NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



John Walker. Jkli.stress Biddy hatched out a fine 

 brood of chicks, but at the expiration of ten days 

 from their announcement into this "breathing 

 ■world," commenced laying, to which practice she 

 has adhered with true hen-like pertinacity for some 

 three weeks, retiring at stated moments to deposit 

 her egg, and then returning to her maternal dutes. 

 It is, indeed, curious, to say the least, to see this 

 model hen engaged in making her daily egg depos- 

 it, with her little ones about her ; some on her back, 

 some under her wing, and otherwise chicken-like 

 disposed. I know not in what light to view this 

 matter of well-doing, but commend her example as 

 well worthy of imitation by all hendom ; I think 

 her kind is rare. w. 



Sonwville, July, 185C. 



Remarks. — The above are some of the pleasant 

 attractions of country life. We do not believe there 

 is a heart, we care not in whose bosom it beats, if 

 it beats at all, that is not touched by these simple 

 relations. We can easily imagine that dame Spar- 

 row Avas in a hurry to see her offspring, and com- 

 menced her sitting process before the usual comple- 

 ment of eggs was laid, and that the other tico eggs 

 were laid after incubation had commenced on the 

 first two. Birds build among the climbers immedi- 

 ately about our doors every year, and are a source 

 of pleasure to the whole household. It is next to 

 impossible that children brought up amidst such 

 scenes shall be selfish or indifferent to the welfare 

 of the world. 



For the New Englayid Farmer. 



BARN SWALLOW. 



H 1 R U N D AMERICANA. 



It is supposed by many persons that this bird in 

 autumn descends to the bottom of ponds and rivers, 

 and there buries itself in the mud until the return 

 of spring ; such people entertain a very absurd idea. 



If w^e compare the structure of this bird with 

 those animals that are amphibious, we shall discover 

 a wide difference in the construction of their bod- 

 ies; the swallow, who is made for an inhabitant of 

 the air, has his whole frame-work made light and 

 buoyant ; and to see how nature intended that he 

 should be powerful in his element, the sternum or 

 breast bone is exceedingly large, covering the lar- 

 ger part of the abdomen, and formed below like 

 the keel of a ship, to which is attached the ])ectoral 

 muscles, which are employed to move the wings, 

 and which in weight exceed all the other part of 

 the body ; these constitute the untiring powers that 

 this bird possesses, and which enable him to fly 

 with a velocity as great as a mile in a minute. It 

 also becomes necessary, as they are to be buoyed 

 in the air, that they be specifically lighter ; for this 

 the bones, the flesh, and the plumage, are admira- 

 bly adapted. The lungs are full of vessels tlirough 

 which the air passes into the chest, decarbonizing 

 the blood as it is drawn in, passing at the same 

 time into all the cavities and air-cells of the body, 

 and, likewise into the bones, which become, as M. 

 Chabrier says, "a light gas, being dilated and rare- 

 fied by great heat ; not only is its specific gravity 

 probal>ly diminished, but it must also contribute to 

 diminish that of the bird by inflating it and supply' 

 ing all vacancies during the flight." 



They, therefore, being thus constituted, must 

 possess a knowledge of the changes in the atmo- 

 sphere before, and quicker, than any other animal. 

 It is well known that before bad weather, water- 

 fowls retire from the sea, parade the shore and 

 creeks, and are exceedingly clamorous ; the hum- 

 ming bird sits sadly by the half-closed flower, the 

 eagle stands erect on a withered branch for hours, 

 under the lee of some tall wood, ^hile the groves 

 are silent, save now and then a faint chirp from 

 some dumpish warbler ; but on the change of the 

 atmosphere to fine dry weather, we see the water- 

 fowl stretching far over the sea, the humming bird 

 darting with a speed that almost eludes the sight, 

 the eagle rising on his broad wings, circling higher, 

 and still higher in the clear blue sky, while the 

 woods resound with the sweetest melody. Can it, 

 then, be possible, that an animal so curiously and 

 finely wrought, as to be susceptible of the changes 

 of the atmosphere, could undergo so great a change 

 as they would be subject to, in being immersed in 

 water, or buried in the mud, at the bottom of our 

 rivers, for six months of the year ? Could they 

 endure life, with all those air-cells in their bodies, 

 those hollow bones, and vascular lungs, as full of 

 water as they were with air ? No, they are migra- 

 tory, and pass to another climate to spend a more 

 active and joyous season. 



This bird is the loveliest and most beautiful spe- 

 cies of the swallow tribe ; with the tidings that the 

 "swallows are come," we associate all the loveliness 

 of spring, the fields spread in their newness, the 

 green leaf and painted blossom burst from their 

 buds, and "ruddy summer," with its long, warm 

 mornings, maturing noons, and tranquil evenings. 



"So when the earth smiles with a summer's ray, 

 Tlie wanton swallows o'er the \ alleys play ; 

 In sport each other they so swiftly chase, 

 Sweeping with easy wings the meadow's face, 

 They seem upon the ground to fly a race." 



Danvers-porl, 1856. a. f. 



A Fearful Scene in a School-Room. — The 

 Cleveland Herald has an article stating that great 

 havoc has been committed by dogs among flocks of 

 sheep in different parts of the State. One farmer 

 had 90 killed in one night another lost an entire 

 flock of 30, and so on. The following incident is 

 said to have occurred in the township of Orange. 



A middle-sized savage dog belonging to Mr. 

 Honeywell, rushed into the school-house among the 

 children, biting them right and left. One little girl 

 was dragged all around the school-house by the 

 brute, and six children were bitten. One little girl 

 had a large piece of flesh taken from her hi]). The 

 children sought refuge under the benches and 

 wherever they could to get out of the reach of the 

 dog. A man came with a club to the relief of the 

 children, and killed the animal. The dog, accord- 

 ing to the statement of the wife of the owner, had 

 been tied up through the winter and spring — of 

 course, because it was a dangerous animal. One of 

 the owner's children were among the bitten. Mr. 

 A. M. Lloyd, from whom we get the facts, was at 

 the spot soon after the occurrence, and the women 

 were cleaning the school-house, and scrubbing the 

 benches, fearing that the dog may have been mad. 

 As the animal was killed, of course it cannot be 

 known whether it was mad, or only naturally sav- 

 age. The children were under treatment, but of 

 course their friends will suffer under fearful appre- 

 hensions for a long time. 



