. The bird . y of the heron, all is dumb and desolate; but whentlie wind rises, from the summit of the trees comes the herons moansand sighs. If the storm bursts, these great naked cedars, these tallammirals masts, waver and clash together; the forest roars, cries,groans, and imitates with singular exactness the voices of wolves, andbears, and all the beasts of prey. It was not then without astonishment that, about 1805, the heron,thus securely settled, saw a rare face, a mans, roaming under theircedars, and in the open swamp. One man alone was capable of visitingthem in their haunts, a patien
. The bird . y of the heron, all is dumb and desolate; but whentlie wind rises, from the summit of the trees comes the herons moansand sighs. If the storm bursts, these great naked cedars, these tallammirals masts, waver and clash together; the forest roars, cries,groans, and imitates with singular exactness the voices of wolves, andbears, and all the beasts of prey. It was not then without astonishment that, about 1805, the heron,thus securely settled, saw a rare face, a mans, roaming under theircedars, and in the open swamp. One man alone was capable of visitingthem in their haunts, a patient indefatigable traveller, no less courageousthan peaceable—the friend and the admirer of birds, Alexander Wilson. If these people had been acquainted with their visitors character,far from feeling terrified at his appearance, tiiey would undoubtedlyhave gone forth to meet him, and, with clapping of wings and loudcries, have given him an amicable salute, a fraternal ovation. WU^SON. IlIK 123. 111 tliose terrible years whenman v\^aged against man the mostilcbtiiictive war tliat had everIjeen Iviiowii, tliere lived in Seot-land a man of peace. A poorPaisley weaver,* iu his dampdull lodtrintr, he dreamed ofII dure, of the iuHiiite liberty ofthe woods, and, above all, ofliu winged life. A cripjde, andI oiidemned to inacti\ity, his verj-bondage inspired him with anecstatic love of light and he did not take to himselfAuii_s, it was because that sublime gift is, u])on earth, only the dream and hope of aiidther world. * Alexander Wilsuii, tlie oiiiilliulngist. was born at Faisley in 171J6. He wa,<bred a weaver, bnt eniif;ratinn; to tbe Uuiled Stales in 1794, found means to jinrsne thestudies for uhicli he luid a natural bias, and in which lie earned an enduring first volume of his American Ornithology was published in 1808. He died ofdysentery, in August 1813.— Translator. 124 THE HEKONKIES OF AMERICA. At first he attempted to g
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Keywords: ., bookauthormich, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbirds
