Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-02
THE JOSH BILLINGS PAPERS.
Natural History.
THE liOBBING.

WY ~Hees SUI AOA oNAA GLAAAEs
They are MATHIS Of the Northern States,
but they go South to winter. ~
They git their name for their crate abil-
ity for Robin cherry tree.
They kan also rob currant bush fust
rate, and are smart on gooseberry.
If a Robin cant find ennything else teW
eat, they Amt too fastidious tew eat a ripe
strawberry. -
They build their nests out ov mud and
straw, and lay four eggs that are speckel-
ed.
-Four young robbins in a nest, that are
just Matched out, and still on the half shell,
are alwaz az reddy for dinner az a nuze-
boy is.
If ennybody goes near their nest, their
mouths all fly open at once, so that you kan
see clear down to their palates.
If it want for the birds, suppose, oV
course, we should all be eat up by the cat
terpillars and snakes, but have thought it
wouldn't be ennything more than common
politeness for the robins to let us haY now
and then just one ov our own cherriz, tew
see how they did taste.
THE swALLO.
The swallo IL lively bird.
Swallows make their appearance late in
the spring, and are alWuz in twitter about
sumthing.
They hav as much twitter as q boarding
| skule miss.
They kan fiji as swift az an arror, and
great deal krookider.
+ l hav seen them skim mill pond cluss
enuH to take the cream off from il, and
even make the frogs dodge; and not touch
| the water.
When the swallO Gums, spring has cum
sure, but there IL an old proverb Zone oV
Soloman's presume) which SEE, tone
sWallo don't make spring."
This may be so, but hay seen a spring
Gov water that would make crate menny
| swallows.
Swallows never hav the dispepsy, they
live upon nothing, and take CRATE deal Of
| exercise in the open air.
! They don't set up mites busting, and never
cheat tailor out of his bill.
They don't waste emmy time in the morn
ing making their toilet, but like the flow
ers, shake Oph the dew from their beds, and
are ready for business.
l kant think OV ennything God haz made
| more harmless than sWallO; they are as
! innocent az day and as pure as the air
they swim in; they won't liy shut up in a
! cage budu q bTOub WILL
THE BAT.
The bat IL a winged mouse.
They live very retired during the day,
but at mite they come out for a frOlik.
They fiji very much unsartain, and ackt
as tho they had taken a leetle too mulch
gin.
They look out ov their face like a young
owl, and win bite ikea snappin turkle.
Whatthey are good for kant tell, and 1
| don't believe they can tell neither.
They don't seem to be bird, beast nor
inseck, but kind of live hash made out oV
| all three.
If there want any bats in the world /
don't suppose the earth would refuse teW
revolVe on its axis, once in while, just for
| fun.
But when we KUN to think that thare
amt on the face of the earth even one bat
too much, and that there hain't bin since
the daze of Adam, a single surplus muskee-
ter's egg laid By acKsident, we kan form
sum kind of an idee how little we kno, and
what poor job we should make ov it run
ming the mashenery OF kreashun.
Man is phOOl enneyhOw, and the best
Ov the joke IL be don't seem to kno it.
Bats have destiny tew ill, and viii
bet dollars they fill it better than we do
ours.
THE HAWK.
Bats live on flies, and hawks live on bats,
but who lives on the hawks kant tell.
Billed hawk may be very good; l never
herd emmy body say it wasn't, but don't
hope shall ever be called on to decide it.
Tew save life would eat billed hawk, but
if it tastes as think it does, wouldn't ask
for a second plate OY it.
The hawk is a karin iverous fowl, and a
chickeniverous one, too, every good chance
he can git.
l hav seen them shut up their wings and
drop dOUn out Ov the sky like destroying
angel, and pick up a young gOslin in each
hand, and sore alOft agin pretty quick.
They bid their nests out of the reach OV
civilization, so that no missionary can git
to them, unless he can klimb well.
Powder and double B shot IL the only
thingthat will civilize hawk clear through,
so that he will stay so, and it takes q big
charge of this, too.
I have fired -barreled gun into
them, loaded with fine shot, and it had the
same exhilarating effekt upon them that
four quarters ov oats would have on an
old boss; it made them more lively for a
few minutes.
IheV seeded hawks, but never shed any
tears over them.
Idon't suppose that even hen hawks are
made in vain, but have wondered if just
enuff of them to preserve an assortment
| wouldn't answer Nom YOyL. Hyepk.lU