The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-04-22

they return to land and wait for calncr weather. As
might be expected, they sometimes fain to light
ON vessels At sea- in order to their wenried pin
ions. OF some birds the 1ocks that travel at once
are prodgons the passenger pigeon Of America is the
most remarkable IN this respect, Mr. Audubon de-
scribes some OF the columns which he has observed
flying with hardly an interruption for hours at a time
and calculates that in flock only, during three
hours, there must have passed eleven millions of
BIRDS
Cuts have the travelling power in a very remnrta-
BILE degree, and there are numberess instances OF
their having been carried distant places in sacks or
closed BASKETS and yet returning to their former u
bode. One Of the most interesting of these anec-
dotes is related by Mr. Jesse ia his delightful volume
"Gleanings in Natural listory.'' ga lady residing
in Glasgow had handsome cat to her fro n, Ed
inburgh, distant forty two mes) il was conveyed
10 her IN close basket and carriage. The animal
was carefully watched for two months; but having
produced pair of young at the end Of that time
she was left TO her own discretion, which she very
soon employed in disappearing with her kittens. The
lady in Glasgow wrote to her friend in Edinburgh,
dePoring her loss; and the wns supposed 10
have formed some attachment. Abo ut n fort
night however, after her disappearance ut Glasgow,
her well known meD YVES heard at the door of her
Edinburgh mistress, and there she was with both her
kittens they in the best state but she herself very
thin. II is clear that she could carry only one kitten
at a time so that, If she brought one kitten part of
the way aud then went back FOR the other and thus
conveyed them alternately, she must have travelled
one hundred and twenty miles Mt lenst She must
have also journeyed only during the night and must
have resortod many other precautions for the safety
of her young"
In thus returning to the favorito spot animals will
sometimes perform difficult feats, to all appearance
beyond their strength. A horse brough, out OF the
Isle of Wight has been known TO thither, al
tho the between the island and main
land is five miles across. A gentleman, bathing near
Dunrnven castle, in Gamorganshire, observed
strange object approaching at some distance. Il
proved to be n horse, which had apparently swan
from The opposite coast, twelve miles distant. There
is a story of cow having returned from England 10
its native place in Scotland in the reign Of James l.
The Kings remark at joke and the state
ment Of real dilicuy-"he only wondered how it
had contrived TO get the border" Chat dis
trict being then full of cattle steaers Welsh
sheep often find their way home to their native noun
tans from the neghborhood Of London. About four
teen years ago butcher in Dundee had dog which
had become notorious for every aud Il en- dsap-
pearing for few days. il was ascertnned that it |
was the custom, on these occasions, of going to Ed
inburgh to friend Of his own species belonging
to butcher in the market. Now, Dundee is not
y fory-two miles from Edinburgh, but two estua-
ries, requiring to be crossed by ferry steamboats, in
lervene. ......
The migrations Of the land crab of tropical
res is annual, and is for the purpose of spawning
In the Bahama Island, this animal leads obscure
life, feeding upon vegetables in the Of the
mountains. About April or May, millions them
proceed towards the sea, usually in three battala,
he first being composed Of males, the second Of e-
males, and the third of weakly members of both sex
IS. Under the guidance of leader, they take the
quite for the sea with surprising directness, neither
urning to the right hand to the left; crossing over
houses, If they in the way, and only turning
side when they meet with a river Sometimes the
Journey requires three months 10 be performed, and
when they have spawned and cast their shells, they
-eturn to their and clefts, taking
probably weeks to the journey.
The most surprising anecdoe which we have
heard regarding the travelling power of animals, we
hall give in the words of the original narrators:
II appears in the elaborate work Of Messrs Kirby
md Spence. "In March 1916, slipped
It Gibratcr on board tho lister frgnte, Captain For
ester which was bound for Malta. The vessel hay
ng struck the sands Off the Point de Cat, at some
distance from the shore, the thrown over
board, to give it chance of swimming TO tho and-a
,oor one for the running SO high that boat
which left the ship was lost A few days afterwards,
however, when the gates of Gibraer were opened
n the morning, the presented himself for admis-
ion and proceeded to the stable which he had form
,rly occupied 10 the small surprise of it's former
,wner, who imagined that from some accident, the
,nima might not have been shipped on board the Is
er. . ...f.. - ..t,
On the return ofthis vessel to repair, however, the
mystery was explained, and it turned ont that Vail
,ne ESQ the ass was caled) had not only swan snie-
y to Shore hut without guide, compass, or travelling
nap had found his way from Point de Cat to G'e-
alter, a distance Of more than two hundred miles
which he had never raversed before, through noun
ainous and intricate country, ntersected by streams,
md in SO short PERIOD that he could not have made
me false turn His not having been stopped on the
ood. was attributed to the circumstance of his for
nerlv having been used whip criminals upon, which
,hz hnun,