the land of their nativity, and travel in quest of milder elimes.* Some birds undertake_journies that might intimidate even human perseverance. In spring the quails fly from the remote parts of Africa to European climes. After continuing with us the summer, they steer their flight back again to enjoy the temperate air.of Egypt.. Swallows launch quite over the Atlantic ocean, and return again the same way, the ensuing spring. The time of their going and coming is not the same with every species; some are waiting for the winter, and others for the spring. Some move off in summer, and others again in autumn When the migration season approaches, we observe birds not only to assemble in families, to incorporate in troops, but, previous to their long and distant journey, exercising themselves by taking long flights, &c. The circumstances of these migrations are various in different species. All birds of passage do not incorporate in troops; many set out singly, many with their females and families, and many march in small detachments. An innate instinct prompts them to remove at their respective seasons. As soon as provision fails them, or heat or cold incommodes them, they assemble + together, bring about them their young, and communicate to them their intention of changing climate. In what manner they do this-who convenes the assembly-what debates arise -or how they communicate the resolution taken-I will not pretend to determine. It is indisputable not one of them deserts till the undertaking is fixed, and the proclamation has been published. Not a single loiterer is to be seen when the troops are preparing for their decampment, not a single strag gler to be found when they have once begun their march, Thus equipped, all unanimously begin their long aerial voyage. Over kingdoms and continents, hills and vales, cities, towns, villages, fields, deserts, and wide capacious seas, they wing their way, "by the liquid air upborre. Having finished *The desire of changing climate is very apparent in captive birds, and shews itself by the greatest anxiety and uneasiness imaginable. Indeed, it is one. of the strongest affections of the birds instinct. Any one who keeps a bird of the migratory kind, will observe, that at the season of the year when those of the same tribe depart, the little captive will shew.a. great desire of being released he will be incessantly making efforts to set himself at liberty, and perhaps occasion his death by his hard struggles to get loose. At ether times he will be lively and cheerful, tranquil and easy, and will remain quiet and contented in his prison. The reason why migratory birds assemble in flocks at the time of their departure, is, because by this augmentation of troops, they find themselves more capable of resisting their enemies. their journey through the land, their wings become a kind of sails, and they launch, though not into, yet over the ocean. In a few weeks they arrive at the desired country, where they reside till the balmy gales of the spring invite them to return again. How astonishing that such irrational and inexperienced animals should be able to perform such long journies !—that they should know the exact time when to go-know whither to steer, and when to return. Certain it is, that birds are actuated by a peculiar instinct, implanted in them by the GREAT CREATOR OF ALL WORLDS—THE DIVINE OMNIPOTENT GOD. For, as Aristotle justly observes, they act not by art, neither do they inquire or deliberate about what they do, and yet they perform all their undertakings with unerring judg ment, and inimitable skill. What, saith a learned Naturalist, but the great Creator's instinct, should induce an unthinking irrational bird, not only to venture over vast tracts of land, but even to launch over wide extensive seas. It cannot be supposed that they have any knowledge of the way, or any perception of distant places. Or should it be admitted that these little wanderers, by their high ascents into the atmosphere, can descry across the seas, and perceive the limits of the ocean, yet who ever * Remigio Alarum. VIRGIL. + Most of our summer emigrants fly over the seas in their passage to distant countries. The swallows and martins steer their course over the Atlantic Ocean. The number of birds that are seen annually skimming the pure marble air, and wafting themselves along above that immense world of waters, are amazing. Who can recount what transmigrations there THOMSON'S AUTUMN. Quis non cum admiratione videat ordinem et politiam, peregrinantium avium in itinere, turmatim volantium, per longos terrarum et maris tractus absque aqua marina? Quis eas certum iter in aëris mutabili regione docuit? Quis præteritæ signa et futuræ viæ indicia? Quis eas ducit, nutrit, et vitæ necessaria ministrat? Quis insulas et hospitia illa, in quibus victum reperiant, indicavit modumque ejusmodi loci in peregrinationibus suis inveniendi? Hæc sanè superant hominum captum et industriam, qui non nisi longis experientiis, multis itinerariis, chartis geographicis, et acus magneticæ beneficio,-ejusmodi marium et terrarum tractus conficere tentant et audent. Lud. de Beaufort. Cos. div. sect. 5. told them? By what mysterious intelligence are they sensible that one land is more