The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-05-08
l.aa Bird-Housekeeping

some plrub are very particular ABOUT
their housekeeping, q and they like
grand houses, too. The bower-birds
are not content with a bit of a nest Just
large enough to squeeze their dump
ling bodies into; they must have, be-
sides a nest promenade, and they like
to have the affair well ornamented be-
sides Shall tell you how they build
their houses? In the first place, the
young married couple select a spot
where there are plenty of sun and
heat; then they make pavement of
rounded she'll think they must have
city notions-then they plant a little
avenue of branches, and this is the way
they do it: They bring fine shoots of
trees, and thrust the thick ends of
them between the pebbles. But If they
should leave them standing upright
they wouldn't get much shade or shell
ter-these little carpenters are wise
enough to know that, and they eontrive
fine roof for their habitation- You
see the branches are arranged in oppo-
site rows, and they just bend abe tops
of the twigs together, make them fast,
and they have as good and as pretty a
covering over their heads as any bird
need ask for. Their houses are about
three feet in length, and roomy enough
for a whole picnic party of small feath-
! ered-folk, with chance for the young
sters to play hide-and-seek in the cor
ners. These bower-birds have, too, an
eye for beauty as well as comfort, and
when the house is built they at once
set themselves about enlbelIishing it.
The young couple go in search of the
most brilliant objects that can be found
such aggIeaming mother-of-pearl shells,
gay feathers, and any bright trinkets
they can lay their bills on. fear they
are. not very sorupulous about the
rights of property, for I have heard
they would take watches, rings, knives,
and anything they think looks pretty
Some travellers have been robbed of gold
watches by these audaeious little crea-
lures. L am sorry TO say they have
such naughty tricks, but we viii have
to excuse them, because they don't
know any better. Some birds are very
particular to have plenty of water about
their houses. I don't know whether it
is because they have more scrubbing
and cleaning than other birds, and
want to have the water handy, or wheth-
er it is because they like a fine view
and the privilege of taking little sail
now and then. There is bird by the
name of grebe, that sails about in her
house. OF course it is built very diff
ferent from other bird houses, or it
would very soon sink to the bottom.
The cunning little creature fastens to-
gether strong stems of water plants in
the form of raft, that she can float
about at her pleasure, using her foot
for paddle. As she builds her house
in some lonely spot where tall rushes
grow, think she must be very retiring
in her disposition, and not very fond of
company. Very likely when she sees a
neighbor coming with whom she does
not wish to be intimate, she Just pad
| dies herself off into some quiet nook
which would be very modest way of
| saying, "Not at home p There is an
other bird that belongs to the swallow
family, that lives in China and the
neighboring islands. She must be
''heathen Chinee," at least she has
some heathenish ways of doing things.
For instance, this is the untidy way she
prepares for building: She gath
ers the material from saltwater plants.
/ gulps it down her throat, makes a sort
of paste of it in her stomach. then
throws it mp again in the form of dirty
white substance that looks something
like isinglass. This she contrives to
fashion into house which she fastens
to high rock, or hides in some lonely
cavern. This bird must be kept in the
building business most of the time. as
her houses are so often destroyed Pbey
are in great demand among dainty rich
people, who can afford to pay a good
price to have them served up in their
soup. Ridiculous, heathenish bust
ness You say, eating up bird-houses
So it is. And if this bird were at all
sensible, like keen Yankee bird, she
would build her house of some unpala-
table stuff that would put such a puck,
er in the mouth of the plUnderer as
would soon make an end to such whole.
sale robbery. But no, the silly thing
keeps on building with the same mate
rial, only to be plmdered again ant
again, and her houses are sold as deli
cacies in the city of Canton They
bring from $50 TO so q pound Prett,
dear seasoning for mess of soup Tn
name of this queer bird is salangane. o
esculent swallow s---r
EFFECTS OF VEGETABLE PERFUMES O,
HEALTH. An Italian professor has mad
some very agreeable medical researchss
resulting in the discovery that vegetabl
, perfumes exercise a positively health
= full influence on the atmosphere, convert
ing its oxygen into ozone, and thus n
creasing its oxidizing influence. Tn
essence. found to develop tire large
: quantity of ozone are those of cherry
laurel, cloves, lavender, mint, juniper
lemons. fennel and bezsamOnt; thos
l that give it in smaller quantity are anise
nutmeg aud thyme. The flowers of tn
: nueissus, hyaeinth. mignonette hello
trope and lily of thevaliey develop ozon
in closed vessels. Flowers destitute O
: perfume do not develop it; and thos
; which have but slight perfume develo
it only in small quantities. Reasonin
from these facts the professor recon-
mends the cultivation of flowers /
marshy districts, and in all places II
Tested with animal emanations, an *
count of the powerful oxidizing infiHeno
OF ozone. The inhabitants of sue
p regions should, he says, surround thei
houses with beds OF the most odorou
fowers.
: A LADIES' debating society at Paris
Kentucky. lately decided that bachelor