The juicy tide; a twining mass of tubes. My theme ascends, with equal wing ascend, Into my varied verse! while I deduce, From the first note the hollow cuckoo† sings, 570 575 the stems and trunks of perennial plants; or in the rootstocks of those that annually die down to the ground. The transpiration performed by the leaves is merely the fluid part of the sap, and the quantity is often considerable: it is more abundant in herbaceous plants than in trees,-in those which have thin, than in those that have thick leaves. In trees and shrubs, the leaves absorb by their under surface, and exhale by their upper surface; and, as the latter function is influenced greatly by light, the upper surface is always turned to the light leaves also exhale gaseous or airiform fluids, and this function is termed expiration. These fluids are oxygen gas, carbonic acid gas, and atmospheric air; the first is chiefly the result of the decomposition of carbonic acid gas, absorbed by the herbaceous part of the plant, and decomposed by light; the carbon is fixed in the substance of the plant, and the oxygen, which was combined with it in the acid gas, being set free, is exhaled. But the same plants, which exhale oxygen gas during the day absorb it during the night, and exhale carbonic acid gas. Plants, however, absorb less, oxygen during the night than they exhale during the day, on which, account plants tend to renew the oxygen of the atmosphere consumed by animals, and thus a due balance is maintained in the scale of animated beings, essential to the existence of the whole. * The nightingale is the Motacilla Luscinia Linn. †This well-known bird, endeared to us by our earliest recollections, the harbinger of spring, is the Cuculus canorus of naturalists. Its note, announcing its arrival in our climate, is usually heard early in April, when first the pea puts on the bloom; it seldom meets The symphony of Spring, and touch a theme. When first the soul of love is sent abroad, In gallant thought, to plume the painted wing; 580 585 our ear after July; and in August the bird takes its departure for Asia Minor. The cuckoo is so shy a bird that it is seldom seen, and therefore a description of it may be satisfactory to our readers. The length of the male is about fourteen inches, the head and upper part of the bird is a dark ash colour, and a pale shade of the same spreads over the throat and part of the breast, passing, on the lower portion of the breast and on the belly, into white with transverse undulating black lines. The quill feathers are dusky, barred with white oval spots, and those of the tail, which are ten of unequal length, are black with white spots on each side of the shafts. The bill is broad at the base and curved, and the feet slender, very short, yellow, and feathered behind almost to the toes; the female is smaller than the male. The food of the cuckoo is caterpillars during spring, and afterwards insects. The most remarkable circumstance in the habits of the cuckoo is the deposition of its egg in the nest of another bird, most frequently that of the Accentor modularis (hedge-sparrow), or some other small bird, and always in that of a bird which feeds its young with insects. When the young cuckoo is hatched, it throws the young hedge-sparrows out of the nest by insinuating itself under them, then climbing up the side of the nest, and, with a sudden jerk, throwing them out. This is an instinct which seems essential for the preservation of the young cuckoo, whose wants could not be supplied by its foster parents, were they, at the same time, compelled to feed their own young. The most singular circumstance is the care and attention of the foster-parents, and their apparent ignorance of the deception played off upon them. There is no truth in the old story that the young cuckoo devours its fostermother, although it was repeated by Linnæus. When two cuckoo's eggs are laid and hatched in the same nest, the stronger bird turns out the weaker, and keeps possession of the nest. The cuckoo seems to have little power of modulating the voice, and consequently the note is monotonous; but it nevertheless excites most agreeable feelings, in some degree, however, depending on their association with the sentiments awakened by the season in which the bird appears. At first faint-warbled. But no sooner grows The soft infusion prevalent, and wide, Than, all alive, at once their joy o'erflows 590 595 * There are several species of larks; that one to which the poet alludes is the well-known sky-lark (Alauda arvensis of Linnæus). It is too familiar to us to require any description. It is an inhabitant of every part of Europe, within the temperate zone, many parts of Asia, and the north of Africa. It makes a nest upon the ground; lays four or five greenish-white eggs, spotted with brown, and feeds upon some kinds of seeds, larvæ, and insects. The skylark is the Hedydd and Ushedydd of the ancient British. It bears confinement in a cage; and sings in its captivity as delightfully as when in a state of freedom. †The Thrush, Throstle, or Mavis (Turdus musicus Linn.), is often supposed to be one of the feathered tribe remaining in Europe the whole year; but it migrates southward from the more northern parts of Europe in winter. It frequents