Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-12-17

was then i" hung by the neck y with some 9th.
ers in net by leather strap contrived for
purpose In this durance the poor animal re-
mained during the rest of the day and the
following night being hung up with the bag
in the gun-room On the follwiaE day when
the keeper proceeded to hand over his prey to
the cook, this bird was shaken ous9f his collar
upon the table whereupon he Immediately got
on his legs, looked about him, few straight at
the window. through a pane Of which he
broke his way, and escaped
will here mention an anece eo'a Of another
kind connected with birds, whisb ans always
strack mo az most extraerdinay
Ihad obtained from the nest three young
bull lfncbes, and had had them several days
in perfect apparent health they could feed
alone, and seemed quite strong. One morning
they seemed in the very act of awaking, to be
seized together with some sudden fit. They
fell from the perches into the sand at the bot
tom of the cage, beating it about most violent
y with their wings. rolling over and over, and
exhibiting the same appearance as wounded
birds generally do. After perhaps two min
utes of these extraordinary gambols they all
alike seemed to get rid of the exciting cause
whatever it was ; they ceased to struggle ;sat
up languidly on their tails, steadying their
painting bodies with their wings and at length
kbo;, h,ol Ahont top
days after, the same simultaneous seizure was
repeated !; they all fell down again, and strug-
gled in the same way but this time they died
--together, of course.
| have often asked myself the question,
what could have been the mysterious tie OF
sympathy between those singular birdst Had
they each in turn died Of some fit, it would
have been common death of the bullfnoh
tribe but that the fit should have seized them
all at the same moment, in the first instance
harmless, and in the next with fatal results,
remains mystery to me to this day.
Talking Of bullinches and their fits. may
|, observe that apoplexy, their great enemy, may
be averted for a long time, if not entirely, by
avoiding the alderman's snare,--I mean,
oleaginous feeding. Let them have canary
seed as staple, and an ample supply Of green
.food-chickweed, groundsel, salids of all sorts
and fruit in the season and plethora may b'
kept in check effectually I would allow {
grain or tive Of hemp seed now and then from
the masters or mistress's own hngers, but onl,
seldom, and as rewards for good behavior.
In the narrative of the Arctic Voyage o
capt Mcclure, of tie British Ns~s is the FOL
lowing story of two ravens, which secome dom
icilated on board the Investigator, The raven
it appears, is the only bird that willingly brave
a Polar winter, and in the depth Of the seasol
he is seen to fit through the cold and sunless
atmosphere like an evil spirit, his sullen croal
alone breaking the silence of the delth- lk
, scene. No one of the crew attempted to shoo
a the ravens, and they consequently became YER
a bold, as will be seen from the followin,
= story
:, Two ravens now established themselves as
friends of the family in Mercer Bay, livin
j., mainly by what little scraps the men nigh
=. have thrown away after meal times. Tn
- ships dog, however, looked npon these as hi
especial perquisites, and exhibited considerabl
energy in maintaining his rights against tn
, ravens, who nevertheless outwitted him in
~ way which amused every one. Observing tha
he appeared quite willing to make mouthfu
u of their own sable persons, they used to thro'
:. themselves Intentionally in his way, just a
the mess tins were being cleaned out on ii
dirt-heap outside the ship. The dog woul
Immediately run at them, and they would al
pear to escape him but by an inch, and SO or
rs until they had tempted and provoked him
j. the shore, considerable distance off. Th,
al the ravens would make direct flight for Il
- ship, and had generally done good execut'
ly before the Notwithstanding dog detected tt
lie imposition that had been praeticed upon hia
of and rushed back again"