1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



533 



placed in contact with sound grain, nearly one 

 third of the ear will be affected by smut." M. 

 Poiteau maintains that this is altogether inexpli- 

 cable, unless smut be contagious by touch ; but 

 even allowing this, it is no proof that the former 

 opinions may not be well founded. M. Poiteau 

 says that every experiment tried by M. Philippar, 

 proves as much for the opinion that smut is a dis- 

 ease, as that it is a parasite plant ; but admitting 

 this, M. Poiteau does not prove what he desires 

 to, viz : that his theory is correct. He also at- 

 tacks M. Philippar's declaration, that smut is 

 propagated by seed, but we cannot find that he 

 gives any proofs that such is not the case. He 

 very fairly cites against himself, the Memoire of 

 M. Benedict Provost, in which he distinctly states 

 that he saw the smut change its appearance, and 

 germinate : but M. Poiteau asks if that can be 

 called germination which is nothing more than a 

 change from round to oblong ? If all changes 

 which are seen in plants are taken for germina- 

 tion, every vegetable thing in nature should be 

 deemed susceptible of germination. He gives M. 

 Philippar great praise for his zeal and ability, but 

 not the loss insists that he is wrong. 



We do not profess to give any opinion on the 

 nature of smut, but are anxious to lay before the 

 reader some of the views of others, and to call at- 

 tention to what seems to us to be an increasing 

 malady in our beautiful and profitable Indian 

 corn crop. 



INDIAN SUMMER. 



At the open window I sit and see 



The gorseous clouds that are passing by, 



And the soft south air is bringing to me 

 Perfumes as sweet as in June buds lie. 



Even the bees are humming to-day, 



And I catch the sound of children at play. 



Did I not see the changing leaves 



Brilliant in coloring as the sky, 

 And the reapers binding their golden sheaves, 



I should say the summer had not gone by. 

 It seems as if nature had paused to think. 

 Before it should reach October's brink. 



But with every breath of the scented breeze 



There is rustling down a withered leaf. 

 And I hear the sighing among the trees 



That is like the prelude to a grief — 

 And 'though the sun shines with a splendor like June, 

 By this I should know 'tis a fall afternoon. 



At the open window I sit and see 

 Clouds that are passing — hopes that are past, 



And the soft south air is bringing to me 

 Memories crowding thick and fast ; 



And some of the dreams I recall to-day 

 Are swept like the withered leaves away. 



At the open window I still remain. 



And my sonl is vainly trying to see 

 Over the losses — on to the gain — 



Knowing how much that gain would be. 

 Teach me, teach me, how to wait 

 For the Summer so endless— Heaven so great. 



Portsmouth Journal. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE BIEDS OP NEW ENGLAND— No. 4. 



HAWKS. 



Sliarp Shinned Hawk — American Gos Hawk— Cooper's Hawk 

 — Stanley Hawk — Broad-Winged Hawk. 



The third sub-family among the Falconidce, the 

 Accipilrince {proper hawks,) constitutes a well 

 marked group in the Falcon tribe, and is regard- 

 ed by naturalists as the sub-typical section, and 

 its members are readily distinguished by their 

 long and expanded tails, and short and rounded 

 wings, being often called the short icivged Hawks. 

 They are a courageous tribe, boldly attacking 

 birds of quite large size, often seizing their prey 

 upon the wing, or by pouncing upon it from 

 above, and frequently rob the farmer of a por- 

 tion of his young poultry, making amends for the 

 same, however, in the destruction they wage uj)- 

 on the mice. Their flight is swift and strong, and 

 in the days of falconry and hawking, these birds 

 were considerably valued in the princely sports, 

 but were considered less noble than the true Fal- 

 cons, and were termed birds of hawking rather 

 than of falconry. They are said to be rather syl- 

 van in their habits, preferring wooded countries, 

 and breeding in trees. Accipitcr and Astin are 

 the genera represented in the fauna of New Eng- 

 land. 



The Sharp-Shinned Hawk, {Accipiter Penn- 

 sylvaniensis, Swain. ; A. fuscus, Bonap.,) some- 

 times called the Slate-colored Hawk, is an ele- 

 gant and daring little hunter, and by Audubon 

 has been termed "the miniature of the Gos-Hawk" 

 not only from its general appearance, but from 

 its swift, vigorous and irregular manner of flight, 

 and the velocity with which it dashes upon its quar- 

 ry. Its habitat seems to be nearly tiie whole con- 

 tinent, as it has been seen far to the north, and is 

 known to exist in the intertropical parts of South 

 America ; it is found throughout the United States, 

 but according to Nuttall seems more particularly 

 to abound in the thinly settled parts of some of 

 the Southern States than elsewhere. Its food 

 consists of small birds, from the smallest in size 

 to the common Passenger Pigeon, mice, reptiles 

 and chickens, the latter of which it will boldly 

 pounce upon in the very presence of their keep- 

 ers ; and Nuttall speaks of twenty or thirty as be- 

 ing carried away by a single individual of this 

 species in as many consecutive days. 



The Sharp-Shinned Hawk, provincially known, 

 in common with the other smaller Hawks, as the 

 Pigeon Hawk, measures twelve inches in length, 

 and twenty-one in alar extent ; upper parts, dark 

 slate blue, in the adult ; under parts white, finely 

 variegated with broad bars of ferruginous. The 

 female is much brger, a fine specimen now be- 

 fore me measuring fourteen inches in kngth, and 

 twenty-five in extent. The plumage of the young 

 is dark brown above, skirted with ferruginous. 



The American Gos-hawk or Black Capped 

 Hawk of Wilson (Astur atricapilli's, Bonap.,) is 

 generally considered as a rather rare species, at 

 least was so regarded by Wilson and Nuttall, 

 Chiefly inhabiting the more northern parts of the 

 continent, and migrating southward in the au- 

 tumn, it is more commonly observed in fall and 

 winter than at other times. It is said to be an 

 extremely active and bold bird, sailing aloft in 

 circles, or, Avhen hunting, skimming near the 



