20i) 



N E \V ENGLAND F A R M E R 



DEC. a'j, 1840. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 

 NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE MOl-K. 



This curioua little qiuiilruped seema fonried 

 to live wholly under the earth, as if the; 

 Buprftrne Bein^' meant thiit no place should be 

 left wholly untenanted. Were we, from our own 

 gensations to pronounce upon the life of an animal 

 that was never to appear above ground, but be al- 

 ways condemned to hunt for ils prey underneath, 

 and (ibliffed, whenever it removed from one place 

 to another, to bore its way Ihrough a resisting^ 

 body, we should be apt to assert that such an exist- 

 ence must be the most frightful and solitary in 

 nature. In the mole, however, though condemned 

 to all these seeming inconveniences, we discover 

 no signs of wretchedness or distress. No quad- 

 ruped is fatter, none has a more sleek or glossy 

 skin ; and, though denied many advantages that 

 most animals en|oy, it is more liberally possessed 

 of others, which they have in a njore scanty pro- 

 portion. 



The size of the mole is between that of the rat 

 and the mouse ; but it in no way resembles either, 

 being an animal entirely of a singular kind, and 

 perfectly unlike any other quadruped whatever. 

 Its nose is long and pointed, resembling tihut of a 

 hog, but tnuch longer. Its eyes are so small that 

 it is scarcely possible to discern them ; and in- 

 stead of ears it has only holes in the place. Its 

 neck is so short that the head seems stuck upon 

 the shoulders. The body is thick and round, ter- 

 minating by a very small short tail, and its legs are 

 Bo short, that the animal seems to lie flat on its 

 belly. Thus it appears to us, at first view, as a 

 mass of flesh covered with a fine shining black 

 skin, with a little head, and scarce any eyes, legs, 

 or tail. 'I he ancients, and some of the moderns 

 were of opinion, that tlie mole was utterly blind ; 

 but Derham, by the help of a microscope, plainly 

 discovered all parts of the eye that are known in 

 other animals. The smnllness of its eyes, wliich 

 induced the ancients to think it blind, is to the ani- 

 mal a peculiar advantage. A small degree of 

 vision is sufficient for a creature that is destined to 

 live in darkness. A more extensive sight would 

 only have served to show the horrors of its prison, 

 while nature had denied it the means of escape. 

 Had this organ been larger, it would have been 

 perpetually liable to injuries, by the falling of the 

 earth into it ; but nalnro, to prevent that incori- 

 venience, has not only made them very small, but 

 has covered them with hair. Besides these advan- 

 tages, a!iatomists mention another, that contributes 

 to its security: namely, a certain muscle, by 

 which the animal can draw back the eye whenever 

 it is necessary, or in danger. Indeed, the whole 

 figure and formation of the mole is most admirably 

 adapted to its manner of living, and strikingly il- 

 lustrates the wisdom and skill of the Almighty 

 Creator. — Abbott's Scripiurf J^aturat Histori/. 



THE BEAVF.R. 



The following' interesting anecdote of the beaver, 

 is taken froi* Franklin's Narrative of a Journey to 

 the Polar sea : 



"One day a gcntlemiin, long resident in this 

 country, espied five young beavers, sporting in the 

 water, leaping upon the trunk of a tree, pushing 

 one another off", and playing a thousand interesting 

 tricks. He approached softly, under cover of the 

 bushes, and prepared to fire upon the unsuspecting 



creatures ; but a nearer approach discovered to him 

 such a similitude betwixt their gestures and the 

 infantile cresses of h.s own children, that he threw 

 aside his gun. 'i'his gentleman's feelings are to be 

 envied ; but few traders in fur would have acted so 

 feelingly." 



THE r.ATTI.E SMAKE. 



The rattle snake finds a superior foe in the doer 

 and the black snake. Whenever a buck discovers 

 a rattle snake in a situation that invites attack, he 

 loses no time in preparing for battle. He nutkes 

 to within ten or twnlve feet of the snake, then 

 leaps forward, and aims to sever the body of the 

 snake with his sharp bifurcated hoofs. The first 

 onset is most commonly successful, but if other- 

 wise, the buck repeats the trial until he cuts the 

 snake in twain. The rapidity and fatality of his 

 skilfol mancEuvre, leave but a slight chance for its 

 victim either to escape or to iiiject its poison into 

 its more alert antagonist. The black snake is also 

 a inore than equal competitor against the rattle 

 snake. Such ia its celeiity of motion, not only in 

 running, hut in entwining it-^olf round its victim, 

 that the rattle snake has no way of escaping from 

 its fatal embrace. 



When the black and rattle snakes are tibout to 

 meet for battle, the former darts fiirward at the 

 height of his s[)eed, and strikes at the neck of the 

 other with unerring certainty, leaving a foot or 

 two of the upper part of his own body at liberty. 

 In an instant he encircles him within five or six 

 folds ; ho then stops, and looks the strangling and 

 gasping foe in the face, to ascertain the effect pro- 

 duced upon his corselted body. If he shows signs 

 of life, the coils are multiplied, and the screws 

 tightened; the operator all the while narrowly 

 watching the countenance of the helpless victim. 

 Tims the two remain thirty or forty minutes ; the 

 executioner then slackens one coil, noticing, at the 

 same time, wliether any signs of life appear ; if so, 

 the coil is resumed, and maintained until the incar- 

 cerated wretch is completely dead. The moccasin 

 snake is destroyed in the same way. 



MIOBATOIiY INSTI.\CT OF AN.MAL3. 



