ページの画像
PDF
ePub

floor, of which the coriander is one, the snake soon comes forth, when one of the colleagues watching his opportunity, scizes the delighted reptile by the tail, and rapidly slipping the other hand up to its neck holds it firm, while the musician, having thrown aside his pipe, and taken a pair of pliers, soon robs the snake of its fangs, and their concomitant venom. Thus the formidable covra capella becomes an innocent instrument of display at the command of his dexterous captor. Very large snakes are taken by means of nets and bags.

"Ichneumons are very numerous throughout India. They are the natural enemies of the serpent race, searching them out, and attacking them without fear of their bulk or venom. They are the quickest of all quadrupeds in their motions, and, by their perseverance and activity, so worry a snake, that in the end they find an opportunity to seize on the back of the head, where, in spite of the writhings of the agonized animal, they keep a firm hold, and to a certainty prove victorious. They are, however, sometimes bit ten. On such occasions they hunt about the common grass, and there find some antidote, of which having eaten, and rubbed themselves by rolling on the spot, they return to the charge, never failing to scent the snake's course perfectly correct. It is a thousand pities that the antidote resorted to by the ichneumon has never been ascertained.

"Even crows and starlings will attack small snakes, and hover over

To the Editor of the SIR,The ancients were of opinion, that crows, having once paired, and had young, are faithful to one another; and that, on the death of the one, the other generally lives a solitary life, and not unfrequently dies of vexation: Can any of your intelligent readers say how far this is a fact? I have the best reason

them in flights. The larger birds, such as the cyrus, argeelah (or adjutant) &c. are particularly fond of killing them, as are peacocks. They dance round the snake, which rears to defend itself, and keeping it in a perpetual state of alarm, weary it out; or if there be other birds at hand, they watch their opportunity to catch hold near the throat, and giving it a hearty shake, speedily sicken and kill it. They then very deliberately take the reptile by the tail, and swallow it whole, not, however, without much competition among the fraternity, of which each individual perhaps gets the snake half way down his long throat, when another, making a snap at the pendant remainder, pulls it forth, and flying off, drops it as he proceeds through the air, followed by his disappointed kindred.

"Snakes swallow animals which often are more than five or six times as thick as themselves. Thus it is common to see one not more than

an inch in diameter, with a large rat or frog in its maw, appearing like a great swelling. The skeleton of an adjeghur, which was discovered near Chittagong, is, I believe, yet to be seen: it measured upwards of twenty-five feet in length. The skeleton of an antelope was found in its throat.-There was every reason to believe that the snake was in the act of swallowing the antelope, whose horns, though compressed by the snake's jaws and gullet, yet forced their way through before they passed among the ribs, and prevented digestion."

Monthly Magazine.

to conclude that geese, having once paired, if left to themselves, continue faithful to one another; a kind of new courtship each spring commencing between the same pair: and that a gander, still alive, his mate, having died twenty years ago, still lives a solitary life.

JAMES HALL.

POETRY.

THE WIND PASSETH OVER IT, AND
IT IS GONE.

I saw a dewdrop, cool and clear,
Dance on a myrtle spray.

Fair colours decked the lucid tear,
Like those which gleam and disappear
When showers and sunbeams play.
Sol cast athwart a glance severe,
And scorched the pearl away.

High on a slender, polished stem,
A fragrant lily grew:
On the pure petals many a gem
Glittered a native diadem

Of healthy morning dew:
A blast of lingering winter came,
And snapped the stem in two.

Fairer than morning's early tear,
Or lily's snowy bloom,
Shines beauty in its vernal year:
Bright, sparkling, fascinating, clear,
Gay, thoughtless of its doom!
Death breathes a sudden poison near,
And sweeps it to the tomb!

[blocks in formation]

ROSALIND'S DYING COMPLAINT TO HER SLEEPING CHILD.

[By Henry Headley.]

Alas! my dearest baby, grieve to see thee smile,

I think upon thy rueful lot

And cold's my heart the while.

'Gainst wind and tide of worldly wo, I cannot make my way;

To lull thee in my bosom warm,

I feel I must not stay.

My mother will not hear me speak,
My father knits his brow;

Sweet Heavens! were they never young,
That thus they treat me so?

Ye souls unkind, a fate like mine,
Oh! never may ye prove;
Nor live to find how bitter 'tis
To miss the man ye love.

My friends they all forsake me,
Nor comfort will afford;
They laugh while I am thinking,
My true-love broke his word.

May God amend their cruel hearts; For surely they're to blame; They little know what 'tis to feel The heaviness of shame.

Th'ungentle hand of rude mischance
Has 'reft my heart of rest,
And frighted Hope of cheerless eye
Lies strangled in my breast.

