curs, is not represented; neither does the figure represent it in the attitude of song. "Of all our sparrows, says WILSON, this is the most numerous, the most generally diffused over the United States, and by far the earliest, sweetest, and most lasting songster. It is the first singing bird in Spring, except the black capt Titmouse, taking precedence even of the Pewee and Blue Bird. Its song continues occasionally during the whole summer and fall; and is sometimes heard (near Philadelphia,) even in the depth of winter. The notes, or chant, are short but very sweet, resembling the beginning of the Canary's song, and frequently repeated, generally from the branches of a bush or small tree, where it sits chanting for an hour together. It is fond of frequenting the borders of rivers, meadows, swamps, and such-like watery places; and if wounded, and unable to fly, will readily take to the water, and swim with considerable rapidity. "The great cypress swamps of the Southern States appear to be the grand winter rendezvous of almost all our spar rows " THE BAY-WINGED BUNTING resembles a sparrow both in manners and appearance. When flying it is readily known by two outside white feathers in its tail. Though not gregarious, they appear in considerable numbers along the road, and we suspect they are fond of rolling in the dust. The notes are rather louder but less musical than the song sparrow; and in the morning and evening their vivacity seems to be increased by the emulation of numbers. "This bird says WILSON delights in frequenting grass and clover fields, perches on the tops of the fences, singing from the middle of April to the beginning of July with a clear and pleasant note, in which particular it far excels its European relation. They frequent the middle of fields more than hedges; run along the ground like a lark, which they also resemble in the great breadth of their wings; they are timid birds; and rarely approach the farm house." VOL. III. 6 THE BREAD FRUIT-Artocarpus incisa. The bread-fruit, originally found in the south-eastern parts of Asia and the islands of the Pacific, though now introduced into the tropical parts of the western continent, and the West India islands, is one of the most interesting, as well as singular productions of the vegetable kingdom. There are two species of it: the bread fruit properly so called (Artocarpus incisa,) with the leaves deeply gashed or divided at the sides, which grows chiefly in the islands; and the Jack fruit, or Jaca tree (Artocarpus integrifolia), with the leaves entire which grows chiefly on the main land of Asia. latter has been already noticed. The The bread-fruit is a beautiful as well as a useful tree: the trunk rises to the height of about forty feet, and, in a full grown tree, is from a foot to fifteen inches in diameter; the bark is ash-coloured, full of little chinks, and covered by small knobs; the inner bark is fibrous, and used in the manufacture of a sort of cloth; and the wood is smooth, soft, and of a yellow color. The branches come out in a horizontal manner, the lowest ones about ten or twelve feet from the ground; and they become shorter and shorter as they are nearer the top; the leaves are divided into seven or nine lobes, about eighteen inches or two feet long, and are of a lively green. The tree bears male and female flowers, the males among the upper leaves, and the females at the extremities of the twigs. When full grown, the fruit is about nine inches long, heart-shaped, of a greenish color, and marked with hexagonal warts, formed into facets. The pulp is white, partly farinaceous and partly fibrous; but when quite ripe, it becomes yellow and juicy. The whole tree, when in a green state, abounds with a viscid milky juice, of so tenacious a nature as to be drawn out in threads. In the island of Otaheite and other places, where the bread-fruit forms the chief support of the people, there are, as is the case with cultivated vegetables in all countries, many varieties; only two, however, are very different from each other-that which contains seeds in the fruit, and that which contains none. The variety with seeds is much inferior to the other, being more fibrous, containing less farina, and not so pleasant to the taste; it is, therefore, not cultivated, though in cases of need, it is roasted and eaten. Whether the seedless sort has been produced wholly by cultivation it is not easy, and would not be of much importance, to ascertain: it is the one cultivated in the South Sea islands; it was originally found only there; and the tree was not in much repute till these islands were discovered. The bread-fruit continues productive for about eight months of the year: such is its abundance, that two or three trees will suffice for a man's yearly supply, a store being made into a sour paste, called mahe in the