Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-12-31
From the New Enghnd iarmsr.
ornithology.

indispensable study and Use 20 The S'a'e'
Augury was regularly taught among the
Romans. and an ofbccr was appointed,
who's, duty /, was to forctcu iuturc events,
by the singing aud Eight Of birds, appear
Ance. Of quadrupct. and celestial phenomc-
na. \ college or communion Of augurs was
established. and d, was held in high re.
sPect
The .y,icm and practice oi agriculture
among the ancicuts was g. considerable
degree regulated by the flight Of birds IN
their migration. Whether We shall ever
acquire - perfect knowlejsc Of the ha6-
H. OF our birds. that by the s's Of a ealSn-
dar noting their ARRIVAL and disarFsarance,
We can, 70 any considerable degrce, improve
upcn our system Of agriculture, i TsFhap'
somewhat doubtful. Bu, tie aPP,aranccs
and manifestations % nature, as secn on our
farms. 70 a thoughtful aud cultivated mind,
are calculated 10 awaken deyout and pleas
ant emotions, aud When accurately OBJ
served. denote TO Us the proper time tn
commence and clos, cur agricultural Ia
bors.
The pecpius Of tie little bylA ana the
note Of the blaebird j. tho uumi'iak-
able voice Of spring. the mellow note
OF the Baltimore biri and the quaint melo-
DIV of the hobolink remind u that the yell
Low maze should be lain in the earth, and
len 70 ,lccp ia the rain and sunshine -
the appearance of the blue .ay in autumn,
having lelt The woods fOr our cultivated
helis. proclaims n us by IT, clamorous note,
the harvest pear the call Of The Wild goose,
over our bead, ,late in autumn. a. it pursues
Is southern lisht in long, conyergine lines,
isa SURF indication that the northern Lakes
are frozen, aud that the earth Is soon to Dc
elosed with irost while The appearance Of
the shrike. a. be descends from bis home IN
the mountainous forest, indicates TO ~ the
approach Of the SHOWS % winteS.
To an orui,holosi.,, the study Of the mi.
grafton or bard. j. particularly interesting.
Many Of our land birds probably are guided
instinciiyely ia their j5urneys by the course
OF our great rivers and mountain ranscs.
and our water birds by the ireniins Of our
coast line. But ii is diaicalt % conceive
OF the instinct that directs some of our
birds. which DO not appear 10 heed the di-
rec,iOns Supposed % be appareui on the face
Of the country. but earcIcssly pa~ along,
intent only in feeding, as they slowly pro-
rress in their journey, takinsn no landmarks,
and hecllrss little creatures as they, DO not
even - much as take birSS-sy, view o. the
country over which they pass. For instance.
there i the little ruby crowned wren, that
little atom of orniIholoyy, not larger than
ones thumb. which passes from Huis1n's
Bay, where In summer Il breeds, 70 Florida
in winter. and back again 20 lis northern
home 10 spring In its migration m au'
tunn. It pa.se. though Massachusetts, in
October. cleaning IT, food, principally con-
si.,ing of the larysr Of insects. fh'- little
tIuii birl does not ior a moment. appear 90
lose IL. way. or, as we say, e, it. bead
turned round but uniformly enters an or
ehard Or garden on Its northern side, and
passing through iI, from tree to tree. leaves
IL from DO. southern border, and thus Pur-
sae. its j1urney silently and quietly alonS
for months, until it a, last reaches the most
southern part Of the Union. Ia February,
1t leave. Florida ia it, journey north, and
Arriyos around Hud.1n's Bay by the fret OF
June. and after rearing its young, leaves
thcse northern regions Tor the south about
the middle or last Of August.
Although mO,, q our small birds migrate
20 ths south IN winter. the swallow tribe,
under peculia circumstances, DO not always
conform to the srca, migratory law Of their
nature. bat provide themselves Eith winter
quarter in hollow tres, sand banks aud the
bottom Of ponds. The ProclA!mius Of this
singular fact, I am sorry 20 s'y, dist1rbs
some of ny ornlih1iogieal friends. Well,
the s1h,b,'ion oi unbelief upon this subject
is nothing new or strange, more especially
with tbose who hold that nature never con-
travenes her own laws The Parts visited
by our bird. in autumn and winter are Mex.
leo and the southern portions of the UniDn.
Mr.. Nuttal. who has given considerable at
tention 70 the migration Of our birds, Re-
marx. that the greater number Of birds
travel in the night; some species, however,
proceed only BY day, as the diurnal birds Of
rrsy, crows. pies, wreps, ercepers. cross
bulls, larks. bluebris, swallows and some
Others. Those which travel wholly in the
night are owls, butcher.birds. kipgfshers,
thrushes. Hy-eaiehss, uight.hawks, whip
pOor.Wills, and also great number OF
aquatic birds. whose motions are often Prin-
eipAlly nocturnal, eEeep, in the cold and
desolaie northern regions, where they usual
ly retire To breed. Other birds are 80 pow
erfally ,mpelled by this governing motive
to migration, that they stop neither day nor
night; such tho berOns, ployers. swans,
cranes. Wild geese, siorks, dc. When un-
toward circumstances render haste neoessa.
~, certain kinds Of birds, which ordinarily
travel only in the night, continue their
route during the day, and scarcely allow
themselves time to cat; yet the singing