BIRDS. 319 



economical relationships of birds to man, of their friendly 

 associations with him, making bright and cheerful his sur- 

 roundings, of their intelligent and curious habits, presenting 

 ceaseless objects of study and observation, the works of the 

 bird biographers are beautiful records ; stories redolent of 

 picturesque solitudes and the enchantments of the grove. 



This interesting class of animals is found from the Equa- 

 tor to the Poles. Their forms and plumage are as widely 

 different and as wonderfully diversified as their habits and 

 habitats. There are arctic, temperate, and tropical birds, 

 and they all strikingly reveal the influence of the medium in 

 which they exist. Arctic ornithology, like arctic mamma- 

 logy, is peculiar in style and color, being generally white or 

 light colored, aquatic birds abounding. The temperate birds 

 have not much variety of color generally, but the tropical birds 

 exhaust every pigment of the chemist and painter, and sport 

 all colors, not only of the rainbow, but every undescribed 

 and indescribable tint, metallic sheen, or hue. It is, like- 

 wise, one of the most extensive classes of animals. Some 

 conception of the immensity of this department may be ob- 

 tained by a visit to the invaluable museum of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. Of this collection, Dr. 

 Ruschenberger, in his clever notice of the academy, says " It 

 has grown to be the most extensive and the very best in the 

 world." In 1852 there were 27,000 specimens in this col- 

 lection. Mr. Cassin now alleges that this number has been 

 largely increased, and is constantly being added to from all 

 quarters. He supposes there may now be in the academy 

 7500 distinct species, which constitute most of the known 

 birds of the world. 



After a walk through the galleries of this magnificent 

 collection, the brain is absolutely dizzy, and the mind stunned 

 and confused by the infinite array of every imaginable style, 

 form, and color of bird obtained from every point of the 

 surface of the planet. 



The Alleghany Mountain being the highest line of knobs, 

 or range of Alpine points, of the Appalachian chain, sepa- 