islands, which is eaten during the unproductive season. The planting of the seedless variety is now saved, as the creeping roots send up suckers which soon grow to trees. When the fruit is roasted till the outside is charred, the pulp has a consitency not very unlike that of wheaten bread; and the taste is intermediate between that of bread and roasted chesnuts. It is said to be very nourishing, and is prepared in various ways. The timber of the bread-fruit, though soft, is found useful in the construction of houses and boats; the male flowers, dried, serve for tinder; the juice answers for bird-lime and glue; the leaves for packing and for towels; and the inner bark, beaten together, makes one species of the South Sea cloth. The earliest account of the bread-fruit is by Captain Dampier, in 1688. "The bread-fruit," says this navigator, "grows on a large tree, as big and high as our largest apple trees; it hath a spreading head, full of branches, and dark leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like apples; it is as big as a penny loaf, when wheat is at five shillings the bushel; it is of a round shape, and hath a thick tough rind. When the fruit is ripe, it is yellow and soft, and the taste is sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use it for bread. They gather it when full grown, while it is green and hard; then they bake it in an oven which scorcheth the rind, and maketh it black; but they scrape off the outside black crust, and there remains a tender thin crust, and the inside is soft, tender, and white, like the crumb of a penny loaf. There is neither seed nor stone in the inside, but all of a pure substance, like bread. It must be eaten new, for, if it be kept above twenty-four hours, it grows harsh and choky, but it is very pleasant before it is too stale. This fruit lasts in season eight months in the year, during which the natives eat no other sort of bread kind. I did never see of this fruit anywhere but here. The natives told us, that there is plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone Islands; and I did never hear of it anywhere else." The scientific men who accompanied Captain Cook in his voyages, came home with the most enthusiastic ideas of the bread-fruit. Dr. Solander calls it "the most useful vegetable in the world," and urges that no expense should be spared in its cultivation. The mere idea of bread, the most valuable food of man, growing spontaneously, was doubtless calculated to excite attention-almost, perhaps, as strongly as the subsequent description of a poet : "The bread-tree, which, without the ploughshare, yields Without a furnace in unpurchased groves A tree, of the value and easy culture of which so very encouraging accounts were given, could not but attract the notice of the public generally, and more especially of those colonists of Great Britain who lived in a climate warm enough for its cultivation. An application to be furnished with plants of the bread-fruit tree was accordingly made to his late Majesty by the planters and others interested in the West Indies, and it met with a favorable reception. The Bounty, a vessel of about two hundred and fifteen tons burthen, was fitted up for a voyage to Otaheite. Lieutenant (afterwards Admiral) Bligh, who had accompanied Cook on his last voyage, and shown himself an officer of great talents, enterprise, and bravery, was appointed to the command, In addition to the crew of the vessel, two men were appointed, at the recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks, to take immediate charge of the procuring, shipping and tending of the plants. The Bounty was skilfully fitted up for her intended purpose. A large cabin between decks, in midships, . was prepared for the reception of the plants. This had two large skylights on the top for light; three scuttles on each side for ventilation of air, and a double bottom; an upper one of timber on which to place the pots and tubs containing the plants, which was drilled full of holes to allow escape to the superfluous water which might have injured them by stagnation-and a leaden one upon the lower deck, in which the water that ran through the other was collected, and from which it was conducted by a leaden pipe at each corner, into casks below for future use. He Thus prepared, the vessel put to sea about the middle of November, 1787, but was beat about and baffled by contrary winds, so that the voyage was not commenced till the 23d of December. The instructions given to Lieutenant Bligh were full and explicit. was to resort to those places in the Society Isles where Captain Cook had stated that the bread-fruit tree was to be found in the greatest luxuriance, and there procure as many plants as the vessel could carry; after which he was to proceed with them to the West Indies with all possible expedition. |