Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-03-19
From Sears Family Magazine for March.
M a r c H..

| -, A',A'iiN ~ ~ ~ otoS3 - OA'A
the heather deity, Mars, by the Saxons,
Length-.Moneth, because,in this month,
the days begin in length to exceed1he
nights. The sun has acquired so much
| power, that on clear day we often
feel all the genial influence of spring,
though the naked shrubs and trees
still give the landscape the comfortless
| appearance Of winter. But soft, plea
SAINT weather, in. the month of March,
is seldom of long duration.
! AS soon as few dry days have made
I the land fit for working, the farmer goes
to the plough; and, If the fair weather
continue, proceeds to sowing oats and
barley: though this business is seldom
finished till the next month. The in-
portance Off dry season for getting the
seed early and favorably into the
ground, is expressed in the old proverb,
A bushcl of March dust is worth kings ransom.
The mellow note of the thfostle, who
sings perched on the naked bough Of
some lofty tree, is heard from the be-
ginning of the month: at the same time,
the ring-dove coos in the woods. The
lesser whlte-throat, and the chif- chaf1,
arrive toward the end of the month
The rookery is now all in motion, with
the pleasing labor Of building and re-
pairing nests; and highly amusing it
, is, to observe the tricks and articles of
the thievish tribe, some to defend, and
others to plumber, the materials of their
new habitations. These birds are ac-
cused of doing much injury to the far
mer, by plucking up the young corn,
and other springing vegetables but
some think this mischief fully repaid
by their diligence in picking up the
grubs of various insects, which, if suf-
fered to grow to maturity, would occa-
sion much greater damage. For this
purpose, they are frequently seen fol-
lowing the plough, or settling in focks
on new y-turned-up lands.
Rocks, says an intelligent observer
of nature, appear to have language
among themselves, which is understood
by the whole community and pecu-
liar note, from bird set to watch and
warn them of approaching danger, is
quite sufficient to make them take
flight, and always in an opposite direc-
ton to that from which the danger is
apprehended.'
! Frogs, which during winter lie in a
torpid state at the bottoms of ponds or
bitches, are enlivened by the warmth
of spring, and early in this month rise
to the surface of the water in vast num-
bers. They are at first very timorous,
and dive to the bottom with great quick
ness as one approaches; but in the
coupling season they become holder,
and make themselves heard to a great
distance by their croaking.
Another most agreeable token of the
arrival of spring is, that the bees begin
to venture out Of their hives about the
middle of this month. AS their food is
the honey-like juice found in the tubes
of flowers, their coming abroad is a
certain sign that flowers are now to be
met with. No creature seems posses
sed of a greater power of foreseeing the
state of the weather; SO that thei. APP
pearance in the morning may be reck-
oned a sure token of fair day.
my bees says Mr.. Jesse, 'are con-
slant source of amusement to me; and
the more | study them, the more am
led to admire their sagacity. Few
things, however, surprise me more, than
the power which they possess of COM
municating what | can only call intel
igence to each other. This l observe
to be almost invariably the case before
they swarm Some scouts may then
De observed to leave the hive, and for
sometime to hover round particular
bush, or brach of tree; after which,
they return to the hive. In little
while, the new swarm quits it and set
ties upon the branch which had been
previously fixed upon by the scouts
The same power of accommodation may
be observed in the ant. | have put a
small green caterpillar near an ants
nest; you may see it Immediately seiz-
ed by one of the ants, which, after sew
eral Intellectual efforts to drag it to its
nest, will quit l., go up to another ant,
and they will appear to hold CONVEX
sation together by means of their anten-
nae, after which they will return togeth-
/ er to the caterpillar, and, by their uni
ted efforts, drag it where they wish to
/ deposit it, -
Each crawling insec, holds rank