'Twas yester-eve, at midnight hour,
I waked but to weep;

I kiss'd my baby's pretty hand,
And watch'd it while asleep:
Its cruel far-off father

My tender thoughts embraced,
And in my darling's infant look
His lovely likeness traced.

With smileless look a spectre form
Advancing seem'd to appear,
While Fancy toll'd the death-bell slow
Across my startled ear.

Full well I knew its fearful sound,

That sternly seemed to say,

Go, speed thee to the grass-green sward, For thou must die to day.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

RECENT AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS.

By Edward Earle, Philadelphia, Republished-An elegant miniature edition of the Lady of the Lake.

By Brannan and Morford, Philadelphia, Published-Burn's Principle of Midwifery; including the diseases of women anl children, revised, corrected and enlarged by the author, with notes. By W. W. Buchanan, M. D. professor of midwifery, and lecturer on the diseases of women and children, Columbia college, New York.

By B. B. Hopkins, Philadelphia,
Published-Walker on Elocution.

By A. Finley, Philadelphia, Published--A Dictionary of Select and Popular Quotations, which are in daily use, aken chiefly from the Latin and French, but comprising many from the Greek, Spanish, and Italian languages,

1 into English, with illustrations, and idiomatick. By D. E. Macdonnel, of the Middle Temple. First American, from the fifth London edition, corrected with additions.

Unde habeas quærit nemo, sed oportet habere. Horace.

He has been at a great feast of languages, and stolen all the scraps.

Shaks.

By G. & R. Waite, New York. Published-The Extraordinary Conversion and Religious Experience of Dorothy Ripley, with her first voyage and travels in America. To which is added, her address to the mayor and corporation of New York.

By S. Etheridge, Boston, Republished-Lives of the most eminent English Poets, with critical observations their works. By Samuel Johnson,

L. L. D. in 2 vols.

By D. Longworth, New York, Republished-The Riva! Princes; or a faithful narrative of facts relating to Mrs. M. A. Clarke's political acquaintance with Colonel Wardle, Major Dodd, &c. &c. who were concerned in the charges against the Duke of York; together with a variety of authentick and important Letters, and curious and interesting Anecdotes of several persons of Political Notoriet. By MARY ANN CLARKE. Embellished with a Genuine Portrait of this extraordinary woman, and a fac simile of her writing.

By Ezra Sargeant, New York, Republished-The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal-No. XXXI. For April, 1810.

PROPOSED AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS

James P. Parke, Philadelphia, Proposes to republish-Piety Promoted. The Tenth Part. By Joseph G. Bevan. Just issued from the press in London.

Bradford & Inskeep, and Moses Thomas, Philadelphia,

To republish-The celebrated Atlas of Mr. Pinkerton, now publishing in quarter. ly numbers.

William Graydon, Harrisburg,

To republish-A second edition of his Abridgment of the Laws of the United

States.

Robert M'Dermut, and M. & W. Ward, New-York,

To republish-Rollin's Ancient History, in eight vols. duodecimo.

P. Schermerhorn, Schenectady, N York,

To publish-A topographical and natural History of New Netherland. By Adrian Van Der Donk, M. D An Inhabitant of New Netherland. Translated by the Rev. John Bassett, D. D. Minister of the Reformed Dutch Church, at the Boght, N. Y. To which will be affixed, an Appendix, Consisting of such Parts of De Laet's and Megalapolensis' History, as the Translator has adjudged necessary to confirm and establish the Facts advanced by his author.

RECENT BRITISH PUBLICATIONS.

The Family Legend. A Tragedy. By Joanna Baillie. 8vo. 3s. 6d.

A Compendius History of the Israelites. By R. Atkins. 28.

A Letter to sir Samuel Romilly, knt. on the Revision of the bankrupt Laws. By W. David Evans, Esq. 3s.

Tales of Romance, with other poems. By C. A. Elton, author of a Translation of Hesiod. Foolscap, 8vo. 7s 6d.

The Specches of the Honourable Thomas Erskine (now lord Erskine) when at the bar, on Subjects connected with the Liberty of the Press, Reform in Parliament, and against Constructive Treason, 3 vols 1.7s large paper, 1/ 16s.

Poems on the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Written by J. Montgomery, J. Grahame, and E. Benger. 4to. 31. 38.

PROPOSED BRITISH PUBLICATIONS.

Mr. Beloe has put to press a fifth volume of his Anecdotes of Literature.

The author of Nubilia, is about to commence a periodical work, entitled the Contemplatist. A number of which will be published every Saturday.

[graphic][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

His Excellency Mirza Moo al Hassan Envoy Extraordinary from the King of Persia

Engravd for the Select Reviews..

« 前へ次へ »