'■^72 MICHAELMAS TIDE. 



SEPT. 28. St. Eustochium, virgin, a.d. 419. 

 St. Lioba, abbess, 779. 

 St. Wenceslas, duke of Bohemia, 938. 

 St. Exuperius, bishop, 409. 



Obs. St- Eustochium, whose memory is rendered illustrious by 

 the pen of St. Jerom, was daughter of St. Paula. She made the 

 solemn vow of perpetual chastity in 382, and put herself under the 

 guidance of St. Jerom, who wrote to her his celebrated Treatise on 

 Virginity, in which he ably elucidates the power gained over temp- 

 tations by early exercising contiol over them, and exhorts her to 

 crush the head of the serpent while he is yet young and weak. His 

 observations on the use of abstinence are truly excellent in this 

 epistle. 



St. Lioba, an English rihbess, was a daughter of St. Ebba, and became a 

 glorious ex.imple of Cliristian perfection. 



St. Wenceslas was cruelly slain while performini? his customary devotion by 

 his brother, wtiose design was instigated by liis own mother, both of them be- 

 ing declarcil enemies of tlie Chiisiian faith : the martyrdom of the holy duke 

 happened on the U8tli of September, in 938. 



Eustocbium's Rod Solidago sernpervirejis fl. 

 Lateflowering Starvvort Aster tardiftorus fl. 

 Cihated Starwort Aster ciliatus fl. 

 Spreadflowered Starwort Aster sparsiflorus fl. 

 Almost all the Rudbeckias, Sunflowers, Starworts, and most 

 other autumnal syngenecious plants are now in blow. 



Chimney Swallow Hirundo riisiica migr. 

 Sand Martin Hirundo riparia migr. 



Chimney Swallows, House Martlets, and Sand Martins, have for some time 

 been congregating and settlins in numbers on the roofs of lofty buildings; the 

 general migration of the Swallows and Sand Martins takes place now, and they 

 avail theiriselves of the first northern winds to retire to Senegal and other 

 warm countries. Stragglers are seen, however, till the middle of^uext month, 

 about which time the Martlets leave us; very few of any species being seen 

 after St. Luke's Day. 



About this time of year in 1781, Sand Martins, driven back probably from 

 some attempted aerial voyage, became prodigiously numerous in and about 

 London, and flew in quantities aliont the streets; after a few days, however, 

 they disappeared, probably on the return of a favourable wind. 



Long and laboured have been the discussions of naturalists respecting the 

 winter quarters of the Swallow tribe, the absurd notion having been main, 

 tained by some that they winterunder water in a state of torpidity. But the 

 question seems at length set at rest, and thev are now believed like other birds 

 to migrate to winter in a warmer clime. See Forster's Natural History and 

 Brumal Retreat of Swallows, London 181/. 



Amusive birds ! say where your hid retreat. 

 When the frost rages, and tlie tempests beat ; 

 VVhence your return, by such nice instinct led, 

 When Spring, sweet season, lilts her bloomy head? 

 •Such battled searches mock man's prying pride. 

 The God of Nature is your secret guide I 

 A well known epigram says ■• 



Oi'c niato volitans muscasdeprendit Hirundo, 



Atque ita viventi pascitur ilia cibo ; 

 Quumque volat lacus circum vel florida prala, 



Quis velit ambages pernumerare suas > 

 Vere venit nidosque facit sub culmine tecti, 

 Frigora Brumali tempore cauta fugit. 



