mmm^m ^mmm '^^r,\^s^^, ^OM ■^^'«^'^«««w ,^M^W '^^^m^' 'xr^>v^^A^' ^:hK'r^\f 'An,';/ ^/^^^94' vmiiimj] -si^'r^ .-^•A^^i^^^^teA. i&f^nnMl ^^M^:3Sr^^m ^:0^.jmM^m m^,mt^ ,^.a.^..AHf .^^^'^f^-^U^' ■ftgSWW •^i^M (^C!^fl,Rr«5 «*i?/(A( ,^#f^^ 'JS^aP'^ r^^^"i/'..„.^s/y. s»5,i.J»^^^.,•'«a'--' «^R^fe. ,ff^r\ff\'S es'V^AflAfl/''^ So ^A^ah^ rvi>» ?>35,|>. l^^S-XQ^h^ THE MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY^ BOTANY, MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, AND METEOROLOGY. CONDUCTED By J. C. LOUDON, RL.S. G.S. &c. MEMBER OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDOK, AND OF VARIOUS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES ON THE CONTINENT. VOL. 11. LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1829. London : Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoodc, New-Street. Square. PREFACE, This Second Volume of the Magazine of Natural History will, it is hoped, not be found deficient in that increase of interest and general improvement, which may reasonably have been expected from the progressive experience of the Conductor, and from a continually increasing correspondence. The grand object with which we set out, that of promoting a taste for Natural History among general readers, and especially among young persons, has been steadily kept in view. The In- troductions to Zoology, p. 128.; to Conchology, p. 22. and 148.; to Botany, p. 155.; to Geology, p. 26. ; and to Meteorology, p. 177., have been continued; and in our Third Volume these Introductions will, for the most part, be completed. The other Original Communications, and the Collectanea, embrace every department of Natural History ; and the Miscellaneous Intelli- gence reports its progress in every part of the world, but more especially in Britain. Throughout the work the subjects are treated with sufficient technicalities for the purposes of scientific accuracy ; but at the same time so as rather to invite the stranger to these studies, than to deter him from them. As the taste of our young readers becomes more refined and critical, it will de- mand articles more rigidly technical and profound, and we shall not then be wanting in affording a supply. In the mean time, our correspondents may regard themselves as cooperating in a Maga- zine of their own, for the improvement of one another, as well as for the benefit of the public. To those who are impressed with the importance of Natural History, as a means of educating the feel- ings and the heart, it must be satisfactory to know, that this science is spreading among all classes, and that Natural History Societies, Museums, and Libraries (we wish we could add Public Botanic Gardens) are formed, or are forming, in many of our provincial towns. By reference to our article. Natural History in the English Counties, p. 87. 197. 266. 383. and 473., a great variety of very interesting details will be found on this part of the subject. We hope the time may not be far distant when a mu- seum, a library, a botanic garden, and a school institution will be A 2 IV PREFACE. formed in every parish. * Finding it impracticable to present a satisfactory general summary of the progress of Natural History throughout Europe, for the past year, we have given the best sub- stitute for such a summary, an abridged translation of the Baron Cuvier's Report for France, p. 409. The great use of Natural History and Comparative Anatomy is to humanise and soften the heart. If boys were acquainted with the wonderful structure of insects, and of other animals low in the scale, they would not be found sticking pins into flies, or torment- ing cats ; nor, when men, would they treat those noble domestic animals, the horse and the ox, with cruelty. The girl who has learned to derive enjoyment from observing the operations and watching the metamorphoses of insects, who knows their history, and is conversant with their structure, habits, and curious eco- nomy, will mark these circumstances in animals higher in the scale ; and, ascending to her own species, will learn also the elevation of her own nature. As she grows up to womanhood, she will feel more intensely the delicacy and dignity of the feminine character, and resist with more force the temptations which always beset innocence, amiability, and inexperience, both from without and from within. The mind rationally occupied with the study of nature, will no longer seek refuge from ennui in bad novels ; and the same superior taste for information, and the same admiration of the wisdom of Nature, as displayed in her works, will lead to a more select choice of companions, male as well as female. To procure the advantages resulting from the knowledge of Natural History, at the easiest rate of labour, recourse must be had to scientific study, which is to the acquirement of knowledge what machinery is to the production of manufactures. To render this machinery available to every reader, and especially to young per- sons, without the aid of a teacher, is the principal object of the Magazine of Natural History ; in conducting which we have only to assure our readers, that the most unremitting exertion on our part will be continued, in order to secure success, and to procure for the work the honourable reputation of having given an impulse to the mind of the country in matters of Natural Science. J. C. L. Bay&watery Oct. 25. 1829. * See " Parochial Institutions; or, Outline of a Plan for a National Education Establishment," &c., in the Gardener s Mngawie for December. CONTENTS. Part I. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. GENERAL SUBJECT. An Account of Mr. Needham's original Dis- covery of the Action of the Pollen of Plants ; with Observations on the supposed Existence of active Molecules in Mineral Substances. By Robert Bakewell, Esq. - -1 On certain Effects produced by Fresh Water on some Marine Animals and Plants. Read to the Belfast Natural History Society, by the President, James L. Drummond, M.D., De- cember 30. 1826 - - - 121 Indications of Spring. By Robert Marsham, Esq., and Lord Suffield. Communicated by R. C.Taylor, Esq. F.G.S. - . 127 Farther Observations on the Influence of Fresh Water on Marine Animals. By Lieut. J. H. Davies, R.M. Communicated by James L. Drummond, M.D., President of the Belfast Natural History Society - - 217 Some Account of the Life, Genius, and Per- sonal Habits of the late Thomas Bewick, the celebrated Artist and Engraver on Wood. By his Friend John F. M. Dovaston, Esq. A.M., of Westfelton, near Shrewsbury 313. 428 A Dissertation on the Ancient Hebrew Names of Animals. By Mr. Archibald Gorrie, Annat Gardens, Perthshire - - - 319 On the Red Snow of the Arctic Regions. By Thomas Nicholson, Esq. - - 321 Some Account of the Progress of Natural His- tory, during the Year 1828, as reported to the Academy of Sciences at Paris by the Baron Cuvier. By Mrs. Bowdich . .409 Account of an Ascent and Barometrical Mea- surement of Wha-ra-rai, a Mountain in the Island of Owhyhee ; extracted from the MS, Journal of Archibald Menzies, Esq. F.L.S. Communicated by Mr. Menzies - . 435 ZOOLOGY. Anecdotes of a Diana Monkey. By Mrs. Bow- dich - - - - 9 On riding on the Back of a Crocodile. By J. H. P. H .13 On the Arrival and Retreat of the British Hi. rundines, with a Table of Arrivals and De- partures, from 1800 to 1828. By the Rev. W. T. Bree, M.A. . - . 16 An Outline and Description of Centrbtus Ben. netii and Hardwickw. By the Rev. William Kirby, M.A. F.R.S. F.L.S. &c. . - 20 The Natural History of Molluscous Animals. In a Series of Letters. By G. J. - 22. 148 The Cuvierian, or Natural, System of Zoology. — Essay 3. The Characters of Vertebrated Animals, and theirDivision into Four Classes; Mammiferous Animals, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes. Distinctive Characters of each Class. By B. . . . - . 128 Observations on a preternatural Growth of the Incisor Teeth, occasionally observed in cer- tain of the Mammalia rod^ntia. By the Rev. Leonard Jenyns, F.L.S. - - 134 On the Kath of the Ancient Hebrews, con- sidered as the Pelican of the Moderns. By David Scot, M.D. M.W.S. F.H.S.E. - 137 Descriptive and Historical Notices of British Snipes. By H. V. D. - - - 143 Notice of an Imposture entitled a Pygmy Bison, or American Ox. By V. . - 218 Some Account of the Water-Shrew : a Mouse supposed to have been lost for about a Cen- tury. By John F. M. Dovaston, Esq. A.M. Oxon., of Westfelton, near Shrewsbury 219 Remarks on the Nature and Habits of the Bearded Titmouse (Phrus bi^rmicus). By a Lover of Nature - . - 222 On the White Butterflies of Britain. By J. Rennie, Esq. A.M. A.L.S. On the Wheat Fly. By Mr. Archibald Gorrie, C.M.H.S., &c. . . . . 3^■23 Contributions towards theNatural History of the Dodo (Didus in^ptus Linn), a Bird which ap. pears to have become extinct towards the End of the Seventeenth or Beginning of the Eighteenth Century. By John V. Thompson, Esq. F.L.S. . . . .442 Some Account of the Wheat Fly. By Mr. Pa. trick ShirrefF, Farmer, Mungoswells, East Lothian - . ... - 448 BOTANY. An Introductory View of the Linnean System of Plants. By Miss Kent, Authoress of Flora Dom4stica, Sylvan Sketches, &c. - - \55 On the Natural History of Vegetables. By Mentor . . - - . 165 On some Phenomena attending SpheeVia/raxi- nea. By Electricus . . - 171 Some Account of a remarkable Spruce Fir Tree in the Woods at Braco Castle, Perthshire. By Mr. Archibald Gorrie, C.M.H.S. - 173 Notice respecting an Oak Tree struck by Light- ning. By the Rev. T. W. S. - - 230 On Vessels made of the Papyrus. By John Hogg, Esq. M.A. F.L.S. &c. . - 324 GEOLOGY. An Attempt to form a Table of the Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells. By R. C. Taylor, Esq. F.G.S. - . 26 An Account of a new Species of Trilobite, found in the Barr Limestone in the Neighbourhood of Birmingham. By Frederick Jukes, Esq. With a Note by J. D. C. Sowerby, Esq. . 41 Notice of some Fragments of Orth6ceras annu. laris and striata, found in the Barr Limestone in Warwickshire. By Frederick Jukes, Esq. With a Note by J. D. C. Sowerby, Esq. F.L.S. 231 On the Anatomy of the Ventriculites of Man- tel. By C. B. Rose, Esq., SwafFham - 332 METEOROLOGY. Of Winds, and the Causes of their different Kinds. By James Main, Esq. A.L.S. . 175 On *ie Art of deriving Interest from the Study of the Weather. By Mr. A. Gorrie, C.M.H.S. 177 VI CONTENTS. Part II. REVIEWS. A brief Account of Microscopical Observations made in the Months of June, July, and Au- gust, 1827, on the Particles contained in the Pollen of Plants ; and on the general Exist- ence of active Molecules in organic and inor- ganic Bodies. By Robert Brown, Esq. F.R.S. &c. {Not published.) - - - 46 The Journal of a Naturalist - -180 A Flora of Berwick upon Tweed. By George Johnston, M.D. &c. Vol. I. — Phaanogamous Plants. Berwick. 8vo. 1829 - - 234 Picture of Organised Nature, in its spreading over the Earth. By Wilbrand and Ritsen 342 Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately published, with some Notice of those con- sidered the most interesting to British Natu- ralists . - 49. 188. 238. 55% 452 Literary Notices - 61. 193. 241. 366, 454 Part III. COLLECTANEA. The General Subject Zoology Botany - 242.455 - 62. 242. 456 - 70. 245. 462 Geology and Mineralogy Meteorology - 71. 246. 465 - 248.468 Part IV. MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. ural History in Foreign Countries : France - 74. 194. 249. 469 Germany - 79.250.470 Holland and the Netherlands 81. 251. 472 Switzerland - 251 Italy - 367 Spain - - 367 Russia - 252 Sweden - 367.472 Denmark - 472 Asia - 252. 368. 473 North America - 253. S69 South America - 81.254.370 West Indies - 371 Natural History in London - 82. 196. 254. 37 1 Zoological Society - . . 372 Linnean Society .. - - 373 Geological Society ■ - - 376 Natural History in the English Counties ; Middlesex - . - 87. 266. 473 Surrey - -^ . . 266 Kent . . - 197. 383 - 386 - 386 - 88.267.386 Hertfordshire Huntingdonshire Cambridgeshire Gloucestershire Worcestershire , - Herefordshire Warwickshire Northamptonshire Yorkshire Northumberland Lancashire - - Westmoreland Cumberland Hampshire Dorsetshire Somersetshire Devonshire Natural History in North Wales Natural History in Scotland Natural History in Ireland Perennial Calendar Indicatorial Calendar Calendar of Nature Microscopic Amusement, as a M eating the Feelings Hints for Improvements Queries and Answers - 100. 205. Retrospective Criticism 110. 212. Biography . . . Obituary - 387 - 268 . 387 - 387 - 269.474 - 270.387 88. 273. 389 - 89 - 89.275 - 276 - - 477 - 277.391 - 278 89. 287 90. 282 392 91. 202. 394 - 92 - 99 203.283.477 eans of edu- 286 - 286.395 288. 401. 484 298. 396. 483 - 305 - 120. 310 LISTS OF ENGRAVINGS AND CONTRIBUTORS. VU LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. QUADRUPEDS No. Page 3. Diana monkey - 10 53. Bison - 219 BIRDS. 21. Strange water bird - 101 22. Variety of the moor buzzard - 102 32. The woodcock - 146 34. The solitary snipe - 147 36. The common snipe . 147 38. Jack snipe - - - - 148 54. Bearded titmouse - 222 107. Dodo - - 443 FISH. • IR'Physfeter catbdon - 477 REPTILE. 109. New species of British snake - 458 INSECTS. 5, 6. Centrotuses . 21 14. Brown-tail moth - 66 15,16. Wood-leopard moth - 67 17. Phalze^na pavbnia - 68 55 to 65. White butterflies of Britain 226 to 229 73. Larva of the crab - 245 77. Mole cricket - 290 78. Remarkable spider ,. 291 79. Zeuzdra tp'sculi - 291 105. Scolop^ndra el^ctrica - 406 110. Death's-head hawk moth - 460 MOLLUSCA. 7. Hfelix hort^nsis, TerMo navMis, and Aph:^sia depilans - - - 23 29. Star fish - ... 115 41. Zoligo vulgaris - - - 153 SHELLS. 40. BWimus actitus and Hfelix virgkta 150, 303 80. Lymnae'^a ovkta - . - 292 112. Mfa margaritifera - . 461 ZOOPHYTE. S8. Pentacrlnus europse^us - -114 TREES AND SHRUBS. No. Page 20. Cork tree - - - 91 49. Spruce fir tree - - - 174 66. Oak tree struck by lightning . 230 117. Grevilleo punicea - - 486 HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 18. £pip&ctis latifblia . - 70 81. Pinguicula vulgaris - - 293 CRYPTOGAMOUS PLANT. 47, 48. Sphse'^ria /raxinea - 171, 172 FOSSILS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. New species of trilobltes 42, 43 19. ^stferia - - - - 73 24, 25, 26. 118. Coal fossils 106, 107. 487 27. A'saphus Debxichw - - 109 67, 68. Orth6ceras annulJlris and striata - 232 82, 83. Blackdown fossils . - 295, 296 84. Minute objects on flints - - 296 85. Fossil like a broken nut - - 297 93 to 101. Ventriculites of Mantel 335 to 339 IMPLEMENT. 74. Geological hammer - - 247 DIAGRAMS, &c. 1 and 2. Pollen of the mallow . . 4 4. Riding a crocodile - - - 13 13. Geological tract - - - 44 23. Nidus on a rush - - 104 30. The four classes of vertebrated animals 132 31. Preternatural growth of incisor teeth 135 33, 35, 31, 39. Cseca of snipes 146, 147, 148 42, 43, 44. Forms of leaves 156, 157, 158 45, 46. The name of a plant discovered 161, 163 51, 52. Terminology of birds - , 214, 215 69. Bill of the nuthatch - - 243 70,71,72. Developement of spider's eggs 244 75, 76. 1 15, 116. Meteorological diagrams 283, 284.478.481 86. A deformed tarsus - - 302 88 to 92. Vessels of the papyrus 325 to 329 102 to 104. Picture of organised nature 343 to 345 106. Supposed Conferva - - 407 117. Optical phenomenon explained - 488 113, Root of an alder tree - - '^ 108. Foot of a large bird - .444 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. A. B., Aberdeen A Constant Reader A Constant Reader, Winburne A. C. R. - - . 205. A. G. . . . 205. 285. Ainsworth, William, M.R.C.S.E. - A Lover of Nature A. N. An Admirer of Buckland A Young Conchologist B. _ . . . Babington, C. C. Bakewell, Robert B. C. . B., Coventry . . Ill, B. D., Wrexham Blackwall, John, F.L.S. . 118 Blomer, Capt. Charles Bowdich, Mrs. - - 9i 62 Page 65 404,473 - 477 207.394 292. 480 - 483 . 222 -484 - 109 - 102 128. 361 - 68 1.214 - 483 302. 486 - 110 275. 398 278. 303 116. 409 Bowman, J. E., F.L.S. Bree, the Rev. W. T., M. A. 213. 243, Brew, C. A. - Brown, John - B., St. Helen's Cacale C. B., London Clarke, W.B. . Dovaston, John F. M., A.M. Drummond, James L, M.D., fast Nat. Hist. Soc. D. S. . D. S., Bungay DuncaA J. S. - E. . E. K., . - 287 Electricus E.T. - - 106.245.408 16. 66. 69. 71. 87. 298. 304. 460. 488 . 65 - 291 107, 424 - 302 - 103 . 247 219.313.400.401 Pres. of the Bel. 91. 121. 217. 305 . 216 . 462 - 376 . 245.362 293. 294. 406. 455 . 171 Vlll LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. E. W. B, - 399 Mearns, John, F.H.S. - - 488 F. . - 206 Mentor - - . 64.165 Farrar, W., M.D. - 484 Menzies, Archibald, F.L.S. &c. - - 435 F. C. L. - 293 Muphatamet - . - ' - 108 Ferme, J. - . 105 Murray, J, F.L.S. G.S. &c. 64, 65. 70. 190. 289. G. B. K. - .290 300 G. H. - 484 N. - . . - - 452 G. H., Clapton - 210 Nicholson, Thomas - - - 321 G. I. - . . - 22. 293 Obscurus - - - -403 Gibbs, Humphrey - 106 Palmer, the Rev. S. - - 212. 266. 276 Perry, W. G. - - . - 269 P. H. . . - . 101. 267 G. J. • ^ . 148. 402 G. M., Lynn Regis 82. 103. 110. 119 Gorrie, A., C.M.H.& 97.173.177.319.323 P. S. - . . . .293 Greaves, Charles - 106 P. S., Berwickshire . . .484 Gunt, H. - 405 P.T. - . - . .110 H.- -466 R. A., Bridgewater . . .206 Hamilton, W., M.D. - . 265 R.C.T. . - 108,109.268.295,296 Hawkins, Thomas - 207. 210. 211 Rennie, J., A.M. A.L.S. - 224. 4.57 H., Bicester - . 102 R. G. - . . . 265 H. D., Richmond 209. 211 R. J. . . . - 459 Heysham, T. C. - 110 Rose, C. B. . . - .332 Hill, Walter Henry, 64. 100. 105. 210. 387. 403. R.S. - . . - 119.298 404 Rusticus in Urbe - - 65.396 Hogg, John, M.A. F.L.S. . 324 Salmon, the Rev. J. D. - - . 205 Hoy, J. D. . 88 Scot, the Rev. David, M.D. M.W.S. F.H.S.E. Hunter, Perceval 198. 208. 289. 402 137 H.V.D. . 143 Shirreff, Patrick . . .448 H. W. . 358 Sowerby, J. D. C, F.L.S. . 44. 233 J. A. H. - 109 S. P. - - . 385,386,387 J. A., St. John's Wood - 69 S. T. - - . - . .366 J. B. 103. 114 Stanley, J., M.D. . . .276 J. D. C. S. . 109.296 Stewart, John V. - . - 301 J. E. B., Wrexham . 106 Stock, D. . 88. 120. 213. 387. 464 J. F. .207 S. V. W. Woodbridge . - - 247 J. G. C. - - . 114 Sweet, R., F.L.S. &c. - - 88. 101. 113 J. H. P. H. . " . 13 T. . . - - - 240 J. L. Philadelphia, 103. 116 Tatem, James, Mem. of the Lend. Met Soc. 192 J.L-s . 101 Taylor, R. C, F. G.S. - 26. 127. 216 T. F., near Huddersfield . - - 65 J. M. . 211.244.304.488 J. M'A. - 202 T. F. R. - . - - 404 J. M., Chelsea -100 T. G., Clithero . . - 289 J. R. - 194. 254. 293. 367. 396. 456. 457. 463. 467 Thompson, John, Hull - - - 468 J. R., Kilkenny . 93. 110 Thompson, J. v., F.L.S. - - 115.442 J. A. H. .484 Thompson, Thos. . . 288. 302. 400. 477 J. B., Liverpool . 485 Thomson, Prof. A. T, M.D. F.L.S. &c. - 408 J.C. . 288, 289 Thomson, J. T. - . .303 J. D, M. : 395 T. J 290 J. E. B. . 288 T. N. P. - . . - 406 Jennings, James Jerdan, W. - 113.264 T. W. S. - . - - 230 . 243 V. - - . . 218. 301 J. G. C. . 207 W. . - . . - 402 J. M., Chelsea .405 W. A., C. R 102 J. M., Philadelphia - 370 W., Brentford - . . .88 J. S. - . 288, 289. 292. 299 W.C.T. - - 119.120.207.209 Jukes, Frederick . 41. 231 Westwood, J. O., F.LS. &c. - 403 J. V. S. . 208 W. H., R. N. . . 2ffl. 305 J. W. . 89. 268 White, W. H. - - - 209. 485 K. . 188 W.H.M. - - - 72.247 K., Ipswich, . 267. 287 W. H, R. N., Yeovil - - - 70 Kent, Miss . 155 Winch, Nat. John, A.L.S. &c. - - 282 Kenyon, Jos. . 89. 273. 303 W.J. . . - .90.283 Kerridge, D. G. - - 292 Woods, Henry, A.LS. . - 202 Kirby, the Rev. William, M.A. F.R.S, - 20. 406 Woodward, Sam. . - .244 Lakes, the Rev. J. -458 W. S., Brussels - - - 248 Lamb, C. - 205. 212. 291 W. T. . . - . 62, 63 Lan^gley,Larret_ ._ - 270 W. T. B. . - - - 268 . 70. 294. 458 W. W., Wandsworth . - - 104 L., Hampstead . 406 W. Y. - . . . - 206 L. S. - 20 Y.T. H. . . . - 215 M. - . . 208. 210. S04 Your Constant Reader - . - 302 Main, J. . 175 Zeta - . . . - 267 M. A. R. - 90 It> . . . 238.241.312 Matthews, Andrew, A.L.S. . 67. 105 11 . 242. 384. 385. 387. 389. 391. 392 M. C. G., Margate . 211 THE MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. MARCH, 1829. Art. I. An Account of Mr. Needhams original Discovery of the Action of the Potlen of Plants ; tvith Observations on the supposed Existence of active Molecules in Mineral Substances* By Robert Bakewell, Esq, Sir, The accounts which have been recently published on the action of the pollen of plants, and particularly Mr. Robert Brown*s observations on this subject, and on the general exist- ence of active molecules in organic and inorganic matter, have excited much attention among the naturalists of our own country, and on the Continent. After my return from Hampshire in October last, I put my microscopes in requisition, to examine some of the extra- ordinary phenomena described by Mr, Brown, The season being far advanced, my garden did not furnish many species of flowers, but sufficient to confirm some of the facts stated by Mr, Brown, and to present others, not less curious, which are not described by him. While engaged in amusing myself with these microscopic researches, I found, behind a neglected corner of my book-shelves, an octavo volume, uncut, entitled, An Account of some Microscopic Discoveries. These discoveries are detailed, under different heads, in the titlepage: among others are, " Observations on the Farina foecundans of Plants, with a new discovery and description of the action of those minute bodies analogous to that of the calmar's milt-vessels, and an examination of the pistil, uterus, and stamina of several flowers, with an attempt to show how the seed is impreg- nated," The work was published in 1745, and is signed T, N, On perusing it, I find that the author was Mr, Need- ham, to whom Mr, Brown refers, as having obscurely seen the motion of the particles of pollen, I suppose Mr. Brown had not met with this volume, which I believe is scarce ; for Vol. IL — No. 6. b ^ On the Action of the Pollen of Plants^ Mr. Needham has not only minutely and accurately described the action of the pollen, but has correctly delineated it in the act of ejecting the particles contained within it. He also mentions having seen the particles move when within the pollen of the pumpion. He appears, indeed, to have de- scribed most of the principal facts, respecting the action of pollen, that have yet been satisfactorily ascertained. As similar microscopic observations at present engage the attention of many distinguished naturalists on the Continent, it is but justice to our own countryman, Mr. Needham, to bring forward the discoveries which he made near a century ago. An account of his work cannot fail to be acceptable to many of your readers. In order that those who are not at present acquainted with vegetable physiology may have a clear notion of Mr. Need- ham's discoveries, it may not be improper to state that the farina, or pollen, of plants, is that fine powder which may be observed within many flowers, and is particularly abundant in the white lily, where it occurs in the form of an orange- coloured meal. This powder is supposed to perform the important function of impregnating the seed. When seen through a microscope, as Miss Kent well describes, in p. 232. of your useful Magazine, "every particle appeal^ a little bag, containing a meal yet finer." Pollen is generally translucent, and the smaller particles may be seen within, like the seeds of a white currant, but much smaller in proportion. The grains of the pollen of the geranium are oval, and do not exceed the 400th part of an inch in diameter, as I ascertained by a micrometer scale ; the particles or granules within it do not exceed the 10,000th part of an inch. The pollen of some plants, as the