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authenticated accounts of swallows having been found in a torpid state, leave us no room to doubt, that such young birds as were late hatched, and consequently not strong enough to undertake a long voyage to the coast of Africa, are left behind, and remain concealed in hiding places, till the return of spring. On the other hand, that actual migrations of the swallow tribe do take place, has been fully proved, from a variety of well-attested facts, most of which are taken from the observations of navigators who were eye-witnesses of their flights, and whose ships, have sometimes afforded a resting-place to the weary travellers.

To the many on record we shall add the following, which was communicated to Mr. Bewick by a very sensible master of a vessel. While sailing between the islands of Majorca and Minorca, his attention was arrested by great numbers of swallows flying northward, many of which alighted on the rigging of the ship in the evening, but disappeared before morning.

But, after all our inquiries into this branch of natural economy, much yet remains to be known, and we may conclude in the words of the ingenious Mr. White: that while we observe with delight, with how much ardour and punctuality those little birds abey the strong impulse towards migration or hiding, imprinted on their minds by their great Creator, it is with no small degree of mortification we reflect, that, after all our pains and inquiries, we are not yet quite certain to what regions they do migrate, and are still farther embarrassed to find that some actually do not migrate at all.'

Amusive birds! say where your hid retreat,
When the frost rages, and the tempests beat;
Whence your return, by such nice instinct led,
When Spring, sweet season, lifts her bloomy head?
Such baffled searches mock man's prying pride;
The GOD of NATURE is your secret guide.

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Many other of the small billed birds that feed on insects disappear when the cold weather commences. The throstle, the red-wing, and the fieldfare, which migrated in March, now return; and the ring-ouzel arrives from the Welsh and Scottish Alps to winter in more sheltered situations. All these birds feed upon berries, of which there is a plentiful supply in our woods, during a great part of their stay. The throstle and the red-wing are delicate eating. The Romans kept thousands of them together in aviaries, and fed them with a sort of paste made of bruised figs and flour, &c.. to improve the delicacy and flavour of their flesh. These aviaries were so contrived as to admit but little light; and every object which might tend to remind them of their former liberty was carefully kept out of sight, such as the fields, the woods, the birds, or whatever might disturb the repose necessary for their improvement. Under this management, these birds fattened to the great profit of their proprietors, who sold them to Roman epicures for three denarii, or about two shillings each of our money.

Towards the end of September the leaves of trees begin to put on their autumnal dress. Mr. Stillingfleet remarks, that, about the 25th, the leaves of the plane tree were tawny; of the hazel, yellow; of the oak, yellowish green; of the sycamore, dirty brown; of the maple, pale yellow; of the ash, a fine lemon-colour; of the elm, orange; of the hawthorn, tawny yellow; of the cherry, red; of the hornbeam, bright yellow; of the willow, still hoary. Yet many of these tints cannot be considered complete, in some seasons, till the middle or latter end of October.

When the harvest is gathered in, the husbandman prepares for seed-time; and the fields are again ploughed up for the winter corn, rye, and wheat, which are sown in September and October. The entrances to bee-hives are straitened, to prevent the access of wasps and other pilferers.

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'IN a garment of yellow and carnation, upon his head a garland of oake leaves, with the acornes; in his right hand the sign Scorpio; in his left a basket of servises, medlers, and chestnuts, and other fruits, that ripen at the later time of the year; his robe is of the colour of the leaves and flowers decaying. This moneth was called Domitianus in the time of Domitian by his edict and commandment; but after his death, by the decree of the Senate, it took the name of October, every one hating the name and memory of so detestable a tyrant.' (Peacham, p. 420-21.)

'October had the name of wyn-monat; and albeit they had not antiently wines made in Germany, yet in this seson had they them from divers countries adjoyning.' (Verstegan, p. 61.)

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Remarkable Days.

1.-SAINT REMIGIUS.

REMIGIUS was born at Landen, where he so closely pursued his studies, that he was supposed to lead a monastic life. After the death of Bennadius, he was, on account of his exemplary piety and extraordinary learning, chosen Bishop of Rheims. He converted to Christianity not only King Clodoveus, but also a considerable part of his subjects; hence he is hỏnoured by some devotees with the title of the French Apostle. After he held his bishopric 74 years, he died at 96 years of age, A.D. 535. The cruise which he used was preserved in France, their kings being formerly anointed from it at their coronation.

6. SAINT FAITH.

This virgin saint was born at Pais de Gavre in France. She suffered many cruel torments, and was afterwards martyred, under Dacianus, about the year 290.

9.-SAINT DENYS.

Saint Denys, or Dionysius, the Areopagite, was converted to Christianity by St. Paul. See Acts xvii. He was, at first, one of the Judges of the celebrated court of the Areopagus, but was afterwards made Bishop of Athens, where he suffered martyrdom for the sake of the gospel. There are several books which bear his name; but they are, no doubt, forgeries of the sixth century. The French say, that he was the first that preached the gospel among them, and for that reason consider him their tutelar saint; but for this supposition there is no ground, as Christianity was never preached in France until long after his decease. Among the thousand idle tales related of Denys, the following is perhaps the most ridiculous and incoherent: he is said to have been beheaded by Fescennius, the Roman governor at Paris;

and at the time of his martyrdom he took up his head after it was severed from his body, and walked two miles with it in his hands, to a place called the Martyr's-hill, and there laid down to rest.

13. TRANSLATION OF KING EDWARD THE

CONFESSOR.

He was the youngest son of King Ethelred; but as all his elder brothers were either dead, or had fled away, he succeeded to the crown of England in the year 1042. He collected all the most useful laws made by the Saxon and Danish kings. The additional title of Confessor was probably given him by the pope, for settling what was then called Rome-Scot, but now is better known by the name of Peter's Pence. The monks ascribed a number of miracles to him even his vestments were reputed holy. His crown, chair, staff, spurs, &c. are still used at the coronation of our English kings.

17.-SAINT ETHELDREDA.

She was a princess of distinguished piety, daughter of Anna, king of the East-Angles, and Hereswitha his queen, and was born about the year 630, at Ixning, a small village in Suffolk. She was educated at home under the care and inspection of her illustrious parents; and, in her childhood, her mildness of temper and innocence of behaviour, added to the beauty of her person, rendered her the delight of all about her. Etheldreda early devoted herself to the service of God, and resolved to remain single; at the earnest solicitation of her parents, however, she at length, in the year 652, married Tonbert, a principal nobleman among the East-Angles, and had the Isle of Ely settled on her as a dower. Her husband died in about three years, and she becoming possessed of the whole of this property, and wishing to give herself up entirely to the exercise of devotion, retired into the Isle of Ely. The place she had chosen seemed very proper for her purpose, for, as an island, it was separated as it were from the rest of the world;

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