_Black And White Swans._
A few weeks since a _black swan_ was killed by his white companions, in
the neighbourhood of London. Of this extraordinary circumstance, an
eye-witness gives the following account:--
I was walking, between four and five o'clock on Saturday afternoon, in
the Regent's Park, when my attention was attracted by an unusual noise
on the water, which I soon ascertained to arise from a furious attack
made by two white swans on the solitary black one. The _allied_ couple
pursued with the greatest ferocity the unfortunate _rara avis_, and one
of them succeeded in getting the neck of his enemy between his bill, and
shaking it violently. The poor black with difficulty extricated himself
from this murderous grasp, hurried on shore, tottered a few paces from
the water's edge, and fell. His death appeared to be attended with great
agony, stretching his neck in the air, fluttering his wings, and
attempting to rise from the ground. At length, after about five minutes
of suffering, he made a last effort to rise, and fell with outstretched
neck and wings. One of the keepers came up at the moment, and found the
poor bird dead. It is remarkable, that his foes never left the water in
pursuit, but continued sailing up and down to the spot wherein their
victim fell, with every feather on end, and apparently proud of their
conquest.
_Fascination Of Snakes._
I have often heard stories about the power that snakes have to charm
birds and animals, which, to say the least, I always treated with the
coldness of scepticism, nor could I believe them until convinced by
ocular demonstration. A case occurred in Williamsburgh, Massachussets,
one mile south of the house of public worship, by the way-side, in July
last. As I was walking in the road at noon-day, my attention was drawn
to the fence by the fluttering and hopping of a robin red-breast, and a
cat-bird, which, upon my approach, flew up, and perched on a sapling two
or three rods distant; at this instant a large black snake reared his
head from the ground near the fence. I immediately stepped back a
little, and sat down upon an eminence; the snake in a few moments slunk
again to the earth, with a calm, placid appearance; and the birds soon
after returned, and lighted upon the ground near the snake, first
stretching their wings upon the ground, and spreading their tails, they
commenced fluttering round the snake, drawing nearer at almost every
step, until they stepped near or across the snake, which would often
move a little, or throw himself into a different posture, apparently to
seize his prey; which movements, I noticed, seemed to frighten the
birds, and they would veer off a few feet, but return again as soon as
the snake was motionless. All that was wanting for the snake to secure
the victims seemed to be, that the birds should pass near his head,
which they would probably have soon done, but at this moment a wagon
drove up and stopped. This frightened the snake, and it crawled across
the fence into the grass: notwithstanding, the birds flew over the fence
into the grass also, and appeared to be bewitched, to flutter around
their charmer, and it was not until an attempt was made to kill the
snake that the birds would avail themselves of their wings, and fly into
a forest one hundred rods distant. The movements of the birds while
around the snake seemed to be voluntary, and without the least
constraint; nor did they utter any distressing cries, or appear enraged,
as I have often seen them when squirrels, hawks, and mischievous boys
attempted to rob their nests, or catch their young ones; but they seemed
to be drawn by some allurement or enticement, and not by any
constraining or provoking power; indeed, I thoroughly searched all the
fences and trees in the vicinity, to find some nest or young birds, but
could find none. What this fascinating power is, whether it be the look
or effluvium, or the singing by the vibration of the tail of the snake,
or anything else, I will not attempt to determine--possibly this power
may be owing to different causes in different kinds of snakes. But so
far as the black snake is concerned, _it seems to be nothing more than
an enticement or allurement with which the snake is endowed to procure
his fowl_.--_Professor Silliman's Journal_.
_Boring Marine Animals._
The most destructive of these is the _Teredo Navalis_, a fine specimen
of which was exhibited at a recent meeting of the Portsmouth
Philosophical Society. This animal has been said to extend the whole
length of the boring tube; but this assertion is erroneous, since the
tubes are formed by a secretion from the body of the animal, and are
often many feet in length, and circuitous in their course. This was
shown to be the fact, by a large piece of wood pierced in all
directions. The manner in which it affects its passage, and the interior
of the tubes, were also described. The assertion that the _Teredo_ does
not attack teak timber was disproved; and its destructive ravages on the
bottom of ships exemplified, by a relation of the providential escape of
his majesty's ship Sceptre, which having lost some copper from off her
bows, the timbers were pierced through to such an extent as to render
her incapable of pursuing her voyage without repair.
