208 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



DEC. 30, IS4». 



MISCELLANEOUS 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE QUAIL. 



The quail stronnjly resembles the partriiltre, but 

 is much smaller, has a more delicate beak, shorter 

 tail, and no spur on its legs. It is found on both 

 continents, but there is a slight difference between 

 the quail of Europe and that of America. 



In Europe they are birds of passage, appearing' 

 about May, and departing in September, as is sup- 

 posed, to Africa. In sorr.e parts of Europe, how- 

 ever, they appear to remain the whole year. They 

 are abmit seven inches long; the feathers of the 

 head are black, edged with a rusty brown. The 

 hinder ])art of the neck and crown of the head are 

 divided by a long, palo yellow line ; the breast is 

 of a yellowish red, spotted witii black; the feath- 

 ers on the back are marked with a pale yellow line 

 in their middle, and with irun-colored and blackish 

 bars on their sides. 



The American quail, or, as it is called in Penn- 

 sylvania and the Southern States, the partridge, 

 does not migrate like the quail of Europe, but re- 

 mains at home all winter. When the season is 

 unusually severe, they sometimes suffer, however, 

 and whole flocks of thern have sotnetimes been 

 found frozen to death. They are about nine in- 

 ches in length, usually weighing about half a 

 pound. The bill is black, and their color, gene- 

 rally, is darker than that of the quail of Europe. 



The quail constructs her nest in May. It is 

 made on the ground, generally at the foot of a 

 thick tuft of grass, that shelters and conceals it. 

 The materials employed in its construction are 

 leaves and dry grass. About 15 or 20 eggs are 

 usually laid, which are perfectly white. It is 

 thought by some, that they occasionally lay in 

 each other's nests. The young birds attain their 

 full growth about the beginning of September, 

 when they begin to associate in flocks or coveys. 

 About this time, too, sportsmen and trappers begin 

 to persecute them. 



During the end of the summer and the begin- 

 ning of autumn, the well known note of the male 

 bird is every where lieard. This note is thought 

 by many to resemble tlie words .More Wet, accom- 

 panied by a whistling ; but this probably arose in 

 part, from a superstitions notion, that the sound, 

 when heard, always foretold rain. Owing to the 

 ehortness of their wings, and the rapidity with 

 which they move them, they make, when they fly, 

 a whizzing sound. The American quail is found 

 from New England to Guatclmafi. 



Their food is composed of grain, seeds, insects, 

 &c. ; but their favorite articles, are buck-wheat 

 and Indian corn. Their flesh is more juicy and 

 delicate than that of the partridge ; and by many 

 is preferred to that of any other bird. The 

 ancients, however, had a strong pre|udice against 

 their flesh, from a belief that they fed upon a poi- 

 sonous plant, called hellebore, and were subject 

 to fits of epilepsy. But it is now known that 

 many animals whose flesh we are accustomed to 

 use for food, feed on plants which would be poison- 

 ous to IIS, and this without any injury to them ; or, 

 so far as we know, without rendering their tiesh at 

 all unwholesome to us. 



Quail fighting in Rome and Athens, in ancient 

 times, appears to have been as common as cock- 

 fighting in more modern days. 'J'his barbarous 

 and unfeeling practice is even continued at the 

 present time in China, and in some parts of Italy. 



GIZZARD PEBBLES. 



The real use of poultry swallowing pebbles so 

 often along with their harder kinds of food, is one 

 of the most curious subjects in natural history. — 

 That they should have to resort to artificial means, 

 anparently more likely to hinder than help thcin in 

 grinding in their food, is at the first view almost 

 incredible. The gizzard is their millstones, and 

 what they can want with pebbles and gravel, is a 

 complete puzzle to philosophers. However, the 

 poultry tribe went thrive on hard corn without. — 

 They get fat in pens because they have their food 

 ready ground. 



" On opening the gizzard of a bird," says Roget, 

 in his Bridgewater Treatise, "it is constantly found 

 to contain a certain quantity of small pebbles, 

 which must have been swallowed by the animal. 

 The most natural reason that can be assigned for 

 the presence of these stones is, that they aid the 

 gizzard in triturating the contained food, and that 

 they, in fact, supply the office of teeth in that ope- 

 ration. Both Eurdyce and Hunter concur in es- 

 tablishing the truth of the common opinion, that in 

 all birds possessing gizzards, the presence of the 

 stones is essential to perfect digestion. A greater 

 or less uumber of them is contained in every giz- 

 zard, when the bird has been able to meet with the 

 requisite supply, and they are never swallowed but 

 along with the food. Several hundred were found 

 in the gizzard of a turkey: and two thousand in 

 that of a goose. So great an accumulation could 

 never have been the result of mere accident. If 

 the alleged mistake could ever occur, we should 

 expect it to take place to the greatest extent in 

 those birds which are starving for want of food ; 

 but this is far from being the case. It is found 

 that even chickens, which have been hatched by 

 artificial heat, and which could never have been 

 instructed by the parent, are yet guided by a natu- 

 ral instinct in tlie choice of the proper materials 

 for food, and for assisting its digestion ; and, if, a 

 mixture of a large quantity of stones with a small 

 proportion of grain he set before them, they will 

 at once pick out the grain, and swallow along with 

 it only the proper proportion of stones. The best 

 proof of the utility of these substances may be de- 

 rived from the experiments of Spallanzani, who as- 

 certained that grain is not digested in the stomach 

 of birds, when it is protected from the effects of 

 trituration. 



