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102 Weather at Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. 



reach us .of tins "ice storm ," extending through Pennsylvania, 

 aMdvpastiof-hNdwhyork state, and of the travellers who were 

 conbtrlrinfeditofp^ss tfjie night in the woods, hemmed in by 

 th-el fatten (timber*! /MQfltfe after, I observed its effects in the 

 pkudidbrpst^^tiat^J distance of )f a ^undred miles, and the 

 oldest settlers affirm that nothing equalling it, in extent 

 and destruction, has occurred in their recollection. On the 

 l-SUfejva'Jtha^^ijjiccpnt^anied by heavy rain, soon cleared the 

 drooping* ^forest of its unwonted covering. , u ut a 



January and February. The snow, though almost con- 

 stantly on the ground, was not accumulated to such a depth as 

 last winter, owing to the occasional thaws. Flocks of green- 

 finches continued in the vicinity of the warm springs, near 

 my residence, throughout the winter. 



4ioWr^WM^ e ?# s appeared this day. 

 29th/ A few strangling blackblr3s^° #&% W\ \o 



March 2d. A large flight of wild geese passed towards the 

 north. 3d. A single ftMfP ^rfoeaxed on the Beaver Dams, 

 followed by considerable numbers on the next day. 5th. A 

 solitary frog commenced croaking in the swamps. Some 

 wild ducks shot, and trout caught by angling. 6th. Nume- 

 rous spring visiters enliven the surrounding woods. The hen 

 hawks screaav harshly a^iliey/ wheel in circling flights. Jays 

 abound; thrushes sing cheerilyt^jewows loudly caw; cat-birds 

 are heard in the bushes ; and bluebirds are busy running 

 <$y$r ^.^tely g^^ad n^adows- The ditches swarm with 

 pretty speckled lizards, which, warmed by the cheerful sun, 

 have crawled out of their muddy retreats. 11th. Blackbirds 

 (icterus . phceniceus, red-winged starling, or marsh black- 

 bird, of Audubon), in flocks of more than a thousand, resume 

 their cheerful chirping, or rather screaming. Sometimes 

 these great flocks will suddenly alight on the summit of a 

 lofty pine, and commence their gossiping concert^ after a short 

 preliminary pause. This commencement seems to be regu- 

 lated by a signal from their leader. Then follows another 

 pause, and perfect silence prevails: and, again, every bird in 

 company strains his throat, as if desirous to be the loudest in 

 the choir. Again a pause, and off they all fly, and vanish in 

 an instant, seeking some other tree, whereon again to resume 

 their discordant yet social concert. 13th. A flock of fifty 

 wild swans alighted upon the Beaver Dams, and some were 

 shot. My space obliges me to omit further details of this 

 spring. The 1 summer and fall have been unusually dry and 

 temperate. The ijavWafy<m or the creeks and rivers has been 

 suspended, for want of water, to the present time. 



Dec. 9th. Very little appearance of' 'winter at present, and 



