The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-02-23
DEVOTED TO LITERATURE MORALITY AND GENERAL Intel,

their situation, they are sufficiently re.
moved from the parched and burning
earth.
How benefccut was it ofthe Almighty
to ordain that corn, 80 necessary to the
support Of man, should grow, not on
bulky vegetables, requiring much space
aud length of time for reproduction, but
on small, slender plants, which spring
up almost as soon as the seed is put into
the ground. In the former case the
destruction Of crop would have been
followed by famine for many years I; in
the latter, there is nothing more than
Inconvenience for few months.
But, beyond all measure, the most in.
tercsting as referring to tho curious and
Intricate Of the works of the Almighty,
arc the discoveries Of the anatomist aud
naturalist. Every step he makes 10 the
acquaintance with nature, every now
fact that he discovers, opens to him such
boundless exhibition Of wisdom, good
ness. and mercy, that
"Transported with the view, he's lost
In wonder, loyo, and praise"
He observes the countless tribes offishes
"that have their way in the deep, and
occupy themselves in the great waters"
How admirably is their shape adapted
to cleaving their way through the watery
element; how powerful the muscles of
the tail, by which chiefly they are pro-
PEELED how ingenious the situation and
construction of the air. bladder, by which
they are enabled to rise or sink at plea.
sure; but, above all, how beautiful is
the mechanism Of their respiration -
That which to animals with lungs would
be painful and laborious, is. by the sub
stitution of gills, rendered easy, and
free from trouble. The fish fills its mouth
with water, and, instead of swallowing,
suffers it to pass through its giIls. TO
each branch Of tho gills is distributed
vein and artery, by means of which the
blood is exposed to the vivilying princi.
pie continued in the water, or in the air
which is held dissolved in the water;
and thus the same change is produced
us in us by the passage of the blood
through the lungs,-it is arteriaIized
and rendered fit for the nutriment cf the
body.
In birds the great object seems to
have been lightness, to cradle them to
soar through the spacious fields of air,
the element it was in:cnded they should
occupy. For this purpose their bones
arc hollow, aud filled with air; their
lungs are continuous, with number of
air sacs, which run down into the abdo
men, occupying much space with little
weight, while at the same time they
assist in the rapid aeration Of the blood
so necessary to animals Of such quickuess
of motion aud rapidity of impulse
Their wings ure widely extended, in
comparison with the size oftheir bodies,
BY which means they are enabled to
condense considerable body of air,
which, by its elasticity, assists them in
their flight. 10 enable them to maintain
their position iu the air. it is necessary
that the centre Of gravity should lie be-
meath the line Of their wings. else they
would tumble over in their flight. To
attain this object, one Of the large mus.
les for elcvating the wing is actually
placed with the depressors Of the wing
on the front Of the breast, and made to
turn, as it were, over pulley, to gain
the back of the pinion, and euable it to
exert its proper action. The means BY
which bird, while sleeping, maintains
its hold on the branch, is equally ad-
mirable. The tendon running from the
muscle, which is situated high up on
the thigh, to the extrcmitics Of the
talons, runs behind the joint, or elbow,
of the leg. As the bird sits down this
joiut is bent, and the tendon passing
over it is, ofcourse, strained from which
results, mechanically, the closure of the
taloos round the object on which they
are placed, and thus, without any nus
cular cxcrtion, the hold is kept while
the bird sleeps.
And now, as we approach man and
the higher order Of animals, facts crowd
on us in such countless abundance, in
such rich profu>ion, that We know not
how to rcjcc:, or which to select. They
are too important to be curtailcd, too
numerous to be inserted ut the end of
an article But, before we part, let US
glancc with our minds eye over the few,
but interesting, facts we have collected.
Let us observe their exquisite ingenuity,
their beautiful adaptation and suitability
to circumstances. And shall we then
attribute them to blind chance, an
indiscriminating destiny? No; we shall
not so far Insult our reason. Voicclcss
though they be, they declare, in Ian.
guage not to be misunderstood, the
existence Of all evcr.wisc and ever.
hounteous Creator, God over all blessed
forever"
A GOOD ONE.
Tn an articlc upon the proh,h1o