204 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



miles in length have many days been seen passing over the hills 

 and presenting a novel and interesting appearance. But what is 

 most extraordinary, and causes us now to notice them, is their en- 

 campment about ten miles from this place, in a south-west direc- 

 tion, 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 sportsmen, others imme- 

 diately supply their place. We are inclined to believe, that they 

 have in part adopted Mr. Owen's community system, as 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.— Mag. Nat. Hist. ii. 369. 



12. Changes in Animals in South America. — All domestic mam- 

 miferous animals introduced into America have become more 

 numerous than the indigenous animals. The hog multiplies very 

 rapidly, and assumes much of the character of the wild boar. Cows 

 did not at first thrive, but in St. Domingo, only twenty-seven years 

 after its discovery, 4000 in a herd were not uncommon, and some 

 herds of 8000 are mentioned. In 1587, this island exported 35,444 

 hides, and New Grenada 64,350. Cows never thrive nor multiply 

 where salt is wanting either in the plants or in the water. They give 

 less milk in America, and do not. give milk at all if the calves be 

 taken from them. Among horses, the colts all have the amble, as 

 those in Europe have the trot : this is probably an hereditary effect. 

 Bright chestnut is the prevailing colour among the wild horses. The 

 lambs which are not from merinos, but the tana, basta and burda 

 of the Spaniard, at first are covered with wool, and when this is 

 timely shorn it grows again ; if the proper time is allowed to elapse, 

 the wool falls of, and is succeeded by short shining close hair, like 

 that of the goat in the same climate. Every animal, it would ap- 

 pear, like man, requires time to accustom itself to climate. — M. 

 Rail tin. Le Globe. 



Relative to certain changes observed in domestic animals by Dr. 

 Raulin, in America, he concludes that, i. When animals are trans- 

 ported to a new climate, it is not the individuals only, but the race 

 that has to be naturalized to the climate, ii. That in the course of 

 this naturalization, certain durable changes are generally occasioned 

 to the species, which place their organization in harmony with the 



