( xi ) 



Cuckoo sings.* Tlip .amiable Mr. Stlllingfleet remarlicd iicaily the same coincidence in England. Dr. Darwin ob- 

 serves, that the " word Coccu.x in Greek signifies both a young fig and a cuckoo, which is supposed to have arisen 

 from the coincidence of their appearance in Greece."! Many instances of a similar coincidence might be pointed 

 out between the flowering of our Pennsylvanian vegetables and the arrival of certain birds. Thus it is observed, 

 that the Wood-Cock (Scolopax Gallinago) commonly visits us when the Amoric-an Elm (Ulmus americana) is in full 

 blossom: that is between the 8th and i8th of March. 



§. XXII. 



It is well known, that the ancients were of opinion, that the arrival of certain birds of passage afforded one of 

 the best and safest directions for the planting of difterent kinds of vegetables, and for other agricultural purposes. 

 Thus Virgil, who was at once a naturalist and poet, tells us, that the best time for planting vinej'ards (iu Italy) is 

 when the White bird, or Storck, appears : 



Optima vinetis satio, cum vcre rubenti 

 Candida venit avis longis invisa colubris. 



Georgic. Lib. II. 319—320. 



I could point out, in the happy compositions of this great poet, other instances of a similar kind. The following 

 is too beautiful to be omitted. The poet of Mantua is here describing the method and the time for killing a steer 

 for the pui'pose of obtaining from its putrid gore a stock of bees, as was practised by the ancient Egyptians. | He 

 tells us this must be done early in the spring, before the meadows are paiuted with the colours of flowers, and be- 

 fore the Swallow builds its nest upon the rafters. 



Hoc gerHur, zephyris frimitm impellentibns andas, 

 Ante novis rubeant quam prata colorihics, ante 

 Garrida quam tignis nidum snspendat kirundo. 



Georgic. Lib. IV. 305 — 307. 



§. XXIII. 



Although in Pennsylvania, and many other parts of the United-States, the arrival of oirr birds does not appear 

 to be as uniform as it is in many of the countries of the old world ; § the amval of several species is, nevertheless, so 

 regular, that it may be considered as the signal for commencing certain agricultural operations. Thus, the Muscicapa 

 fusca, which we call Pewe, is one of the earliest Spring birds of passage, visiting the neighbourhood of Philadel- 

 phia about the middle of March. We have seldom hard frosts after the arrival of this bird, which seems to give a 

 pretty confident assurance to the farmer, that he may very soon begin to open the ground and plant. It is an old ob- 

 servation, in Pennsylvania, that when the Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus virginianus) arrives, it is time to go bare- 

 footed; that is, the spring season is pretty far advanced, and sufficiently warm to admit of laying aside the use of 

 shoes, without much inconvenience. This adage originated in the days of greater simplicity than the present. 

 Some of our Indians believe, that this bird is a messenger sent to call their attention to the planting of the ground. 

 Accordingly upon the an-ival of the Whip-poor-will, they say to one another, " the Weecolis \\ is come : it is planting 



* Amaenitatea Academicfe. Vi)L. IV. t Botanic Garden. Part II. Canto I. note. 



I It appeara to have been a very general opinion among the ancients, that Bees were produced from the putrid bodies of animals. A very curious 

 passage in the 14th chapter of the book of Judges shows the high antiquity of this notion. After Sampson had killed the young Lion, " he turned aside 

 to see the carcase of the lion: and behold there was a swarm of Bees and honey in the carcase of the lion." The Greeks believed, that these insects 

 arose from putrid bullocks, and hence they gave them a name expressive of this supposed origin. According to Archelaus, bees proceed from bullocks, 

 and wasps from horses. So rude were the opinions of the ancients respecting the origin of these insects. It is certain, however, that putrid carcases 

 are often visited by bees, and it is not unlikely that from these carcases, they may be able to procure honey. It was, doubtless, from observing, that 

 swarms of bees frequent the dead bodies of animals, that the ancient Egyjjtians had recourse to such bodies for the purpose of repairing the total loss 

 of their honey-making insects. The manner of doing this is beautifully related by Virgil, who traces back the practice to its first source. See Oeorgk: 

 Lib. IV. beginning at line 281. 



<t See Page 10. [I This is the Delaware-Indian name for tliis bird. 



Ti 9 



