THE SWALLOWS AND SPARROWS.

57

eaves, ready to rob them at the first opportunity. The wise and entertaining Mrs. Barbauld, in her delightful "Evenings at Home," tells of a sparrow who had watched a pair of martins building till the nest was finished, when he took possession of it, and the poor industrious little creatures could not drive him out, for he was too strong for them. Well, as he chose to stay in their nest, they determined that he should do so. Therefore they went to work, and fetched clay, with which you know they build their nests, and blockaded him in; so the unfortunate thief was terribly punished for his injustice.

As they passed by a farm-yard, they saw some young geese and ducks just hatched, swimming about in the dirty horse-pond. At a distance they looked almost like bunches of yellow silk upon the water. The party were amused with observing the quickness with which those young and tender little creatures hurried backwards and forwards amongst the green weed, which covered the surface of the pond, catching the water-flies. Presently after they saw a little bird standing upon a gate-post, which was making a loud cry, as if it said "wick-wick," many times; and very quickly. The children wished to know what bird it was. "I believe," said the father, "it is called the wryneck. That name was given to it because it is used to twist back its head, and turn up its tail over it. It is a pretty little bird when you come close to it: the feathers are as if they were marked with a pencil. You would be very much astonished if you were to see a nest of the young ones: they would hiss at you as if they were so many snakes: and this custom that they have, when disturbed, has scared many a cowardly boy, who would have taken them, had he thought

they had been only poor tender birds. This bird feeds upon ants and other insects, which it catches by darting out its tongue upon them, and they stick to it in the same way as a crumb of bread would to your's. At this time of the year you would hear the bittern, if you were near any large marsh. The noise it makes, which is very loud, is something like the roaring of a bull, but much shorter. It is called booming. You must read the account of the bittern in your natural history, when you get home. In the reign of that horrid monster king Henry the Eighth, it was esteemed a great delicacy. I am told it tastes like hare." They were now passing a row of those beautiful trees -the birch, and all took notice how light they looked, and how pretty the trunks appeared among other trees. Mr. Stock told the children that the birch is a valuable tree in those tracts of soil which suit no other: such as bogs and mosses. The marshy parts of forests, which will scarcely produce a blade of grass, are frequently covered with this description of tree. The wood is not of much value; it was used for making arrows before firearms were invented, because of its lightness; and on this account it is still employed for scaffolding-poles. Birch-brooms, as they are called, are made of the twigs: so are the rods which are used at the great public schools. "You had no such unbecoming punishment at your school, Adam," said he; "if there had been, I should not have sent you there. The bark of this tree is used in the northern countries for covering houses, and many other purposes. It likewise makes good torches, because of the quantity of gum which it contains. The sap, too, of this tree makes a pleasant wine. People procure it by boring a hole into the middle of the trunk, in the

early spring, when the sap begins to rise. Take notice, and you will find, that the leaves of the birch have a pleasant smell."

On their way home, they observed that beautiful little bird, the redstart, darting from bough to bough, and the children remarked how quickly its tail trembled. They also heard a little jarring, or chirping noise in the grass near to their path, and upon inquiry were informed that it proceeded from that curious insect the mole-cricket; which, from the noise it makes, is called in some parts of England the “churr-worm,” and "eve-churr." "If you remind me, Adam," said Mr. Stock, "after supper, you shall read, in White's History of Selborne, an entertaining account of this and of the common cricket, which you may hear every warm evening in our kitchen. The mole-cricket builds its nest just under the surface of the ground; and as the cold weather comes on, it burrows deeper, to be out of the reach of the frost. Nothing can be more careful of its young than this little insect. The female places herself at the entrance of the nest, to guard her offspring from black beetles, which are their enemies; and if one should enter, she catches it behind, and bites it asunder."

The party next remarked, that a few fieldfares were still flying about; and the father told them, that in the course of a week or ten days, they would leave our shores for those of Norway. As they were turning into their garden, they heard the sweet notes of two different birds, which they were informed were the whitethroat and blackcap.-" You must try and find me an account of the whitethroat, Adam," said his father; "for I have never been able to meet with any yet." After eating a hearty supper of radishes and

60

ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS.

bread and butter, with eggs, and some of the delightful home-brewed ale, the whole family were in bed by ten o'clock.

The month was now nearly at its close; and Adam and his father employed it in attending to the flowergarden. They hoed and raked the beds and the shrubbery; tied up the crocus leaves in a knot, instead of cutting them down to the ground, which injures the young roots. They thinned out the larkspurs that were sown in the early part of the last month, and replanted those which they took up, in other beds. Mr. Stock then showed Adam how to make layers from the beautiful laurustinus trees: by pegging into the earth those branches that are close to the ground, which in a few months will take root, and become fresh trees; and in the autumn may be separated from the mother plant. They sowed a large quantity of the deliciously smelling mignonétte in the warm borders near the parlor window, both for their own delight, and for the benefit of their friends the bees.

In dry weather they watered the beds of young plants that had been sown last month and the month before. This was done at this time of the year very early in the morning: in the hot weather of July and August it may be done at sunset. But, above all, they were careful to weed the beds where the young annuals were coming up. Mr. Stock asked Adam the meaning of annual, as it is used for plants; because he wished to see if he remembered what he had formerly told him: when he very readily answered"Flowers that die every year, father: and perennials are those which live many years." "Very well!" said his father; "I see it is worth while to tell you any thing. I am pleased with you. Now let us reckon

THE ELM AND ITS USES.

61

how many trees and flowers we have in bloom this month. In the gardens, we have the apricot, the peach, the cherry, the service-tree, the double-flowering cherry, pear, and peach trees, which are extremely beautiful; the peach blossoms looking like the elegant little pompone rose. Then there is the scorpion-senna, lilac, privet, and laurustinus still; the almond, early honey-suckle, the graceful bird-cherry, golden laburnum; which I think is also properly called goldchain and golden rain; hypericum, barberry, and baytree. These are our garden shrubs; and in the fields, among the trees which flower at this time, you will find the elm; which, in its shape, is one of the handsomest of all our forest trees. In many of our country villages, on the green, may be seen very fine and enormous old elms: also in front of little country alehouses, with a seat round them. I like to see the poor healthy harvest-men, with their brown faces and red hairy chests, when their broiling work is done for the day, enjoying their ale under the great shade of one of these trees. The elm used to be employed by the ancients as a helper or prop to the grape-vine: they trained the plant up the tree: for it is not like many` others, which kill whatever grows under them. The wood of the elm is very hard and tough, and extremely useful for many purposes. On all occasions where it is to be kept constantly wet, it is of the greatest service and as the trunk of the tree is generally very long and straight, it is used for water-pipes under ground, the keels of ships, and the planking of them which is below the surface of the water. It is likewise used for axle-trees of carts, naves of wheels, (which, you know, is the round piece in the middle,) gate-posts, rails, ship-blocks, and a number of other things, which I do not remember.