Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-06-05
Natral History.
BY JOSH BILLINGS.

England; he IL too useless a critter
to be born there.
He belongs down. South, and re-
sides in the same swamp that the
copperhead duz.
He lives upon raw pig, and don't
hesitate to take them whole, if there
don't happen to be smaller one on
hand.
He is also fond of little nigger
once in while, by way of fresh bite.
They are amphibious, and several
other kinds of cuss tew plenty tu men,
shen.
What on earth they are good for |
watch for pigs.
Their hides can be tanned into
leather, but they are as hard to skin
as beech tree il; and the leather
when tanned IL jest about as timber
as cookin stove. But one pair ov
boots made out of alligator will last
as long as a mans name duz. The
only way to wear them out is to heave
them away.
Alligator meat is not luscious. If
you ask for it at a fust class hotel
they alwus tell yu "that they are just
out. 1t tastes as should think the
beef Nv a mule would who had been
worked forty years in brick yard,
and then been struck by lightning tn
get rid Nv him,
When the aIligator's mouth is wide
open, the head is just about in the
centre Nv his body; but they have one
virtew | came very near forgetting
they make a very still noise, altho
they have more jaw than any other
critter | know Nv.
These are some OF the heaviest
fakCs | have been able to gather about
the alligator.
The alligator seems 10 be a second
addition NV the krokadile, made out
Nv what was left.
| think the krokadile usually lays
eggs when they want some more krok
adiles, but | don't kno-but if they
do. and | ever find the nest, and the
, old fellow amt on the nest, | shouldn't
hesitate TO hatch out the eggs myself
with a klub.
This is all kno at present about
the alligator
THE CROW.
: Next to the monkey, the crow ha
the most ,,jliItry to spare They az,
| born very wild, kan be tanned az cas-
az the goat kan, but tame crow
If there is anything about the hous
;, that they kant get into, it IL becaus,
tn e thing aint big enoug h.
t | had rather watch a distrikt skoC
} than one tame crow. Crows live O
: what they kan steal, and they wi
t steal any thing that aint tied down.
5 They are fond Nv meat vittles, an
l are the first to hold an inquest over
g departed horse or still sheep. The
are a fine bird to hunt, but a har
r, one to kill they kan see yu 2 mile
first, and will smell gun rite thr
e the side Nv a mountain.
n They are not sOngsters, altho the
have a good voice to cultivate, bu
what they do sing they seem to unde.
e stand thoroughly long practice ha
- made them perfect.
Y The crow is a tuf bird, and ca
h stand the heat like a blacksmith, an
e cold like a stun wall.
They build their nests among a tire
h and lay twice, and both eggs woul
II hatch out if they were laid in sno
bank-ther aiat no such thing az sto
| ping a young crow.
t. Grows are very lengthy. l Ibeleev
is they live always. | never knu or
IS to die a natral death, and don't b
e lieve they kno how.
a They are always thin in flesh, al
[ are like an old injun,rubber She
poor inside and out.
is They are not considered fine eatin
altho | have read somewhere of bile
u crow, but still | never heard ov Il
= same man hankering for some bilC
| crow 2 times.
ID This essa on the crow is coppi,
It from natur, and if it IL true, I aint
e. blame for it; nat'u made the crow,
didn't; ii had | would have ma,
n her more honest and not quite so tu
IN A TALE OF LOvE.-One quiet mig
in leafy June, when bees and bir
IN were all in tune, two lovers walk
a beneath the moon. The night W
81 fair-so was the maid; they walk
Id and talked beneath the shade, with no