THIS bird is remarkable for the singular formation of its bill, which exactly resembles two very short blades of a knife applied one against another by the edge, so as to form a kind of triangle longer than it is broad, and grooved or channeled, crosswise, with furrows. It is also remarkable for the position of its feet, which, when it stands, are thrown so far back as to make its body erect and give it more the appearance of a kangaroo, than a bird. The puffin is found in great numbers on the coast of England. Soon after their arrival there, which is in May, they scrape holes in the sand for nests. This is done usually by the male. In doing this, he works curiously indeed. Having dug a hole a few inches deep. he throws himself upon his back, and with his powerful bill, as a digger, and his broad feet to remove the rubbish, he excavates a burrow, with several windings and turnings, from eight to ten feet deep. Whenever he can find a stone, he prefers to dig under it, in order that his retreat may be more securely fortifi ed. While the puffin is thus employed, he is so intent upon his work as to forget all hardship and all danger. Those who are so cruel as to wish to go,-idle 94 LETTER TO THE EDITOR. and good-for-nothing persons, I mean,can, and often do go at such times, and take them with the hand. The puffin seems himself to have, in some instances, the vice of laziness-the very vice of which I have been complaining. Instead of digging a burrow for himself, in which to form a nest, it is said he often crowds himself in among rabbits. THE TROUBLESOME PARROT. MR. EDITOR, WHILE reading the story of the TellTale, in the last number of your magazine, it put me in mind of the following story, which I read in a book some time ago. The writer was speaking on the quick manner in which parrots take up certain words. 66 We remember a parrot which belonged to a lady, which was the innocent means of getting his mistress into a very unfortunate scrape. A friend of hers having called one forenoon, the conversation of the two ladies took that turn towards petty scandal, to which we grieve to say, it is but too frequently bent. The friend mentioned the name The puffin is very powerful; and few birds, we are told, venture to offer him battle. The raven however sometimes attacks him. As soon as he gets near enough, the puffin catches him under the throat with his beak and sticks his claws into his breast, till he screams with pain and tries to get away. But the puffin keeps fast hold of him and tum- of a lady of their acquaintance. 'Mrs. bles him about till both frequently fall into the sea, where the raven is drowned, while the puffin returns, in triumph, to his nest. If, however, the raven, at the first onset, can get fairly hold of the puffin's neck, he generally comes off victorious, kills the mother, and feasts on her eggs, or on her young. BONES. There are at least 245 different bones in the whole human body. Would you believe it? Each arm and leg-from the hip and shoulder downward-has thirty; so that here alone are one hundred and twenty. Then the back is made up of about thirty more; there are twenty-four ribs; thirty-two teeth, &c. Brown!* exclaimed the owner of the parrot, 'Mrs. Brown drinks like a fish.' These words were hardly uttered, when the footman, in a loud voice, announced Mrs. Brown!' and as the new visitor, a portly, proud dame, came sailing into the room, 'Mrs. Brown!' exclaimed the parrot, Mrs. Brown drinks like a fish.' Mrs. Brown wheeled round, with the celerity of a troop of heavy dragoons, furiously to confront her base and unknown maligner. 'Mrs. Brown!' cried the parrot again, Mrs. Brown drinks like a fish.' 'Madam,' exclaimed Mrs. Brown to the lady of the house, 'this is a piece of wickedness towards me which must have taken no short time to prepare. It shows 66 6 *I have taken the liberty to put a name here instead of a blank mark. STORY OF ETHAN ALLEN. the blackness of your heart towads one for whom you have long pretended a friendship; but I shall be revenged.' It was in vain that the mistress of the parrot rose and protested her innocence; Mrs. Brown flounced out of the room in a storm of rage, much too loud to admit the voice of reason being heard. 95 On page 51, you made a remark about keepers entering the cages with tigers. A few nights ago I saw a keeper enter a cage, wash his hands in blood and draw it across the lion's mouth; he also introduced a boy, 10 years old, with a lamb in his arms, after that the lights of the show were darken"The parrot, delighted with his new ed, and phosphoric lights introduced caught up words, did nothing for some behind the cage, and it looked as if the days, but shout out at the top of his place was all in a blaze behind. All of most unmusical voice, Mrs. Brown! the above attractions are to be seen at Mrs. Brown drinks like a fish.' Mean- the Zoological Institute, No. 37 Bowery. while, Mrs. Brown's lawyers having once taken up the scent, succeeded in ferreting out some information, that ultimately produced written proofs, furnished by some secret enemy, that the lady's imprudence in the propagation of this scandal had not been confined to the instance we have mentioned. An action at law was raised for defamation. "The parrot was arrested, and carried into court, to give oral testimony of the malignity of the plot which was supposed to have been laid against Mrs. Brown's good fame; and he was by no means niggardly of his testimony, for, to the great amusement of the bench, the bar, and all present, he was no sooner produced, than he began, and continued loudly to vociferate, 'Mrs. Brown! Mrs. Brown drinks like a fish!' till judges and jury were alike satisfied of the merits of the case; and the result was that the owner of the parrot was cast with immense damages.”—And thus the story ends. Yours Truly, Now York, Jan. 10, 1837. P. S. STORY OF ETHAN ALLEN. ETHAN ALLEN was a brave officer-a colonel-of the American army, in the time of the revolution. One day, being at the house of a dentist, a lady came in to have a tooth extracted. But when the dentist brought forward his instrument, her courage failed her. The dentist tried again and again to inspire her with courage, but all to no purpose. |