemn crow, who is willing to repose the same confidence in man, taking only the additional precaution3 of keeping out of his reach; the bobolink, or rice-bunting, who tells man, in so many words, that he cares nothing about him, not he; the swallow, that takes his quarters in our barns, or the one that passes up and down our chimneys with a noise like thunder; the purple martin, that offers to pay his house-rent by keeping insects from our gardens; the snow-bird, that comes riding from the arctic1 circle upon the winter storm; and the baltimore, or golden robin, that glances like a flame of fire through the green caverns of foliage,-will almost complete the catalogue of those which are familiarly known to man. 4. We say familiarly known, because there are many, which people in general think they know, and which are yet sadly misrepresented. The farmer, for example, accuses the woodpecker of boring his trees, when he only enlarges with his bill the hole which the grub had made, and, darting in his long, ǎrrōwy tongue, puts a stop to its mining forever. Many a poor bird, in like manner, after having slain his thousands of insects, which were laying waste the orchard and the garden, is sen 1 1Va' grant, wandering; without a home.-2 Tra di' tion, a story told from father to son; something handed down from age to age.3 Precâu tion, care taken beforehand.—a Arc' tic, northern; the arctic circle is a term here used for the cold countries of the north. tenced to death, as guilty of the very offenses which he has been laboriously preventing. 5. There are few scenes in which justice is so completely reversed, as when we see some idle young knave permitted to go fōrth with a fowling-piece, to murder creatures, of which it is not too much to say, that they have done more good in the world (it is a bold speech, we confess) than ever he will do evil, and applauded' for his exploits by his old father, who, in rejoicing ignorance, congratulates himself on having a son so efficient and useful. We hear complaints annually, from all parts of the United States, that some insect or another is destroying the fruit, and proposing to offer a large reward to any one who will discover a remedy. Lest we should be anticipated in our design, we would say that we mean to contend for that prize, and to secure the orchards and gardens by protecting the birds, and offering a handsome bounty for the ears of those who shoot them. 8 6. Kalm tells us, that the planters in Virginia succeeded, at last, by legislative' enactments, in exterminating the little crow, and exulted much on the occasion. But it was not long before their triumph was changed to mourning. They found that the acts had been passed for the benefit of insects, not their own, and they would gladly have offered a larger bounty to bring back the persecuted birds. We shall not plead for the crow, who is fully able to take care of himself; but we must file a protest against the practice of destroying the birds of the garden, for, besides depriving us of the beauty of their appearance and the music of their song, it lets in a flood of insects, whose numbers the birds were commissioned to keep down; and, when we find this evil growing year by year, as most assuredly it will, 1Applaud' ed, praised. Ex ploits', deeds; acts of which a person boasts.- Con gråt' u låtes, wishes joy.-Ef fi' cient, powerful; able to do.- An tic' i påt ed, taken beforehand; to have some one do a thing before us. - Peter Kalm, a Swedish naturalist, author of “A Naturalist's Tour in North America," lived between 1715 and 1779.- Legislative (led'jis lå tiv), belonging or relating to the making of laws.-'Enåct' ment, the passing of a bill into a law.-Ex têr' min åting, destroying; putting an end to.- Pro' test, remonstrance; a prayer against what we do not wish. there will be little consolation in reflecting, that we have brought upon ourselves. it 7. The song of birds is not much better known than their habits and persons. How many have ever seen the crimson linnet, as he sits playing the flute on the very summit of the loftiest tree, sometimes diminishing his strain almost to silence, then pouring it out in bursts of rapture? It is common to say that beauty of plumage and sweetness of song are not found together. It may be true that they are seldom united in the highest perfection; but every child knows, that the clear piping of the baltimore and the varied whistle of the goldfinch are as pleasant to the ear as their fine colors are to the eye; and the brilliant red-bird, which sometimes visits New England, is not more distinguished for the bright scarlet' of his dress than for the sweet and bold expression of his song. 8. There is so much that inspires curiosity about the various tribes of birds, that it is difficult to account for this contented ignorance of their ways, in which so many spend their lives. When the snows retreat to the mountains, the friendly voice of the robin, telling us that he is glad to see us again, has a magical' effect upon every one; it calls the heart and memory into action, and reminds us of all we love to remember. Here he is again, but he can not tell us where he has been; what regions he has traversed, nor what invisible hand pointed out his path in the sky. If this inqui'ry in'terest us, we begin to look about us in the closing year; we see that, when the leaf grows red, the birds are disappearing, some assembling in solemn deliberation, to make arrangements for the purpose; others taking French leave, as it is unfitly called, without ceremony or farewell. 30. THE STORMY PETREL. N. A. REVIEW. 1. THIS is the bird that sweeps o'er the sea THIS Fearless, and rapid, and strong is he; He never forsakes the billowy roar To dwell in calm on the tranquils shore, 1Scår'let, bright red.—2 Måġ'ic al, mysterious; performed by something beyond nature. In vis'i ble, unseen.- De lib er å'tion, thought; consideration. Tranquil (trånk' wil), quiet; calm; peaceful. Save when his mate from the tempest's shocks 2. Birds of the sea, they rejoice in storms; On the top of the wave you may see their forms; 3. All over the occan, far from land, 4. So, mid the contest and toil of life, My soul, when the billows of rage and strife PARK BENJAMIN. 31. THE FALCON. 1. THE falcon3 is a noble bird, THE And when his heart of hearts is stirr'd, He'll seek the eagle, though he run Into his chamber near the sun. Never was there brute or bird, Whom the woods or mountains heard, That could force a fear or care From him, the Ar'ab of the air! Against (a genst').- Phån' tom, apparition; a fancied vision.Mår' i ner, seaman; sailor. Fåth' om less, that can not be fathomed, or sounded.— Falcon (få' kn). |