A British officer on board a ship which touched 

 at the Island of .Ascension, in her way to England, 

 informed me that they took in several largo turtles, 

 and amongst others, one, which, from some acci- 

 dent had only three fins. The sailors on board 

 called it the 'Lord Nelson,' and it was marked in 

 a certain way by having certain initials, and num- 

 bers burnt upon its under shell with a hot iron, 

 which marks are never to be obliterated. Owing 

 to various causes, the ship was delayed on her 

 j voyage ; many of the turtles die<l, and others be- 

 came sickly. Tills was the case of the 'Lord 

 I Nelson ;' and it was so nearly dead when the ship 

 } arrived in the channel, that the sailors, with whom 

 ] it was a favorite, threw it overboard, in order, as 

 they said, to give it a chuiife. Its native element, 

 however, appears to have revived it ; for two years 

 at'terwards the very same turtle wiis found at its old 

 haunts in the island of Ascension. The proofs 

 brought forward of the accuracy of the statement, 

 place the fact beyond doubt, and aflord a wonder- 

 ful instance of the instinct of this fish. When we 

 consider the vast tract of water which this turtle 

 had to pass, and that the island of Ascension is 

 only a little speck in the mighty ocean, it is im- 

 possible not to reflect on that unexplained instinct 

 with wonder, which enabled so uiiwieldy, and ap- 

 parently so stupid an animal to find its way back 

 to a rock in the desert of waters. 



JACKDAW. 



Swinesherd Abbey, in Lincolnshire, is famous 

 in liistory as (he scene of poisoning King John. 

 An old elm tree, in the avenue leading up to the 

 house, was blown down by a high wind ; several 

 younsr jackdaws were killed in the nests in the 

 hollow tree when it fell ; one, howpTor. escaped, 

 and was reared by the children. This bird evin- 

 ced great sagacity, but there was one circumstance 

 attending it which excited particular observation. 

 When the owner of the house was riding out, the 

 bird appeared to be always watching his return ; 

 and the moinent he saw him coming up the avenue, 

 he would fly otf in search of the groom, and by his 

 extraordinary noi.'^e, apprise him of his master's 

 approacii. If the man did not attend to him, he 

 would pock at his legs, lay hold of his stocking, 

 and pull with all his might ; and the man said he 

 was always made sensible of his master's return, 

 by the peculiar note o! the bird. It used to take 

 its stand upon the gate of the stable yard, which 

 commanded a view down the avenue. Like most 

 pets, it came to an untimely end. ". he poor bird 

 alighted amongst some hot ashes, and was burnt to 

 death. 



INSTINCT OF ElliES. 



Birds have an extraordinary faculty in avoiding 

 danger, although it be not apparent at the time. 

 Some years ago a large and beautiful ash tree was 

 blown down in the vicarage of Newcastle upon 

 Tyne. About 140 distinct rings marked the 

 growth of this tree, and those circles which re- 

 mained became too minute to be counted ; the tree 

 was thus of great age, hut was found decayed near 

 the roo*. A colony of rooks had' been accustomed 

 to build their annual nests upon this tree ; but on 

 a sudden, and before the tempest which had up- 

 rooted it, they deserted, and for no apparent rea- 

 son, and took up their abode in an ash tiee growing 

 near, the situation of which was between the chim- 

 nies of the adjoining houses. 



POllOilKTTK. 



Tins valuiible manure may he had on appbcatinn to the 

 siihscriher, at I lie office ol die " Atw York Poiidrelte Com- 

 pmiij,^' No 120 Nassau street, New Vnrk. It is in-odorous^ 

 and may be transixM'lei! in harrels, fin lioard of any vessel 

 or slejuihoiii, wiilidut otfence — anil it will he found an ex- 

 ceeilinG:ly valnattle article as i\ fcrtUizcr on nvy soil, nnd for 

 any crops; hut more especially (or ijardens and flowi.rs, as 

 ihere are no Ibnl seeds in it. Poudrette has heen used for 

 three seasons with entire success nn Lon? island, by many 

 |)raclical farmers, as may tje ascertained from letters ana 

 slalemenls made hy Iheiii, <ind put'lisheii at ibis itfiice in a 

 pamphlet coniainim; also the ■' act of incorporntion'' granted 

 to tile Company by the Legislature of ihe titate of New 

 Vork ; and other facts in relation to the sulject. Price 35 

 ceiiis per bushel. Barrels cost 25 cents each, and hold 4 

 bushels. Persons wishing to make an experiment on a 

 small sca'e can obtain one barrel hy enclosing a tiro dollar 

 current hank hill — or three barrels hy enclosing^'i'c rioliars, 

 free of posla^je. On receipL of the money the article will he 

 put up and forwarded as direcleii. 



*,f* Price of shares, one hundred dollars— which entitles 

 the hoh!er to one hundred bushels at pouifrette annually, 

 during the term of the charter; fifty bushels in lime for spring 

 use, and fifty hnshels in time for fall use. Shares taken 

 sonn, will he enlilleri to ihe spring iijvidend — and, if'desired 

 for expert 11, cut, a few hushels may tie had this fall. 



All orders, or applications in relaiion to the business, 

 must he made to ilic suhscriher, 120 Nassau sireel. New 

 York. D. K. MINOR. 



5Ij" I wisli it distinctly understood that the " New York 

 Poudrette Company" is in no way connecte-d with the 

 " I.odi Mauuractnring C'nmpany," ofwhicli Anthony Dcy 

 and Peter Birfheteiny art', or were, the managers. 



Dec. 9, 1p40. ■ 3m. D. k'. M. 



THE KKW ISNULAND F.VKi»5F.R 



Is puhiished every SVednesday Evening, at 9.3 per annum 

 ]iajahleat the enif of t)ie \ear — hnl those who pay witliio 

 sixty days from the lime oi' subscribing are entitled to a de« 

 duclioDof 50 cents. 