mallow and hollyhock, is surrounded by minute spines, and, when mag- nified, the grains resemble the seeds of cleavers or goose grass (Galium Sparine). Mr. Needham, as will be shortly shown, was the first who discovered the internal particles in the grains of pollen, and attributed to them the property of impregnating the seeds of plants. The first sixty pages of Mr. Needham's work contains an account of his discoveries of the structure of the animalcules in the milt-vessels of the calmar, a species of cuttle-fish. His object is to prove that these minute animalcules have an in- ternal organisation, resembling a pump and sucker, and con- tain within them " opaque globules, in a kind of serous liquor," nearly similar to what he afterwards discovered in the pollen of plants ; and he considers these internal particles to be in both cases the real fecundising agents. . The succeeding twenty- and the Emstence ofacthe Molecules in Minerals. % four pages contain his discovery of the action of the pollen of plants when placed in water. This action, he says, " had escaped the observation of all naturalists till that time, as ap- pears by their express assertions ; for they affirm that water causes no alteration in the farina." His observations appear to have been made in the warm climate of Portugal, where the action of the pollen was vigorous and rapid. Mr. Need- ham says, " The farina of the jLilium flore reflexo was the first in which I discovered the action of the globules ; for, upon viewing it in water, I thought I perceived some alteration in these minute bodies, as if the shell, or case, had emitted through a small aperture a train of minute globules, which appeared but as points in the microscope, involved in a filmy substance, as the eggs of some aquatic insects are, and, in effect, not much unlike them. I immediately applied some fresh farina ; and having first fitted the microscope to a due focal distance, I dropped, with the tip of a pencil, a quantity of water upon the object ; when, in the course of some few seconds, I distinctly perceived a train of globules, involved in a filmy substance, to be ejaculated from within these minute bodies, and contorting itself from one side to the other during the time of action, which does not last above a second or two of time, and may be easily understood by a view of Jigs. 1. and 2. The drawings were taken from the pollen of the mallow. The several species of farina differ but httle from each other in this particular, their action in general resem- bling that of an eolipile violently heated. I have since repeated this experiment upon almost every species of farina with the like success, particularly upon that of the pumpion, which afforded me a more than ordinary gratification, not only because the globules are larger than those of the farina of most flowers, and may be observed with the second mag- nifier, where I had the advantage of a large field, but also because I could plainly perceive by two or three lucid specks, which continually shifted their places during the time of action, an intestine commotion within the globules, and a stronger ejaculation of the emitted particles." He farther observed, " that some species of farina act with so much force, that, when two globules are contiguous, the action of the ejaculated substance in one will repel the other to the distance of six or seven times its diameter." Where the pollen was transparent, he could not perceive particles in the matter ejected, which appeared like a thin pellucid vapour ; of which he cites the pollen of the Nasturtium as affording an instance. Mr. Need- ham made use of the reflecting microscope, and the above account will show that he obtained a correct view of his B 2 4 071 the Action of the Pollen of Plants, object. His style is somewhat obscure, as he does not well distinguish between the pollen itself, which he calls globules, and the particles contained in, and ejected from, the pollen ; but his meaning is sufficiently obvious to prevent any mistake respecting them. Fig. 1. represents the pollen of the mallow ejecting the particles, as seen with his third mag- nifier ; fg. 2. represents one grain of pollen in the act of ejection, as seen with his highest magnifier. Mr. Needham asserts that the pollen should be fresh gathered; but this is not necessary, as Mr. Brown has proved. He also says that the act of ejecting the particles continues only a few seconds. This maybe true with the pollen gathered in the summer months: but the pollen on which I made the experiment was taken from plants in the month of Octo- ber, and the ac- tion did not begin till the pollen had been some time in water, and it continued for nearly an hour in many of the grains ; others ejected the whole of their particles in less than a minute. The pollen of a hollyhock, which had been between the plates of mica in the slider of a microscope at least fifty years, emitted the particles very copiously, after immersion in water for four or five minutes. They were of different magnitudes, some being more than four times the size of others. When these particles were detached from each other, by stirring the drop of water, they continued to move about for some time, like the Animalcula infusoria : but when the grains of pollen had ceased to eject more particles, and the agitation from external causes ceased, I could never perceive any active motion of the particles, though I have repeated my observations frequently with different micro- scopes. The first remarkable circumstance which takes place when the pollen is immersed in water is, sometimes, a change of form in the grains of pollen themselves. I was greatly sur^. prised to see the pollen of the sweet pea change almost in-' and the Existence of active Molectdes in Minerals. 5 stantly from a cylindrical to a nearly globular form. Some of the grains which lay beyond the edge of the water being unchanged, gave me the opportunity of comparing them in these two forms. Frequently a transparent globule of con- siderable size, and sometimes two, are first protruded gra- dually through the coats of the pollen. Sometimes the granules rush out rapidly in a mass, as represented in j^g. 2. ; at other times they flow out slowly in a winding train. The coats of the pollen sometimes burst in two places. The figures drawn by Mr. Needham very accurately represent the appear- ance of the pollen in action. The year being far advanced when I began my observations, I was unable to extend them to many species of plants. I, however, carefully examined again and again the pollen of those plants that were accessible. Though I could never per- ceive any motion of the granules when they were clearly separated from the pollen, after the first ejection, it is not improbable that the particles within the pollen may possess greater activity in the summer months. I find it stated in p. 473. of your Magazine, that the Continental naturalists remark that the granules from the pollen of the same plant exhibit at one time a perceptible motion, and at another perfect immobility, under circumstances to all appearance alike. The accounts which have recently been published, of the seeds of certain species of mosses possessing spontaneous motion, and then sending forth roots, and becoming fixed vegetables, appear at first truly surprising. Mr. Ellis, the well known author of the work on Corallines, and a very accu- rate observer, was not unacquainted with this circumstance half a century ago, and has given a satisfactory solution of the phenomenon. He says the "minute seeds which evolve under water from fungi and mosses, and appear to have spontaneous motion, derive that motion from more minute animalcules in the water, which, by pecking at these seeds, moved them about in various directions, while the little animals were scarcely visible, till the food they had eaten discovered them." Other early microscopic observers were acquainted with the appa- rent metamorphosis of animalcules into vegetables. In what has been advanced,^ it is not intended to deny the existence of active vegetable molecules, but to maintain that their existence is still problematical. That the tissues of all organic bodies may consist of molecules, and that these mole- cules may possess a moving power, when detached from each other, seems accordant with many observations on the effects of macerating vegetable and animal substances in water, but B 3 6 On the Action of the Pollen of Plants, that the molecules of mineral substances should possess this power, can only be admitted upon the most rigorous scrutiny. I have made repeated observations on several mineral sub- stances, which Mr. Brown says are chiefly composed of these active molecules ; and though in some instances I was at first persuaded that I had seen the motions of the molecules similar to those of the smallest species of Infusoria, a more careful examination proved that I was mistaken, and that the motions were derived from causes that had not been properly appre- ciated. In these experiments it is absolutely requisite to em- ploy fresh-distilled or fresh-boiled water. The Thames water and water in cisterns generally contain numerous animalcules. I chiefly made use of single lenses from -[V to oV of an inch focal length, varying in magnifying power, from 100 to 220 times in linear dimensions : the use of the compound micro- scope is, I think, inadmissible in such delicate observations. With the lowest of the above-mentioned powers, a particle less than 1 0,^0 0^ part of an inch in diameter is distinctly perceptible, and the form of a particle of twice that diameter may be ob- served.* To make use of higher powers than what are abso- lutely required, render's the examinations more difficult, and the result more uncertain. To obtain glass in a highly comminuted state, I took the powder-blue used by laundresses, which I still farther tritu- rated. The small portion of the oxide of cobalt which enters into the composition of this glass, could not be supposed to paralyse the action of the molecules, as all the metals that can be reduced to powder are said to contain these active molecules. By making use of powder-blue, I had the advantage of seeing when all the larger particles were deposited. Among other sub- stances which I more particularly examined, were finely pow- dered adhesive slate, mountain cork, quartz, flint, and kaolin, from a specimen of the best kind used in the manufacture at Sevres, given me by M. A. Brongniart. When a drop of water containing any of these substances was placed under the micro- scope, I perceived particles in motion, which continued for some time, and then was scarcely discernible, but on laying my hand upon the table the motion recommenced, and was evi- dently produced by a current in the drop; although many particles appeared to be more influenced by it than others, which occasioned a change in their relative positions. Hence I became convinced, that in order to make the experiment * According to Sir William Herschell, though an object which subtends a visual angle less than a minute may be perceived, yet, to ascertain the form of it, it should subtend two minutes and a half and the Existence of active Molecules in Minerals, 7 properly, the microscope should be placed on a support not liable to be affected by vibrations of any kind, and I therefore placed the instrument on a support made for a telescope stand, so constructed as to prevent vibration w^hen examining the more delicate double stars. I found that even the puls- ation of my body occasioned an oscillatory motion of the par- ticles, when the microscope vs^as placed upon a table. After repeated trials, I became satisfied that whatever motions may appear to take place among the particles, for some time after the drop of water is first placed under the microscope, they will soon subside, if not kept up by agitation from external causes. In London, as an excellent practical philosopher, the late William Nicholson, justly observed, it is scarcely pos- sible to avoid the effects of vibration ; this may be seen by the continual tremours visible on the surface of mercury placed in a basin. Now, if the particles of dust that fall on the surface of the mercury could be brought under a powerful microscope, they would appear in constant motion. Let us suppose the mercury to be changed for water, a similar effect will take place, and the particles that may sink under the surface will represent the particles of dust in a single drop ; and Mr. Brown informs us that the whole of the London dust is composed of active molecules. I am fully conviilced, however, that their activity in a drop of water, as well as when dancing in the sunbeam, is derived from external agitation. The very force of gravity constantly drawing the particles downwards must not be overlooked, for it is not contended that the vitality of inorganic particles is sufficient to keep them permanently sus- pended in water. The observer's breath, and the constant evaporation of the drop, have also a tendency to produce counter-currents. A drop of water placed under the micro- scope, may be regarded as equal, in apparent magnitude, to a quart of the same fluid in a water-glass, and will be subject to the various currents that may be produced by agitation in the larger quantity ; but the slightest movement which occasions a displacement of the particles, even the one-thousandth part of an inch will, under a high magnifying power, make them appear to perform a long voyage. Some of the animalcules discovered by Loewenhoeck, the motions of which excited so much surprise, he informs us, never travelled farther than a hair's breadth.* It is highly improbable that we shall ever be able to reduce mineral substances to their ultimate molecules by pulverisation. * Hicce progressus non majus habebat spatium quam quod capilli Miame- trum aequaret. B 4 8 On the Action of the Pollen of Plants, S^c, Their essential qualities remain the same after pounding as before ; and, could we construct microscopes that would mag- nify twenty thousand times in linear dimensions, we should see in pounded quartz, flint, &c., fragments and pebbles, the size of walnuts, exacdy resembling those of the same minerals at the foot of a mountain, and it is difficult to believe that they would gain active moving powers by simple immersion in water. Still the philosophical world is greatly indebted to Mr. Brown, for having directed the attention of naturalists to this curious subject. About ten years ago, I was informed that Mr. By water, an ingenious optician, now residing in Liverpool, had discovered moving animalcules in coal-ashes, pounded marble, and other mineral substances. Little interest was then excited by the supposed discovery, it required an eminent naturalist like Mr. Brown, whose merits are well known, and highly appreciated in his own country and on the Continent, to direct public at- tention to statements so much at variance with our precon- ceived notions of matter. If, contrary to my expectation, after all due caution in the observations, it should be finally esta- blished that mineral substances are composed of active mole- cules, what new views of nature will the discovery unfold 1 Beds of siliceous sand, like those on our Hampstead Heath, are only awaiting a further process of trituration, to be awa- kened into life by the torrent that shall bear them into the ocean; and the geologist, while he contemplates the organic remains of a former world embedded in solid rocks, must regard the rocks themselves as the parents of future living beings. But who shall presume to say that we have at present discovered all the properties which the Creator has communicated to material substances ? It should be borne in mind, that, less than a century since, latent heat, electric and galvanic energy, and crystalline polarity were unknown as important agents in nature ; and that philosophers attempted to explain the phe- nomena of thunder-storms, and even of vital action, on mecha- nical principles. It will not be denied that many important processes take place in the mineral kingdom, which cannot now be explained by the agency of known causes, but await the discovery of other principles for their satisfactory elucidation. As it is probable that many persons may be desirous of entering this new field of enquiry, it will materially assist them in forming an accurate judgment of what they observe, to pro- vide pepper water, and other vegetable or animal infusions, that they may from time to time compare the motions of the real Animalcula infusoria with those of the supposed activemole- cules ; and, if modern philosophy did not disdain to profit by the illustrations which common life frequently offers, I would re*- Anecdotes of a Diana Monkey., 9 commend them to look attentively at the bubbles, or the crumbs that float on the surface of a basin of tea, and they will soon be convinced, that change of relative position is not a sufficient proof of spontaneous motion or vitality. I am, Sir, yours, &c. Hampstead, Feb, 29. 1829. Robt. Bakewell. PS. — Since the above was written, I have most carefully re-examined various mineral and inorganic substances, with- out discovering any proper motion of the molecules if the water was recently boiled. When I used unboiled water, I was once or twice deceived by an 'apparent motion which, I am convinced, was caused by animalcules previously existing in the water. — R, B., Feb, 20. Art. II. Anecdotes of a Diana Monkey, By Mrs. Bowdich. Sir, Although anecdotes of monkeys are as numerous as the beings to whom they owe their origin, although they are brought forward to all ages, and at all times, still I have ob- served that no one gets tired of them, that their histories or portraits create an interest common to all human beings, of whatever race, or in whatever situation. The negro delights in relating the wonders or rogueries they perform, and the saying, " that monkeys could talk if they liked, only they are afraid white men would make them work if they did," is every where to be heard among the more indolent inhabitants of the tropics. English men, women, and children resemble their black brethren : and there is yet another feeling in which the most 'savage and the most refined seem to agree, it is the dislike, or mortification, call it what you will, which we feel in seeing how nearly they resemble ourselves. There was a restless, tormenting, and agile creature on board a vessel in which I sailed up an African river, who was incessantly teasing and hovering about me. If I called another, he was sure to leap across the deck, and come to perform that which the other would have done much better. I never thought myself quite alone, but this fellow's head was sure to start from some unexpected corner ; and one day, wearied with his officious- ness, I pointed to a black monkey sitting opposite to us, and said to him, " Rapoynda, that is your brother." Kind words, presents, nought availed me afterwards, for I was never for- given. The same feeling might be traced in a very different form, when a friend of mine pulled me away from the con tern- 10 Anecdotes of a Diana Monkey, plation of Landseer's admirable picture*, exclaiming, " How can you look at that so long ? Such things ought never to have been made, and I am sure ought never to have been painted." I obeyed, but the recollection of Rapoynda flashed across me. After this I will not apologise for intruding an old ship companion of mine on your notice, although he belongs to the never failing theme of monkeys. He w^as a native of the Gold Coast, and was of the Diana species (5imia Diana). {fig.S.) He had been purchased by the cook of the vessel in which I sailed from Africa, and was considered his ex- clusive property. Jack's place then was close tOi the cabooce; but as hisi education progressed, he was gradually allowed an* increase of liberty, till at last he enjoyed the rangeJ of the whole ship, except^ the cabin. I had em-j barked with more than a mere womanly aversion to monkeys, it was absolute antipathy; and although I often laughed at Jack's freaks, still I kept out of his way, till a circum- stance brought with it a closer acquaintance, and cured me of my dislike. Our latitude was three degrees south, and we only proceeded by occasional tornadoes, the intervals of which were filled up by dead calms and bright weather. When these occurred during the day, the helm was frequently lashed, and all the watch went below. On one of these occasions I was sitting alone on the deck, and reading intently, when, in an instant, something jumped upon my shoulders, twisted its tail round my neck, and screamed close to my ears. My immediate conviction that it was Jack scarcely relieved me : but there was no help ; I dared not cry for as- sistance, because I was afraid of him, and dared not obey the next impulse, which was to thump him ofl^ for the same rea- son, I therefore became civil from necessity, and from that moment Jack and I entered into an alliance. He gradually loosened his hold, looked at my face, examined my hands and * " The Monkey who had «cen the World." Anecdotes of a Diana Monkey, 11 rings with the most minute attention, and soon found the bis- cuit which lay by my side. When I liked him well enough to profit by his friendship, he became a constant source of amusement. Like all other nautical monkeys, he was fond of pulling off the men's caps as they slept, and throwing them into the sea; of knocking over the parrots' cages to drink the water as it trickled along the deck, regardless of the occasional gripe he received ; of taking the dried herbs out of the tin mugs in which the men were making tea of them ; of dexterously picking out the pieces of biscuit which were toasting between the bars of the grate ; of stealing the carpenter's tools ; in short, of teasing every thing and every body : but he was also a first- rate equestrian. Whenever the pigs were let out to take a run on deck, he took his station behind a cask, whence he leaped on the back of one of his steeds as it passed. Of course the speed was increased, and the nails he stuck in to keep himself on produced a squeaking; but Jack was never thrown, and became so fond of the exercise, that he was obliged to be shut up whenever the pigs were at liberty. Con- finement was the worst punishment he could receive, and whenever threatened with that, or any other, he would cling to me for protection. At night, when about to be sent to bed in an empty hen-coop, he generally hid himself under my shawl, and at last never suffered any one but myself to put him to rest. He was particularly jealous of the other monkeys on board, who were all smaller than himself, and put two out of his way. The first feat of the kind was performed in my presence : he began by holding out his paw, and making a squeaking noise, which the other evidently considered as an invitation ; the poor little thing crouched to him most humbly,- but Jack seized him by the neck, hopped off to the side of the vessel, and threw him into the sea. We cast out a rope im- mediately, but the monkey was too much frightened to cling to it, and we were going too fast to save him by any other means. Of course Jack was flogged and scolded, at which he was very penitent ; but the deceitful rogue, at the end of three days, sent another victim to the same destiny. But his spite against his own race was manifested at another time in a very original way. The men had been painting the ship's side with a streak of white, and upon being summoned to dinner, left their brushes and paint on deck. Unknown to Jack, I was seated behind the companion door, and saw the whole trans- action ; he called a little black monkey to him, who, like the others, immediately crouched to his superior, when he seized him by the nape of the neck with one paw, took the brush, dripping with paint, with the other, and covered him with white from head to foot. Both the man at the helm and \^ , Anecdotes (^a Diana Motikei/, myself burst into a laugh, upon which Jack dropped his victim, and scampered up the rigging. The unhappy litde beast began licking himself^ but I called the steward, who washed him so well with turpentine, that all injury was prevented ; but during our bustle Jack was peeping with his black nose through the bars of the maintop, apparently enjoying the confusion. For three days he persisted in remaining aloft ; no one could catch him, he darted with such rapidity from rope to rope ; at length, impelled by hunger, he dropped unexpectedly from some height on my knees, as if for refuge, and as he had thus confided in me, I could not deliver him up to punish- ment. The only way in which I could control his tricks was by showing him to the panther on board, which excited his fears very strongly. I used to hold him up by his tail, and the in- stant he saw the panther he would become perfectly stiff, shut his eyes, and pretend to be dead. When I moved away, he would relax his limbs, and open one eye very cautiously, but if he caught a glimpse of the panther's cage, the eyes were quickly closed, and he resumed the rigidity of death. After four months' sojourn together, I quitted Jack off the Scilly Islands, and understood that I was very much regretted : he unceasingly watched for me in the morning, and searched for me in every direction, even venturing into the cabin ; nor was he reconciled to my departure when my servants left the ves- sel at Gravesend. It may not be out of place to mention here the extraordinary animal which is said to exist in the coun- tries to the north of the Gaboon river. The natives describe it as the largest of all monkeys, but of a breadth more tre- mendous than its height ; they declare that one blow of its paw would fell a man to the earth. Both males and females are very much attached to their young, and the latter carry them about after death till they drop from their arms. They are fond of imitating men ; walk upright ; and, having seen the natives collect ivory, if they find a tusk, they carry it on their shoulders till they sink with fatigue. They are said to build huts with leaves and boughs of trees, but not to have sufficient sagacity to live in them, as they get on the roof, and there abide the inclemencies of the tornado season. They attack travellers as if they thought them intruders, and have never yet been taken alive. It is alleged that the African ourang approaches nearer to man than any other. It would, therefore, be extremely inte- resting to procure one of these Ingheenas, which are probably quite new ; for although we know nothing of them except by report, and doubtless hear a number of absurdities respecting Oji riding on the Back of a Crocodile. 