Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-01
Instinct of Birds.


Here mark the sagacity Of birds, as seen
in the means employed for escaping danger.
Were it not for this instructive consciousness,
the weaker tribes would soon be destroyed
by the stronger, and whole races anuihi-
lated.
/. The hen, for instance, knows that the hawk
is an enemy Of her race, even sailing in mid
heaven, and warns her chickens Of their dan.
ger. The canary bird readily distinguishes
the hawk from the dove and trembes ouly
when the former approaches. The quail
and partridge will pretend to be lame or
wing-brokeu, to attract attention, while their
young are escaping apparent danger. And
the nighthawk, it is said, will seek place
on the ground Of nearly the same color with
itself, so as to escape observation. Aud il
is said that the same bird acts differently in
different countries to meet the necessities Of
her situation. For instance the woodpecker
in Europe, deposits her eggs 10 cavities which
she excavates in the trunks Of soft aud de-
cayed trees, that they may be concealed
from human eyes aud human hand but 10
the forests Of Guinea and the Brazils which
man seldom frequents, the same bird hangs
her nest on twigs and tall trees, out of the
reach Of monkeys and snakes which abound
in that region.
And the same intelligence Gf we may SO
call it), is seen in the migration of birds.
This seems almost like prophetic vision.
During the winter, the swallow, the martin,
the robin aud many other kinds of birds leave
us on the approach Of cold weather, for a
warmer climate.
Each species has particular time to make
ready and commence their flight, and it is
wonderful with what exactness this time i
observed. In the autumn they assemble
hold convention ana seem to consult upor
the subject Of their journey. Thousands Of
swallows and martins fill the air and chez
us with their sports aud their songs bu
soon after they have all disappeared. Black
birds, storks cranes and wild geese are also
migratory birds which observe their anuua
season Of departure. In the spring they
return to us, in due time, to share on
labors and blessings in the great field o
nature.
Some migrate only from one part of thu
country to another, while others fly iron
continent to continent, making journeys from
six to eight thousand miles per year. Thu
object of their migration may be to enjoy
a warmer climate or to obtain food or L
rear their young, or it may be combina
ton of these motives.
"One swallow does not make summer,
but when all come back to our latitude
summer has actually begun. In other words
the swallow will always live in a summer
atmosphere. Wild geese, cranes and som,
other species are supposed to rear thei
young further to the north than any huma
being has ever yet penetrated
But who has taught the bird the physca
geography Of the continent, so that they cal
distinguish between the different climates
Who has instructed them when the cold sea
son approaches, to seek a milder home
Does experience or tradition impart thi
knowledge? 1t cannot be possible unle,
we decide that they have human attribute
and Intelligence. Even if they know tn
facts, how can they knOv the time and tn
way to ayl