The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-21
The lRayaiam Solitaire.

The lfaytian Solitaire.
As soon as the frs; indications OF daylight are
perceived, even while the misis hang over the
forests, these MINISTRIES are heard pouring forth
their wild notes in concert Of many voices.
sweet and heightened like those of the harmon
icon or musical cllsses. IL is the sweetest, the
most solemn, AM most uuearthly of all the
woodland singing have ever heard. The lofty
locality, the cioud-capt heights, 10 which alone
the eagle scars in other cou ntries,-so different
from ordinary singing birds in gardens and cul-
tivated fielGs.-cOmbine with the soemnity of
the music to excite something ike devotional
associations. The notes are uttered slowly and
distinctly, with q strange measured exactness.-
Though il is seldom the bird i seen, itcan scarce
IL be said 10 be solitary, since Il rarely sings
alone, but in harmony OF concert with some
half-dozea Other chanting in the same glen
dec isionaiiy u strikes out into such an adventi
tous combination of notes as 10 form a perfect
tune. The time of cnnnciaiiGg a single note is
that of the semi-breve. The quaver is executed
with the most perfect triil. IL REGARDS the major
and minor caaences, and observes the harmony
of counter point, with all the preciseness of a
perfect musician. Its melodies, from The length
ana Listincinrss of each note. are more hymns
than songs. Though the concert Of singers will
keen 10 the same melody for an hour each little
coterie Of binds chants a different song. and the
boNc.AfE " AD G'fl4cnl ever HedIS the s1nle
tune.
THE SoLITAIRE or JAMAICA w andering
among the woo1s on the summit of the noun
tain ridge that rises behind Bluefelds, ] had
often heard in the spring, proceeding from the
oeeP forests, single clear note, heightened and
mellow as the tone of flute, sometimes alone.
sometimes followed by another. about two tones
lower. The notes were singalariy sweet, and
their suaden recurrence at rather long intervals,
IN tie lone and sombre silence of that lofty eie-
vationr impaired 10 them a romantic Character,
which made me very Gesirous TO discover their
author. As the summer came on, however, !
ceased TO hear them; but in the beginning of
October, as was wandering again in the same
locality, was again startled by the interesting
SOUNDS. As proceeded on the very lonely road,
through the humii woods, where the trees were
loaded with orchidee and wild pines, and the
dank stones hidden by ferns and mosses the note
became more frequent and evidently nearer. 1t
being useless for a white man, with shoes, TO at
tempt TO follow retiring birds among the matted
woods, tangled and choked with climbers, and
strewn with loose stones. ] sent in sam with
gun, with orders TO follow the sound. He crept
silently 10 spot whence he heard it proceed, and
saw two birds Of this species, which neither he
nor l mad seen before, chasing each other among
the boughs. He shot one OF them. As he was
coming out into the road, he initiated the sound
by whistling, and was Immediately answered BY
another bird, which presently came flying to the
place where he was, and alighted on a tree at a
little distance. He fired at this also, and it fell
but emitted the remarkable note at the moment
of falling.
SENSES OF SIGHT AND SMELL N NULTUREs.-A
poor German emigrant, who lived alone in de-
tached cottage in this town, rose from his bed,
after two days confinement By fever, 10 pur-
chase in the market some fresh meat for a little
soup. Before he could do more than prepare the
several ingredients Of herbs and roots. and put
his meat in water for the preparation Of his pot
tsge, the paroxysm Of fever had returned, and
he laid himself on his bed exhausted. Two days
elapsed in this state of helplessness and inani-
ton, by which time the mass of meat and pot
herbs had putrefed. The stencil becoming very
perceptible in the neighborhood. vulture after
vuture, as they sailed past, were observed al
ways 10 descend TO the cottage Of the German,
and to sweep round as if they had tracked some
Putrid carcase. bat failed 10 find exactly where il
was This led the neighbors TO apprehend that
the poor man Law dead in his cottage, as no one
had seen him for the two last days past. His
door was broken open; he was found in a state
of helpless feebeness; but the room was most
insufferatly offensive from something putrefying,
which could not Immediately be found; for the
fever having deprived the German of his wits,
ne had no recollection of his uncooked mess of
meat and herbs. No one imagining that the
kitchen pot could contain anything offensive,
search was made everywhere, but in the right
place. AT last, the pot lid was lifted, and the
cause of the insuPportsbe stencil discovered in
the corrupted souP-meat- Here We have the
sense Of smelling directing the vuItures without
any assistance from the sense Of sight, and dis
covering uncrringiy iae locality Of the putrid
animal matter, when even the neighbors were at
fault IN their patient search. Some few DAYS
succeeding this occurrence, after a night and
morning OF heavy rain, in which our streets
had been inundated TO the depth of a foot, and
Hood after Hood haG been sweeping to the river
the drainage Of the whole town, a piece of re.
cent offal had been broaght down from some Of
the yards where AN animal had been slaughtered,
and lodged IN the street. A vulture, beating
about Ia search OF food, dashed in slanting di.
rectlon from considerable height, and, lust
resting, without closing his wings, snaiched up
The fresh piece Of flesh and carried it off. Here
was the sense Of sight unassisted by that of
smelling, Tor the meat wastoo recent to commu-
nicate any faint TO the morning air, and the yul.
iure stopped to IT from q very far distance On
another occasion. very near the time when these
facts attracted my notice, dead rat had Leen
thrown out, eariyin the morning, into the street.
having been caught in the previous night Two
vultures sailing over head, in quest OF a morn.
ing meal, descended at the same time. steo,,ins
TO the dead rat, the from the south The other
from the north, and both seized the oh: Al az ~.
traction at the same momenL Here again was
the vision, unaijed by the sensitiveness Of the
nostrils, directing flco birds, with the same an
petite, at the same moment, 10 the same ob;ec,
81. Gesss's Birds Of Jsmsies.