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There are few plants in flower this month except saffron (crocus sativus) and ivy (hedera helix). Among the maritime plants may be named, the marsh glasswort (salicornia herbacea), and the sea stork's bill (erodium maritimum) on sandy shores; and the officinal marsh-mallow (althæa officinalis) in salt marshes.

Herrings (clupea) pay their annual visit to England in this month, and afford a rich harvest to the inhabitants of its eastern and western coasts. Exclusive of the various methods of preparing this fish for sale, in different countries, an immense quantity of oil is drawn from it, forming a great and important commercial article among the northern nations. From Mr. Pennant's British Zoology, we extract the following interesting sketch of the general history of the herring and its supposed migrations.

The great winter rendezvous of the herring is within the arctic circle: there they continue many months in order to recruit themselves after the fatigue of spawning, the seas within that space swarming, with insect food in a far greater degree than in our warmer latitudes.

This mighty army begins to put itself in motion. in the spring we distinguish this vast body by that name, for the word herring is derived from the German, Heer, an army, to express their numbers. They begin to appear off the Shetland Isles in April and May these are only forerunners of the grand shoal which comes in June, and their appearance is marked by certain signs, by the numbers of birds, such as gannets and others, which follow to prey on them but when the main body approaches, its breadth and depth is such as to alter the very appearance of the ocean. It is divided into distinct columns of five or six miles in length, and three or four in breadth, and they drive the water before them with a kind of rippling: sometimes they sink for the space of ten or fifteen minutes; then rise again to the

surface, and, in bright weather, reflect a variety of splendid colours, like a field of the most precious gems.

The first check this army meets in its march southward, is from the Shetland Isles, which divide it into two parts; one wing takes to the east, the other to the western shores of Great Britain, and fill every bay and creek with their numbers: others pass on towards Yarmouth, the great and antient mart of herrings: they then pass through the British Channel, and, after that, in a manner disappear: those which take to the west, after offering themselves to the Hebrides, where the great stationary fishery is, proceed toward the north of Ireland, where they meet with a second interruption, and are obliged to make a second division: the one takes to the western side, and is scarce perceived, being soon lost in the immensity of the Atlantic; but the other, which passes into the Irish sea, rejoices and feeds the inhabitants of the coasts that border on it'.'

Among the principal enemies of this fish may be numbered various species of whales, some of which are observed to pursue large shoals, and to swallow them in such quantities, that, in the stomach of a single whale, no less than six hundred herrings are said to have been found 2.

1 The reality of this migration, however, is doubted by Dr. Bloch and Dr. Shaw; these eminent naturalists concurring in opinion, that herrings, like mackerel, inhabit, during winter, the deep recesses of the ocean, or plunge beneath the soft mud at the bottom.

2A large herring-fishery is carried on at Douglas, in the Isle of Man. Herrings are so abundant in the neighbourhood of Gottenburgh, that 20,000 barrels, on an average, are salted there every year, and about 400,000 are employed for making train oil: besides these, 50,000 barrels are consumed fresh in the country, or sent to Denmark. Allowing 1200 fish to each barrel, in this district alone, about 720,000,000 of herrings are caught in a season. In the year 1776, 56,000 barrels were sent to Ireland, and thence exported to the West Indies.

Various of the feathered tribe now commence their autumnal music :

The thrush, the blackbird, and the woodlark now
Cheerer of night, their pleasing song resume;
The stone-curlew his chattering note repeats;
And the wood owl continual breaks the depth
Of sylvan darkness with discordant moans.

Some curious particulars respecting the snake's slough, in this month, are recorded by Mr. White. About the middle of September (says this attentive naturalist) we found in a field, near a hedge, the slough of a large snake, which seemed to have been newly cast. From circumstances it appeared as if turned the wrong side outward, and as drawn off backward, like a stocking or woman's glove. Not only the whole skin, but scales from the very eyes, are peeled off, and appear in the head of the slough like a pair of spectacles. The reptile, at the time of changing his coat, had entangled himself intricately in the grass and weeds, so that the friction of the stalks and blades might promote this curious shifting of his exuviæ. Upon this account, Mr. Markwick observes, I have seen many sloughs or skins of snakes entire after they have cast them off; and, once in particular, I remember to have found one of these sloughs so intricately interwoven among some brakes, that it was with difficulty removed without being broken.'

