The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-08-17
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DOES NATURE PROVIDE A COM
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fact hat birls and different animals find
their way ~ readily "a parts far distant
though lllcy are perfect strangers 10 the re-
gous over which they pass, a. we'll o. thc
place to which thcy journey their whole pre-
Aioua liip having Lreu zpeut- perhaps, within
the narrow ciruit OF the place which gave
them birth
lJc swallow rrnrs ~ Young under uurcA,r-
A. soon as lhcy can ll, lhry are bu-ily en-
gagged 10 rrkiug their food, aud are ever on
thc wing. But thry never wander very thr
from the noighborhood whore thcy entered
upon life, summer however draws ~ q
rIo.c-and dic chilly mornings and evening"
oiautumu give them warming that warmer
latitude must be- sought aud soon llosu l,ttlc
philosophers hold q consultation, and after q
few flights, a. MO assure themselves ot the
requisite strength 81 wingor learn something
necessary lnthrir succc.s,tllcy, like Abraham
having hr- father house journey southwark,
But Abraham knew not where be- went We
do not know howcycr,lhat We can say ibis oi
our little adVrnturcrs, for they appear 10
know we'll, They do not goa ifthcy thought
they would be- pilgrims aud aliens IN strange
fIdHd rtCy scCm Ia expect Other t0Wns,And
perhaps larger citicsr'yhcrc tlcy can pursue
their honest calling, aud>lecl equal, II not SUI
porior 10 the citizens Of their new home,
Irthcy were experienced mavincrs, aiming
for di.tantport, aud having the compass for
their guide, they could not steer their tiny
banks through the stormy elements with great
or precision.
The carrier pigeon Is frequently taken
hundreds Of miles from IT, homd aud then,
with billet atiachcdit Is set free, IL mounts
high aud makes several large circles, Ns II
taking observations before Il commences the
journey aud then, at once, rs II il had found
hidden track, il starts Oft in straight line;
aud the rain may beat and the winds blow,
but Il never forsakcs it. course until it arrives
at is wishcdior home
The camclp oi the desert are described 10y
itvi,olcr- A. possessing a similar peculiar in
slinct those used on irrQurntcd routcs'do not
IrNhbit it. Though there be- not the slight
, est sign ola track, they never fail Ia choose
- the right line. One Of the eamcls, taking the
" lead, advance. at first very cautious taking
" now one direction, aud then another, until lac
appears to have discovered n true roursrnud
in this he proceed. followed by the others
and never dcviating from the chosen linc,un'
u Ill he arrives at his journeys end.
The question presses itself upon MS; must
" there not be some pole star 10 which thcs,
" tiny yoyagers of the air, NJ well ~ the larger
;" wanderers of the desert look, which guide
'-ttilcm 20 tipcir rvirrf huvrr ? '1r-thr, kro~
:, the points of the compass Il the sun thci
~ that electric current which points the com
- Gus traveller with guide through unknown
., paths also the director Of their course 2 Cal
- they inform themselves of its existence, an,
;, can they use it like the mariner, To tell th,
wayy -
o, We can prove that animals are susceptible,
OF electrical impressions. Prutcssors,pruloin
in IN research, have turned their attention /,
" the connection existing between electricity
and the nervous system. We are not sneak.
ing of the mysteries ofmcsmcrisn, but ofth,
r. experiments reported in leading scicntf,
e works. \ small wire having one end insert
~ - lle-n crlG ii u man. r-..-.l-..4i4r
If other end having cambria needle finely
l. balanced, will communicate from the nerve
d sufficient electricity To render the needle
/ magnetic, and oousc it TO turn 10 the norlh.or
j. brought into contact with very fine iron i'll
ngs, will attract them. Take number of
frogs cut oil their legs, place these together,
"" so as TO iorma yoltac pile, and with this
= connect wire on the other end Of which a
/ needle is nicely balanced, and the result will
6 be the same. Such experiments at once
a prove the intimacy existing between electric
1 ity and animated nature
The habits of birds and animals are studied
by farmers and others; and from them they
, prognosticate an approaching storm. In such
4 cases is not the electricity of the atmosphere
a the principal agent in producing the peculiar
= effects WHICH we observe z
h Are not even ourselves sensible of these in
= iluencesf Nervous persons are much affect
ed by atmospheric changes, r1vinr-
to their susceptibility of electrical impress
sions. Some individuals aso influenced hy
the olco'ric current in n peculiar manner
We read ola physician who could only sleep
with his head toward thus north, The head
of his bed was south, and when he retired he
was n long time restless; and in the morning,
when he awokc, he always found that in the
night he had turned in the bed, and his head
was north. lie theH,had his bed reversed, the
head being placed north, and he afterwards
found no difficulty in obtaining sleep.
- May not the short flights which the swallows
when collecting for departure, perform in diff
terentilircctions, before they take their final
leave, be their instructive efforts to assure
themselves of the direction OF the electric
current? And may no the circle made bv
the carrier pigeon, on the commencement of
its journey be for the same purpose
And why that cautions exercise of some