13 them, I feel assured that they exist, and are extremely for- midable, both in stature and cunning. I am, Sir, yours, &c. S. BOWDICH. Art. III. On riding on the Back of a Crocodile, By J. H. P. H. Many people on possessing the original and highly interesting Wanderings in South America, by Charles Waterton, Esq,, altogether disbelieve his account of catching the crocodile, or, as it is here called, the Cayman, and laugh at the extreme im- probability of his having '^jumped on his hacky in order to conquer him. {fig, 4.) This the greater part of his readers have looked upon as a fiction ; and others have considered it as a downright falsehood. The following observations, there- fore, will tend to counteract this idea, and to show that it has actually been the custom, among some nations, both in ancient and modern times, to mount on the backs of crocodiles, that these animals may be taken with more facility and safety. The great Roman naturalist gives this curious description of catching crocodiles: — " Gens hominum est crocodilo ad- versa in ipso Nilo Tentyritae, ab insula in qua habitat appel- lata. Mensura eorum parva, sed prsesentia animi in hoc tan- turn usu mira. Terribilis haec contra fugaces bellua est, fugax contra insequentes, sed adversum ire soli hi audent. Quin- etiam flumini innatant, dorsoque equitantium modo imposiHi liiantibus resupino capite ad morsum, addita in os clava, dex- tra ac Iseva tenentes extrema ejus utrinque, ut fraenis in terram 14 On fidmg on^lie Back of a Crocodile. agunt captivos, ac voce etiam sola territos, cogunt evomere rec6ntia corpora ad sepulturam." * — Plifiii Hist. Nat., lib. viii. cap. 25. In a rare and very singular book of field sports f , contain- ing one hundred and one coloured plates, to which are ahnexed four lines in Latin descriptive of each subject, tab. 88. repre- sents, most probably from this account of Pliny, some men riding on crocodiles, and bringing them to land by means of a pole across their mouths, whilst others are killing the beasts with large clubs. The foregoing sketch {Jig. 4^.) is a figure taken from that plate, with the following verses : — " Tentyra in iEgypto, Nilum juxta, insula gentem , i Intrepidara gignit ; crocodili haec scandere dorsum . i' Audet : refrenat baculo os : discedere cogit Ex amne in terram : mortem acceleratque nocenti." % Dr. Pococke, in his observations on Egypt, mentions a me- thod of taking the crocodile still more like that which our author practised in South America. He says, " they make some animal cry at a distance from the river, and- when the crocodile comes out, they thrust a spear into his body, to which a rope is tied : they then let him go into the water to spend himself, and afterwards drawing him out, run a pole into his mouth, and, jumping on his back, tie his jaws together." (vol. i. p. 203.) Now, Mr. Waterton and his Indians having secured a mon- ster of the Essequibo, by a baited hook fastened to a long rope, ''they pulled the cayman," as he describes (p. 231.), "within two yards of me, I saw he was in a state of fear and perturba- tion ; I instantly dropped the mast, sprung up, and jumped on his back, turning half round as I vaulted, so that I gained my seat with my face in a right position. I immediately seized his * " There is a race of men hostile to the crocodile, called Tentyritae, from an island in the Nile itself, which they inhabit. Their stature is small, but their courage in this practice is wonderful. This beast is terrible to them that flee from him, but runs away from his pursuers, and these men alone dare attack him. Moreover, they swim after him in the river, and mounting on his back, like horsemen, as he opens his jaws to bite, with his head turned up, they thrust a club into his mouth, and holding the ends of it, one in the right hand, and the other in the left, they bring him to shore captive as if with bridles, and so frightened with their shouts only, that they compel him to disgorge the bodies he had but just swallowed, in order to be buried." t It is entitled " Venationes ferarum, avium, piscium, Pugnae Bestiario- rum, et mutuae Bestiarum, depictae a Joanne Stradano, editae per Nico- laum Visscher, cum privilegio ordinum HoUandiae et West-Frisiae." X " Tentyra, an island of the Nile, in Egypt, is inhabited by an intrepid people, who climb the crocodile's back, and, bridling his mouth with a staflfj force him out of the river, and slay him." On ridiiig on the Back of a Crocodile. 15 fore legs, and by main force twisted them on his back : thus they served me for a bridle." Herodotus [Euterpe^ chap. 70.), relates a different way of catching this animal on the Nile. — 'ETreav vwtov uo^ SeAeacry/ 7csp\ uynKTTpoVy fjisrisi s$ jU,g^ a Centrbtus globularis Fab, {Jig, 6. a) StolPs Cigales, pi. 28. f. 163. C 3 22 Natural History of Mollmcous Animals : — Centrotus margiiiatus Fab, {Jig, 6, b) StolPs Cigales, pi. 11. f.53. Centrotus c\k\\gev Fab, (Jlg,6,c) Stoll's Cigales, pi. 21. f. 1 1 5. I am, Sir, yours, &c. Barham, October 15. 1828. William Kirby. Art. VI. The Natural History of MolltLSCOus Animals, In a Series of Letters. By G. J. Letter 1. Introduction, Sir, I AM not surprised at the pleasure you express having received from the sight of the rich cabinet of Lady Con- chylia. Shells, from the ease with which they can be pre- served, from their elegance and beauty, have, at all times, been favourite objects with collectors ; and as show was in general the main object, so various methods were devised to heighten their gloss, and unveil their hidden colours. Much of the effect produced by Her Ladyship's splendid specimens is the result of these artifices : but this childish amusement has gradually given way to a more rational pursuit ; and while shells are collected with greater eagerness than ever, it is with the view of unfolding a page in the volume of creation; of enlarging our knowledge of the structure and functions of animated beings ; of satisfying a blameless curiosity concern- ing the habits and purposes of creatures whom their Author has pronounced to be all "very good;" of improving our taste by the contemplation of the most beautiful and elegant forms; and for the very interesting end of illustrating the striicture of the earth, and chronicling its revolutions. Naturalists, however, have now agreed that shells form no isolated class of natural objects ; but that there are many ani- mals destitute of a shell, which yet cannot be disjoined from them without the grossest violation of nature. These, then, we must not omit ; and, instead of the " History of Shells '' you request, I shall attempt to give you that of the Mol- Lu'scA, the name by which this class is now designated. Molluscous animals have no internal articulated bones, nor are their bodies divided into segments by any external fis- sures. They are soft and fleshy ; either naked, or, more com- monly, covered with a shell of one or more pieces. They have no legs nor articulated members of any kind ; and they either crawl on the earth, or swim in the water, by means of extended portions of their skin, which can rarely claim a title to be Introduction, ■•a;s*5s^«*?^ 2a called fins. The cuttle-fish and slug are examples which will give you a general notion of the naked tribes ; and with the great variety in the shelled species you are now familiar. At the first glance, you might suppose that such creatures can be productive neither of much benefit nor much injury to man ; but a little detail will convince you that this would be ^4iasty conclusion. V The catalogue of their " injuries," I must acknowledge, is riot extensive. The slug (Z/imax) and snail (Helix hor- tensis) {fig, l,a\ the gardener will inform you, frequently destroy, and perhaps always more or less injure, his early crops, while they mutilate and render disgusting the fruits of autumn : but the farmer often finds them a more serious pest ; for in spring they often issue, in inconceivable numbers, from their concealments on a dewy eve, and feed upon the young and tender crops. No kind of herbage seems unpalatable to them, but to clovers they give a preference ; and the damage they annually do to them and to turnips is really very great. Many fields were this summer made barren by them, and more ^ were so thinned as to require to be resown. Of the marine tribes the Teredo navalis {Jig, 7. b\ or Ship- worm, is the only one which has excited notice by its destruc- tive powers. This shell-enclosed worm, which Linnaeus has emphatically, yet not undeservedly, styled the " calamitas navium,*' is said to have been introduced into our seas from the East within little more than a century. They are now common in all the seas of Europe ; and being gifted with the power of perforating wood, they have done, and continue to do, extensive mischief to ships, piers, and all submarine wooden buildings. The soundest and hardest oak cannot resist them ; but, in the course of four or five years, they will so drill it, as to render its removal necessary, as has happened in the dock- yard of Plymouth. In the years 1731 and 1732, the United c 4 24 Natural History of Molluscous Animals : — Provinces were under a dreadful alarm, for it was discovered that these worms had made such depredations on the piles which support the banks of Zealand, as to threaten them with total destruction, and to claim from man what he had wrested from the ocean. Fortunately they, a few years after, totally abandoned that island, from causes unknown, but suspected to be " from their not being able to live in that latitude when the winter was rather severer than usual." But still they might return ; and so a prize of value was offered to any one who should discover a remedy against their attacks. What answer was returned I am ignorant; but the method now adopted to preserve the timbers necessarily used about the docks at Plymouth is, to cover that part which is continually under water with short broad-headed nails, which, in salt water, soon cover every part with a strong coating of rust, impenetrable to these animals. You may think it rather ridiculous to speak of the direct injuries such sluggish creatures, doomed to creep on the earth or crawl in the waters, can inflict: and they are, in truth, a harmless race, none of them being armed with any weapon of offence ; yet, even from amongst them, has man sought the means of aiding his vile purposes. The sea-hare, the jLepus marinus of the ancients, familiar to classical readers, and once famous in the annals of superstition, is a member of this class. Modern naturalists call it Aphysia depilans. {Jig, 7. c) It is a snail-like animal, of a purplish-brown colour, common on our own shores, which, at pleasure, discharges from under its cloak large quantities of a fluid of the richest purple colour. This creature, it was once believed, held such antipathy to man, that the mere touch of it would cause the hair to fall of, and the sight of it was sufficient to subdue the obstinacy of con- cealed pregnancy. That such an animal should supply a potent poison is not wonderful; and accordingly we are told that Nero mixed it with the food of those inimical to him, and that with this poison Titus was despatched by Domitian. Its operation was speedy, and inevitable destruction the effect : yet it was not often used, as it was believed to betray itself by some peculiar symptoms. (See Beckman's Hist, of Irweri- tions, vol. i. p. 82.) And yet it is curious that, notwithstand- ing all this has been said by very grave men, and very gravely too, modern naturalists have proved it to be perfectly harm- less, neither offensive to the smell, nor poisonous to the touch. Some shell-fish, however, are really poisonous when eaten. This is frequently the case with muscles (ikfytilus edulis). I have known them to produce an itchy eruption and swelling pver the whole body, attended with great anxiety and con- Introduction. 25 siderable fever. On some parts of the Yorkshire coast they are considered poisonous, and in consequence never eaten; and several cases are on record in which their use proved fatal. Some of Captain Vancouver's men having breakfasted on roasted muscles, virere soon after seized with a numbness about their faces and extremities ; their whole bodies were shortly affected in the same manner, attended with sickness and giddiness, and one died. In the month of June, 1827, a great number of the poor in Leith were poisoned by eating these shellfish, which they procured from the docks. "The town," says Dr. Combe, " was in a ferment, and the magis- trates, with great propriety, issued a warning against the use of the muscles. Many deaths were reported, and hundreds of individuals were stated to be suffering under it. Luckily, matters were not so deplorable ; but we ascertained that, in addition to the man mentioned before, the companion of our patient, an elderly woman, had died. In all, about thirty cases occurred, with great uniformity of symptoms, but varying very much in severity ; but none, so far as I know, have left any permanent bad effects." To what cause these deleterious effects are to be ascribed is uncertain; for muscles, you are aware, may commonly be eaten with impunity. Some attri- bute them to disease in the fish, or to its being in a state of putrefaction ; others to its having fed on some poisonous articles, more particularly on the ores of copper ; and others, again, to the peculiar idiosyncrasies of the sufferers. In many cases this latter explanation will suffice ; but sometimes, as in the Leith cases, it is obviously insufficient. The disease of the fish has never been satisfactorily ascertained: they are eaten fresh and alive, and cannot, of course, be putrid; while the most delicate chemical tests give no indications of cupreous impregnation. Upon the whole, the effects seem to be biest explained by attributing them to a peculiar poison generated in the fish, under unknown circumstances ; an opinion adopted by those medical men who have attended most to the subject. Now list ! One of the Mollusca actually doth attack man vi et armis, I must beg you will, like a good-natured hero of Mr. Crabbe's, dispose yourself " wonders to believe," and be ready to grant " That things improbable may still be true." " A friend of mine," says Mr. Pennant, when speaking of a kind of cuttle-fish (Octopus vulgaris), " long resident among the Indian isles, and a diligent observer of nature, informed me that the natives affirm that some have been seen two fathoms broad over their centre, and each arm nine fathoms long. S6 Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, When the Indians navigate their little boats, thet/ go in dread of them ; and lest these animals should fling their arms over, and sink them, they never sail without an axe to cut them off." The same story is to be found in Pliny, but he of course was not Mr. Pennant's friend ; and the following — fact, shall I call it ? — adds to its credibility : — The celebrated diver, Pescecola, whom the Emperor Frederic II. employed to de- scend into the Strait of Messina, saw there, with horror, enormous cuttle-fish attached to the rocks, the arms of which, being sevei'al yards long, were more than sufficient to strangle a man, (Malte-Brun^ Geogr,, pt. i. p. SI 6.) ., . ^ w., * .- I am, Sir, &c. .>.,,• j.^:^-'. G. J. Art. VII. An Attempt to form a Table of the Geological Arrange^ ment of British Fossil Shells, By R. C. Taylor, Esq. F.G.S. V The following is an abstract of a more extended index, constructed chiefly from the Minei'al Conchology of Mr. Sow- erby, and from authentic details, after essential corrections in the localities and formations. The genera are distinguished under the four principal subdivisions of Simple Univalves, Simple Bivalves, Complicated Bivalves, and Multilocular Univalves. The species, for the purposes of the Table, can only be enumerated in one formation, although they sometimes appear to recur in several ; but it has been endeavoured to inti'oduce them where they are most characteristic. Having the Mineral Conchology for its basis, the list has been carefully augmented by selections from such local catalogues of fossils as have been communicated in the scientific journals and Transactions, and in the publications of eminent natural- ists ; and this has been done with the greater satisfaction, since many of those lists, particularly those in the Transactions of the Geological Society, were previously submitted to Mr. . Sowerby. Occasionally the compiler has been enabled to make some additions and corrections from his own acquaintance with the secondary formations. Care has been exercised to avoid re- peating species which are already enumerated in Mineral Conchology, and enlarging the catalogue without sufficient authority. In most of the doubtful cases they have been rejected altogether, and in others they are admitted into the column of formations, but not into that of numbers or species. As several species, there is reason to believe, are distributed throughout a series of beds (perhaps even of what are collect- Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, 2 7 ively styled formations), and a false estimate of number would result from repetition, they have been arranged under those formations which they more particularly characterise, where they are most conspicuous, or whence they were originally figured by Mr. Sowerby. The authorities for many of the additional fossils are affixed. The present is by no means offered to geologists as a per- fect Stratigraphical Table. There is still much to add, and much to correct ; but should it prove the means of eliciting a more elaborate classification hereafter, by those better qualified for the undertaking, the object of the writer will be fully at- tained. SIMPLE UNIVALVES. Uif^Uli^.' Genera. Formations. .S Genera. Formations. .S e2 ^ ^ k 6 Acteon Lias (1, Coney beare) Crag 1 (Tornatdlla) Upper oolite (Ancliffe) 2 2 Bulimus Upper fresh water 2 London clay 2 3 Cancellaria - London clay 3 Crag - 2 3 Cassis London clay 2 7 Ampullaria - Mountain limestone. Crag 1 and cornbrash - 1 9 Cerithium - London clay 6 [nferior oolite (3 spe- Plastic clay 3 cies, Coney beare) 1 9 Cirrus Mountain limestone 2 London clay : 4 Lower oolite 3 Upper marine, I.W. ? 1 Gault 1 Crag, 1? - - Upper and lower chalk 4Ancllla - 1 Forest jnarble (2 spe- 2 (1, Mantell) - 3 cies. Smith ?) - 1 3 Conus London clay 3 London clay 2 4 Cy^TCB'a - London clay 1 London clay, and up- Crag - - 3 per marine 1 10 Dentalium - Upper lias clay 1 1 A'ncylus Lower fresh water 1 Lower green sand - — 7 Auricula Lower green sand - 1 Gault 2 Upper green sand \ Chalk marl ] Upper green sand - 1 1 Chalk marl, and Lon- London clay 2 don clay 1 Crag 3 London clay 4 3j?alanus Chalk (Mantell) - 1 Crag 1 1 Crag 2 1 Dolium Chalk 1 eBellerophon Mountain limestone 6 1 Eburna Crag 1 26^uccinum - Mountain limestone 4 (^uccinum) Brora coal measures 5 Emarginula Inferior oolite 3 Great oolite 1 London clay, and crag 1 Upper green sand (T.) 1 Crag - 1 Woolwich and upper 8 Euomphalus Mountain limestone 7 marine, L of Wight 1 Upper oolite 1 London clay 4 1 Fissurella - Crag 1 Crag 15 13 Fusus London clay 11 6 Bulla London clay 5 Crag 2 28 Geological Arrangemetit of British Fossil Shells, SIMPLE VNIYALVES — continued. ^ Genera. Formations. ^ Genera. Formations. 6. H c» H m 4 Helicina Lias Marly sandstone 3 Plastic clay, 1 ? - London clay 4 above lias I Crag 5 5 H^lix Mountain limestone ? Upper green sand Lower fresh water, Isle of Wight - 1 1 1 8 iVerita Mountain limestone Inferior oolite J) Inferior oolite of > Sutherland ) I 2 5 Infundibulum Plastic clay 1 Great oolite 2 (Caljptrea) London clay 3 Stonesfield slate, 2 — Crag 1 Portland limestone 1 6 Limn^a Fresh water, I. of W., upper and lower 6 London clay London clay, and up- 1 11 Melania Mountain limestone 1 per marine Woolwich beds 1 Lias and coral rag - 1 2 Neritina Inferior oolite - 2 IsleofSkye? Upper oolite, Port- Plastic clay, and ► 2 land coral rag, and upper marine Kimmeridge beds 1 Lower fresh water _ Weald clay 2 2 Oliva London clay 2 Upper green sand ? — 1 O'vula Crag 1 London clay 1 11 Patella Lias — alum shale 1 Upper marine, 1 - Great oolite 2 Lower fresh water 3 Stonesfield slate - 1 4 Melanopsis - Woolwich bed, upper marine, and lower fresh water Upper and lower fresh Forest marble Oxford or clunch clay Gault, and green sand London clay 1 1 1 1 water 2 Crag 3 Upper and lower fresh 3 Paludina - Purbeck beds > Hastings sands 5 water, and upper (originally 1 marine 1 Vivipara) Weald clay, and Sus- 5 Mitra London clay 5 sex marble 1 11 Potamides - Woolwich bed (Ce- rithia?), and upper marine Lower fresh water, 3 IsleofSkye Upper and lower fresh water, and upper marine 1 Isle of Wight - 2 3 Phasian^Ua - Fresh water, L of W. 3 Upper marine forma- 2 Pileolus - Upper oolite Mountain limestone? 