Natural History in Foreign Countries, 369 



interesting portion of their labours, published by command of His Majesty, 

 and edited by Professor von Brede, has recently appeared. The work will 

 contain the genera and species of the Orchidece and yisclepia^e*^, and will 

 be completed in eighteen livraisons, containing five plates each, (7<o;\ Quart. 

 Rev., June, 1828.) 



NORTH AMERICA 



Niagara. — The Duke of Saxe- Weimar, who lately visited the Falls of 

 Niagara, thus describes the scene : — " The roaring of the water directed 

 our steps. We came suddenly upon the precipice, and beheld the immense 

 mass of water rushing impetuously downwards, with a dreadful noise, to a 

 fearful depth. It is impossible to describe the view; it is impossible to 

 convey the mingled feeling of weakness and sublimity that arises in the 

 human breast at the sight of this stupendous work of nature. We can 

 only wonder, admire, and adore. The rocks on both sides are very steep ; 

 there are, however, covered wooden steps, by which we descended to the 

 lower part of the stream ; but the spray, caused by the foam of the fall, 

 deprived us of the beautiful view we had anticipated. We, therefore, soon 

 re-ascended, and enjoyed, from above, the contemplation of the majestic and 

 the sublime." {Reise durch Nord Ameiica, 1825-6, vol. i. p. 752.) 



Qolmnba migratoria {the Wild Pigeon). — On December 13., from about 

 nine o'clock in the morning till two o'clock in the afternoon, immense 

 flocks of pigeons, extending as far as the eye could reach, were seen passing 

 over our village (Rochester) from the north. Their numbers, which were 

 incalculably great, and the novelty of the circumstance, excited considerable 

 attention. Some few of them were taken ; and, what is very singular, they 

 were found to be very fat. It is an interesting enquiry, where have they been, 

 and what have they been doing ? It is a very unusual season to see birds 

 of passage on their journey. We would suggest to Mr. Symmes the possi- 

 bility of drawing, from this singular fact, an argument in favour of pleasant 

 weather at the North Pole. {Rochester, N. F., Genesee Co. Reg. Dec. 1828.) 



We have never before witnessed such multitudes of wild pigeons as have 

 appeared amongst us (Montrose) at the present season. Flocks, extending 

 miles in length, have many days been seen passing over the hills, and pre- 

 senting a novel and interesting appearance. But what is most extraordinary, 

 and causes us now to notice them, is their encampment, about ten miles 

 from this place, in a south-west direction, where they have built their nests 

 and are raising their young. This encampment is upwards of nine miles in 

 length and four in breadth, the lines regular and straight, within which there 

 is scarcely a tree, large or small, that is not covered with nests. They cause 

 such a constant roaring, by the flapping of their wings, that persons, on 

 going into the encampment, have great difficulty in hearing each other speak. 

 Every thing throughout their camp appears to be conducted in the most 

 perfect order. They take their turns regularly in sitting and in feeding 

 their young; and when any of them are killed upon their nests by the sports- 

 men, others immediately supply their places. We are inclined to believe 

 that they have, in part, adopted Mr. Owen's " community system," as the 

 the whole appears to be a " common-stock business." The squabs (as the 

 young are called) are now sufficiently large to be considered, by epicures, 

 better for a rich dish than the old ones;; and they are caught and carried 

 off by waggon-loads. {Susquehanna County Register, May, 1829.) 



The late De Witt Clinton of New York shows, that Mr. Wilson's opi- 

 nion, respecting the American wild pigeon laying only one egg at a time, is 

 wrong. These birds often lay two eggs for the same sitting ; one pair pro- 

 duced seven, and another eight, times in one year. In twenty-three days 

 from the laying of the egg, the young ones could fly. In eight days from 

 their being hatched, they are completely feathered, and fly from the nest. 



