1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



291 



•we look around for the originals, and discover, 

 with astonishment, that the sole performer in this 

 singular concert is the admirable bird now before 

 us. During this exhibition of his powers, he 

 spreads his wings, expands his tail, and throws 

 himself around the cage in all the ecstacy of en- 

 thusiasm, seeming not only to sing, but to dance, 

 keeping time to the measure of his own music. 

 Both in his native and domesticated state, during 

 the solemn stillness of night, as soon as the moon 

 rises in silent majesty, he begins his delightful 

 solo, and serenades us the livelong night with a 

 full display of his vocal powers, making the 

 whole neighborhood ring with his inimitable 

 medley." The native notes of the Mocking Bird 

 considerably resemble those of the Brown Thrush, 

 but are readily distinguished by their greater ra- 

 pidity, sweetness, energy and variety. 



The Mocking Bird is nine and a half inches in 

 length, and thirteen in extent. Above, plain 

 brownish ash, the wings and tail black, the pri- 

 mary coverts of the former tipped with white, 

 also a white space on the primaries ; two exterior 

 feathers of the tail white, and the rest, except 

 the two middle ones, broadly tipped with pure 

 white ; beneath, brownish white ; iris, pale yellow. 



The Brown Thrush or Brown Thrasher, 

 {Orpheus rufus, Swain.,) also known as the Red 

 Mavis, Long tailed Thrush, &c., is a common and 

 well-known species inhabiting from Mexico to 

 Canada. He arrives in New England from the 

 South about the end of April, and, to all lovers of 

 rural song and scenery, is a welcome visitant to 

 our hedges and skirts of woods, in which he takes 

 up his residence, and is well entitled to protec- 

 tion at the hands of the farmer. During the 

 months of May and June he is continually piping 

 his well known and justly-admired song, from the 

 tree-tops of the thicket or hedge, occasionally, 

 when undisturbed, approaching the farm-house, 

 and from the top of a tall tree in the garden or 

 orchard, often within a stone's throw of the far- 

 mer's door, continuing his musical lay for hours 

 of a dewy morning or towards nightfall. Yet he 

 is sometimes guilty of scratching up a few grains 

 of newly-planted corn, or of purloining a few cur- 

 rants or cherries from the garden, and on this 

 account is often unmercifully persecuted by boys 

 who have acquired a thirt for "sporting" and are 

 eager to practice their ^kill at destruction even 

 on the most trivial excuse. The Brown Thrush 

 destroys great quantities of those grubs that are 

 so destructive to the farmers' crops, particularly 

 in May and the first two summer months, at 

 which time they are also most fed upon, and 

 amply repaying for the minute losses he may 

 occasion, is highly worthy of esteem and protec- 

 tion. 



The Cat "^i^d, {Orpheus felivox, Swain.,) is one 

 of our most abundant species, several pairs in- 

 habiting every thicket, often frequenting gardens 

 and swamps, and is at all times exceedingly un- 

 suspicious and familiar. Though possessing no 

 traits absolutely criminal, he is yet in bad repute 

 with many, and great numbers are often destroyed 

 for no better reason than the pilfering of a few 

 berries from the garden, or of scratching up a very 

 few kernels of corn. His name is, unfortunately, 

 not prepossessing in his favor, obviously given 

 from one of his peculiar and oft-repeated notes 

 having some resemblance to the mewing of a 



stray kitten. The Cat-bird, however, possesses 

 many decidedly original, interesting and familiar 

 traits of character, among which is a prying in- 

 quisitiveness, often curiously exhibited; and 

 seems to possess, as thought by some, a faculty 

 of imitating, to some extent, the notes of other 

 birds. "On attentively listening for some time 

 to him, one can perceive considerable variety in 

 his performance, in which he seems to introduce 

 all the odd sounds and quaint passages he has 

 been able to collect," and may well rank among 

 those agreeable general performers that fill our 

 thickets, fields and orchards with such pleasing 

 melody. j. A. A. 



Springfield, Mass., Feb. 15, 1861. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE ADVANTAGE OP AGRIOULTUBAL 

 OVEK MERCANTILE PURSUITS. 



It is a lamentable fact, that the sons of our 

 New England farmers have become imbued with 

 the erroneous idea, that the pursuit of agriculture 

 is a dull and unprofitable employment, affording, 

 at best, but a scanty remuneration for a life of 

 toil ; they endeavor to persuade themselves that 

 a more congenial and lucrative occupation is to 

 be found in the neighboring city. 



Such sentiments operate as a check upon the 

 steady advancement of agricultural pursuits, and 

 I think no effort should be spared to convince 

 those who entertain them, that their course of 

 reasoning is quite erroneous. 



A nomadic people, accustomed to subsist on 

 the spontaneous products of the earth, takes its 

 first step towards civilization, when nature failing 

 to satisfy their wants, compels them to cultivate 

 the soil, to insure more abundant and regular 

 supplies. Commerce, and the useful arts, are the 

 developments of agricultural wealth, and could 

 not exist without the natural and artificial appli- 

 ances of agricultural skill. But it is evident that 

 all cannot follow commerce, nor all agriculture ; 

 for the two exist as extremes of a well balanced 

 system and the increase of the one or the other 

 beyond natural bounds would result in mutual 

 deterioration. 



But unfortunately, young men overlooking the 

 opportunities for advancement in the occupation 

 of their fathers, long to satisfy their ambition in 

 engaging in commerce ; yet many merchants who 

 committed the same error in their youth, return 

 during the latter part of life to the country, en- 

 tering with new zest and awakened energies into 

 the fascinating pursuit of farming. 



Then, too, a city life is eminently artificial ; liv- 

 ing day by day, shut in by lofty and uninteresting 

 walls, passing through crowded thoroughfares, 

 jostled by the passing multitude, it is no wonder, 

 that these merchants, tired and disgusted with 

 this wearisome life, should seek relief in the more 

 quiet country. There a new life seems opened 

 before them ; every surrounding serves to awaken 

 their finer nature, dull and blunted by disuse. 

 They see before them new opportunities of use- 

 fulness ; they take pleasure in watching the in- 

 crease of their flocks, in beautifying their grounds 

 with rare and curious exotics ; improving their 

 lands, by draining here and watering there; erect- 

 ing commodious and useful buildings ; busying 