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Among the few insects that appear in this month, are the phalena russula, and the saffron butterfly (papilio hyale).

Pressed from th' exub'rant orchard's fruitful bound,
Pomona pours a sparkling tide, that vies

With the rich juices of the purple vine;

Lo! russet Labour's busy train, both old

And young, shake numerous down the mellow fruit,
Streaked with a cheek as ruddy as their own.

The principal harvest of apples is about the end of this month; and the counties of Worcestershire,

Somersetshire, and Devonshire, are busily employed in cider-making. Perry is made from pears, and is extremely grateful, being preferred by many persons -to cider. Hazel-nuts are now ripe. The oak begins to shed its acorns, and the beech nuts fall; both of which are termed mast. A luxurious pasturage is afforded for such hogs as are kept on the borders of forests, for about six weeks, from the end of September.

From oak to oak they run with eager haste,
And, wrangling, share the first delicious taste
Of fallen ACORNS; yet but thinly found

Till the strong gale has shook them to the ground.
It comes; and roaring woods obedient wave:
Their home, well pleased, the joint adventurers leave:
The trudging Sow leads forth her numerous young,
Playful, and white, and clean, the briars among,
Till briars and thorns increasing, fence them round,
Where last year's mould'ring leaves bestrew the ground;
And o'er their heads, loud lashed by furious squalis,
Bright from their cups the rattling treasure falls;
Hot, thirsty food; whence doubly sweet and cool
The welcome margin of some rush-grown pool.

BLOOMFIELD.

The autumnal equinox happens on the 22d of September, and, at this time, the days and nights are equal all over the earth. About this period, heavy storms of wind and rain are experienced, as well as at the vernal equinox.

The chimney or common swallow (hirundo rustica) disappears about the end of the month.

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There is, perhaps, no subject. in natural history: which has more engaged the attention of naturalists, in all ages, than the winter retreat of the swallow, neither is there any subject about which more various and contrary opinions have been entertained. Some writers suppose that they do not leave this island at the end of autumn, but that they lie in a torpid state, till the beginning of summer, in the banks of rivers, in the hollows of decayed trees, in holes and crevices of old buildings, in sand-banks and the like,

Some have even asserted that swallows pass the winter immersed in the water of lakes and rivers, where they have been found in clusters, mouth to mouth, wing to wing, foot to foot; and that they retire to these places in autumn, and creep down the reeds to their subaqueous retreats. In support of this opinion, Mr. Klein very gravely asserts, on the credit of some countrymen, that swallows sometimes assemble in numbers, clinging to a reed till it breaks, and sinks with them to the bottom; that their immersion is preceded by a song or dirge, which lasts more than a quarter of an hour; that sometimes they lay hold of a straw with their bills, and plunge down in society; and that others form a large mass by clinging together by the feet, and, in this manner, commit themselves to the deep.

While we consider such statements as the above as ridiculous, and unworthy of refutation, it must not be denied that swallows have been' sometimes found in a torpid state during the winter months; but such instances are by no means common, and will not support the inference, that, if any of them can survive the winter in that state, the whole species is preserved in the same manner.

A single swallow has been observed so late as the latter end of October; and some assert that these birds have been seen near Christmas. Mr. White mentions having observed a house-martin flying about in November, long after the general migration had taken place. Many more instances might be given of such late appearances, which, added to the well

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1 That other birds have been found in a torpid state, may be inferred from the following curious circumstance recorded by Mr. Bewick: A few years ago, a young cuckoo was found in the thickest part of a close furze bush; when taken up, it presently discovered signs of life, but was quite destitute of feathers: being kept warm and carefully fed, it grew and recovered its coat of feathers. In the spring following, the cuckoo made its escape, and, in flying across the river Tyne, it gave the usual call.'

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