1871 



me: western POMOLOGIST. 



99 



Aristotle, writing on this subject, supposing they 

 came from heaven, lie called them " Msseugers of 

 Jupiter." Many carefully observed instances in 

 modern times liave wrought conviction among the 

 learned. 



Recently, when this phenomenon gave rise to 

 such great discussion in the Academy of Science, 

 in France, the wise and learned Dumeril gave it as 

 his opinion that the water-spouts, passing over the 

 fens, pumped up the water as well as all it contained, 

 and carried it off to bo deposited at a distance, and re- 

 lates a case attested by a whole company of Frencli 

 soldiers, " During the revolution, while on the 

 march in the open country, they were assailed by a 

 sliower of little toads which were dashed in their 

 faces, falling with the torrent of water. Astonished 

 at sucli an unwonted attaclj, and desirous of satisfy- 

 ing themselves as to whether this living shower 

 came from above, the soldiers spread out tlieir liand- 

 kercheifs on a level with their head'-:, and found 

 they were covered directly. After the storm, tlie 

 astonishment was general when the soldiers saw 

 this unexpected brood leaping about tlie folds of 

 their cocked hats." This same statement is pub- 

 lishad on page 846, in a work called The Universe, 

 by F. A. Fouchet, M. D., Translated from the 

 French; published by Clias. Scribner & Co., New 

 York, 1870. 



I give this simply as additional evidence to those 

 who might question my own testimony— and indeed, 

 were it necessary to quote more authorities I have 

 them at hand, notwithstanding the supposition of 

 several learned men that it was a popular error, and 

 that "these young toads and frogs simply came forth 

 from clefts of the dry ground, and had been driven 

 out by the rain." 



A WORD ABOUT THE Bdtchbr Bird — The Great 

 American Shrike. The Lanidte, or Shrike family, 

 have a strong compressed bill, the tip abruptly hook- 

 ed,both mandibles distinctly notched,the upper witli 

 a distinct tooth (in this re.spect much like the falcons) 

 comprising thv t<hrikeii and the Vireos. The genus 

 CoUyrio has the bill shorter than the head, the tip 

 of the lower mandible bent upwards, legs stout, 

 wings rounded, and claws very sharp. The Butcher 

 Bird is the CoUyrio horealis, and is nearly nine inches 

 long, etc. It preys mainly on insects, sparrows, and 

 other small bird.s. It has the power to imitate the 

 sounds of other birds, especially those indicating 

 distress; and has the singular habit of impaling 

 birds and insects upon the points of twigs and 

 thorns. That part is the known histoiy of this 

 bird, found in most of the Eastern, Middle, and 

 Southern States; also called Tyrants. The Vireos 

 are now separated from the Shrikes, or Fly-catchers, 

 although they possess some of their habits. They 

 arc more musical than the Tyrants, which latter are 

 destitute of song. How aptly Shakspeare, in his 



Merchant of Venice, describes this "biped"— only 

 ho refers to another genus : — 



"The man that hath no muBic in himself, 

 Nor is not moved with concord of eweet sound**. 

 Is tit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils : 

 The motions of iiis spirit are dull as uighl. 

 And his affections dark as Erehus; 

 Let no such man be trusted." 



Why this tyranical butcher impales his victims 

 after destroying them, is a question not answered 

 by supposing they have weak digestive organs, so 

 that it must needs be putrid ; bat Mr. Riley admits 

 that they frequently eat newly killed animals. 

 Neither do I know how, like other bipeds, they pre- 

 fer "venison to fresh flesh." I presume these other 

 bipeds prefer fresh venison to stale venison. 



As a general rule, they, these birds, have a .system 

 in their practice. Your two figures and the fact of 

 lodging in the forks of the twigs, differ from that 

 system. Therefore I agree with you, Mr. Editor, — 

 "From the position in which these frogs wi're 

 found, as illu.strated, our solution of this [not to me] 

 singular phenomenon was [and is] that the}' must 

 have been showered down from above." 



Fralt Prospects.— Great Sleet Storm. 



Ed. Pomologist. — The fall was favorable for the 

 maturing of the wood, and our trees went into win- 

 ter quarters in good condition. Our winter has 

 been one of mild temperature, except the last part 

 of December we had some very cold weather, the 

 thermometer getting down from 10 to 18 degrees 

 below zero for two or three days only. Our Appl.' 

 Trees have without exception (even tender varie- 

 ties) come out in good condition, and although they 

 bore a very large crop last season, are now well set 

 with fruit buds, and if the spring is favorable we 

 have promise of another good crop the coming sea- 

 son. Pears full of fruit buds. Crop of Pears past 

 season was very light (except Sc;ckel). Cherries — 

 Early May and Late Richmond, last season, light 

 crop. At present I don't think I ever saw so many 

 fruit buds. I now have given you the bright side 

 and will also give you the dark one. 



The month of January last will be long remem- 

 bered by the people in our vicinity, south and east 

 of us, for the unparallelled severity of the storm of 

 ice and snow with which we were visited. The 

 month was moderately cold and clear, and was suc- 

 ceeded by milder and most delightful weather until 

 Friday morning, the 13th, a slight mist came, in- 

 creasing to a fine rain, prognosticating a sudden 

 change. As the day advanced, the storm increased, 

 and when evening closed in the rain still increased. 

 During Friday night it changed into a severe storm 

 of sleet, accompanied with considerable wind. On 

 Saturday morning everything was loaded down, 

 and the largest shade and forest trees crushed be- 



