, 1875-12-11
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.
hFlQ7AL CALENDAR,

|
| hFLo7AL CALENDAR
| Thoreau, tbs ionu loyer and Koen observer o
| Nature, used to aver that. wore Ao to awake, a
| my tiuso during tic season Of yetdurc, from
sumbcr Of ,cars, lie would be allie to toll nitl
e1actucss tho monlh, AMI tho day of tho month
| by tie fIovors that should 10 III blossom. M
boast WAS not 80 van AZ It would seem 10 tho or
dinary individual. who mover ntudying tho habiEI
OF vegetation, il ignorant Of tho laws that regu
lato them with auch order that. once possessed o
tue key, it IL easy 10 read their cRusos and 70
qupnces backwards or forwards, either way
Each suecien of plant las ita special tino fol
nowo.ing, which Is uniform in the eAmo climate
-uutesa tho latter DO worry wnyward Ia it,
ehauges, and In very soon learned by tho watch
ful botsnss Hence, n floral calcudar may be
constructed for any particular locality which
will predict with certainty, under common cir,
cumstancas. tue dny in the year When .nosi
plants wlIl for tho iHs t,uo put forth thoir blcs
samA.
But mora than this (: certain species OF plants
oreu and rlo.n their tlon crs. or. in other wulds.
NAkc up and 20 to aleop again, at definite lousa
Of tho dav, aud llo who las 4oteti their Ways IL
this fespec: NAV discern from them tue timo OF
dny with Utmost The precision ~ from an arti-
lclal clIronotncter. Linnnus. after careful
record Of Tho facts, constructed floral clock
'"'eN 4A"<~SN "-eS sSANdS ~ se,~ A~AsS 49, s~t@
loaB:
Morning. Glory opens At about n. H., aud eosta =.
lsutland Io.uty opens At about H., aud co.es AT
yesel.ie Oyster orcns al about ,u and close. =.
about II m.
Poppy opens n about 8. nj.
Dlttsr.Swoet optua ut atou! 6 .. m.
Water.l.iIy opens at about 1. III.
b ,AF!tt PimpetEel opens 1t ablnt =. nj.
CalcndHla Arcnais tia11Rod) opens At about III.
Star u n.,h:oacm iwnltel opena i about il T. n. H.
u 10 faaaton-fiowee oae1s At l2sn
Ghryaantlcmuui ol,olls 1t A1o1t p. N.
-Four o'E1atk opens 1t about 1 y. IN.
slcnc So;tnora "a caschhy) open. al about p. m,
Evening Primrose ossens 1t about Il p. NJ.
ErruinK LycAuls o}tus at ahou. II. IN.
ctroGs GranItfora u aus at about +. III.
Other Aowers might bs substituted for these,
to suit difEnrent ciInates and localities.
Dnt, hrB!des telling us tho time, plants may
predict for lis tho "eatler Anl with quito %
much md even more certainty than "0ld prob-
abilities h'tnscls. Tho latter parsonage fails
OIL mn average. it il SAID, Of twenty times cut OF
hundred, wh'!e the pIsnIs, "a vcnturo to
AAeott, would fail US almost mover.
t1arr HanIemall. Inspector OF tue Botanical
Gardens at ttaakan. Germany, h4s ind,-
Gated sonie OF the nlsnss that may sorve
s1nall-tlowsred bind-rscd (conuo!p.tas arren-
sfs) and tho acatlst piml ernel sproad their
leayes at the termination uf vet Wcattler. Alb
oeiocs iu the murninE, II tue weather Is to be
LtcAts <lc GuHitHuA lHlCAhEtu H&AH& I'D, QGan3
i.s ayes, shhloa out Itn leaves. and rcusus ALERT
and ac!ivo uotil noon; OIL tho cuntrAly II rain bo
impending il rafuAeH 10 ruuBa Itself. and ads,.m.
lng dfooplnE aspect. kcopa lts 1oHe1a tightly
closed. Should ii ra!ss its lids, houoycr, litt!a
way to peep out tiyly, Wo may be suro ths rain
ID to 10 Of short duration. Ihe same little t.!cks
nnder tho same circumstances may be observed
in tho Ftmpi"estd saIa}ragd.
