Litchfield enquirer., 1833-05-23

down by the weight of the multitudes above,
and which in their descent often destroyed
numbers ofthe birds themselves.
/ had left the public road to visit the re-
mains of the breeding place near Shelby
vile. and was traversing the woods with my
gun, ON my way to Frankfort, when about
one O'Clock the pigeons, which had OBJ
served flying the greater part Of the morn
ing northerly, began to return in such I'M
mense numbers, as never before had wit
messed. Coming to an opening by the side
| of creek called the Conson, where / had
a more uninterrupted view, was astonish-
ed at their appearance. They were flying
with great steadiness and rapidity. at
height beyond gun-shot, in several strata
deep, aud 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 extended, seeming every
where equally crowded. Curious to de-
termine how long this appearance would
continue, took out my watch to note the
time, and sat down to observe them. 1t
was then half past one. ! sat for more
than an hour, but instead of diminution
of this prodigious procession, it seemed
rather to increase both in numbers and ra-
pidity; and anxious to reach Frankfort be-
fore night, rose and went on. About A
o'clock in the afternoon crossed the Ken
lucky river, ut the town of Frankfort, at
which time the living torrent above my
Eno md w.t. c1SYSs nc
ever
~G1eanings in Natural History.-This
work, written by Edward jesse, deputy
surveyor Of the Kings parks, was prepar-
ed in consequence of a suggestion made by
Mr.. White. in his Natural History of Sell
borne, that stationary individuals might
furnish the materials for very complete
county histories, by publishing their OBJ
servations ON the objects by which they
are surrounded. The author is wholly
destitute of scientific information, and
makes no pretension to any knowledge Of
the sort but communicates every thing
that occurs to him on the subject of Natur-
al History, in very quiet and entertain
ing way, though with the most scrupulous
disregard of method and arrangement.
The birds have engaged much of his at
tention, and some of his observations about
them appear to US to be new, while others
are interesting only as illustrative of facts
already known. He tells US, for example.
of the sky lark, that hs was for long time
sorely perplexed to discover the reason Of
the disproportionate length Of its claws
until he ascertained that it employed then
to remove its eggs to places of security
and as these birds generally build the
nests in places where they are very liable
to injury from cattle or the mower, such ;
provision for the security of their chattel
is not without its value. The plumage o
the female birds is generally far inferior iT
beauty to that of their male companions
they are thus protected from the risk ofbe.
ing discovered and destroyed: this obser-
walton, however, is not applicable to the
birds of more warlike character, of which
the plumage of the male and female is in
general the same. So the birds most likely
to be preyed upon, like the common par
fridge and the lark, are provided with plu-
mage of such color that they are not easily
distinguished from the earth on which they
rest. Some birds are longer absent from
their nests than others in search Of food for
themselves or for their young: and the
nests of these are always SO constructed as
to be warmer than those of others, which
more readily procure their food. The
nests of the aquatic birds are covered with
profusion of down and feathers to protect
their inmates from the cold the long-tail-
ed titmouse, too. which, having a large
family to provide for, spends much of hel
time abroad, builds her nest in spherical
form, lines it with the softest down, and
sometimes places feather over the en-
trance, to exclude the piercing wind.
! Some curious facts are mentioned BY
this writer in regard to the crow, to whose
merit, however, he bears the most satisfac'
tory testimony declaring that the injury
it does the farmer by its depredations il
more than compensated by the vast num-
her of insects it destroys. Many Of these
birds had fixed their residence for years IL
a particular range of trees in Hampton
Court Park. On one occasion, a few ad
yepturous ones undertook to build theirs II
other trees at little distance but befor'
they were finished, a detachment of abou
fifty came from the parent settlement, pull
ed the nests in pieces, and drove the emf
. grants back to their original quarters. TIVE