2 tion 6 7 Planorbis - 1 36 ikfurex Mountain limestone 1 Lower oolite ? > Upper green sand ? ) 1 Oolite and pisolite 1 Upper green sand 2 Upper green sand ? 1 Woolwich beds - 2 Woolwich beds - 1 London clay 19 Lower fresh water 3 Upper marine, I.of W. 1 11 Pleurdtoraa - London clay 10 Crag, and Woolwich London clay, and up- beds — per green sand - 1 Crag . 9 2 Pyrula London clay 2 11 Natica Mountain limestone 14 Rostellaria Inferior oolite(Coney- (Miller) — (^trombus) beare) 3 Lower green sand 1 Kelloway stone, and Upper green sand I - cornbrash \ Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, SIMPLE UNIVALVES-^ continued. 29 Genera. Scalaria Seraphs S^rpula 1 Sigaretus 5 Solarium 1 Terebellum 25 TVochus Formations. Oxford clay, and Brora limestone Forest marble Lower green sand, with two others - Upper green sand - Gault,and chalk marl (Mantell) Plastic clay, and Lon- don clay London clay Crag, and sand of plastic clay London clay Crag London clay Lias, Kimmeridge Inferior oolite Fuller*s earth rock Cornbrash, Forest marble Clay of great oolite (2, Smith) Coral rag, green Sand, and London clay Upper chalk Above the upper fresh water, Isle of Wight (T.) Lower fresh water, 1 London clay Portland limestone London clay London clay Blue lias, and lias marl Inferior oolite (and 2 others) Fuller's earth ? Clay over great oolite (2, Smith) Coral rag Kimmeridge clay (l. Smith) Portland rock Gault, 1 (1, Man tell) 10 11 14 Genera. Formations. 14 Upper chalk, 2 (2, De la Beche) London clay Crag Crag and lias Turbo - Mountain limestone Lias (De la Beche) Under oolite Coral rag Kimmeridge clay (l. Smith) Upper green sand - London clay Crag Turritella - Mountain limestone Lias shale ? Inferior oolite (3, Co- neybeare and Smith) Stonesfield slate ? Coral rag, and shelly limestone of Brora Forest marble, and clay ? - Upper green sand Plastic clay ? (Coney- beare) London clay London clay, and crag Vermicularia Inferior oolite *» (or Vermetus) Upper oolite, and Portland Coral rag Lower green sand - Upper green sand - Chalk marl, and chalk (1, Mantell) London clay Vivfpara - Weald clay, and mar- (afterwards ble Paludina) Fresh water (lower and upper) Crag, doubtful Voluta - London clay London clay, and up- per marine Crag Upper marine ? Volvaria - London clay I 30 Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, SIMPLE BIVALVES. d- 5*-i' d. «4^ l« Geniera. Formations. d. en Genera. Formations. d. ^ CB H cc 1 Anomia London clay Mountain limestone 1 Inferior oolite, marl 10 A'rca 1 stone, and corn- Magnesian limestone 1 brash 1 Oolite, and pisolite 2 Fuller's earth rock Gault 1 (Smith) — Upper green sand - 1 Cornbrash, and Kello- Plastic clay 1 ways 1 London clay 1 Great oolite 2 . Crag 2 Kimmeridge clay (1, 22 Astarte Lias Inferior oolite 1 4 Smith) Lower green sand — Superior oolite 3 (Martin) 1 Brora limestone, and Upper green sand - 1 grit of Dunrobin — London clay 1 Clay above oolite - 1 21 Cardium Mountain limestone 3 Stonesfield slate, 1 Brora coal shale - 1 Oxford clay, and Kel- Robin Hood*s bay Fuller's earth ? (Sm.) 1 loway stone 1 — Oxford clay 1 Kimmeridge clay (2, Portland beds 1 Smith) — - Lower green sand - Upper green sand - London clay 1 1 Brora, Portland rock, calcareous grit - Weald clay, and Lon- 1 Crag 6 don clay 1 Diluvium 1 Upper green sand - Chalk marl, gault 5 12 Avicula Lias slate, Kelloway, 1 Sutherland lime- Plastic clay, and Lon- stone, and Stones- don clay 1 field slate 2 London clay 3 Cornbrash, and Ox- Bagshot sand ? — ford clay 1 Crag 4 Inferior oolite, and-j Clay above great oo- clay on upper / 2 9 Chkma lite (3, Smith) - — oolite f Kelloway stone, and Kimmmdge clay J Stonesfield slate - green sand 1 2 Kimmeridge clay, and Upper green sand (l, Taylor; 1 Murchi- coral rag 2 Upper green sand - 5 son) 1 London clay 1 Oxford clay, and Lon- London clay 1 don clay 1 1 Clavag<^lla - Calcareous grit ? - I Lower green sand - 3 1 Corbis Sandstone above Bro- 2 Axinus Magnesian limestone London clay 1 1 13 Cdrbula - ra coal Lower green sand 1 14 Cardita Lias, and cornbrash 1 (1, Mantell) - 2 (since subdi- Brora limestone - 1 Upper green sand - 3 vided into Brora limestone, and London clay - 3 Cardita and Stonesfield slate 1 Upper marine 2 Pholadomya) Inferior oolite 4 ' Crag 2 Geological Arrangertient of British Fossil Shells, 31 SIMPLE mSfklNE^-' continued. d. «*-* D, «4^* U3 Genera. Formations. d. M Genera. Formations. O H CC H CC 1 Crania Chalk 1 Stonesfield slate, 2 __ 3 Crassat^lla - Lower green sand (Mantell) 1 Inferior oolite Calcareous grit J) 1 London clay 2 Grit of Dunrobin > l] Bagshot sand, 2 spe- Kimmeridge clay ) cies — Lower green sand - 2 1 Crenatula - Lias, inferior oolite. Upper green sand - 2 and Portland 1 Upper chalk 1 i 14 Cucullae'a - Inferior oolite 5 2 Hippopodium Lias, 1 (1, Coney- 1 Brora limestone ? 2 2 beare) - 4 Great oolite (Ancliffe) 2 16 Inoc^ramus Mountain limestone i[ Lower green sand Alum shale : 1' (Mantell) 1 Inferior oolite _' Upper green sand - 5 Lower green sand (l, De la Beche; 1, Upper green sand, and chalk - 1 Martin) - 2 Plastic clay ? 1 - • — Chalk, and upper 9 Cyclas Isle of Skye (Murchi- green sand 4 (Cyr^na.) son) Weald clay, and Hast- ings sandstone and 3 Gault, and upper green sand Chalk marl (Mantell) 3 2 grit, Purbeck - 3 Upper chalk Mountain limestone 3 Plastic clay, and 10 Isocardia 1 Woolwich beds - 3 Upper oolite 1 Upper marine,!, of W. — Cornbrash 2 Lower fresh water, 2 — Kelloway stone - 1 1 Cypri* 1 '. Purbeck, Weald "j clay, and marble Lower fresh water, > Upper green sand (T.J London clay Crag 3 1 I Isle of Wight 4 Lima Lias, inferior oolite. Hastings beds J marly sandstone. 3 Dianchora - • Upper green sand - Lower chalk, and up- per Upper chalk great oolite Oxford clay, and corn- brash Coral rag, and Stones- field s ate 2 1 2 Gastrochae'na Sandstone, Robin 1 Hood*s Bay 3 Llngula Coal shale 1 London clay London clay 1 7 Gervillm (and Cornbrash, and Brora Diluvium 1 P^rna) limestone Inferior oolite, and 2 6 Lucina Lias ? (De la Beche) Calcareous grit, Brora oolite series 1 clunch or Oxford 1 i clay 2 Lower green sand - 2 i Lower green sand - 3 London clay 1 15 Gryphae'a - Lias,l.ofPabba,Mull, Lower fresh water 1 and Kelloway 2 Crag 1 Lias 2 8 Lutraria Lias? "1 Marl stone, 1 — Inferior oolite Fuller's earth rock Inferior oolite -j Clunch clay, 2 / 1 3 Marly sandstone 1 Upper oolite Cornbrash 4 1 Marly sandstone f" Portland series 1 Portland freestone J Fuller's earth 1 32 Geological Arrangement of Britkh Fossil Shells, SIMPLE BIVALVES — continued. 6. .^. d. c*^ w Genera. Formations. n, M Genera. Formations. D- H m H ^ Upper green sand - Upper marine 1 Lower chalk Lower and upper fresh London clay water 1 4 Mactra Crag 1 Myocdncha - Inferior oolite 1 1 Magas Upper chalk Mountain limestone 11 ilijtilus Coal shale 1 1 Megalodon - Modiola Great oolite 1 20 Lias, and alum shale Stonesfield slate - 1 Lias, Brora oolite. Cornbrash 1 and green sand - 2 Kimmeridge clay - 1 Inferior oolite (5, Upper green sand - 2 Smith) and sand- Crag 2 stone 2 Lower fresh water 2 Stonesfield slate, and 20 Nucula Mountain limestone 1 green sand 1 Lias, and alum shale 1 Cornbrash 3 Great oolite 3 Fuller's earth (three Lower green sand others, Smith) - 1 (Martin) 1 Clay of great oolite Gault 2 . (3, Smith) — Upper green sand - 3 Kimmeridge clay (l. London clay 4 Smith — Upper marine,I. of W. 1 Dunrobin grit, and Crag _ 3 upper green sand Diluvium 1 Portland rock, and 4 Orbicula - Lias — alum shale 1 Stonesfield slate Lower oolite 1 Lower green sand - Oxford clay 1 Gault? Lower green sand London clay (Martin) 1 18 il/^a Lias, Kelloway rock, and Isle of Skye Upper green sand (1, Mantell) Fuller's earth rock 26 (Tstrea Lias 1 f Inferior oolite Brora limestone, and Scarborough Oxford clay, and Brora Oxford clay Forest marble Lower green sand (2, Martin) Gault, and upper green sand Inferior oolite, upper green sand, and London clay Plastic clay, and lower fresh water London clay London clay, and lower fresh water 1 Inferior oolite, (6, J) Coneybeare j 4, > Smith) ) Inferior oolite, fuller's earth, clay of great oolite (3, Smith), ferruginous sand of Woburn, and upper oolite (Ancliffe) Upper oolite Stonesfield slate, 2. Cornbrash, forest mar- ble, and great oolite (3, Smith) Oxford clay Oxford clay, Kimme- ridge, Brora coal field, and diluvium Coral rag, and upper 2 2 2 1 1 Crag 5 green sand 1 Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells. SIMPLE BIVALVES — continued. 33 p- Genera. Formations. p. Genera. Formations. r-" c» " H rjl Portland beds 1 Crag 1 Weald clay and I. of Pholadomya, Skye (Dr. Fitton see Cardita. and Mr. Murchison) 1 7 Pinna Lias Lower green sand Inferior oolite, and (with 2 others) - 1 cornbrash 1 Upper chalk, 2 (l,De Stonesfield slate, 1 — la Beche) 3 Oxford clay, and up- Plastic clay 5 per green sand - 1 London clay 3 Lias, Kimmeridge clay. Crag 1 and Isle of Skye Weald clay?(l, Man- 1 Upper marine, Isle of Wight? - tell) 1 Pachymya - Lower chalk 1 Lower green sand 45 P^cten Mountain limestone 2 (Murchison) 1 Coal measures 1 London clay 3 Lias, and Scottish isles 2 19 Plagiostoraa Lias, and inferior Inferior oolite, marl oolite 3 stone, cornbrash, 1, Lias, Dunrobin grit 1 Forest marble (5, Fuller's earth 1 Smith), Kelloway Upper oolite and clay, rock, great oolite and Stonesfield slate 1 and clay, clay above Cornbrash, and upper great oolite (2, oolite 1 Smith), and coral Upper oolite 1 rag 6 Brora stone 2 Brora stone 3 Coral rag, and calca- Cornbrash 3 reous grit 1 Stonesfield slate - 1 Kelloway rock 1 Forest marble, and Portland series, and coral rag 1 inferior oolite - 3 Portland beds, and Upper green sand, and upper green sand 1 chalk marl 1 Lower green sand (l. Firestone (l, T.) Martin) 1 Lower chalk, 1 (l, Gault, and chalk marl Mantell) 2 (1, Martin) 5 Upper chalk, l (i. Upper green sand - 5 Mantell), and dilu- Chalk 1 vial flints 2 London clay 4 4 Plicatula Lias 1 Bagshot sand series — (Harpax) Oxford clay 2 Crag _ 9 Upper green sand, ■ Diluvial 1 chalk, and gault, 10 Pectunculus - Great oolite series 2 (1, Mantell; 1, De Upper green sand - 2 la Beche) 1 Plastic clay 1 1 Podopsis Upper green sand (De London clay 4 la Beche) 1 Crag 1 1 Psamniobia - Upper marine forma- Pern a, see tion, I. of Wight 1 Gervillfff 5 Sanguinolaria Mountain limestone 1 1 Petricola Crag 1 Lias, Scotland 1 2 Pholas Vol. IL — 1 Green sand (lower ?) ^o.6. . D Brora coal shale - 1 S4 Geological Arrarigement of British Fossil Shells. SIMPLE BIVALVES ^continued. s- Genera. Formations. ^ Genera. Formations. d. H :^ H cc 3 Saxicava London clay 2 Upper chalk, and Lon- Upper green sand (T.) — don clay 1 Crag 1 2 Thetis Lower green sand - 1 5 Solen London clay 1 Upper green sand - 1 London clay (one 21 Trigonia [nferior oolite 6 larger species, T.) — Stonesfield slate - 1 Crag, T. 2 Inferior oolite, ful-" 1 Sphae^ra Portland rock 1 ler's earth (4, 10 Tellina Lower green sand (Martin 2 The same re- Smith) Clay, Forest marble Upper green sand - 2 marks ap- (2, Smith) Cornbrash, Kimme- 2 London clay 5 ply to these Crag _ - 3 species as to ridge clay, and 87 Terrebratula Mountain limestone 18 the Terre- Kelloway stone (3, Smith) J Coal shale 1 bratulse. Magnesian limestone, Clay of great oolite, 1 — 1 - - Brora sandstone, in- Lias 4 ferior oolite, corn- Marly sandstone - 5 brash, and Portland 1 Inferior oolite 13 Portland stone 2 Fuller's earth rock 4 Teignmouth stone 1 Fuller's earth rock, Lower green sand - 2 and Stonesfield slate 1 Upper green sand (6) 5 Several species Great oolite 1 Upper green sand,anc are probably Clay over great oolite chalk - 1 common to (5, Smith) 5 10 Venericardia Lower green sand? — many stra- Cornbrash 5 London clay 5 ta, but can Cornbrashand Stones- Crag^ 4 only be class- field slate 1 Plastic clay, alum bay 1 ed in the Kelloway stone, corn- 19 V^nu* Brora coal measures — one in which brash, and lias - 1 (Cytherea) Cornbrash 1 they are most Calcareous grit (iron Lower green sand - 1 conspicuous. sand)ofFarringdon, Upper green sand - 7 &c. - - 6 London clay 6 Kimmeridge clay, and Crag 4 IsleofSkye 1 17 U^nio Coal shale 1 Lower green sand - 1 Coal shale, and corn Kentish rag, and lower brash 1 green sand 1 Magnesian limestone ' Gault 2 inferior oolite, an( Chalk marl 4 sandstone C3,Smith Lias, and Portlanc ) 2 Upper green sand - 5 Diluvium of upper stone 1 green sand ? 2 Inferior oolite 1 Chalk - 8 Cornbrash 1 London clay, chalk Hastings beds, Tilgatc ; marl, and green and Weald clay - 7 sand 1 Plastic clay (Mantell ) 1 Crag 1 Crag (and 1 ?) - 1 1 Terhdo Upper green sand ? — Lower fresh water 1 Geological An^angement of British Fossil Shells. COMPLICATED BIVALVES. 35 Genera. Formations. g- Genera, Formations. in 17 1 1 H 3 29 Pentameriis - Producta - Mountain and transi- tion limestone - Mountain limestone Magnesian limestone Limestone shale, and coal measures - 3 19 3 7 19 Spirifer (Anomites) Mountain limestone Magnesian limestone Lias, and mountain lime MULTILOCULAR UNIVALVES. 134 Ammonites Mountain limestone 1 6 Lower chalk 6 Coal shale 2; - Upper chalk, 2 (l, Lias, and alum shale 31! Mantell) 3 Lias of Western Isles, i London clay, Minster Scotland 3 cliffs (qu. diluvial?) 1 Clay under lower i Diluvial, and sites not oolite 5 identified 5 Marlstone(I4,Smith) 6 1 Ampldxus* - Mountain limestone 1 Inferior oolite, great 2 Baculites Upper green sand - 1 oolite 1 Lower chalk ) Grey chalk marl ( Inferior oolite, and 1 contiguous strata. 15 Belemnites Lias, and lias clay - 4 including the Brora Lias, shale, east coast coal field (21 spe- of Scotland, Isle of cies in this series) 17 Skye, inferior oolite 2 Fuller*s earth rock? 2 Inferior oolite, Dun- Cornbrash, and lias 1 robin grit, Brora Kelloway rock 3 and Oxford clay 1 Oxford clay 2 Fuller's earth rock — Calcareous sand and Inferior oolite, and grit 4 marly sandstone 5 Coral rag 3 Clay of great oolite, 1 — Kimmeridge clay, 3 ') Stonesfield slate - 1 Kimmeridge clay, > 4 Lower green sand and Portland, 1 ) (T.) - - 1 Portland series 3 Gault, or blue marl 2 Weald clay beds - 1 Chalk 1 Iron sand of Wo- "^ 1 Beloptera - London clay 1 burn V 1 2 Conularia - Mountain Hraestoue 2 Lower green sand ) 19 Hamites Lower green sand - 2 Lower green sand (3, Upper green sand, and Martin and Mur- chalk marl 1 chison) 1 Upper chalk (2, Man- Chalk marl 8 tell) 2 Gault 7 Chalk marl 2 Upper green sand - 9 Gault 12 Green sand (De la N2 Nautilites - Mountain limestone 11 Beche) 1 1 Blue lias 3 A coralloid rather than a multilocular shell? D 2 36 Geological Arrangemeiit of British Fossil Shells, MULTILOCULAR UNIVALVES — continued. Q. C4J 1 Q-l 1 1^ 1 \t Genera. Formations. p. CO Genera. Formations. c. H CO ^ c« Inferior oolite 5 Bagshot sand ? Fuller's earth rock, 1 13 Orthoce- Mountain limestone 9 Upper oolite, and cal- ratites Lias I careous grit 1 Limestone shale, and Stonesfield slate ? coal shale 2 Kimmeridge clay - — Mountain limestone, Coral rag 1 and alum shale - 1 Upper green sand - s 4 Scaphites Lias, Yeovil 1 Upper green sand, and Chalk marl (2, Man- chalk marl 2 tell) 2 Chalk marl 1 Chalk 1 Gault 1 4 Turrilites Upper green sand, and Chalk (2, De la gault 1 Beche) Upper green sand - 1 London clay 4 Chalk marl 2 3 Nuramu- Green sand ? Chalk (1, De la lites London clay 5 Beche) — ■* We are thus made acquainted with the geognostical distri- bution of about thirteen hundred fossil Testacea; and from the caution employed in the foregoing classification, these are probably considerably short of the actual number known to collectors, without including the varieties, or the many unpub- lished species, perhaps even several genera, remaining in the cabinets of individuals. Had Mr. Farcy's suggestion been adopted, of naming the shells in each stratum separately, and of treating them as distinct species or varieties, as often as they occurred in successive beds, their amount would, by this time, have been so great as to counterbalance any supposed useful result. Even now, the opinion is not wholly abandoned by some of our best naturalists, that distinct fossil species are peculiar to each formation. But it has been held, and apparently with some reason, that too much stress is laid on insignificant distinctions, whereby an unnecessary increase of species has arisen, pro- ductive of no slight embarrassment to the student, and of little adequate benefit to the practical geologist. It results from the foregoing investigation, that the follow- ing series of fossil shells are known to English naturalists : — Simple univalves 58 genera, which comprise 401 species. Simple bivalves 62 - - - 583 ■ Complicated bivalves 3 - - - 51 Multilocular univalves 12 - - - 230 J35 1265 Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, 37 From data so ample, we can now obtain accurate notions of the geological position of certain groups of shells ; of the rela- tive proportion of the different classes, and of how far theii structure has been influenced by different degrees of antiquity. To render this analysis more complete, it may be useful to make three principal divisions of the formations containing organic remains. The first is the most ancient series ; the second, or middle, division contains the remainder of the secondary strata; and the third consists of the tertiary deposits. The first, which is also the lowest or most ancient division, may be subdivided into two series of formations. 1. Carboniferous order of Mr. Coneybeare. . 2. From the carboniferous to the Has, inclusive. Species 27 Simple univalves - 9 species. 34 Simple bivalves - 53 46 Complicated bivalves 5 53 Multilocular univalves 50 140 97 The second^ or middle, division, from the lias upwards, includes the entire oolite series, and the strata up to the chalk, inclusive. Simple univalves 106 species. Simple bivalves 375 Complicated bivalves Multilocular univalves 139 620 The thh'dy or most recent, divi- sion, comprises all the chalk, or the tions. the beds above tertiary forma- Simple univalves Simple bivalves Complicated bivalves Multilocular univalves 259 species* 141 O 8 408 .: In treating on the order of arrangement of shells in the several formations, Mr. Parkinson was struck with the fact, that the shells of the most ancient formations exceed, in com- plexity of structure, those in the subsequent strata, and in our present seas. It is in this early creation, also, he observed that those shells are found which possess " that complicated structure, very rarely found in the shells of this day, which enabled their inhabitants to rise and sink with them in the water." Of this latter class are the numerous race of many- chambered univalves, the Nautilites, the Ammonites, and Or- thoceratites ; and of the class of complicated bivalves are the Spirifers, and the genera Pentamerus and Productus. Our Table furnishes the means of at once comparing the numbers which existed in each class, during separate periods or geological intervals. D S 38 Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, Second and Third Divisions. First Division, maining strata, above tlie Ancient strata, including lias. lias, up to diluvium. : Species 36 Simple univalves - 565 species. 67 Simple bivalves - 516 J 51 Complicated bivalves ^ i 147 ^83 Multilocular univalves 1473 237 1028 It will thus be perceived that the number of complex spe- cies in the first division is nearly equal to those in the im- mense series of succeeding strata, 134 being peculiar to the lowest, and 147 to the remainder. But the individuals are infinitely more numerous in the older strata than in the later, and give a more decided character to those formations than appears from a comparison of genera or species ; and the class of complicated bivalves is wholly limited to this older division. The difference is yet more striking when we compare the first with the third division; the simple univalves in the former being to those in the latter in the proportion of 1 to 7 ; but the complicated species, in the same divisions, are in the reverse ratio nearly of 17 to 1. On comparing the proportions which the classes of shells under each division bear to each other, differences equally remarkable are observable. Thus the univalves in the first division are to the complex species as 1 to 4 ; in the second, as 1 to Ij only; and, in the third, as 32 to 1. In concluding this summary, we may repeat, as a general rule, that the ancient formations are characterised by compli- cated shells, the middle series by bivalves, and the upper by simple univalves. In illustration of the habits of two great classes of testaceous Mollusca, the investigation of Mr. Dillwyn developes some unexpected differences in their modes of existence; and the sub- ject is the more interesting, as being singularly confirmatory of other essential changes observed in the structure of ante- diluvian animals, at different epochs or stages of the creation. This examination is limited to the turricuiated univalves, of which our list contains 337 species. All those Mollusca whose shells have a notch or canal at the base of their apertures, are furnished with the pov/er of perforating shells, and other hard substances, by means of a retractile proboscis. In Lamarck's arrangement of invertebral animals they form a section of the Trachelipodes, under the name of ZoSphages. — On comparing Lamarck's list of carnivorous or predaceous genera with our present Table, it will appear Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, 39 that, in the English formations, this class comprises 22 genera, and .171 species. These abound in our tertiary strata, and are extremely rare in the secondary formations : in fact, only 18 species have been detected lower than the plastic clay. They may, therefore, be considered as appertaining to, if not wholly characteristic of, the tertiary formations ; and many of the genera are continued in our present seas. The numerous perforations, both in recent shells, and in those abounding in the beds above the chalk, are the work of these animals. In all the other genera of turbinated univalves, the lower margin of the aperture, instead of being either notched or channelled, is entire. Mr. Dillwyn describes the MoUusca of these shells as having jaws, which are formed for feeding upon vegetable substances, and as entirely herbivorous ; the marine genera feeding on ^''Igae, and the fresh-water and land genera on the leaves of vegetables and aquatic plants. These con- stitute the other section of Trachelipodes, called by Lamarck Phylliphages, — Of these shells, forming the herbivorous class, 22 genera and 168 species are distributed through the secondary and tertiary formations ; and it will be observed that in the aggregate of genera and species, in each of these great sections, there is a remarkable correspondence. This uniformity of numbers is not maintained so closely in the de- tail, when we arrange the members of these sections according to our three geological divisions. Turbinated^ or Turriculated, Univalves, ZOOPHAGES, or testaceous Mollusca of the carni- vorous class. Species. 3 comprised in the lowest, or most ancient division, of strata con- taining organic remains. 13 in the secondary formations, or middle division, 153 in the tertiary formations, or upper division. 171 Genera. 2 originated in the lowest division. 