Natural History for the Use of Schools and Families

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Harper & Brothers, 1860 - 382 Seiten

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Seite 130 - Eagle rapidly advances, and is just on the point of reaching his opponent, when, with a sudden scream, probably of despair and honest execration, the latter drops his fish : the Eagle, poising himself for a moment, as if to take a more certain aim, descends like a whirlwind, snatches it in his grasp ere it reaches the water, and bears his ill-gotten booty silently away to the woods.
Seite 148 - But the Nightingale, another of my airy creatures, breathes such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might...
Seite 130 - ... and, when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him. With all this injustice he is never in good case ; but, like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy.
Seite 130 - I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly...
Seite 129 - ... the most elegant and sublime aerial evolutions. The unencumbered eagle rapidly advances, and is just on the point of reaching his opponent, when, with a sudden scream, probably of despair and honest execration, the latter drops his fish ; the eagle, poising himself for a moment, as if to take...
Seite 182 - In diving, its little plumeless wings are used as fins ; but on the land, as front legs. When crawling (it may be said, on four legs) through the tussocks, or on the side of a grassy cliff, it moved so very quickly that it might readily have been mistaken for a quadruped.
Seite 243 - Tusseh silk is scarcely worn out in the lifetime of one person, but often descends from mother to daughter ; and even the covers of palanquins made of it, though exposed to the influence of the weather, last many years. Experiments have been made with the silk of the Cecropia, which has been carded and spun, and woven into stockings that wash like linen.
Seite 130 - ... for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him. With all this injustice he is never in good case; but, like those among men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. Besides, he is a rank coward; the little king-bird, not bigger than a sparrow, attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district.
Seite 159 - Humming-birds. cies represented in Fig. 129 (p. 158). The muscles of their wings are larger, in proportion to the size of the body, than those of any other bird. Hence their extraordinary power of flight, enabling them to dart with the velocity of an arrow, or to remain suspended in the air over a flower while they extract the honey or take the insects which are there. The humming sound, from which their name comes, is produced by the exceedingly rapid movement of the wings. The tongue is a ctfrious...

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