90 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Feb. 



they feed on the wild rice, and are called Rice 

 or Reed Bii'ds, and when tliat begins to fail, 

 they swarm the rice fields in the Southern 

 States, and soon appear in the islands of Cuba 

 and Jamaica, where they feed on the seeds of 

 the Guinea-grass. But one would scarcely 

 recognize our charming little friends down 

 there. The males have lost their gay nuptial 

 livery, and appear in the sombre colors of the 

 females. They have also lost their jingling 

 melody, with which they regaled us here, and 

 only utter a sharp "'weet, hceet, as they pass 

 from us in flocks or in small numbers. 



It is a matter of history, that a falcon be- 

 longing to Henry IV. of France, having es- 

 caped from Fontainbleau, was found, at the 

 end of twenty-four hours at Malta, a distance 

 of about 1,350 miles! In 1833, a Pohsh 

 gentleman having found a stork upon his es- 

 tate, near Leniberg, put round its neck an 

 u'on collar, with this inscription, '■^Hcecciconia 

 ex Polonia, (this stork comes from Poland,) 

 and set it at liberty. In 1834, the bird re- 

 turned to the same spot, and was caught by 

 the same person. It had acquired a new col- 

 lar of gold, with the inscription, "■India cum 

 donis remittit ciconiam Polonis'''' — (India sends 

 back the stork to the Poles with gifts.) 



Although a large portion of our summer 

 birds leave us as autumn approaches, we are 

 not left entirely alono in the winter. Birds 

 come to us from regions farther north. A few 

 years since we saw strange birds among the 

 shrubs in pastures, but quite near thick for- 

 ests, early in January. A few weeks later 

 many of the same Icind daily visited a row of 

 large apple trees, and soon covered the snow 

 under them with the husks of the buds ; taking 

 the inside of the buds as a reward for their 

 labor ! Of course, the trees bore no fruit the 

 succeeding summer. This bird proved to be 

 the Pine Bunting, of Canada, and the regions 

 beyond. 



Our little Blue-bird, among the first har- 

 bingers of spring, passes and repasses annu- 

 ally in great numbers, from the mainland to 

 the Bermudas, a distance of not less than six 

 hundred miles without any intervening land ! 

 What power of wing must the little creature 

 possess, to sustain itself in that long flight, 

 without an opportunity to rest ! 



This subject would aflbrd an instructive and 

 delightful winter evening's entertainment to 

 those who have not yet read up on it. 



THE CATTLE DISEASE. 

 The Board of Conunissioners on Contagious 

 Diseases among Cattle, of Massachusetts, con- 

 sisting of Hon. Levi Stockbridge, II. W. 

 Jordan, Esq., and Dr. E. F. Thayer, have 

 issued the following, circular to the city and 

 town authorities of the State : — 



The undersigned, Commissioners on Contagious 

 Diseases among Cattle, call the attention ot" the 

 Mayors and Aldcnnen of cities, and the Selectmen 

 of to^\•ns, to the fact that a highly contagious dis- 

 ease, known as Epizootic Aphtha, or Foot and 

 Mouth Disease, has broken out in this State, and 

 is rapidly spreading among the cattle of very many 

 of our towns. The disease is not of such an alann- 

 ing and fatal character as the pleuro-pneumonia, 

 yet, by its ravages, there is gi-eat danger that it 

 will inflict immense losses on our cattle o\vners, 

 and possibly to some extent injure the health of 

 our people. The disease is communicated by the 

 contact of healthy with the sick animals, by all in- 

 animate things that have become contaminated, 

 and by yarding healthy cattle on the same land, 

 or driving them on roads pi-eviously trodden by 

 those diseased. The cattle yards of Brighton are 

 apparently •■contaminated with the virus of the dis- 

 ease, and annuals driven thence carry and commu- 

 nicate it whci-ever they go. In view of these facts, 

 and, if possible, t)iat the contagion may oe eradi- 

 cated from the Commonwealth, we \\ould most 

 earnestly recommend that you, in each nuinici- 

 pality, perform your duty as defined in Chapter 

 220 of the Acts of 1860, by interdicting all diiving 

 of cattle to, from, or within j'our respective 

 limits (see Section 5 of said Act,) and by a most 

 thorough and radical purification of the yards and 

 buildmgs which have been contaminated by it. 

 The Commissioners will, at the same 'time, make 

 regulations to prevent any further importation of 

 it from abroad. Notwithstanding'thc great extent 

 to which the disease has already insidiously spread, 

 wc entertain the hope that, by the united energetic 

 action of the authorities, and the co-operation of 

 our people, this disease may be squelched, and the 

 losses 3t lias inflicted on the stock-growing regions 

 of Europe be averted. 



Notice to Cattle Drovers, Dealers, and all Persons 

 Interested in the Traffic of Cattle. 



In consequence of the prevalence of Epizootic 

 Aphtha, or Foot and Mouth Disease, the Commis- 

 sioners on Contagious Diseases among Cattle here- 

 by prohibit the driving or transporting, to or from 

 Brighton, Cambridge, or the Cattle Yards at the 

 Mcdford Railroad Station, until further notice, all 

 Cows, Store Cattle, and' Working Oxen. 



The Selectmen of Brighton and Medford, and 

 the Mayor of the City of Cambridge, are directed 

 to enforce the above order. 



The municipal authorities of the several towns 

 and cities in the Commonwealth are requested to 

 co-operate in making the above order eflectual. 



As the disease is very contagious, the com- 

 plete separation of such animals as have been 

 exposed, or which it is feared have the disease, 

 is of first importance. This commission of 

 which Dr. Thayer, an experienced veterinary 

 Surgeon, is a member, advise the following 

 treatment : — 



1st. The animals to be kept in a comfort- 

 able, dry place. 



2d. A solution of alum, one lb. to three 