1 originated in the middle divi- sion. 19 originated in the highest division, or tertiary beds. 22 Phylli'phages, or testaceous Mollusca of the herbi- vorous class. Species. 24 in the lowest division, carboni- ferous formations. 65 in the secondary formations (between the mountain lime- stone and the chalk). 81 in the highest division (beds above the chalk). 168 Genera, 12 originated in the most ancient division. 5 others added in the middle divi- sion. 5 more added in the upper division. 22 D 4 40 Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, There remain about 62 species of fossil univalves which are not turbinated. Hence it will be perceived that the turbinated univalves of the older strata or rocks belong almost entirely to the herbivorous family, 12 genera having originated there, which have been perpetuated through all the successive strata, and still inhabit our waters ; that in the middle series of formations, this preponderance of animals possessing similar habits was preserved ; and that, in the last series, after the chalk was deposited, this order was suddenly reversed, in the proportion of 5 to ] 9. Mr. Dillwyn observed that all the marine Trachelipodes, of the herbivorous tribes, in the ancient strata, are furnished with an operculum, seemingly intended as a protection against the Cephalopodes, or carnivorous order of NauUYi, Ammonites, &c., which, at that time, abounded in the seas. After the epoch of the extinction of this order (which terminated chiefly with the chalk), numerous unoperculated genera appear, as if no longer requiring such a shield to protect them from an extinct enemy. As carnivorous turbinated univalves were, almost en- tirely absent from the strata w^hich contained the Ammonites, the iVautilidiae, and the Belemnites, so the extinction of these immensely numerous tribes, being also carnivorous, or preda- ceous, was counterbalanced by the creation of a multitude of new genera, possessed of similar appetences. Recurring again to our table for illustration of these positions, we observe that only 3 genera and 18 species of carnivorous turbinated univalves were coeval with the Cephalopodes, com- prising 200 species, in the secondary formations ; but that the same strata contained 17 gen. and 87 species of Phylliphages. When the Cephalopodes ceased with the chalk, at the same time with the numerous families of fossil ^chinidiae, the Trigoniae, and nearly all the Terrebratulae, they were re- placed by 19 genera and 153 new" species of Zoophages. As we have the materials before us, and as the enquiry is not devoid of interest, it may be worth while to compare the existing classes of shells with corresponding series in the an- tediluvian creation. Testaceous Mollusca of the pre- sent world, ascertained from the Index Testaceologicus of Mr. Wood, last edition Species of British fossil shells, heretofore described, dispersed throughout the entire range of the formations Simple Univalves. Bivalves and Multivalves, Multilocular Univalves. Species. Species. Species. 1961 874 58 401 634 230 Total Species. 2895 1265 New Species of Trildbite, 41 In the aggregates thus exhibited, there is an apparent want of conformity in the relative proportions of each class. This wholly arises from the extinct genera of the ancient strata ; for, on making the comparison between the recent series and those of the latest group of deposits, no such difference will be per- ceived. On the contrary, a considerable agreement between the proportions of existing species and the several classes of fossil shells in the tertiary beds prevails ; the average increase of numbers being about sevenfold. If we follow the investigation further, we may observe that the fossil multilocular and complicated Testacea, which charac- terise the oldest formations, and decidedly preponderate in that end of the series, form one fifth part of the entire cata- logue; but, amongst the recent shells, this class constitutes less than a fortieth part, and in the tertiary series only a fiftieth part. The conclusion to be drawn from a summary of facts more numerous, and on a more extended scale than, until recently, has been attainable in this department of natural history, is, that in proportion as we descend the vast series of deposits that overspread this portion of the earth, so do we recede, step by step, from the circle of existing organised beings, and from the phenomena attendant on their structure, their habits, and their adaptations. R. C. T. February, 1829. Art. VIII. An Account of a neiv Species of Trilobite, found in the Barr Limestone in the Neighbourhood of Birmingham. By Frederick Jukes, Esq. With a Note by J. D. C. Sowerby, Esq. «., Sir, ' Allow me to present to you the enclosed drawings of a curious fossil {Jigs. 8, 9, 10.), discovered in the lime quarries at Hay Head, near Great Barr, a village about nine miles from this town. It appears to be of the Trilobite kind, retaining a considerable quantity of a fine crustaceous covering of a dark brown colour, and highly polished. The drawings represent its exact size, measuring in length about 5 in., and in width S\ in., being much larger than fossils of that character usually found in this country. The Trilobites already discovered in the Dudley lime formation are of two kinds ; viz. one which is commonly called the Dudley fossil (Jg. 1 1 .), and mentioned in Parkinson's work upon Organic Rernains, and another (Jig. 42 Ne*w Species of Trilobite. 12.), which, I believe, has not yet been particularly noticed, arising, probably, either from their scarcity, or from the im- perfect condi- tion m which they are usually found, the head and tail being generally apart. The points of difference in the Dudley Trilo- bites may be seen by the accompanying sketches, which are taken from specimens in my possession. (Seejf%5. 11, 12.) Mr. Pay ton of Dudley has been at the pains of having siniilar fossils drawn upon stone, in a masterly manner, by Mr. G. Scharf, which also represent their differences most satisfactorily. These have a crustaceous covering, and twenty-four transverse lines or ribs across their lobes. The Trilobite from Barr, which I have in my possession, has a very remarkable appearance, and differs in so many respects from the Dudley Trilobites, that it can scarcely be classed with those fossils. It has ten transverse lines across New Species of Trilohite, ^3 the lobes, covering only the upper half of the body, the lower half being a smooth surface to its termination. The lobes (if clinches they may be so called) do not extend lower than the transverse lines, and their division is so unequal that the middle lobe is 1 1 almost four times the width of those of the side. This animal has probably had the power, like the Dudley Trilobites, of coiling itself up, by making the tail meet the mouth ; and, from the curvature at the lateral ter- mination of the transverse lines, which give the appearance of side lobes, this is not an improbable supposition. The head, which, perhaps, is the most peculiar part, occupies nearly a third of the animal. The eyes are/ very promi-i nently marked, exhibiting the palpebrae, or eyelids, dis- tinctly and par- tially open, surrounded by an orbital jtnargin, with a sort of notch in the superior part. From each canthus, or corner of the eye, there is a kind of suture extending to the under 44? New Species of Trilohite. surface of the head. There is also a small tuberosity situated in the centre of the head between the orbits. Lime formations in this country, if we may judge from the fossils they contain, appear to be of great variety and strangely dispersed throughout the western side of the island. The Dudley lime is considered by geologists to be transition lime- stone, and from its immediate vicinity to the trap rocks of Rowley, it is reasonable to suppose that it has been raised from a great depth below the surface, by some volcanic action. The Castle Hill at Dudley, consisting of limestone, is not a quarter of a mile from Cawney Hill, which is composed of basaltic columns. The lime strata of Dudley dip principally to the east and to the west, and are raised in the shape of a cone, with their lines of continuity at the summit broken away. {fg. H.) The dip to the east appears to pass under Dudley. Tipton. Wednesbury. Walsall. Barr. Jiay Head Lime works. Coal and Ironworks. Lime works, time works. the Wednesbury coal field, and to crop out again at Walsall, a distance of nine miles, where it is recognised by the fossils bearing an exact resemblance. It is singular that at this place it should be again accompanied by the trap rock, which appears at Pouch Hill *, situated at a distance of little more than a mile. Hay Head, in the parish of Barr, is situated about two miles east from Walsall, and is the spot where this singular Trilobite was discovered. The limestone here appears of a darker colour, more condensed, and is slacked with less facility than that of Dudley or Walsall, and appears from its outcrop to be an under-stratum. The Orthoceratite, I be- lieve, has never been discovered at Dudley, but in these quarries most beautiful specimens of that fossil are frequently found, and of considerable magnitude. I remain, your obedient servant, Frederick Jukes. General Hospital, Birmingham, Nov, 12. 1828. The Dudley fossils have so long been objects of admiration among naturalists, that it is a remarkable fact that so large and * At this place fine specimens of Radiated Zeolite and Prehnite are found. New Species of Trilobite. 45 handsome a species as the one found in the Barr limestone {Jigs, 8, 9, 10.) should have remained undiscovered in England until now. It certainly was not known when M. Alexandre Bron- gniart published his account of that tribe of fossils. The Dud- ley fossil had long obtained the name of Trilobite (from the three-lobed form of the body) ; but, as considerable difference was observed among the several species found at Dudley an other places, M. Brongniart judged it necessary to divide them into five genera or subgenera, Calymene, A^saphus, Ogygirt:, Paradoxides, and Agnostus. The common Dudley fossil is the Calymene BlumenbachzV [Jig. 11.), the scarce one is A^saphus caudatus {Jig» 12.); and these are all that were known at or near Dudley. Your correspondent, J. A. H., has supplied you with a figure of A^saphusDebuch«'(^y^. 2 7. )j found in Radnorshire, which is a much larger species than either of the Dudley ones, but not equal to that from Barr. The Ho- nourable William Strangeways found at Calomenca, in Russia, a Trilobite, agreeing apparently with this large one, and M. Adolphe Brongniart obtained, during his travels in Sweden, in 1825, specimens of the same species at Husbifjol, near Linkoping. It was immediately seen that this did not belong to either of the divisions above referred to, he therefore pro- posed to treat of it as the type of a new genus to be named in an appendix to the Histoire Natiirelle des Crustaces Fossiles, which, if published, has not yet reached England. (Drawings and specimens are in the possession of Charles Stokes, Esq. M.G.S., to whom I am indebted for this information.) In the Annals of the Lyceum of New York, for December, 1824, (vol. i. No. 6.) observations, with figures, are given by Mr. Dekay, upon a new genus of Trilobite discovered at the Tren- ton Falls, upon West Canada Creek. He has named it Iso- telus, from isos, equal, and telos, end; the two extremities being nearly alike. It differs from the Barr Trilobite chiefly in the number of the divisions of the body, having only eight instead often ; a difference scarcely sufficient among Trilobites, for a generic character, but excellent for the distinction of sections or species. As Trilobites occur only in transition rocks, and the lowest beds of the mountain limestone, their presence in any country is an important geological feature ; and since it further appears that the different species are peculiar to different beds, a means is pointed out of identifying these beds or strata, as in the case of the Barr limestone, at immense distances. — J. D. C. S. 46 PAKT 11. REVIEWS. Art. I. A brief Account of Microscopical Observations made in the Months qfJune, July^ and August, 1827, on the Particles con- tained in the Pollen of Plants ; and on the general Existence of active Molecules in organic and inorganic Bodies. By Robert Brown, F.R.S. &c. [Not published.] This little unpublished pamphlet, consisting of. sixteen pages, has excited more curiosity at home and abroad than any thing we recollect for many years. It is the production of a gentleman who is acknowledged by every one to stand at the head of botanical science, and who deserves confidence for the correctness of his observations, and for the faithfulness with which he records them. His discovery is no less than this, that the ultimate particle he can obtain from all bodies, organic and inorganic, has inherent motion, like unto vital action. A discovery like this is not likely to be received without considerable scepticism : and hence we find one portion of the world believing by the exercise of faith; and another, by far the larger portion, doubting the existence of the facts, because their theories anticipate the laws of nature, and they have not patience to await for further information. No doubt microsco- pical observers, by seeking for magnifying power, and not for distinctness, are very subject to causes of illusion, and that many of the wonders which they have seen are to be referred to a lively imagination. Not so, however, the philosopher who now claims our attention. He is patient in observing, scru- pulous in admitting, and faithful in recording, and, moreover, is borne out in his facts by a cloud of witnesses. To make his observations, Mr. Brown employed a simple lens, the focal length of which was about 3V of an inch, but he had recourse to much higher powers, to confirm them, and to investigate several minute points. The several steps of the author's enquiry are more fully stated in his pamphlet than it is necessary to do here ; but in Brown^s Microscopical Observations. 47 the month of June, 1827, he examined the grains of pollen belonging to the Clarkia pulchella, a plant just then brought from the north-west coast of America, by Mr. David Douglas, which grains, taken from the anthers full grown, but before bursting, were filled with particles, or granules, of unusually large size, varying from 4 oVo to 3^^077 of an inch in length, and of a figure between cylindrical and oblong, perhaps slightly flattened, and having rounded and equal extremities. While examining these particles immersed in water, he observed many of them very evidently in motion ; their motion consist- ing, not only of a change of place in the fluid, manifested by alterations in their relative positions, but also not unfrequently of a change of form" in the particle itself; a contraction or curvature taking place repeatedly about the middle of one side, accompanied by a corresponding swelling or convexity on the opposite side of the particle. In a few instances the particle was seen to move on its longer axis. These motions were such as to satisfy him, that they arose neither from currents in the fluid, nor from its gradual evaporation, but belonged to the particle itself. He extended his observations to many other plants belong- ing to the same natural family, namely Onagrarige, and found the same general form and similar motions of particles : and, indeed, in all the different families he examined, particles were found varying in form from oblong to spherical, having mani- fest motions similar to those already described. In the grasses the membrane of the grain of pollen is so transparent, in some cases, that the motion of the particles within the entire grain was distinctly visible, and it was manifest also in some other plants. This is the first stage of his observations. The second and most curious stage is, that in looking after these particles he saw others of a much smaller size, of a dif- ferent shape, apparently spherical, and in rapid oscillating motion. These he denominates Molecules. He found them in the anthers of mosses, and on the surface of the bodies regarded as the stamina of JE^quisetum (Horsetail), and then in bruised portions of other parts of the same plants. He now thought he had got hold of the constituent or elementary molecules of organic bodies, first so considered by Buffbn and Needham, then by Wrisburg with greater precision, soon after and still more particularly by Miiller, and very recently by Dr. Milne Edwards. Following up this examination of organic bodies, he found the molecules to exist in various animal and vegetable tissues, whether living or dead ; in gum resins, and substances of vegetable origin, such as pit- coal, and other mineralised vegetable remains. He then went 48 Brown^s Microscopical Observations, < to decided minerals, and the first substance examined was a minute fragment of window-glass, from which, when merely bruised on the stage of the microscope, he readily and copiously obtained molecules agreeing in size, form, and mo- tion, with those he had already seen. Metals, volcanic ashes, meteorites, rocks of all ages, granite itself, and, lastly, a frag- ment of the Sphinx in the British Museum, yielded the mole- cules in abundance. The dust, or soot, so miserably abundant in London, is entirely composed of these molecules, possessing visible, rapid, spontaneous, or inherent motion. In many of the substances examined, especially those of a fibrous structure, such as Asbestos, along with the spherical molecules other corpuscles were found, like short fibres, somewhat moniliform, whose transverse diameter appeared not to exceed that of the molecules, of which they seemed to be primary combinations. These fibrils, when of such length as to be probably composed of not more than four or five mole- cules, and still more evidently when formed of two or three only, were generally in motion, at least as vivid as that of the simple molecule itself; and which, from the fibril often changing its position in the fluid, and from its occasional bending, might be said to be somewhat vermicular. In many instances oval particles were perceived, which seemed to consist of a simple combination, perhaps of two molecules, and these possessed a motion generally more vivid than that of the simple molecule ; their motion consisting in turning usually on their longer axis. , The author is disposed to beHeve that the ultimate mole- cule, if we may so speak, is of uniform size in all bodies. Mr. Brown does not pretend that his facts relative to the particles of pollen are wholly original: but that still more curious (because more elementary and remote) existence of molecules in all organic and inorganic bodies, possessing an inherent motion, not to say voluntary ; and, in simple combinations, a motion of two kinds at the same time (the one ambulatory, and the other on its own axis), is wholly, entirely, and undi- videdly his own. No Englishman has dared to set up any claim to a fraction, not even a molecule, of this extraordinary discovery ; and if there be those abroad, who now insinuate that the theories they have propounded to explain the motion of the particles of pollen, necessarily prove that they knew of, saw, and com- passed these molecules, it only shows how much more im- portance they attach to theory than«to experiment, and how little justice they are disposed to concede to an observer, who is behind none in doing justice to them. O. %oolo Art. II. Catalogue of Worhs on Natural History, lately published, ivith some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British Naturalists. Britain. Stark, J. : Elements of Natural History, adapted to the present state of the Science. 2 vols. 8vo. 1/. 12*. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Vol. XV. Part III. Lon- don. 4to. Hewlett, Esther, now Copley: Scripture Natural History for Youth. London. 2 vols. 16mo, 82 plates. Bound in cloth, 12*.; with coloured plates, 18*. " Quite a treasure for any deserving child, from six years of age to the time of teens." {Lit. Gaz.) Trimmer, Mrs. M., Author of the Nutural History of Man, &c. : A Natural History of the most remarkable Quadrupeds, interspersed with interesting characteristic Anecdotes. London. 2 vols. l2mo, 300 cuts. 8*. ZOOLOGY. The Zoological Journal, No. XIV. London. Svo. Quarterly. 7*. 6d. plain; 10*. coloured. The first paper is on the supposed identity of Whitebait and Shad, by William Yarrell, Esq. F.L.S. The diminutive fishes called whitebait have hitherto been generally considered as the young of the shad (Ciupea v416sa). Mr. Pennant gives the whitebait as an appendage to the bleak (Cyprinus alburnus) ; and Dr. Shaw also describes the whitebait as a species of the Cypri- nus, or carp genus. Dr. Turton, Mr. Donovan, and Dr. Fleming determine th'e whitebait to be the fry of the shad. Mr. Yarrell was first led to investigate this subject by observing the early appearance (March) of whitebait in a fishmonger's shop ; and, knowing that shads, which they were supposed to be, did not make their appearance till much later (May), he took up and persevered in a course of investigation which lasted from March to August, 1828. The details we shall not enter into; but the specific dis- tinction between the two fishes, on which he relies as of the greatest value, is the difference of their anatomical character, and especially in their num- ber of vertebrae. " The number of vertebrae in the shad, of whatever size the specimen may be, is invariably fifty-five ; the number in the whitebait is uniformly fifty-six ; and even in a fish of two inches, with the assistance of a lens, this exact number may be distinctly made out.'* To show the vafue of this character as a specific distinction, he gives the following quo- tation from Dr. Fleming's excellent work on the Philosophy of Zoology, vol.ii. p. 311. : — " The number of the bones of the vertebral column in different species of fishes being exceedingly various, suggested to Artedi the use of this character in the separation of nearly allied species. Among the species of the genus Cjprinus, for example, a difference in the number of vertebrae has been observed to the amount of fourteen. In ascertaining this character, Artedi recommends the greatest circumspection. The fish should be boiled, the fleshy parts separated, and the vertebrae detached from one another ; and these counted two or three times in succession, to prevent mistakes. This character is of great use, as it is not liable to variation ; individuals of the same species exhibiting the same number of vertebrae in all the stages of their growth." The other new facts in this and preceding numbers ^of the Zoological Journal will be found in due time among our Collectanea. Vol. IL—No. 6. e 50 Tower Menagerie. The Zoological Periodicals. — Curtis's British Entomology, No. LXII., for February (Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 54.). — Stephens's Illustrations of British Entomology, No. XXIII., for February (Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 55.). — Sowerby's Genera of Recent and Fossil Shells, No. XXXI. {Mag. Nat. Hist., vol.i. p. Se.). — Sweet's British Warblers {Mag. Nat, Hist., vol. I. p. 57.) is completed in one volume 8vo, 16 col. pi., 16s. 6d, This is. a very handsome work ; the plates are from living specimens in the author's collection, " including the nightingale, redstart, blackcap, whitethroat, garden warbler, and all the interesting birds of passage belong- ing to the genus Sylvia, which contains '^the choice singing birds that visit this country ; with a full account of the author's method of treating them, in which is shown how they may be kept in confinement in as good health as any common bird whatever." The Tower Menagerie ; comprising the Natural History of the Animals contained in that Establishment, with Anecdotes of their Characters and History. Illustrated by Portraits of each, taken from life, by William Harvey, [and engraved on Wood by Branston and Wright. London. 