When tue nrecles Of naarigold Ca'endn'd pIu.
riohs oreus bctweeu aud IN tue morulng
And fArRirk 2Hakn nntH i Il. tt,o 0ft
tho weather Will be Btoadty pleasant; but
II II does not opon by ID the lunru-
ing. sts ao1sitiso nature has folt rAin
in tho ATMOSPHERE. and look you for down
pour. Tho pr,ckIy woods by Tho waystdo. w,tl.
howerh lko nu'atnfo daalsluns,- s,-called con
1nonly hcg-tllnteH aud bY tic scic.itlass eoncans
arre,Isis and ANeraceus. their potalH At
n'ght When there IL promise Of 4 pleapaut NOR
tle neeting houra Of FIR weather. Should the
bladder katmsa (ilttscua Trionum) refuse to
opon lts flowers: should the stcmless thlatle
(tarduus ac0atts) close its eyos and the clover
fold ia leayes.-llke hends ctoalng In prayer
rain is certain. 80 1t the nlppIeuolt (Lau-
sana community feiIa to allut up lis flowers for
tue night; II tho Mlito low grass (Uarbu aeiua}
droopa 1tn lsavoa; II tho yellow beu.stra1 :
tf1ditnm scr1sn!) romans aNske aud oxlaaIes u
strong pesfume and ii tho birchos perfume tho
mir, postpoue tho picnic appointed for tho com
ing day, or take along umbrellas and macklp-
tusles.
BIRDS OF PARADISE,
Perhaps there arc no spocies Of birds which
from their varied and brilliant plumage arc mora
attractive and moro coveted ~ an ornament for
the hviAty than Birds OF Paradise, while mono
arc moro difficult to secure alive. Most Of tbs
apucles dwell III tie tnmoss recaoses Of the for
ests Of Now Gntnon and nesghbcrlng tsIapds.
Which Aro almost impenetrnblo 10 whlto mon,
and arc Inhabited by Basagcs whom It Is danger.
Gus 10 encounter. Ms. Wallace, tho eminent
naturalist, rpont ncsy Tour years III tho dstsicts
especially fr"qneutcd bv thsso birds, aud yet he
WAS ahlo to secure specimens OF ou!y Hye out OF
tho fourteen specles dwelling In Now Gu,uua.
lie brought home alive 10 England two lndl-
rlduald Of tho ParaItsra Idpuuna, AID tne re
malnder of bis collection was in tbs farm Of
dried skins. Mr. Cesutti succeeded 10 bringing
TO Eutopc = living specimen OF tie 5eirae,des
aoa aud these Three see tho only living D.rds OF
;rsla1se evot brought 10 tho country until
!atey two bare boon recelsed 1t tho Geological
uafdens u Dresden. Ouo OF these il
a,. mafaatsd:a Pdpuana aud tho other =. AIodp,
Ine u'tas we're secured through uat,va t,adsrs
q. Ana ths Aru lslsnds They have hssn Atout
thtee yests IN captivity. Aud, being accustomed
70 caea lle. Il "a hopsd tley n.ay be psrassveI
kone inns th the!s pteaeus hD ue, ~hets &heY
plenty OF room And II. ~ oqua5Is tsmpsr.turs
Of Y dog. 1ho food Of the birds lu canIiy.ty
consists Of bread. rce, and worn,s. Wh4is in
lnd'a they were fed upon gsasshoppors, bsnsn.s,
sud t'oe, and au5!ly she'r journey With The same
The birds ssa very autiye and uoIsy FRA
+. Apoio 10 quite tame tsetIlux from tho hsnds
'rhe plumAge of she BIRDS suffered sJmswh.to
ths vosags, hut It ts expected Il Wi reosin -
full Isauty aftor the poxt poFiad Of mnultnp
TIE Par1roda, the ureAt Bird Of Psrsaisn ia .t,s
largest OF tAs speolss Tbs pody, W!nrs anI
tAi ere Of \ rich cafsso-brown, deol,s,ung On thc
breast to apurple-btowu. The head Md upn,T
throat sIe Vt dsi1cats sttaw color. wish Gspd |
aud spots OF emerald grasn. Ihs two miJu,s
ts.l.feathaEa vary froa, ~ to 30 inchss Ia length
"hlls from each side Ut tho body Of sl,a male
denss 1ufE Of louR aud delicsso orange yellow
plutaos springs from under tho ~ings, sta can bo
70 edasatel ut the vii! Of the bird ~ 10 coAcexl
Its eu&lre body.
1he r: tapua"a IL much smaller than the fol-
NOR bird. but very elm4l&r Ia itH markings. The |