proper, one country better adapted to their constitutions, than another? That Britain (for instance) should afford them better accommodations than Egypt, than the Canaries, Spain, or any of those intermediate places, over which many of them probably fly. Some are of opinion, that all birds of passage are indued with such an innate natural faculty, that they are susceptible of the transitions of the atmospherical fluid, or the steams of the bodies where they reside, the alteration, or deficiency of their usual food, &c. and that the changes arising from one or more of these in the temperament of their own bodies, induce them to change their situations, in order to avoid what is offensive, and obtain what is more agreeable to their nature and constitutions. Mr. Derham is also of opinion, that the temperature of the air as to heat and cold, and their natural propensity to breed their young, are great incentives to migration. But it is (continues he) a very odd instinct that they should at all shift their quarters; that some certain spot is not to be found in all the terraqueous globe affording them convenient food and habitation all the year; either in the frigid climes, for such as delight in the colder regions, or the hotter, for such birds of passage that fly to us in summer.* But not only birds, but divers species of fishes, have also their removes. River fish, for instance, as salmon, trout, &c. go up into the smaller brooks to breed; afterward they sail back, and go down into the very mouths of rivers that empty themselves into the ocean. Salmon annually ascend up from the sea to rivers four or five hundred miles distant, only to cast their spawn, and secure it in banks of sand. When the young are hatched, and excluded, by a wonderful and most surprising instinct, they return to them again. Young spawns having been marked, and cast into the river, have gone down into the sea, and returned again full grown, with their marks, in the same river. Great numbers of marine fish, as mullet, mackarel, herring, pilchard, &c. come in shoals at certain seasons; but these having the capacious ocean to travel in, remove north and south, either for the superior warmth of the water, which is adapted to their constitutions, or for the plenty or agreeableness of the food such waters in all probability produce. Several sorts of quadruped animals do also occasionally migrate, and remove from place to place. Where they can have sufficient covert, and plenty of food, those situations are usually preferred, and sometimes they range immense tracts Derham's Phys. Theol. 347. of land before they can find a spot proper for these purposes. Ferocious animals of the desart, in order to satisfy the calla of hunger, have been known to travel nto very distant countries. in very sharp seasons they do not take such long excursions they then are con pelled by necessity to approach nearer the vicinity of man; indeed keen hunger compels the At this time the neighbourhood of Man (in those regions where those shaggy monsters reside) dreadfully re-echo with their different roarings; they stun the midnight hours with their yellings, and always make choice of the pocturnal shades to carry on their depredations. These circumstances are beautifully expressed by the Psalmist in his address to the Deity:-Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves, and lay them down in their dens. O Lord! how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all, the earth is full of thy riches.* Pardon me, Reader, for this digression :-And as this subject of emigration is now concluding, permit me to apologize for the little errors which may occur in the preceding pages. Want of time and better mental abilities were two obstacles which prevented me from making it more perfect Critics will therefore censure, and Zoiluses condemn; but I regard neither the one nor the other. Fearless of their malice and resentment, careless and inattentive to their observations, unaffected with the showers of arrows that they dart around me, I shall stand unmoved, unshaken, undaunted, and look down on them and their remarks with contempt and disdain. -To the candid, judicious Reader, I have also a word to say, and then I have done, which is-let clemency plead for my errors, and good nature cover my faults;-pardon the mistakes of the press, and forgive my blunders, for such will unavoidably escape. Never since the degradation of man have mortals been free from them. Patronisers of literature, be favourable to my performances ;-condemn not too hastily my imperfect attempts-and in return I will stimulate every nerve, and exert my utmost endeavours to render my papers worthy of your reception. *Psalm civ. v. 20, &c. ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE CONTENTS: A. Aches, Sores, and Stitches, to help and cure Page 3, 13, 21, 65, 75, 81, 93, 96 Ale; to make forty sorts out of one barrel, 142-to make sour. 142 Amber, to clean, 3-to soften, 48-to melt, 139-to 146TM Anchovies, Sturgeon, and Salmon, to recover when rusty 144 Apoplexy, or Falling-sickness.. Apples frozen, to recover, 14-to make run about a Ta- .... 145 Astrologically to know if you shall have a thing lost..... 67. Aqua Fortis, for Etching or other use, to make... |