8vo. The wood engravings which illustrate this work are equal, if not supe- rior, to any thing which has appeared since the invention of the art ; and they show how extensively, and with what advantage, that description of illustration may be employed in natural history. Much of the effect of a wood engraving depends on the paper on which the impression is taken, and on the care and skill of the pressman. In the present work every pos- sible care seems to have been taken in these respects ; and, in consequence, one of the most elegant octavo volumes has been produced which ever issued from the British press. The literary matter is also highly entertain- ing and instructive. The history of sixty wild animals, including some birds and serpents, is given ; and, in the introduction, is ably and elegantly traced the origin and progress of menageries. Menageries date from the most remote antiquity, and are alluded to even in the obscure traditions of fabulous ages. The barbarian warrior sought amusement in the chase, and treasured up his spoils in common with the trophies of battle. Afterwards the strength and ferocity of the brutes of the forest were rendered avail- able as auxiliaries in war ; and the animals so employed were confined in what may be considered as menageries. Many wild animals occupied a distinguished place in the theology of the dark ages : they were either worshipped or sacrificed, and for these pur- poses must have been preserved in some sort of menagery. The domesti- cation of animals may be considered as having taken place by similar means j and fields and stables, and their inhabitants, only differ from the apartments for wild animals in containing those which minister to neces- sity and convenience, instead of curiosity and science. Aristotle's Historic of Animals is materially indebted to the menagery formed in civilised Greece by the Macedonian conqueror, on his return from India. The Romans had first menageries for the use of the public amphitheatres, and afterwards vivaria of rare and curious animals, for the gratification of naturalists. The first establishment of this kind, in modern days, was that founded at Ver- sailles by Lewis XIV., and to that we owe the Natural History of Buffon. The first notice of a royal menagery in England relates to a collection of lions, leopards, and other strange beasts, kept at Woodstock by King Henry I. From Woodstock they were transferred to the Tower, and the Sheriffs of London, Bedford, and Buckingham, of this and succeeding reigns, had orders to maintain these animals and their keepers. " In 1252, the Sheriffs of London were commanded to pay four-pence a day for the maintenance of a white bear ; and, in the following year, to provide a muzzle and chain Thompson's Zoological Reseaf'ches. 51 to hold the said white bear while fishing or washing himself in the river Thames. In 1255 they were directed to build a house in the Tower for an elephant, which had been presented to the King, by Louis, King of France." In 1657 there were six lions in the Tower; in 1708, eleven lions, two leopards or tigers (Strype, the historian, it seems, knew not which), three eagles, two owls, two cats of the mountain, and a jackall. The collection varied till 1822, when Mr. Alfred Cops, the present keeper, succeeded to the office, and greatly increased it, as the sixty animals described in the present work fully prove. The whole of the drawings of these animals are from the pencil of that eminent artist, to whom this Magazine is so much indebted, Mr. William Harvey, " who, in seizing faithful and characteristic portraits of animals in restless and almost incessant motion, has succeeded in overcoming diffi- culties which can only be appreciated by those who have attempted similar delineations." The literary department has been superintended by J. T. Bennet, Esq. F.L.S., a scientific naturalist, and an active member of the Zoological Society, assisted by various eminent zoologists. The engravings, we have already said, are equal to any thing that has ever been done ; and we hope their appearance, as well as those in our ow-n and similar works, will lead publishers to adopt this mode of illustration much more generally than they have hitherto done. The EncyclopcEdia Metropolitana^ for instance, now in the course of publication, illustrated by elaborate, highly finished copperplate engravings, would have been a much more useful book if the engravings had been on wood, and printed along with the text ; and it might also have been sold at a less price : in short, we see little use for copperplate engravings, except where they are to be coloured after nature. Thompson, John V., Esq. F.L.S., Surgeon to the Forces, Author of a Me- moir on the Pentacrinus europae\is, &c. : Zoological Researches an5, ^. : Elenchus Fungorum.- Griefswald. Vol.1. Svo. 6s. GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. Kaumann, Dr. C. Fr. : Lehrbuch der Mineralogie. Berlin. Mit einem atlas von 26 tafeln, Svo. 155. Hartmann, Dr. : Handworterbuch der Mineralogie und Geognosie. Leipsic* Svo. 175. Jager, Dr. G. Fr. : Uber die P'ossilreptilien in Wiirtemberg. Stuttgard. Gr. Svo. 125. Benihardiy Prof. : Beitrage zur nahern kenntniss, &c. M^moire sur les formes cristalline r^gulieres. Erfurt, 1826. Svo. Holland and the Netherlands. Larivihe, M. A. Engelspnch : Memoire sur un silicate d'alumine consid^r^ sous les rapports chimique, mineralogique, et geognostique. Brussels, 1828. 12mo, pp. 15. Literary Notices, 61 Art. III. Literary Notices, Pliny's Katural History is proposed to be translated, with notes, &c., by John Bostock, M.D. F.R.S. L.S. G.S. and H.S. M.R I. Member of the Me- dico-Chirurgical, of the Astronomical, and of the Zoological Societies, &c. A specimen of the first and thirty-third books has been printed; in a pre- face to which, the author states that his object is " to present the English reader with a faithful translation, and to give it, as much as possible, in the style of the original." One object of the specimen is to show the kind of notes and illustrations proposed to be added, so as to render the text intel- ligible, without appending " an endless accumulation of matter." To us the notes appear judicious; and the text, being full of the absurdities of the time, is at least very amusing, and, to those fond of antiquity, will be instructive.] l^he second number of Dr. Thompson's Zoological Researches and Illus^ trations is nearly ready for publication. It will contain a memoir on the luminosity of the ocean, with descriptions, illustrated by four plates, of some remarkable species of luminous animals (Pyrosoma pygmae'a and Sapphirina indicator), and particularly of the four new gene*a, Noctiluca, Cynthia, Liicifer, and Podopsis of the Schizopodae. A Systematic Catalogue of British Insects, by James Francis Stephens, Esq. F.Z.S., &c., the author of Illustrations of British Entomology, is in the press, and will be published by subscription. It will be comprised in one very thick 8vo volume, price to subscribers l/. 1*. This will b»an invaluable work to every entomologist, and we hope it will enable us to attain to greater correctness in spelling the names of insects, than we have hitherto been enabled to do for want of such a guide. Flantce Asiaticce Rariores ; or. Descriptions and Figures of a Select Number of unpublished East Indian Plants. By N. Wallich, M. & Ph. D. Superintendent of the Hon. E.I.C.'s Botanic Garden at Calcutta; F.R.S. of Edinb. and Copenh. ; of the Linn., Geol., and Royal As. Soc. of London, &c. To supply a desideratum, which cannot but be regretted by all who are in- terested in the sciences of botany and horticulture. Dr. Wallich proposes to publish a work containing descriptions and figures of a select series of Asiatic plants : an undertaking for which he entertains hopes of being in some manner qualified, by the materials he has accumulated during a resi- dence of more than 20 years in that part of the globe : in 13 of which he had the advantage of being attached to the botanic garden at Calcutta, and of being supported by the matchless liberality of the Honourable East India Company, both in the charge of that noble institution, and during various extensive journeys, performed in Hindustan, Nepal, the Straits of Malacca, and the Burma countries. The work will consist of 3 volumes in folio, each containing 100 plates, engraved and coloured in the best style, from the Honourable Company's drawings, accompanied by full descriptions in Latin, with the addition of such observations in English as may appear necessary and interesting. It will be published in 12 numbers, each con- taining 25 engravings, with the appropriate letter-press; to appear every three months. Price 2/. 105. each number. Subscribers names received by Messrs. Treuttel and Wurtz, the publishers. Observations upon the Natural History of many remarkable or hitherto un- described British Plants, and a Catalogue of the rarer Species, collected in South Kent; with coloured Illustrations, etched by the author, Gerard Edwards Smith, Esq., of Saint John's College, Oxford, is in the press, and will be published by subscription. Post 8vo. Bs. A Descriptive Account of the North- Western Division of Somersetshire, including the Antediluvian Bone Caverns in the Mendip Hills at Bonwell, Hutton, and Uphill, is announced by Mr. Rutter of Shaftesbury, the author of Fonthill and its Abbey delineated. 62 PART III. COLLECTANEA. Art. I. Zoology. The Attachments formed hy Animals, from living together, have produced several remarkable facts. Feeling has been evinced by those reckoned most insensible, and even the strongest laws of nature have been set aside. The cobra di capello and the canary bird, who have, for years, inhabited the same cage at Mr. Cross's, in Exeter Change, are strong instances of the lat- ter ; but my communication more particularly alludes to the former. When I lived in Paris, there were two remarkably fine ostriches, male and female, kept in the Rotunda of the Jardin du Roi. The skylight over their heads having been broken, the glaziers proceeded to repair it, and, in the course of their work, let fall a triangular piece of glass. Not long after this, the female ostrich was taken ill, and died after an hour or two of great agony. The body was opened, and the throat and stomach were found to have been dreadfully lacerated by the sharp corners of the glass which she had swallowed. From the moment his companion was taken from him, the male bird had no rest ; he appeared to be incessantly searching for some- thing, and daily wasted away. He was moved from the spot, in the hope that he would forget his grief; he was even allowed more liberty, but nought availed, and he literally pined himself to death. I heard of a curious expedient the other day, which prevented a similar catastrophe, and which has led me to address you : —A gentleman residing in this country, had for some years been possessed of two brown cranes (^'rdea joavonina) ; one of them at length died, and the survivor became disconsolate. He was appa- rently following his companion, when his master introduced a large looking- glass into the aviary. The bird no sooner beheld his reflected image than he fancied she for whom he raoui-ned had returned to him'; he placed himself close to the mirror, plumed his feathers, and showed every sign of happi- ness. The scheme answered completely, the crane recovered his health and spirits, passed^almost all his time before the looking-glass, and lived many years after, at length dying from an accidental injury; — S. Boivdich, The Chile Horse. — One sent by the supreme director of Chile to His Majesty is of a milk-white colour, of the most perfect symmetry, and equally remarkable for strength and activity. — W. T. African Horses. — The Mandara horse is very beautiful, large, and power- ful ; some of a bright bay colour. The Bornou horse is small, but very perfect. — Id, The Dalecarlian Horse. — Marshall, in his Travels (vol. iii. p. 45.), says, " And here let me say a word or two in praise of the little Dalecarlian horses, which have brought me with such expedition through some of the most dangerous roads in Europe, and without having once failed us, though six in number ; and I think they look as well as before they set out on a journey of so many hundred miles. 1 have so great a value for them, that I am determined to carry them to England." — Id. Zoology, 63 The Cape of Good Hope Horse is a beautiful, lively animal, and, although of small size, is admirably adapted to light draught or saddle. — W, T. The Camel. — On a camel the saddle is always open above, that it may not hurt the bunch of the animal ; but a dromedary's saddle is made like a horse's, and covers the bunch. It walks with long and regular steps, and the rider, of consequence, feels the motion no otherwise than if he was rocked in a cradle. The two-bunched camel bears even as severe a climate as that of Siberia. — Id. White Cows. — The cows about Lyons, in France, are white, and ex- tremely handsome. — Id. The Rein Deer. — As attempts to naturalise the rein-deer have nearly failed, it would be advisable, in any future efforts, to consult the 57th num- ber of the 4th volume of the Swedish Amoenitates Academics. — Id. An Indian Antelope, or Elk, was tamed near the Cape of Good Hope. It always kept very near to mankind, and about the farm ; whence it ap- pears how easy it would be to domesticate this species of gazel, which, in its tame state, might be more serviceable than either horses or oxen, and, in'a great measure, perform the offices for which both these animals are used, and especially as this beast is said to keep up its flesh without taking much food. The flesh is universally of a fine grain, juicy, and well tasted. {Sparrman^s Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, vol. ii. p. 206.) — Id. The Flat-horned Antelope is easily tamed, and the flesh is excellent meat ; the Chinese antelope, if taken young, is easily tamed ; the young of the cervine antelope quickly grow tame, and herd with other cattle; the white-footed antelope is usually very gentle and tame, and has been bred in England. {Pennant^ s History of Quadrupeds, vol. i.) — Id. Broad-tailed Sheep. — Of this kind of sheep there are several varieties ; the flesh of some of them is very good; the tails weigh from 15 to 50 lbs. These tails are esteemed a great delicacy, and are of a substance between fat and marrow. In Thibet the fleece is very fine, beautiful, and long, and is worked into shawls. A number of this kind of sheep have been intro- duced into North America from the interior of Africa ; they are said to be extremely valuable, both on account of the wool and the flesh ; and the tail, in particular, which is 8 or 10 in. in breadth, is esteemed a great delicacy. — Id. West India Sheep. — These are frequently brought to England by the merchant ships, and, after being fed for a short time in our pastures, the flesh is so improved as to be compared to venison. — Id. Abyssian Sheep. — A breed has been produced between an Abyssinian ram and a French ewe; their fleece surpasses in brilliance any hitherto known in Europe, and they are exceedingly hardy and prolific. Their beauty excited general admiration. {From a newspaper of June, 1826.) — Id. Cachemire Goat. — In France a cross breed has been obtained between the Cachemire goats and Angora bucks : the hair of the kids is in much greater quantity, and much longer. — Id. The Warree Hog is very common in some parts of South America. In size and shape it nearly resembles the European hog. Its flesh is less oily and more delicate than the European pork, and is much esteemed by the white inhabitants. — Id. Effect of Incubation in lessening the Timidity of Birds. — Sir, Perhaps the following communication may not be uninteresting to yom- readers, as it shows how much the natural timidity of birds is lessened during incubation. Some time since, a pair of blue titmice (Parus caeruleus) built their nest in the upper part of an old pump, fixing it on the pin on which the handle worked. It happened that, during the time of building and laying the eggs, the pump had not been in use ; when again set going the female was sitting, and it was naturally expected the motion of the pump-handle would drive her away. The young brood were hatched safely, however, without any other 64- Zoology, misfortune than the loss of a part of the tail of the sitting bird, which was rubbed off by the friction of the pump-handle ; nor did they appear dis- turbed by the visitors who were frequently looking at her. — Wm. Henry Hill. Newland, Gloiicestei'shire, Sept. 10. 1828. The Great American Bittern. — I was much interested with an account I heard the other day of a bird, a species of heron. I believe it is called by Wilson, in his Ornithology, the Great American Bittern ; but, what is very extraordinary, he omits to mention a most interesting and remarkable cir- cumstance attending it, which is, that it has the power of emitting a light from its breast, equal to the light of a common torch, which illuminates the water, so as to enable it to discover its prey. As this circumstance is not mentioned by any of the naturalists that I have ever read, I had a difiiculty in believing the fact, and took some trouble to ascertain the truth, which has been confirmed to me by several gentlemen of undoubted veracity, and especially by Mr. Franklin Peale, the proprietor of the Philadelphia Museum. {Extract of a Letter from Philadelphia y to Mrs. C, Hackney, Oct. U.\S2S.) Yellow Greenfinch. — I beg to call your attention to a variety of the Loxia Chloris (greenfinch), which was accidentally shot in a flock of chaf- finches, yellowhammers, &c., in the neighbourhood of Ross, Herefordshire. The prevailing colour is a rich yellow, tinged with green ; the top of the head mottled with green, yellow, and a dirty white; the neck and throat yellow, fading into white; the lesser coverts green, edged with bright yel- low tipped with white ; the secondary quills ash-colour, edged with bright yellow ; the breast, shades of green, yellow, and dirty white ; back and rump greenish yellow ; vent, yellow ; tail, bright yellow on the outside ; the centre feathers ash-colour, edged with green ; legs, dirty white. I have had this curious mule set up by Mr. B. Ledbetter. — Id. Change of Colour in the Plumage of the Goldfinch. — It has been stated that when the goldfinch is fed on hemp-seed exclusively, the red and yel- low colours of the plumage become black. I possess a living example of this curious change. — J. Murray. The Natural Intelligence of the Goldfinch (Fringilla Carduelis), were it not well authenticated, would scarcely merit belief; but as the fact is undoubted, I think it deserves being put on record. The circumstances are as follows ; but as no dates were kept, the periods mentioned are only quoted from memory : — It was very early in the spring of 1827, that a bird had been lost from a cage, which was still hanging up, with the door open, in the passage entrance to the back court of a gentleman's house in this town, when a goldfinch was one morning found feeding in it, and the door was closed upon it ; but, on inspection, as it appeared to be a female, it was very shortly after restored to liberty. In the space, however, of about two hours it returned, and entered the cage, when it was again shut in, and again liberated ; and these visits were repeated daily for a considerable time. She was then missing for some few days, but then returned, accompanied by a male bird; she entered the cage, and fed as usual; but her companion, after perching on the outside of the cage, retired to a neighbouring tree until she joined him. They then quitted, and were no more thought of ; but, at the end of about seven or eight weeks, she again made her appearance, and ac- companied not by her former companion, but by four young ones, when she again entered the cage, and fed as usual ; but as she could not induce her brood (for such they were presumed to be) to follow her example ; she finally went off with them, and has not since that time again made her ap- pearance. I have written the foregoing account precisely as it was related to me by the gentleman at whose residence it occurred, and I have not the smallest doubt of the truth of it in every particular. — Mentor. Exmouth, Aug. 26.1828. ^ologyz 65 ' The Nightingale. — ^^This "poet bird/' ikfotacilla Xusclnia, sometimes displays an eccentric and novel taste in the materials of her nest. One in- teresting specimen of this kind was wholly constructed of skeleton leaves. — J. Murray. Presentiment in a Goose. — An old goose, that had been for a fortnight •hatching in a farmer's kitchen, was perceived, on a sudden, to be taken violently ill. She soon after left the nest, and repaired to an Out-house where there there was a young goose of the first year, which she brought with her into the kitchen. The young one immediately scrambled into the old one's nest, sat, hatched, and afterwards brought up the brood. The old goose, as soon as the young one had taken her place, sat down by the side of the nest, and shortly after died. As the young goose had never'been in the habit of entering the kitchen before, I know of no way of.accounting for this fact than by supposing that the old one had some way of communi- cating her thoughts and anxieties, which the other was perfectly able to understand. A sister of mine, who witnessed the. transaction, gave me the information in the evening of the very day it happened. — C. A. Brew, Ennis, July 9. 1828. Desertion of Geese. — I do not know if the following circumstance be of frequent occurrence ; if not, it may interest the readers of the Magazine of Natural History. I was walking along the beaoh which lies between the rivers Dee and Don, one morning, about twelve months ago. It was blowing a gale from N.W., and a cloudy thick atmosphere. I was attracted by a loud cackling, seemingly overhead, and, on looking to windward, I observed a large flock of birds. From the awkward motion of their wings, I was con- 'vinced they could not be wild ducks, and they seemed to be impelled rather by the wind than their own exertions. They continued their course to the seaward, and I lost sight of them in the haze. Next day Ihad a letter from a friend in the county, stating that Mrs. of 's duck-pond had been deserted the former morning by her thirty geese, which had all taken flight, and had riot since been heard of. — A. B. Aberdeen^ Nov.XZ. 1828. Flying Geese. — In confirmation of H. S.'soiotice of a curious duck, and the fifteen geese mentioned in your Magazine (Vol. I. p. 37*7.), allow me to state that it is very common for domestic geese to take flights to a consi- derable distance. Some time ago, my father had a large flock, which fed on high ground not visible from the house. They were lessened, as occasion required, to about six ; these were fetched home every night, for some - weeks ; and very frequently, on seeing the house from the top of the hill, they would take wing and fly homewards, making a circuit of about a mile. ' On one occasion they were nearly alighting at a poird of water at the next ; farm-house, instead of a similar one near home j they soon, however, dis- covered their mistake, and raised themselves in the air to nearly as great a height as before, alighted at their own water, and were at it long before their driver, notwithstanding that the latter mostly went in a direct line. This is the more singular, because these geese were considered heavy and fat, and nearly ready for making into good old-fashioned goose-pie. Query. Was it not owing to their wanting water, and at the top of the hill, which elevated the geese's spirits (if I may use the terra), and made them try to accomplish that, on their wings, soo7ier than they could do on their legs? — , T. F. Near Huddersfield, Dec. 12. 