_Anthracite, or Stone Coal._
Professor Silliman's last journal contains a very important article,
illustrative of the practical application of this mineral; and the vast
quantities of it that may be found in Great Britain renders the
information highly valuable to our manufacturing interests. In no part
of the world is anthracite, so valuable in the arts and for economical
purposes, found so abundantly as in Pennsylvania. For the manufacture of
iron this fuel is peculiarly advantageous, as it embraces little sulphur
or other injurious ingredients; produces an intense steady heat; and,
for most operations, it is equal, if not superior to coke. Bar iron,
anchors, chains, steamboat machinery, and wrought-iron of every
description, has more tenacity and malleability, with less waste of
metal, when fabricated by anthracite, than by the aid of bituminous coal
or charcoal, with a diminution of fifty per cent. in the expense of
labour and fuel. For breweries, distilleries, and the raising of steam,
anthracite coal is decidedly preferable to other fuel, the heat being
more steady and manageable, and the boilers less corroded by sulphureous
acid, while no bad effects are produced by smoke and bitumen. The
anthracite of Pennsylvania is located between the Blue Bridge and
Susquehannah; and has not hitherto been found in other parts of the
state, except in the valley of Wyoming.
_Holly Hedges._
At Tynningham, the residence of the Earl of Harrington, are holly hedges
extending 2,952 yards, in some cases 13 feet broad and 25 feet high. The
age of these hedges is something more than a century. At the same place
are individual trees of a size quite unknown in these southern
districts. One tree measures 5 feet 3 in. in circumference at 3 feet
from the ground; the stem is clear of branches to the height of 14 feet,
and the total height of the tree is 54 feet. At Colinton House, the seat
of Sir David Forbes; Hopetown House, and Gordon Castle are also several
large groups of hollies, apparently planted by the hand of
Nature.--_Trans. Horticultural Society_.
_Egg Plants._
In this country, the egg plant, brinjal, or aubergine, is chiefly
cultivated as a curiosity; but in warmer climates, where its growth is
attended with less trouble, it is a favourite article of the kitchen
garden. In the form of fritters, or farces, or in soups, it is
frequently brought to table in all the southern parts of Europe, and
forms a pleasant variety of esculent.--Ibid.
_Vinegar Made From Black Ants._
It is singular enough, that a discovery of modern chemistry should long
have been practically employed in some parts of Norway, for the purpose
of making vinegar from a large species of black ant. The method employed
in Norlanden is simply this: they first collect a sufficient quantity of
these little animals, by plunging a bottle partly filled with water up
to the neck in one of the large ant-hills; into which they naturally
creep, and are drowned. The contents are then boiled together, and the
acid thus produced is made use of by the inhabitants as _vinegar_, being
strong and good.
_Soil For Fruit Trees._
Low grounds that form the banks of rivers are, of all others, the best
adapted for the growth of fruit trees; the alluvial soil of which they
are composed, being an intermixture of the richest and most soluble
parts of the neighbouring lands, with a portion of animal and vegetable
matter, affording an inexhaustible store of nourishment--_Trans.
Horticultural Society_.
_Watch Alarum._
A patent has recently been procured for a most useful appendage to a
watch, for giving alarm at any hour during the night. Instead of
encumbering a watch designed to be worn in the pocket with the striking
apparatus, (by which it would be increased to double the ordinary
thickness), this ingenious invention has the alarum or striking part
detached, and forming a bed on which the watch is to be laid; a
communication being made by a lever, projecting through the watch case,
to connect the works. This appendage is described to be applicable to
any watch of the usual construction, and is by no means expensive.
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