The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-12-23
WHOLE NO. s9eo.

iageo from one another. Some families con-
sisted OF only three or four individuals: the
: largest cabin contained thirty:-but gener-
ally there were from ten to fourteen inhab-
iting one dwelling.
They never quarrel with one another.
when danger approaches they give notice
by striking their tails on the water. Some
on such occasions plunge into the water for
security others conceal themselves within
tnelr walls, which no animal will attempt
eltner to-eatef or overturn. oa3fIl
was charmed with the peatness ofthese
houses; the floors Were spread with the
green branches of the box and fur trees. and
were always quite clean. The window that
races the water answers for balcony to re-
ceive the fresh air, and for the purpose of
bathing. These windows are made bioh
enough to prevent being stopped up with
ice, which is often two or three feet thick
on the river: it is very important to the.
beavers to keep up free communication
with the water; they often swim for con-
siderable distance under the ice; and their
iaVorlte position, when in their houses.
seemed TO be sitting on end at their win
dows, with the lower part of the BODY IN
water. In September, they collect their
| provisions. From this time till the elo.a of
winter they remain in their cabins. eniov
the fruits of their labors and the pIeasuIes
OF society. This is their time of repose. IN
the spring they separate the males retire
into the country to enjoy the pleasures and
Inc fruits OF the season. They return. how
ever, occasionally to their cabins but dwell
there no more. The females continue in the
caDins and are occupied in nursing, protect
ing and rearing their young, which are in
lew weeks IN condition to follow their
dams. The beavers do not assemble again
III Autumn, unless their banks or cabins be
injured by 1nundatlons; for when this hap
pens, they suddenly collect their forces and
repair Inc breaches that have been made.n
PRoDrGIous FLIGHT OF BIRDS. There
are several Islands on the coast of Van Die
man Land, and the number of birds seen
at times IS almost Incredible. "There was.''
says Capt. Flinders, " stream of sooty ne
trels, of from so to 80 Yards in depth. and
OF 800 yards or more in breadth the birds
were not scattered, but flying as compact
" as free movement of their wings would
allow; and during a full hour and half
THIS stream of petrels continued to pass
without interruption, at rate little inferior
10 the swittness of the pigeon. Taking the
stream to have been fifty yards deep, and
3O0 IN breadth, and that it moved at the rate
OF 81 miles an hour, and allowing cubic
yards OF space to each bird, the number
would amount to Isl, 100000 The bur
rows required to lodge this number of
birds would be rs, 900; and allowing a
square yard to each burrow, they would
cover something more than 164 geograph-
zeal square miles of ground" This fact is
curious IN itself; and it is further of impor
lance as tending to show that the sea birds,
wnlch nave been mentioned as the princi-
pal architects of the superb marine portion
of the new lands in the Australian seas. are
so far from being inadequate TO such pur-
pose, that they can effect it in much shorter
time than those who are not aware of their
numbers would be apt to believe.
+ The Picture Of australia.
To THE LEARNED. Conyersipo lately
with distiller of whiskey, he argued in
favor OF his business, that the grain, from
which the spirit is extracted, will afford as
much nourlshment to swine as if given TO
them IN its natural state; so that the spirit
must be considered as clear gain to the
world. The question naturally arose, if this
spirit, before 1t was extracted, could not
nourlsh swine, how can it give nourishment
to men, IN its separate state, or as taken
from the bottle? The whiskey maker said
he did not know, neither did / know.
therefore propose the query TO those who
have leisure and skill TO investigate such
matters.
If it should be thought that the spirit, in
Its separate state, possesses nourshing quail
tiles, which it has not while in the grain or
meal, 1t may be worth while for distillers to
try the experiment of pouring 1t back into
their s,ciLL, for the hogs. Perhaps one bush
ell OF grain, which has been thus medieat-
ed in one Of the devils tea-kettles," may
have as much virtue in it, as two or three
used in the ordinary way. Take care,
however, that there be no steep place, over
which they may run down into the sea.
Vermont Chronieie.
HABIT. We are so wonderfully. formed.
that, whilst we are creature yehemantly
deslrous of novelty, we are as stronplv ~
tached to habit and custom. But Il Is ,ba
nature OF things, which hold us by custom,
to affect US very little while we are in nos,
session of them, but strongly when thew arc
absent. remember to have freqnented
certain place every day for long timo
together; and may truly say, that SO far
| from finding pleasure in It, / was affected
with sort of WEAKNESS and disgust: /
came, Invent, returned without pleasure;
yet if by any means passed by the usual
hour of going thither was remarkably un-
easy, and was not quiet until till had got
into my old track. They who use snuff,
take it almost without being sensible that
they take it, and the acute sense Of smell
is deadened, so as to feel hardly any thing
from so sharp stimulus yet, deprive the
snuf-taker of his box and he is the most
uneasy mortal in the world. Burke.
VERY PoLiTE. A lady Of Cambridge, (Ms)
that ancient seat Of literature, commencing tho
manners Of gentleman of her acquaintance,
said g he is paragram ofpoliteness." p" Par
aLisLiograu, madam, you mean, said a wag sits
ting next her. "Ah yes, paralellcgramI should