Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-01-21
African Birds and Sniders.

A'-"NN N"SOp1 IuflllS tIdpo VII
the top to entice its still free companions. On
asking why they kept them in confinement, Be
cause they sing sweetly," was the answer. They
feed them on the lotsa (Pannisetgm typhoide-
um') OF which great quantities are cultivated as
iood Tor man, and these canaries plague the gar
oeners here, very much in the same way as our
sparrows do at home
was pleased to hear the long g-forgotton cry
alarm OF the canaries in the woods, and observed
one warbllng forth its song, and keeping in
motion from side to side, as these birds do in
tho cage. We saw also tame pigeons; and
the Barotse, who always takes care to exalt
Santura, reminded us that this had many
doves, and keptcanaries which had reddish heads
when the birds attained maturity. Those we
now see have the real canary color on the
breast, with tinge of green the back yellow
lsh green, with darker longitudinal bands
meeting in the centre; narrow dark band pass
es from the bill over the eye and back to the bill
again.
The birds of song here set up quite merry
chorus in the mornings, and abound most near
the villages. Some sing as loudly as our thrush,
and the king-hunter, (Halcyon Senegalensis)
makes clear whirrng sound like that of
whistle with pea in it. During the heat of
tho day all remain silent, and take their siesta
in the shadest part Of the trees, but in the cool
of the evening they again exert themselves in
the production of pleasant melody. 1t is re-
markable that so many song birds abound where
there is a general paucity of their animal life
AS we went forward we were struck by the
comparative absence of game and the larger
kinds of fowls. The rivers contain very few
fish. Common flies are not troublesome, as
they are wherever milk is abundant they are
seen in company with Others of the same size
and shape, but whose tiny feet do not tickle the
skin, as is the case with their companions
Mosquitoes are seldom SO numerous as to disturb
the slumbers of a weary man.
But though this region is free from common
insect plaques, and from taste, it has others.
Feeling something running across my forehead
as was falling asleep, l put up my hand to
wipe it off, and was sharply stung both on the
hand and head; the pain was very acute. On
obtaining light we found that it had been in
fiicted bya light-colored spider, about half an
inch in length, and one of the men having
crushed itwth his fingers, had no opportuni-
ty of examining whether the pain had been
produced by poison from sting or from its
mandibles. No remedy was applied and the
pain ceased in about two hours. Bechuanas
believe that there is small black spider in the
! country whose bite is fatal l have not mel
with an instance in which death could be traced
, to this insect, though very large black, hairy
spider, an inch and a quarter long and three
quarters OF an inch broad, is frequently seen
having process at the end of its front claw
similar to that at the end of the scorpions tail
and when the bulbous portion of it is pressed
| the poison may be seen oozing out from the
point.
We have also spiders in the south which
seize their prey by leaping upon it a distance
of several inches. When alarmed they car
spring about a foot away from the object o
9 their own fear OF this kind there are seyera
varieties
A large reddish spider, (Mygale,) obtains iti
food in different manner than either, patiently
waiting in ambush or by catching it with {
bound. 1t runs about with great velocity il
and out, behind and around every object, search
ing for what it may devour, and from its siz
and rapid motions, cxcites the horror of ever,
stranger. never knew it to do any harm ex
cept frightening the nervous, and | believe fey
could look upon it for the first time wthou
feeling himself in danger. 1t is named by tn
: natives " selali, - and is believed to be the ma
ker of hinged cover for its nest You see
: door about the size of a shilling, lying beside
deep hole Of nearly similar diameter The in
side of the door lying upward, and which at
. tracts our notice is of pure white silky sub
stance, like paper The outer side is coate
s over with earth precisely like that in which tn
: hole is made. If you try to lift it, you find
fastened by a hinge on one side. and if it
turned over upon the hole, it fits it exactly, an
the earthly side being then uppermost, it is quit
!, impossible to detect the situation of the nes
= Unfortunately, this cavity for breeding is nevc
= seen except when the owner is out and has left tn
% door open behind her
= In some parts of the country there are grea
% numbers of large, beautiful yellow spottc
! spider, the webs of which are about yard
% diameter. The lines on which these webs al
: spun are suspended from one tree to anothe
+, and are as thick as coarse thread The fibr
It radiate from central point, where the inse
o waits for its prey. The webs are placed pc
N pendcularly, and common occurrence
,e walking is to got the face cnveloped in them
~ a lady is in her vail
10 Another kind of spider lives in society, ar
= forms so great collection of webs at every angl
10 that the trunk of tree surrounded by the
cannot be seen. The branches are invsibl
Another is seen on the inside of walls of hu
= among the Makololo in great abundance. 1t
" round in shape, spotted, brown in color, al
/, the body half an inch in diameter the spret
= of the legs is an inch and half 1t makes
\ smooth spot for itself on the wall, covered vii
the above mentioned white silky substanc
: There it is seen standing the whole day. and
a. never could ascertain how it fed. 1t has I
~ ugly neighbor, or,-Liriagstone Southern Atrio
Vi Rrother Jonathan thus describesa steamboat
10 -" It's a sawmil on one side, and a grist-mi
- on t'other, and blacksmith shop in the mil
die, Z"