gardens and plantations in the vicinity of streams, in which it delights to bathe; and feeds on worms, insects, and snails. Its nest is constructed in such a manner that it will hold water. The thrush lays four or five light blue eggs, speckled at the broad end with black spots. The song of the thrush is softer, more melodious, and has a greater variety of notes than that of the blackbird. The woodlark (Alauda arborea) is confined to the southern parts of our island. It closely resembles the skylark in its plumage. It sings on the wing; but it does not soar in the perpendicular manner of the skylark. It describes large circles in its flight, singing all the time. The nest contains four or five brown eggs, mottled with ashy spots. The song of the woodlark is more mellifluous than that of the 605 Superior heard, run through the sweetest length 600 610 skylark; but it is less varied. The poet has erred in ranking it amongst those feathered choristers who sing in copses. * This well-known bird (Turdus Merula Lin.) is also called the black ousel. The male and female differ in their plumage; the former is black throughout, with a yellow bill; the female is brown on the back; and of a reddish-brown, speckled with brown on the breast. †The common bullfinch (Loxia Pyrrhula Lin., the Rhawn goch of the ancient British) is one of those birds which have the facility of acquiring artificial notes, and display extraordinary attachment to those who instruct them. In a state of nature it feeds on seeds, berries, and the buds of trees. It is a permanent inhabitant of our island. Its natural notes are soft and mellow, but so low as to be scarcely audible. The linnets constitute an extensive tribe of hard-billed birds, which feed entirely upon seeds, consequently the bill is required to be strong. The common linnet (Fringilla Carduelis Linn.) is a beautiful bird; the plumage brown above, and whitish beneath, with a tint of yellow upon the wing. The song is soft and mel lifluous. Its food is the seed of the thistle. § The common jay (Garrulus glandarius, the Serech y Coed of the ancient British) is one of our gayest birds with reference to plumage; but, although it feeds on worms, yet it is a nuisance to gardeners, who have the greatest difficulty in protecting their cherries and peas from its ravages. The nest of the jay somewhat resembles a basket, and generally contains five or six dull pale olive-coloured eggs, obscurely and minutely speckled with brown, and marked with two or three black lines at the broad end. It has the faculty of imitating the human voice, and any other sounds that it hears frequently repeated. Its natural notes are harsh and grating. The rook (Corvus frugilegus Linn., the Yolfran of the ancient F And each harsh pipe, discordant heard alone, Aid the full concert; while the stockdove* breathes A melancholy murmur through the whole. 'Tis love creates their melody, and all This waste of music is the voice of love; That even to birds and beasts the tender arts 615 British) is the most gregarious of our birds; and, in the polity of its community, may be regarded in reference to the feathered tribes, in the same point of view as the bee in reference to insects. Although it is found over many parts of Europe, it may almost be regarded as peculiarly a British bird, but it is rare in the northern parts of the island. Rooks are occasionally found white, cream-coloured, and pied; but these are generally weak or young birds, that become black when they moult. The food of the rook is insects, more especially wire-worms and the larvæ of the cockchaffer; and, although he also eats grain, yet the advantages performed by him to the farmer in the destruction of insects far overbalance any loss of grain which he causes. Rooks are not only social themselves, but they are fond of the noise and bustle of human society. Many rookeries exist near the playgrounds of schools; and there are several in the metropolis. The nest of the rook is built of twigs, and contains four or five greenish eggs, blotched with brown. During incubation, the male is most attentive to the female, and the whole of her food is brought by him. The tenderness of both parents to their young ones is very striking; and what is more remarkable, the members of a rookery have been observed to take turns in supplying the wants of a young family reduced to orphanhood by the gun of the fowler. It would be out of place here to describe in detail the economy of the rookery, but I may mention the delight with which I have watched what may be called their vespers, in a summer evening. On a given signal, the whole inhabitants of the commonwealth rise from their nests as a cloud; and, after making two or three gyrations, uttering a peculiar note, the whole settles down into apparent repose. In another minute, however, they are all again upon the wing, and in this manner they rise and fall for several successive times before they finally settle; which is notified by a significant croak from one or two sentinels, who seem to say "all is well," after which complete silence prevails. The jackdaw (Corvus Monedula) is also a social bird, and in many of its habits resembles the rook. Its voice is shriller than that of the larger crows. * See note on line 615. of SUMMER. |