Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-03-01
AGRICUL TURAL.
Franz The Southern Planter.
MIGRATION OF BIRDS.

-i''Ae-A iC-' VI DlhDC.
II is curious fact that the males of miuranu birds
least of some species arrive some weeks before the
females. An experienced and intelligent bird catcher
assures me that the male nightingale morally makes
Is appearance II this country about the first Of A.
pH, and the female ABOUT month afterwards
and that his song increases in power and is longer en-
tinued when the period for the arrival of the female is
near at hand. favoa bush having been selected the
nightingale awaits the appearance of his or near
It. singing lis sonI Of love, and greeting her arrival with
al the te Establishments OF affection. hen she begins
10 sit, Ills so1g is less frequent and less powerful and
after the Young are Matched.
The black cap, whose song is scarcely less pleasing
than that Of the nightingale arrives also some time be
fore the female. and calls her him in the same manner
nave one OF these birds IN my possession, his song is
wild and Sweet and as Mr. " hile says when he sings
IN eaTnes; he pOurS forth very bat inward meIo-
dy and expresses great variety Of soft and gentle modu-
ativnS, superior perhaps 10 those Of any Of warbers
the nightingale excepted.
The bird catcher above referred showed me his call
birds, and gave some proofs Of their skill On see
ing strange birds, they Immediately begin their call
which succeeded by their song and this seldom ceases
I'LL The wild birds are Trapped He says the call birds
then show degree Of pleasure which cannot be misa-
ken; and he persuaded that his birds fully a.
ware Of the purpose for which their call anu song are re-
qured.
The whratear arrives about the middle or end Of
March, and builds It's in abblt-huruws At least
they do cisonally, have had one brought t, me
which was found in digging a rabbit. shepherd
whom met the BrighSon Downs informed me lhat
these birds annually getting less numerous and for
saking those hauntS witch they formerly reqen-
ted.
Magpies congregale in considerable numbers some
times tron twenty to thirty in flick. Probably the
want OF wood keeps them together precautionary
measures and they nave q scout, like tile crow who
looks out for danger while his companions are feeding
They wild, and take long flights on beng dis
turbed.
The periodical fight of birds is very curious That
IN the spring much less considerable than the autGn
nal one; September, OcIoner. and November, being the
chet months for the passage of kinds Of BIRDS
Bird cachers state that the flights take place from day
break to twelve at nuon and sometimes from two O'Clock
ill i is nearly dark. Birds ly against the wind during
Their passage, with the exception If the chaflnch @hu
flies across II. The male chahaches are observed to
fly BY themselves, and shortly followed by the fe-
males. This 4 also the with the titlark
Birds Il rk together in February choose their mates;
and probably IN the autumn, fir The purpose Of leading
their young To places where they procure food or
ENJOY climate cOngenia uih ther nature Many ,cks
OF BIRDS however appear aUS disappear places where
they had not previously beea seen tor many Years Our
asSemalages ut birds. however, nothing when com
pared with the 1cAs OF the Pssenger pigeon Colunba
migratorla) Of America. AuLubln in his OmIthol gi-
ca Biography. gives and Interesting account Of
the flight OF these birds lie says that in ,assng over
The Barens, few miles from lardensburg he observed
The pdgeons flying from north southwest in great
eT Numbers tAa1 he had ever them beore and feel
I'M an Inclination To count the fJcks that might pass
y" nm the reach ofhis eye ia hour he sea ed HIM
sell on an emn. nee ana gan mark with his pencil
inakIag dot for every ck that passed. In a Short
time hhdIng the task mpracicable as tile birds ured
In countless muutudes. he Fuse, and Counting the
uos aeAy put down. found thai one hundred and sixty
three tad been made IN wenty-one minutes He then
t7velled on and sill as he proceeded The
air was literally filed with pigeons the light of noon
day WAS ooScutd as by eclipse the dung fel in spots
not unlike melting keS 81 snuv. and the continued buzz
Of wings had tendency lull his senses to
Thronghou! the DAY. immense egons were still going b.
and on his arrival little b-.re sunset at Louisville
distant trIm Hardeu>burI fty-fve miles, the pigeons
were sal passing in undn'n>hed numbers aud they con-
tlnuei TO do thee DAYS succession.
Mr.. Auu makes the following curious estimate of
the number ct pigeons contained in one 0ny Of these nigh
" a>semblages Tiki column Of one mile in breadth
which he thinks IS far below the average SIZE and sup
passing 10 pass over without interruption for three hours
81 tue rate Of mile ~ minute il will give US Far
aleIram Of one hundred and eighty miles BY one COW
ring one hundred and eighy square miles Allowing
two pigeons to the square yard. have eleven hundred
and fifteen millions hundred and thi1tysix Thousand
pigeons in one f ok. As each pigeon daily consumes
fully half pint Of ID d. the quantity necessary for sup
hing h- vast multitude must be eigt, millions seven
hulIed and tn Give Thousand bushels day Nor is lie