1828. Fishes, and Mode of preparing them. — At Lake Ilmen, near Valdai, they have a fish so like a herring, that it is called the fresh-water herring, and also another fish said to resemble a smelt. They have a mode of preparing them for a distant market, by putting them into ovens of a moderate tem- perature, and gradually but thoroughly drying them. {Capt. Joneses Travels in Norway.) Why may we not naturalise this fish, and adopt the same mode of curing other fresh-water fishes ? — Rusticus in Urbe. VOL.II.— No. 6. F 66 Zoology, Attempt to naturalise the A^rctia 'phav6nia, emperor) {flg. 17.), which I observed, was about five minutes getting out of its tomb ; its wings were at first small, shrivelled, and flabby, its body very large and unwieldy ; for the first five minutes after its exit it did nothing but stretch its legs, and lie first on one side and then on the other, it afterwards lay gently down on its back, with its wings lying negligently at each side; its pulse at this period was at 60, for, as it lay stretched out, the joints of the abdomen, if I may use that term for the pliable parts which are not so visible in a mature subject ^ike the '^joints Ota lobster's body), were transparent, and I could therefore see the internal movements : after remaining a few minutes in this state, the puls- ation became considerably slower, and at the same time the wings began to grow, the first process was the injection of a yellow fluid from the body, which shot very rapidly into the hervure of the wings, and seemed to strengthen them. Their further developement continued to proceed from the base : the action resembled the convulsions of a bit of parchment in the fire, and the wings, from the neiTures being tense, were very like a leaf of Savoy cabbage. In about a quarter of an hour they had attained to theu* 'full size, but not strength : one side was perfected before the other was half done; the colours and pencilling grew more evident and brilliant, as the wings increased in size, which was the most beautiful part of the pro- cess. The moth at last turned itself heels over head, and then walked about a little, but was very dull, and the wings did not attain their maxi- tnura of strength till about five hours after, when a copious evacuation took place, and it immediately became quite lively. — E. T. January, 1829. The stinging of a Gnat. '— Sir, As an illustration of the principle that "knowledge and pleasure are the result of care and labour, even in the most trifling things, I will relate to you the interest I lately felt in watching the Zoology, 69 operations of a gnat while it was stinging me. On the 25th of October last, and about two o'clock in the dayj a gnat (Culex plpiens) alighted on my forefinger ; I held my hand still, and observed it. It immediately applied its proboscis to the skin, at the same time moving its antennae and hind legs slowly up and down, which it continued to do for a few seconds, when it became apparently motionless, resting on its four front legs, with its hind ones stretched out in a line with its abdomen. I now felt a slight sensation where the proboscis was inserted, but so faint that, had not my attention been directed to it, I probably should not have noticed it ; and this I only felt for a second or two. The abdomen now began to swell gradually, the influx of the blood being clearly visible, through its semi-transparent skin ; at the same time, a clear watery liquid began to ooze from the anus, form- ing a round globule ; it had a curious appearance, to see blood flowing in at one end, and water out at the other ; the drop fell, and another formed, the abdomen all the time getting larger and larger, and redder and redder, till the second drop fell. The abdomen had now attained full three times' its natural size, with a deep blood-red hue, when, to my great vexation, the door opened, and away flew my little toper, without appearing the least encumbered wi.th its bloody cargo I must further observe, that the insect was altogether about one minute on my finger ; that no part of the outer sheath of its proboscis was inserted beneath the skin ; that I did not receive any warning of its bloody intentions from its pipes. I mention this, because I think I have heard it affirmed, that they always do give warning before an attack ; but what appeared to me the most remarkable is, that there was not the slightest pain, inflammation, or mark of any kind left that was perceptible. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. — J. A, St. John's Woody Nov. 20. 1 828. Spinning Slugs. — Sir, I have now before me a spinning slug, I mean a slug, which I discovered suspended by the tail from the leaves of a tree for the space of about a foot or more, and letting itself down towards the earth by means of a fine thread, like that of a spider, or that by which the larvae of many lepidopterous insects descend from the branches of trees. With the single exception of its spinning propensity, the slug appears in all re- spects exactly like the ordinary small grey slug (iimax agrestis), so com- mon every where, and so destructive in our gardens. I have several times met with these spinning slugs suspended by their threads ; but, as I can dis- cover no difference in size, colour, or form from the common slug, I should be glad to know whether they are to be considered as a distinct species, or whether the common slug may not uniformly possess the same faculty, though it has seldom occasion to exert it. The author of Elements of Natural History y speaking of slugs in general, says that " they spin a thread, by which they sometimes suspend themselves, or let themselves down from heights : ** but this observation he makes while describing the general habits of the genus, without appropriating it to any particular species. My slug unfortunately made its escape from under the glass in which it was con- fined, before I had fully satisfied my curiosity respecting it. I could not perceive that it showed any disposition to spin while in confinement. — W. T, Bree. Allesley Rectory j near Coventry ^ July 29. 182° F 3 70 BotafiT/^ Art. II. Botany. Curious instance oj Viviparous Production. — As a friend of mine, a bo- tanist, in this town, was looking at some pieces of the J'Uium arenarium, which he had kept by him for about two years, he found that several of the seeds were germinating in the calyx and some had even put forth their co- tyledon.— jL. E. O. Richmondy Aug. 10. 1828. LathrcBa squamaria. — This curious plant is certainly not parasitic, as has been supposed, for the plant has been transplanted from its original site to the garden, and it there grew well enough. Iknow of none capable of giving a more interesting account of it than my friend, J. C. Bowman, Esq. F.L.S., who has paid particular attention to its habitats and habits. — J. Murray. White Varieties of Flowers. ^ There are many flowers of which white varieties are to be found not mentioned by Smith. The /Scilla nutans occurs perfectly white in a small wood close to Chestford Bridge, near Kenil worth, and likewise at Leamington, in a wood attached to the beautiful cottage of R. Poole, Esq., solicitor. It has been found also at Halstock, in this county. We have here the Prunilla vulgaris, snow-white, the bracteas of which are without any tinge of purple. — W. i/., R. N. Yeovil, August 5. 1828. Spontaneous Appearance of Epipdctis latifolia. {fig. 18.)— Sir, about the year 1811 I enclosed a small piece of ground, for the purpose of making an oak plantation. In the course of a few years, when the young trees began to form a low wood, I was surprised to see several fine plants of J^pipactis latifolia make their ap- pearance among the oaks. They have ever since continued to do so in considerable abundance, and in various parts of the plantation. I observe too, that it frequently (though by no means always) happens, that an individual plant dies after flowering, or at last ceases to come up agmn in the same identical spot a second year. Thus, e. g., in the summer of 1827, 1 had in the plantation several remarkably fine specimens, bearing a profusion of flowers, throwing up two or more stems from the root, and growing to the height of between 5 and 4 ft., the largest, in short, that I ever saw of the species. But, to my disappoint- ment, these fine specimens ^id not throw up any shoots or leaves the fol- lowing season ; nor had I, though there was an abundance of specimens, either so many, or such fine ones, as in the preceding year. I do not find any very weak plants, having the appearance of being young seedlings, few occurring but such as are strong enough to produce flowers, I am un- aljle, therefore, to state with any certainty, by what means the plant has propagated itself to its present extent. Still less am I able to account for Its first appearance in this situation, coming up, as it did, spontaneously, and apparently springinganto vigour all at once. Your botanical correspondents will probably be ready to propose an easy solution of the difficulty, by suggesting that the seeds had lain dormant in the ground (as, we know, often happens), till they were roused into vege- tation by the earth being disturbed and prepared for the purpose of making the plantation. But this could hardly be the case in the present instance ; for the piece of ground taken for the plantation consisted of a part of tNvo fields, one arable, and the other sometimes in grass and sometimes in til- lage ; and both of them had frequently been ploughed no long time before Geology and Mineralogy: 71 the plantation was made. Neither, again, will it be thought probable that the seeds had been wafted to the spot by the wind, when it is stated that I never met with a single wild specimen of the ^pipactis in any other situation in this neighbourhood, the nearest place where I have observed it to occur in a wild state, being not less than eight or ten miles distant. As jBpipactis latifolia, though by no means a very rare plant, is yet entitled to rank inter rarioresj I confess I have felt some pleasure in its having taken up its con- stant and voluntary abode on my premises ; and should you think this ac- count of the circumstance likely also to aiFord any interest to your readers, you will perhaps find a corner for it in your Magazine. — W. T, Bree. Al- Lesley Rectory, Nov, 3. 1828. Art. III. Geology and Mineralogy. Volcanic District between the Rhine and Moselle. — Few districts in Europe are more interesting to the geologist than that lying to the north of the Moselle, and the west of the Rhine, and occupying the greater portion of the angle formed by the confluence of these two rivers. This tract, which has an average breadth of thirty to forty miles, bears indubitable traces of having in remote ages been the scene of volcanic eruptions throughout a great part of its extent, and the most determined Neptunist, whatever he may contend as to the subsequent agency of water, must admit that here, once at least, fire has been in general and extensive agency. In some quar- ters are seen isolated conical hills, which bear every appearance of being of volcanic origin ; in others are deep circular lakes, of no great extent, which have been plausibly supposed to occupy extinct craters ; and in various directions where the ground has been opened, lava, pumice stone, and other volcanic products are found in profusion. One of these is the well known cement, improperly called Dutch Tarras, from the circumstance of its being brought from Andernach, and other towns on the Rhine, to Holland, whence before the invention of Roman cement, it was shipped to England, and still is to various parts of Europe. As little of this interesting district is seen by those who pass from Brussels into Germany or Switzerland, by the ordinary route on the left bank of the Rhine, I would advise geologists travelling in this direction, to make the same deviation from the direct road that I did last summer, going from Spa across the country to Bertrich-Bad, a romantic watering-place, excellently situated for making excursions in different direc- tions, and where we staid ten days, and thence to Coblentz, and there re- sume the main road. The distance is not greater than the direct route by Aix-la-Chapelle and Cologne, the scenery often highly picturesque, and the road very tolerable. In one part, in crossing a heath, it was necessary to have a fifth horse, in addition to the four which our well-filled berline re- quired ; but in general the roads were equal to the cross roads in England, and much of the way very superior. The whole distance from Spa to Ber- trich-Bad is about seventy miles, of which we made an easy three days' journey, sleeping the first night at the village of Schoenburg, and the second atGe- rolstein. At this last, and indeed at almost every neighbouring village is a mineral spring, containing oxide of iron, held in solution by an excess of carbonic acid gas, exactly resembling the Spa water. If one of these nume- rous springs, of which the water, sparkling like champagne, and hardly less agreeable to the taste is constantly drank by the villagers as their ordinary beverage, and has, besides medicinal virtues far more potent than those of Tunbridge, could be transported to England, it would be cheap at the price of many thousand pounds. Fastidious travellers would not relish the hum* fole fare of these village inns, but our party look on this excursion as one of ' F 4; 7^2 Geology and Mineralogy^ the most delightful of our whole tour, from the opportunity it afforded of seeing a genuine picture of the manners of the German peasants, and the many amusing -little adventures which befel us. At Gerolstein, near to which is a distinct crater, and many other interesting geological objects, be- sides much picturesqe scenery. Our hostess, Fraulein Klein, an old maid, was a perfect counterpart to Meg Dods, in St. Ronan^s Well ; and an imi- tator of Sir Walter Scott might advantageously take up his abode with her jfor a fortnight, to study the oddities of this original, as the sub-heroine ot a novel to be called the Castle of Gerolstein, the ruins of which frown over a perpendicular rock, towering close above the inn. Such travellers, how- ever, as do not think the laughable eccentricities of an original character a compensation for bad fare, I would advise to leave Spa in the afternoon, and sleep the first night at Malmedy, and the second at Priiym, at both which places are very tolerable inns ; and thus perform the whole journey in two days and a half, dining the last day at Daun, a village between Gerol- stein and Bertrich-Bad, where is an excellent inn, in the^ parlour of which we found a piano-forte, with Mozart*s opera of Don Juan lying open, and violins and flutes, &c., hanging on the walls ; and while my daughter played on the piano, the host's son (in a blue smock frock) accompanied her on the guitar, and, like the rest of this amiable family, was as intelligent a& well bred. As there are no post stations, it is necessary to hire horses for the whole journey ; and as no one at Spa could give any account of the road, which few English have travelled, and the voiturier who conducted us, and was previously equally ignorant of it, is the only one there who has been the road, it may not be superfluous to mention that his name is Re- made Deblon, and that we found him very civil and careful. Bertrich-Bad, besides being very romantic and delightful in itself, is a con- venient station for examining the geology of this district at leisure, as there is a large hotel, much frequented in the summer both by patients using the warm baths^ and by lovers of the picturesque ; and very frequently by Ger- man geologists from Bonn, &c., who, as well asHerr Bodife,the bath-inspector, would afford every information as to the objects most worthy of attention. The two near to Bertrich-Bad, are the Kase Grotte, a highly curious grotto, formed in part of basaltic columns, intersected at regular distances by deep transverse circular furrows, so as to resemble cheeses piled on each other, whence the name ; and the crater of Falkenlei, an extinct volcano, which alone is worth a long journey to see. The hill occupied by this crater, and in fact formed by the volcano, has been split in two by some great con- vulsion, and while one half has fallen into a deep adjoining valley, the other half remains erect, and, being easily accessible by convenient walks, offers a close and extremely interesting view of the interior of the crater, with the lava just as fresh and full of air-bubbles as the slag of a blacksmith's forge, and looking as if it had not been extinguished a twelvemonth. Of this and the other interesting objects which the neighbourhood affords, full accounts may be found in Dr. Harless's Das Bad zu JBertrich (Coblentz, 1827), and in several other German publications quoted in this useful work. I regret that both ill health, and my superficial acquaintance with geology, prevented me from making those minute observations which alone could give any scien- tific value to the present article, the only object of which is to show my sense of the utility of your well-planned Magazine, and to induce competent geologists to take the route which I and my family found so interesting. — W. Spence. Brussels, Jan. 20. 1829. Evident traces of Manganese in Slate. — Slate inclining to pearly, from a quarry about half a mile west of Ilfracombe, and a dark greenish slate from Dennifole, in Cornwall, as also some of the dark- coloured micas, give very evident traces of manganese, when treated with borax and soda in the manner described in my former letter (Vol. L p. 384.). — W, H. M, Geology afid Mineralogy, 73 Fossil Astdria. —I send you a drawing of the ^steria (fg. 19.), found at Horsington, by the Rev. James Hooper, Rector of Stawell. It was taken from a stratum of cornbrash, and is a very perfect specimen. The sketch and the figure is of the exact size of the original ; a is the stone in which it is embedded, and b a section of a small bivalve shell. I am, Sir, &c. — W. H., R. N. Yeovil, Aug. 21. 1828. Washing of Gold. — The art of washing gold was practised on the Rhine from early antiquity up to 1824, when it ceased near Basil ; but a few men continue to be employed in the environs of Lohr, as at Wittenweir there are three, at Nonnenweir fourteen, &c. The gold is found in a coarse allu- vial deposit, and sometimes forms a coating on the pebbles. The banks containing the gold are usually about 100 paces in length. They are for the most part on the margin of the river, and rarely in the islands. The banks of pebbles containing the gold are covered with coarser pebbles and vegetable earth. {Zeitschr^t fur Mineral., Juin, p. 533.) 7i PART IV. MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. Art. I. Natural History in Foreign Countries, FRANCE. Metz, Dec. 9. — Our last notes (Vol. I. p. 472.) left us in the Museum here collected chiefly by M. HoUandre, and proposing to visit the cabinet of birds of M. Meslier de Rocan, and the plantations of M. Durand, and of the late Baron Tschoudy. M. Hollandre has published Fawie du Departe- ment de la Moselle, et principalement des Environs de Metz, Sfc.y in 1 2mo, 1825. It is arranged after the system of Cuvier, and the number and variety of birds are very considerable. At the end of the work a list is given of a cabinet of white varieties of birds belonging to M. le baron Marchant, which includes specimens perfectly white of birds usually black ; as the crow, blackbird, magpie, &c. ; and of others naturally more or less red, as the redbreast, &:c. The collection of birds in M. Meslier*s cabinet is confined to those of Europe, and only wants two or three species to be complete. It is arranged after the Manual of M. Temminck (4th edit. 1820), and is in excellent preservation. He had been offered for it, as we were informed, upwards of a thousand pounds. He gave us a MS. catalogue, which, with the Faune of M. Hollandre, we have presented to the Zoological Society. The by-roads are in such a state in the neighbourhood of Metz, that at this season we were informed it was scarcely possible to approach the plant- ations of the late Baron Tschoudy at Colombo. We, therefore, after taking leave of M. Coutie, Madame Coutie (who, having no children, and finding it necessary to occupy herself with something, devoted herself to botany, in which she is known to have acquired a scientific and practical knowledge), M. Durand, M. Simon (the readers of our Magazines at Metz), and our other friends there, and promising to return to them in about two years, left for Paris on the lOth, and arrived there on the 12th of December. Paris, Dec. 15. 1828, to Jan. 11. 1829. — It would not be very easy to relate all that we saw and did here during our stay in September (Vol. I. p. 585.) and at this time. It is unnecessary to talk of the Jardin des Plant es, of the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, and of other cabinets, libraries, and exhibitions, which are, or ought to be, seen by every body. We had the satisfaction of showing specimens of our forthcoming Encyclopcedia of Plants and Hortus Britannicus, and of explaining the improvements which we have attempted in the abridgment of botanical description to Pro- fessor Decandolle, MM. Mirbel, Desfontaines, Bory de-St.