56 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
the following trees; and the beauty of our forest at this 
season, owing to this circumstance, is not equalled by its 
appearance at any other time of the year. 
White Ash — leaves turn bright yellow. 
White Oak — leaves, dark orange. 
Black Oak — reddish-brown. 
Hickory — pale yellow. 
Maple — light red. 
24 th. The weather, for a day or two past, has been re- 
markably mild. I heard the little Blue Bird in the air, 
and the grasshopper among the low plants. The Catydids 
chirped on the trees, and the old tortoise dragged himself 
from his winter retreat to crawl in the sunshine. 
As a person was walking in a field just back of my 
study, and through which there was a small stream of 
water, a large bird alighted on the ground, within a few 
yards of him. On approaching the bird he ruffled his fea- 
thers, and made a show of resistance; he exhibited no 
signs of fear, and permitted himself to be taken. When he 
was brought to me he was quite furious, and struck at me 
with his bill, though at some distance from him. I looked 
him steadily in the eyes, and this seemed to provoke him 
exceedingly. He is a species of Bittern, and comes very 
near the Ardea Stellaris, of Linne. The Bittern is only 
occasionally seen in this part of New-Jersey, and never 
remains more than a day or two on his return from north- 
ern latitudes to milder climates. 
25 th. The weather has become damp and cold; the tall 
Lombardy Poplar changes the colour of its leaves yellow, 
while those which were lopped last October, are still green. 
This verifies the remark of the Rev. G. White, that lopped 
trees, while their heads are young, carry their leaves a 
long time. 
Quere: — Is there any thing in the vulgar proverb, that 
“ Cocks crow for Christmas?” I think they certainly 
crow earlier about this time of the year, than during the 
summer months. Probably this is occasioned by the even- 
ing commencing sooner. 
There was an unusual number of worms and crawling in- 
sects of every description last spring and summer. On the 
summer preceding, there was an unusual drought, which 
perhaps was the cause of the death of vast numbers of 
toads, who live upon these animals; it is certainly a fact that 
we had but few toads this year. 
21th. Cherry trees become red. 
Apple trees become yellow. 
29 th. This morning I found ice made in the tubs, the 
thickness of half a dollar. I saw the Blue Birds flying 
about the fences, and the little yellow butterfly skimming 
along the road. 
Nov. 8 th. After some cold weather, we have had a few 
pleasant days. I have seen a large moth hovering about at 
night; and a red, brown, and white butterfly, during the 
day. The old tortoise has also left his winter retreat. 
11th. This morning we had a storm of hail. The hail- 
stones were very small. 
20 th. The leaves of the weeping willow are yet green. 
This is among the first trees which show signs of vegeta- 
tion, and it is also the last. Though not an invariable rule, 
it commonly happens, I think, that those plants which ve- 
getate first, retain their leaves the longest. It is to be ex- 
pected that those plants which are hard enough to bud 
during the cold of the spring, would remain longest unin- 
jured by the severities of winter, as I have before re- 
marked. 
From this period to the close of the year, nothing re- 
markable has occurred — 
“m sese yertitur annus.” 
THE LION. 
[Concluded from page 36.] 
Mr. Burchell, as we may learn from the foregoing ex- 
tract, is not inclined to maintain the courage of the African 
Lion, whatever impression he may have had of his extra- 
ordinary physical strength. The natural habits of the Lion 
are certainly those of treachery; he is not disposed, under 
any circumstances, to meet his prey face to face; and he is 
particularly unwilling to encounter man when he crosses 
him in the full blaze of day. The inability of his eye, (in 
common with most others of the cat tribe,) to bear a strong 
light, may account, in a great degree, for this circumstance, 
which has probably brought upon him much of the reproach 
of being a skulking, cowardly animal. But we apprehend 
that there were periods in the history of African coloniza- 
tion, when the Lion was of a bolder nature in his encoun- 
ters with mankind; that the dread of fire-arms has become, in 
some degree, a habit of the species; and that he has sagacity, 
or hereditary instinct, to know that a flash and a loud sound 
is often followed by a speedy death or a grievous injury. 
One of the most remarkable examples of the audacity of a 
Lion, is to be found in the Journal of a Settler at the Cape, 
more than a century ago. The first settlement of the 
Dutch at Cape Town, was in the year 1652: the site which 
they selected was on the southern edge of Table Bay, and 
the number of the settlers amounted only to a hundred per- 
sons. In half a century the colonists had greatty increased, 
