1856.] Circular. 25 



" The nearest approach to reason in animals I ever was witness to," 

 said the doctor, " was at Eatcliffe Close, near Bury, in Lancashire-. Look- 

 ing up to the eaves of a house , I saw a number of swallows' nests in a 

 row, and perceiving no place of egress, I inquired of Mr. Bealie, the 

 proprietor of the building, how it happened they assumed such an ap- 

 pearance ; when he told me, that in that neighborhood they were desig- 

 nated 'blind nests.' Before the return of the swallows in spring, some 

 sparrows had taken possession of them. On the arrival of the original 

 proprietors, attempts were made to eject the occupants ; but the spar- 

 rows sat, and maintained possession. Other swallows came to the aid 

 of the lawful owners ; but no power which they possessed would serve 

 the purpose of ejecting the villainous sparrows — for the sparrow is a 

 villainous bird! What was the result? The swallows after various 

 and fruitless attempts, assembled on the roof of the building, and sat 

 for some time as though in grave deliberation ; they then flew away, 

 each returning, in a few seconds, with mud in his bill, with which they 

 closed up the holes, thus burying the sparrows alive ; where, in those 

 nests, they remain entombed to this day." "That," said a friend, 

 smiling, who heard the relation, ''was returning evil for evil, with a 

 vengeance." The doctor, who was one of the last men to act on the lex 

 tallonh system himself, commenced advocate with no unapt illustration, 

 for the poor harmless swallows : " What," said he jocosely, " if a man 

 were to enter my house, take possession of it, and turn my wife and 

 children out of doors, should I not, on finding that I could not eject 

 him, be justified in nailing him in ?" 



[For the Cincinnatus. 

 CIRCULAR. 



The Ohio Pomological Society.— In pursuance of the adjournment of 

 a special meeting held in Columbus, on the 19th, 20th, and 21st Sept., 

 the Society will hold its regular biennial session on the second Tuesday 

 in January next, (the 8th), in the city of Cleveland, and continue in 

 session so long as the interest of the same may require. 



The Society, though instituted for the region of Ohio, nevertheless, of 

 necessity, tahes in the wider range of our country ; in view of which, a reso- 

 lution was unanimously passed, that all fruit growers and* pomologists, 

 out of the State, be invited. In pursuance therefore of said resolution, 