Thus the gizzard may, as Hunter remarks, be re- 

 garded as a pair of jaws, whose teeth are taken in, 

 occasionally, to assist in this internal mastication. 

 The lower part of the gizzard consists of a thin 

 muscular bag, of which the office is, to digest the 

 food which has just been triturated. 



Stones taken into the stomachs of birds, are sel- 

 dom known to pass with the fceces, but, being 

 ground down and separated by the powerful action 

 of the gizzard, are mixed with the food, and, no 

 doubt, contribute essentially to the health of the 

 animal." 



thick fur of a darkish brown color, 

 in high estimation. 



Its fur is held 



ANECDOTE OF A HORSE. 



In the war in Spain, some years ago, two horses 

 had long served together in the same brigade of 

 artillery. They had assisted in drawing the same 

 gun, and had been inseparable companions in 

 many battles. One of them was at last killed ; and 

 after the engagement the survivor was piqurtted 

 as usual, and his food brought to him. He refused, 

 however, to eat, and was constantly turning round 

 his head to look for his companion, sometimes 

 neighing as if to call him. All the care that was 

 bestowed upon him was of no avail. He was sur- 

 rounded by other horses, but he did not notice 

 them : and he shortly afterwards died, not having 

 tasted food from the time his associate was killed. 



Comparison of Speed. — A French scientific jour- 

 nal states that the ordinary rate per second 



Of a man walking, is 4 feet. 



Of a good horse in harness, 12 



Of a reindeer in a sledge on the ice, 26 

 Of an English race-horse, 43 



Of a hare. 



Of a good sailing ship. 

 Of the wind, 

 Of sound. 



Of a 24 pound cannon ball, 

 Of the air, which, so divided, returns 

 into space. 



THE MARTIN. 



The Martin is the most beautiful of the weasel 

 kind. It lives in hollow trees, and produces five 

 or six at a time. When taken young, it is easily 

 tamed, and becomes playful; but it is always 

 ready to make its escape to the woods. It is ex- 

 tremely fond of honey, and sometimes feeds on 

 grain. It prepares itself for sleep in a round form, 

 covering its tail with its head. Sometimes it 

 sleeps two days, and keeps awake as long. Its 

 body is a foot and a half long, and covered with a 



19 



82 



1038 



1300 



1300 



BOITB 9IA1VURE:. 



The subscriber informs Jiis friends and tbe public, that 

 alter ten years experience, he is fully convinced that ground 

 bones lorm the most powerful sliniufanl that can he applied 

 10 the earth as a manure. 



Orders for Bone Manure or Oyster Shell Lime, left at the 

 Bone Mill, near Tremont road, in iloxbury, at the New 

 England Agricultural Warehouse and Seed Store, No. 52 

 Nortli Market Streel, or tlirough the Post Office will meet 

 Willi prompt attention. 



March 4, 1840. NAHUM WARD. 



POUDRETTK. 



This valualde manure may be had on application to the 

 subscrilier, at the office of the " New York Poudretle Com- 

 pany," No, 120 Nassau street, New York. It is in-odorous, 

 and may he Iransiiorled in barrels, on board of any vessel 

 or steamboat, without offence— and it will he found an ex- 

 ceedingly valuable article as s./erliti:er on any sod, and for 

 any crops; but more especially lor gardens and flowers, as 

 there are no foul seeds in it, Pouilretle has been use.l for 

 three seasons with entire success on Long Island, by many 

 practical farmers, as may be ascertained from letters and 

 staternenls made by ihem, and published at this office in a 

 pamphlet containing also the ''act of incorporation,-' granted 

 to the Company by the Legislature of the State of New 

 York ; and other facts in relation to the subject. Price 3* 

 cents per bushel. Barrels cost 25 cents each, and liold ^ 

 bushels. Persons wishing to make an experiment on a 

 smad scale can obtain one barret by enclosing a two doll;ip 

 current bank bill — ov tlirce barrels by enclosing^^'rt' dollaj-g^ 

 free of postage. On receipt of itie money the ariicle will ]j^ 

 put up and forwarded as directed. 



*^'* Price of shares, one hundred dollars — which entitles 

 the holder to one tiundred bustiels of poudrette annually, 

 during the term ol the charter; fifty bushels in time for spring- 

 use, and fifty bushels in time for ^fatt use. Shares taken 

 soon, will be entitled to the spring dividend — ami, if desired 

 for experiment, a few bushels may bo had this fall. 



All orders, or applications in relation to the business 

 must be made to tba subscriber, 120 Nassau street, New 

 York. D. K. MINOR. 



fj- I wish it distinctly understood that the " Ntnit York 

 Poudrette Company" is in no way connected wuh the 

 " Lodi Manufacturing Company," of which Anthony Da/ 

 and Peter Barthetcmy are, or were, the managers. 



Dec. 9, 1S40. 3m. D. K. M. 



THE NEW ENGI.AKD FAKHIER 



Is published every Wednesday Evening, at S3 per annum 

 payable at the end of the year— but those who pay within 

 sixty days from the time of subscribing are entitled to a tle- 

 duciionof 59 cents. 



