The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-21
For the Dispatch.
y,,r,is and Flowers in Florida

must again ask my readers not 70 eA-
rec, too much. but to remember the quota
t;on ! gave in n former letter. Most persons
imagine that Florida is really foweTy land,
and that the whole country blooms with
]t3u,v and resounds with song. In many
sro,s il is 80. vet there is much OF gloomy de-
snla,ion-many swamps, many large SANDY
tracts covered with pine forests, many
tracts hurdcncd with the most into!eraole
hrnshwool. And yet flowers do gro"
ahundantlv, and with the slightest care ca1
be cultivated to the fullest luxurlance,
Nowhere will labor be so we'll rewarded
and nowhere can so much beauty be created
If man will toll. When Adam was EN-.
,lloyed in Paradise, we are Iniorinca 'na'
&c gave names TO oil the animals, ou' ~
s,irc that it was Eve who named the plrus
md Covers. Every class of both can Of
fo,,ud in Florida, and some are peculiar Z
his soil and climate.
yon have. of course, the wild fowl il
..lnn,lancc-ducks and swans, geese anc
cranes, sea gulls and gannets,-sutiicicnt IL
some places and at certain times to hide OF
NJ least cloud the sun. You have the WHO
turkey in plenty, and also that other tur
knv which Prince Achllc Murat spoke O
wien he said that he " had killed and eater
every kind Of camc.'' He was n tirst-rat'
cook. MS we'll as a good hunter and fine gen
tlcman. He said that he had cooked, anc
eaten. and liked, every kind Of bird cxcep
one. {: dat was de turkey boozard; l have
tr;cl him cook every way, and l do not Like
him. no matter how he is cook"
The rarroouct is found in tlocks, and
: &c IpnntItuI DlrI
on The wing, dashing about among the green
leaves and bright blossoms, with his oril-
liant plumage shining, glIstenlng IN the
sun: and he is very good IN PIE. but
from his music may we be dcllFerea' IL
sounds worse than Il young beginner prac-
tic;nr Italian operas on an untunca piano.
\ care full OF them is comical sight; they
arc rcrnctualy quarrclling, cursing, ana
.wcar;ur. at great rate, and then making
nm N E. most i!cctionatc manner, ana then
commencing to quarrel over again. Inc
o2lv wav 10 keep them quiet ID to COOK
,hc.u-;hcy never make any more noise
afterwards.
The beautiful redbird is much sought
after. met n party OF German pro-
catchcrs. with tent, traps, cages, ana accoy-
birds. Il; yolusia, engaged regularly IN the
business OF cntrapping these free citizens
of tIc mir of Florida, capturing all they
could. making slaves Of them, and actually
fhipring them of to Europe to exchange
ro,. canarics; and the Frcedman'S bureau
did not interfere with this slave trade.
lid they only have been blackblrds, what
= fuss would have been made. And these
imni.us sinners not only had no conpunc-
Int
their traffic holy and proper. They GER
tainly met with great success.
Nockiug-birds are abundant, ana trou-
llesomc in the summer. They are very 1ond
of nrapcs-alwavs taking their wine III
nils: and there is in and about St. Angus
tinca very extensive grape culture, which
J, n1ers t very pleasant place IN the sea-
son If riprning. Many invalids go there
10 use the grape cure in consumption or
d>s} q sa during that season, and the
n.ott.ng-birds arc formidable rivals to the
iuyaIds. Probably they employ the grapes
rs 4 preventive. All the thir-sklnned,
II,ca;c kinds are great fayorites OF theirs,
and !; is precisely this kind that Is most
cultivated, The birds disapprove OF the
S>currcrnong, and discourage its cultivation
hcc.r-c the skin is so tough that they can
with difficulty penetrate it, and the people
accommodate themselves to the fancy OF
jhc birds. However, they demonstrate ny
Shooting them and one old fellow, with no
music IN his soul, informed me that lie had
Lined nearly 500 of these singing, grape
c.!ng nuisanccs the preceding summer.
Nl course the birds try to pay fer their mis-
cl:cf lvmusic; but this currency is not
rou.:dcrcd current in St. Augustine, and
sui, notes rs they make are deemed worse
than counterfeit among the grape-growers.
The bird il. however. considered rather q
lis mated character, and sets 4 bad exam
lie 10 the young people. nave always
,hanrht that a young man who can sing
we'll is in great danger OF falling lnto bad
company, and is likely to acquire Wild
habits: ard this bird is a case in point.
lie waits until the berries Of the Prlde-oi-
China tree are ripe, and then proceeds ITO
intoxicatc hmsclf--hc has 4 regular frollc,
and ,gcts as drunk rs lord. 1t Is curious
to see a !iock of them at this time. They
become perfectly tipsT, and fly round IN the
most co.nical manner, hlccoughInS ana
staggering just Ike men, mixing up all
sorts Of songs, and interruptlnS each other
IN tic most amusing manner without any
regard to that politcness and dccorum that
usually mark the intercourse Of all we'll
bred society. They fly about promscuously,
intrudc on domestic relations, forget the
way home, and ret into each others nests
and families, just like the lords of creation.
Alter il is all over, they look very penitent,
make rood resolutions, join the temperance
society, and never indulge again until the
next season comes round, and the berries
gct ripe again.
| DO not think that naturalsts have no.
ticcl this peculiar circumstance, and have
the honor Of first calling their attention to
this Interesting piece Of natural history.
| believe this habit is peculiar to birds who
sinr. Just like men, and shows the strong
conmcxion that exists between singing and
drunkenness. Il is surely another proof
that t%inc is mocker." Probably the
great power Of this songster was first dis
covered in this way: One found out the
secret of song by getting very boosy on ber-
lics, and set the example to his fellows.
Some fcathercd Bacchus is, doubtless, still
remembered i'll the groves as the first in
PRODUCER Of music and wine; and | doubt
not, # we could comprehend their language,
we would find that they still chant his
praises in ~ joyful chorus, regularly trans
mitted from generation to generation.
Why should not birds have their traditions,
and hand down in song the history Of their
race? doubt not that their chr0niclers
arc more ycraciouS than our own.
Tie large brown cuIlcw is very plea
SAINT bird on the table. He is as large as a
Young chicken, and very shy. The sports
man watches on the shore, in the evening,
as they fly homeward, digs a hole i'll the
sand, lies down in it, aud waits for shot
lie sometimes, however, catches rheuma-
tism as well rs birds, and is apt soon to
foregwcar Il curlew diet.