Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-03
4fllsGellanp.
Frdm Chambers Journal.
Architecture Of Birds.

II we desire to .ook upon something which the
first inhabitants oil our planet saw exactly as u is
to-day, we have only 10 stand before birds rest
Your bird is no innoyater; be laid down the plan
Of his dwelling At the creation Of the world, and,
while everything GROUND him has been changing,
assuming new forms, yielding TO the influence oi
fashion, has rem4ned content with his primitive
architecture ever since lie calculates the num-
her and considers tho necessities Of his family,
and with unerring sagacity provides for them all
He initiates none Of bis neghbors, and his neigh
tors, in their tufn, display no inclination 10 im-
tate him. There is IN our rural districts tradi-
ton Of farmer daughter, who, having observed
her mother wlnnow az a certain Darn door, stuck
TO the same locality through life, without the
slightest reference TO the quarter from whence the
wind blew. Sc exactly s j, with the bird. lie
cnes for nothing bu, his own ideas OF comfort,
convenience, neutrality-suspicious. the original
type Of his mansion uscess.laled It's beng built
on The summit OF a rock or a tree, under the
caves Of a house, or ia the thick foliage OF bush,
in the crevic9 Of cliff or amid the rustling grass
Of meadow.
To study the habatous Of birds, is TO traverse
the whole extent Of mans universal habtauon'
through every zone from the equator 20 the polar
circle from the tops OF the highest ranges amld
unseaabie crsgs and SHOWS. to the sedgy margins
Of the sea, and the NOISY banks Of streams
Wherever the air is famed oya wlng-wherever
eggsare deposit Wherever httle bills are opened
almost hourly for ood-whereyer the hen sts,
and the male bird royes and tolls to support her
wherever, from bjugh or twig, he pours music
into the woods, to cheer bis helpmate IN her la
Dor Of love, there is poettyi whether, as on the
lofty surface OF Danger Island, or amid the doS-
cry Dogs VI Onuocl, the alTy artisan works IN
solitude, or on village roo and church spne'
cings TO the vicinity of man. Naturahsts graVey
inform Us that birds are bipeds Ike ourselves,
which in some cases may be thought to account
for their iondness for our society, as with the
sparrow, the swallow, the redbreast and the mar
lin; but, on the other hand, several members oil
this numerous family though they boast OF no
more legs than we, make careful use OF those lhey
have to keep out OF our way. Even among the
swallow tribe there IS one remarkable oraneh
which al lres the man-loying qualities OF his con-
geners--Se mean the sea-swallow oil the l"eNe
Thousand Islands, which in breeding-tlme mounts
high into the air, takes scrutlnlEng survey ol
the earth beneath, and selecting Tor his quarters
the -lrtouented, descends, skins into some
lofty cave, aud there tuilds bus prooreant craa!e
In this way he hopes TO eludc observation. Flat
tetlnE ulustN tnat MS Nhttt"heNt' W. 'N'
undiscovered, he darts away with his wife to then
hyori,o element, the ocean where it breaks upon
solitary shores, and flying along its crested surge'
gathers from amid the foam and spray the mate
rails Of its dwelling, the nature OF which still re
mains unknown Whatever II may be, 1t form
sdeicAte blssiuet 10 which to deposit It's eggs an'
rear ils Young. Less white than alabaster, tn
neat Of the sea swallow is Of a light color, anj
mmi-,ranspMent, odorilereOs in smell glutinou'
and rather sweet TO the taste Rows oil ines
little bowls, which look like so many vessels
porcelain, run along the rocky walls OF oa'ern'
and are filed with eggs ,hlokly bedropped wiz
spots of celestial blue. 10 the people OF 70
Flowery Land, these nests are dehoacy, whiot
when OF the best quality, are weighed 10 the MAJ
ket against gold. What, however, renders som
nests better Than others IS uncet;aini II may
that IN parts Of The ocean the Ingredient whl'
inparts the most delicate favor TO the snodap'
is not 10 be Iound or else, on shore, the Howe
that supply the perfume are too few, 50 that u
swallow is compelled TO have recourse TO blossom
ofinieror sweetness.
FROM the mouth of the swallows cave, you mi
sometimes, from long distance, discern anoih
aud very different specimen OF ornilhologic
building This is mound, sometimes sixly
seventy feet in .engtb, almos, as much in diam
ter, and about six feet high, This also is ne
or rather q city OF nests, fol Il is constructed so
TO receive Hnole republic Of birds, who, As ir
selFordered state, have all tbei' separate DIV