122 Jolm Packman. 



above the clouds, when, suddenly his voice is hush- 

 ed, and, in zigzag lines, he descends rapidly to the 

 earth, and alights near the spot from whence he arose. 

 This is repeated for several successive evenings, and 

 at early dawn, till, suddenly, he begins his annual 

 migration and is seen no more. The Yellow-crown- 

 ed and Night Herons utter their hoarse croak as 

 they pass high and rapidly on ; and at a still greater 

 distance is heard the, not unmusical, cry of the Can- 

 ada goose. In the mean time the Rails, Owls, 

 Thrushes, Warblers, and many other birds, glide 

 silently by the observer, like spirits of the air ; and 

 without being superstitious, there comes over him a 

 sensation of admiration and fear; and he feels the 

 truth of the language of inspiration, " Great and 

 marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty" 



The arrival and departure of birds, affords a 

 pretty sure indication of the state of the weather, 

 and the advance of the seasons. Living constantly 

 in the air, and exposed to all its variations, they be- 

 come, either from instinct or habit, acquainted with 

 the changes of the atmosphere, with the winds and 

 seasons. When the well known notes of the Whip- 

 poorwill are heard, the farmer is reminded that the 

 time for planting corn is at hand. The Fish-hawk's 

 return to the rivers of the North, is regarded by the 

 fisherman as a proof that the season for taking shad 

 has arrived. When the Swallow appears, the dan- 

 ger of frost is believed to be over ; the Cuckoo of 

 Europe is hailed by the old and young, as an evi- 

 dence of the return of Spring. 



u Sweet bird, thy bower is ever green, 



Thy sky is ever clear ; 

 Thou hast no sorrow in thy song, 

 No winter in thy year." 



The inhabitants of our Middle and Northern 

 States should feel equally interested and pleased 