- Vincent, Ad. Brongniart, the Baron de F6'ussac, and a number of the members of the Natural History Society, and of receiving their approbation. This appro- bation, liowever, we shall only value when we see our improvements adopted by these gentlemen in their published works ; and this we do not Natural History in Foreign Countries, 75 expect to see, unless from M. Decandolle, till our Encyclopadia and Hortus have been some time in circulation. The naturalists and other scientific men of Paris have great advantages over those of London. The French government devotes a large sum annually to the support of scientific and literary institutions in the metro- polis. Public lectures on every subject may be attended gratis ; the most complete museums and libraries are of the easiest access. The social meet- ings at the houses of distinguished individuals, or of public bodies, such, for example, as those of the Baron Cuvier, the Baron F^russac, the Insti- tute, the Athenaeum, &c., are frequent ; and the intercourse at such meet- ings is of real use to literary men, because difference of worldly circum- stances enters into them for little or nothing. It is not to be wondered, therefore, that with superior native vivacity and acuteness, and all these opportunities, the French philosophers should be the first in the world. To profit from this state of things, a stranger should reside in Paris at least two years ; and this we would most strongly recommend to parents, as the finishing process previous to travelling, for young men of from sixteen to twenty years of age. Man in the North of France, — As we gave our opinion (Vol. I. p. 482.) on the natural and artificial character of man in the south of Germany, we hope to be excused for offering a few remarks in a natural-history point of view on man in the north of France. Whether our opinion be considered right or wrong, we shall only say that it is not to be considered as hastily formed after a single visit ; because we have been in France at different times since 1814, and met with French people in various parts of Europe before and after that period. Our opinion is, that the Frenchman of the northern provinces is, by nature, a superior animal to either the English* man or the German ; but that by education, including the influence of government, religion, and the backward state of the useful arts, he is, at present, inferior to them. The cause of the natural superiority we con- sider to be principally the climate, and chiefly the superior purity and free- dom from moisture of the air. This element is inhaled by us for what may be called its nutriment, during every moment of our existence, and its quality must, therefore, have an effect upon our constitution and character, so much greater than all the other elements of nutrition put together, that it is hardly possible for us to form an adequate idea of the full extent of its influence. The next powerful natural agent is temperature, and, we think, it may be very safely affirmed that of any two people, alike in respect to education and civilisation, those will be highest in the scale of excel- lence, who have been born, and who live, in the purest air and mildest climate. If agriculture and the useful arts, including government and reli- gion, were as far advanced in France as in England, we think the French- man would be the superior character to the Englishman ; and were the arts in France equal to the arts in England, and the state of education equal to what it is in Wurtemburg, we cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that the Frenchman in the latitudes of Paris and Rouen would be the first being in the west of Europe. Some may think this conclusion humbling, but \ve cannot see how it is to be avoided. There is some presumption that man in certain parts of Asia Minor and Greece, and possibly of Italy, might attain to a higher degree of perfection than in France, as civilisation first began to spread in these countries ; but our comparison does not extend to them. The native excellence of the character of the French consists in the warmth of their affections, and in the clearness and rapidity of their intel- lectual faculties. Their native faults are, of course, the extremes of their native virtues; insincerity, because they are led by the warmth of their feelings to promise more than, upon trial, theyiind they can perform ; and speculative rather than useful science, because the reward of the latter is the work of time, and requires the exercise of patience, while the lustre of 76 , Natural History in Foreign Countries, a brilliant invention encircles the head of the inventor with rays of imme- diate glory. The defects in the natural character of the French, are to be counter- acted by the progress of civilisation, and more especially by inducing, among all ranks, a greater taste for vs^hat an Englishman calls the solid comforts of life. To improve the country people to the utmost in a physical point of view, it is necessary that they should eat a greater pro- Eortion of animal food, drink better wine, cider, or beer, and that their ouses should be more commodiously planned, and more fully stocked with furniture. The introduction of an improved agriculture, and of useful manufactures, will effect both these objects ; and if, while this improve- ment is taking place, care be taken to educate, not slightly, but effectually, every individual, so as to elevate the moral character and taste of the laborious classes, and prevent them from falling into that state of de- gradation and misery which is connected with improved agriculture and the extreme of manufacturing industry in England, every thing will be at- tained which the friends of human nature could desire. The grand principle wanting to develope every other in France, is general and effectual education. Not an education which merely teaches a slight knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic, such as was formerly open to every body in Scotland ; but a system of instruction commencing in the third or fourth year of infancy, in the manner of what are called infant schools, and continued alike to males and females to the age of fourteen or fifteen. During this period every thing worth knowing may be taught, and a style of manners and morals formed and impressed in such a way as to remain during future life. Every one submitted, so to speak, to this degree of education, will not profit from it alike; and it is in the nature of things, and suitable to the constitution of society, that this dif- ference should exist ; but every one, even the most intellectually obtuse, will know how to read, write, and count, and take a certain tone of manners and moral habits, which will fit them for some one useful capacity or other, and render them agreeable and honest to any who come in contact with them. , We never contend that all will benefit equally from education, however well or however long they may be subjected to it ; all we insist on is, that all should be subjected to a certain degree of it during a certain length of time. We would, if possible, put every human being on a level in point of knowledge, morals, and manners : we know we cannot do this, because the original faculties of man are opposed to it ; but we would give to all a ,fair and full chance of developing their faculties to the utmost, and, having done this, we would leave individuals to work their way in the world subject to the influence of all that it contains. Supposing education to be a fluid, we would immerse every male and female child in it (and for very important reasons, in addition to that of humanising all ranks, in the same vessel), during a certain length of time, that the body of each might imbibe according to its powers of absorption. Being taken out, those of the poorest parents, and who at the same time, in consequence of natural defect, had imbibed least of the education fluid, would fall into the ranks of house servants, male and female, or would en- gage as sailors or soldiers ; those who, in consequence of a little more native intellect, had absorbed a little more fluid, but who were still of the poorest parents, would take the grade of labourers, agriculturists, and gardeners, the females following dress-making, or other light trades, or becoming body-ser- vants to ladies of rank j those whose parents had some little property, whatever quantity of fluid they might have absorbed, would commence their business education, by being apprenticed to some trade or manufacture, the females becoming governesses and teachers ; those a little higher, when taken out, would commence their professional education, with a view to law, Natural History in Foreign Countries, 77 physic, the fine arts, &c., by being sent to college ; and the bame of the children of persons of rank and independence, whose education would be completed by a course of travelling and residence in other countries. It may to some, perhaps, seem frivolous or ridiculous to enter into such details : but we have considered them necessary, in order to prevent our- selves from being mistinderstood ; and lest any one should think that, be- cause we wish to bring all men and women, as near as their natures will admit, to a level in point of knowledge and manners, we wish to subvert the existing orders and ranks of society. We contemplate nothing of the kind. According to the above system, the servant and the labourer will be as completely subordinate to their masters as at present, though under such a system of education the servant would necessarily know more then than the master does now. All the contemplated difference between the present state of society, and that which high and equal education and man- ners would produce, would be a much more general diffusion of humanity*, sympathy, and happiness. To produce this state of things, it appears to us essentially necessary that the education for the lowest class of society should be enforced by government. At first sight, it appears inconsistent with approved principles to maintain such an opinion; for, if education be of so great an advantage, why should not individuals be left to pursue it as they do every other good ? Our answer is, that this reasoning will apply to all those classes of society who are in easy circumstances ; but that we do not think it will ever apply to the lowest class in any country, however highly civilised that country may be. The lowest class may, in all times and places, be considered as treading the brink of misery ; the only means of preventing their precipitation into the gulf, is by the continual exercise of their labour. Now, the temptation of poor pa- rents, or of a poor widow or widower, to make use of the labour of their children as soon as the physical strength of the latter permits, is, or appears to us to be, too great to be continually before them without their falling into it. We think, therefore, that for a perfect system of education to be effective, whatever may be the state of the country to which it is applied, it will always be necessary to compel the lowest class to send their children to school dur- ing a certain period, as in Germany (Vol. I. p. 485.) ; and that it will always be advantageous to have a law, rendering it illegal to employ any one who could not show a-certificate of having attended this period, as in the same country. For the class above the lowest, perhaps the law declaring it illegal to employ any person without a certificate might suffice ; and, for all the higher classes, we should^ say, admit none as officers in the army or navy, to public or state employments, or to what is called good society, who were not known to have taken a degree at some university, or to have done something equivalent. We have elsewhere shown * that, in a properly edu- cated and highly civilised nation, the name of every individual, when he or she had completed the prescribed education, or, in other words, were intellectually born into society, ought to be published in a local newspaper or gazette, in the same way as physical births into the world are at present. In order that a system of education, to be applied generally, may effect all that it is capable of effecting, we think that it should be conducted on what we shall call the Natural History System ; i. e. that it should be totally * Des E'tablissemens pour P^ducation publique en Baviere, dans le Wir- temberg, et a Bade ; et Remarques sur les Ameliorations a introduire dans ces ^tablissemens pour les faire adopter en France, en Angleterre, et autres pays. Paris, pamph. 8vo, 1829. — The essence of this work will be given in the Gardener^s Magazine, •^ Natural History in Foreign Countries. freed from peculiar religious instruction.*, Experience shows that, where mankind are allowed to think at all, they will never be brought to think alike on so indefinite a subject as religion ; and, therefore, in a school to which the children of persons of all religions are to be sent, instruction in any one particular religion must necessarily be omitted. But morality, which, in most countries, is more or less taught as dependent on religion (most erroneously, in our opinion), must not be omitted ; and this is what we would teach on what we call the Natural History principle ; i. e. simply with reference to the good it produces to man in his worldly character. There are a sufficiency of motives exclusively belonging to this life, to pro- duce all the charitable, generous, honest, and honourable actions taught by the laws of Christianity, or by any other laws. These motives are independ- ent of abstract opinions, and refer simply to the rewards and punishments, from the grosser to the most refined, of this life. Being, therefore, more certain, they must be safer to build on than any system of promises and threats, on the fulfilment of which the party, however firmly he may believe and conscientiously he may act at one time, may at another have doubts, and so far change his opinion as to be left without any other guiding principles than those to which we allude. It were better, therefore, Jto begin with these motives, because, being mattters of fact, they cannot be denied or overturned; while religious principle can, in due time, be super- added. We have entered into details on this subject in the pamphlet referred to, and therefore shall not here repeat them ; but we cannot help adding, that almost every execution that we read of in the newspapers confirms us m our opinion. It is common among the Protestants to express horror at the idea of absolution being given for moral offences by a Catholic priest ; but is not the idea of absolution as certainly obtained by the Protestant murderer, on the scaffold, by some other process ? It is ascertained that the Catholic banditti of Italy trust for salvation entirely to this idea, and will it be said that Protestant sinners are exempt from some corresponding influ- .ence ? Might not a stranger to both systems of Christianity say, there must be something radically wrong, either in the principles of your religion, or in its administration, which, in its application, admits of the most horrid murderers that ever existed, when brought to punishment, dying on the scaflTold full of happiness]and joy, instead of being overwhelmed with a sense of remorse, or a feeling of infamy ? The liberal and enlightened party in France are at present intensely occupied with the subject of general education ; and we most sincerely hope that they will not rest short of establishing it in as perfect a manner, and on as firm a bas^s, as the present enlightened age and the existing state of poli- tical harmony admit. They will, by this means, and by means of the rapid improvements which they are making in agriculture and manufactures f , ♦ Let no reader take alarm at this assertion, which has nothing to do with religion, as such, but merely the introduction of one particular kind of religion into a school composed of children whose parents are of various sects. The principle contended for is already acted on by the School So- ciety of Ireland. {Gard. Mag.^ vol. v. p. 84.) It was also set out with in the London University; though we regret to see, in a letter signed by Dr. Lard- ner and Mr. Dale, in this (Feb. 12.) day*s Times, that a sort of accommo- dation to existing opinions has been made by these gentlemen, which we cannot but consider as derogatory to the University, whose chair of moral philosophy ought to have been sufficient for every purpose proposed to be effected by the divinity lectures of Mr. Dale. f See two excellent articles in the Foreign Quarterly Revieiv (arts. i. and xi.), attributed to Professor M'Culloch. These articles, written in the best spirit, alike merit the perusal of thinking men in both nations. See also the Natural History in Foreign Countries, 79 not only raise themselves to a degree of civilisation and happiness hitherto unattained, but, by their example, effect the same object for England, Ger- many, and all other countries. To return to our legitimate subject, we hope to show, in future Num- bers, that the time we spent in Paris, and generally the whole of our four months' tour, has not been without profit to our readers ; and, conclude by stating that 72ana arborea, Vallisneria spiraUs, Wistaria Consequawa, An- dromeda arborea, and other plants and animals which we brought from Garlsruhe (Vol. I. p. 481.), arrived safe at Bayswater. — Cond, GERMANY. The Congress of the German Naturalists, — In all ages and countries, men who have followed the same pursuits have felt themselves to be united in interest and happiness, and nave sought to realise this union, and strengthen it, by actual personal associations. In the earliest ages, these unions or societies were few and comparatively local, and they must gene- rally have been confined to nations speaking the same language. With the progress of things, the circle of these associations has extended wider ; and the probability is, that, in time, every society whose objects do not interfere with established religions or governments, will reckon amongst its members people of all nations. The fairs and games of the earliest ages indicate the infancy of this state of things ; and the voluntary annual meetings of the naturalists, of the military men, of the musicians, and of the students of Switzerland, in the different towns of that country, and of the German naturalists and medical practitioners, in the different towns of Germany, indicate its present state. The Congress of the German naturalists owes its origin to Professor Schweigger at Halle, and Professor Oken at Jena, who traced the plan, in 1818, that was first carried into execution at Leipsic, in 1S22. There were then only eight members present j but Professor Blumenbach was among them, and they resolved to meet every year, on the 18th of September, this period falling in the middle of one of the two long vacations of the German universities. " The sessions are held alternately, one year in a town of the north, and the next in one of the south of Germany ; always fixing, by a majority of voices, the place for tHi next session ; and the president and secretary having there their abode, to make the necessary arrangements for the meeting. Other regulations have not been wanting ; and, since that time, the Congress has assembled successively at Leipsic, Halle, WUrzburg, Frank- fort, Dresden, and, last year, in Munich, where its members were most nobly received by the King of Bavaria, the greatest patron of the arts in our times. Then they resolved to meet, in 1828, at Berlin; and the Aristotle of the modern age, Baron Alexander von Humboldt, was chosen president ; and M. Lichtenstein, Professor of Natural History at the same university, honorary secretary." {For. Rev, and Cont. Misc, for Oct, 1828, p. 505.) The Prussian government did all that the officers of the Congress suggested, in order to make the stay of its learned guests at Berlin as comfortable as possible. The Meeting lasted a week, and the following is a statement of the countries from which the members came who were present : — The whole number was 467, of which Berlin alone supplied 197, the rest of Prussia, 127 ; Saxony, 31 ; Bavaria, 12 ; Hanover, 7 ;jWurtemberg, 3 ; the other States of the German Confederation and Switzerland, 55; the Aus- trian States, 1; Sweden, 12; Denmark, 7; Poland, 5; Russia, 2; Eng- land, 2; France, 2 ; Norway, 1; and Naples, 1. Journal d* Education et if Instruction^ de M. le Comte de Lasteyrie. Paris, 8 vo, monthly. 80 Natural History hi Foreign Countries. Baron h amboldt delivered a discourse at the opening (which has been printed), and another at the close, of the Mieeting. Various memoirs were read by different members; and, amongst them, one by M. Reinwardt (of Leyden), on the characters of the vegetable kingdom in the Indian Archi- pelago. The project of a new edition of Pliny's Natural History was dis- cussed. It was stated that the King of Bavaria had sent a young scholar to collate the MSS. at Florence and in Paris, and that the King of Saxony had promised his assistance to obtain a collection of those at Madrid, in the Escurial, and at Toledo ; and a hope was expressed that the Prussian go- vernment might defray the expense of a collation of the Vossian Codex, at Oxford. Professor Lichtenstein said that the Berlin Academy had made such great sacrifices for an edition of Aristotle, that it could do nothing on this occasion. Professor Oken, on this, suggested that every member pre- sent should subscribe a dollar, as a fund towards the expenses of the pro- jected edition of Pliny, which was done, to the number of about 400. The following is an extract from the opening speech of Baron Humboldt, as given in the Foreign Review and Continental Miscellany : — "In every place where the German language is resounding, where its philosophical structure exercises its influence on the minds and on the feelings of the na- tion, from the highest top of the Alpine mountains of Europe down to the other bank of the Vistula, where astronomy is raised to new splendour in the country of Copernicus, in every place of the large regions inhabited by the German nation, we make it our business to enquire into the secrets of the powers of nature, displayed in the ample vault of heaven, in the deepest problems of mechanics, in the bowels of the terraqueous globe, or in the finest tissues of organic beings. Protected by magnanimous princes, this Society has increased every year in interest and in extension. Every dif- ference produced by diversity of faith and of political constitution has va- nished here. Germany reveals here its intellectual unity ; and this unity weakens none of the ties attaching us to the constitution or the laws of our birthplace, in the same manner as the knowledge of truth, and the perform- ance of duty, are the final scope of morals. It is this separation in life, this /emulation of mental efforts, which the glorious annals of the German nation •prove to be productive of the highest achievements of humanity, of science, and of the fine arts. " The principal purpose of this SocISty does not consist, like that of other •academies forming a close corporation, in the communication of memoirs, ,in giving a number of lectures, all written to be printed, after some time, in their Transactions. No ; its principal purpose is to encourage the inter- course of men cultivating the same field of science j the oral exchange of ideas making them more impressive and stimulating in the shape of facts, of opinions, or of doubts ; and in the formation of relations of friendship ; ■illustrating the science, agreeably tempering the habits of life, and giving forbearance and amenity to the manners. " Tmth cannot be discovered without difference of opinions ; for it is never known at once in its whole extent, nor simultaneously by the whole of mankind. Every step appearing to lead the naturalist towards his distant goal, brings him only to the entrance-door of new labyrinths. The quantity of doubt is not diminished ; it spreads only, like a movable mist, over other regions. Those who call a golden age the times when diversity of views, or, vulgarly speaking, the disputes of men of learning, will be settled, have no idea of the wants of science, and of its uninterrupted progress, and are like those who, with lazy self-complacency, defend, from year to year, im- mutably the same opinions." The Meeting of next year will be held at Heidelberg. Baron Humboldt mentioned, in his farewell discourse, that he should be unable to attend, as he calculated that he should be then on his travels in Asia, most probably in the heart of Siberia. Report speaks in the highest terms of the excellent Natural Histoty in Foreign Countries. Ml arrangements of the late Meeting, and of the extreme kindness of the king, in providing, in the most liberal manner, for the comforts and accommoda- tion of all the members who attended. {For. Quaii,. Eev.y Jan.) We hope the time is not far distant when there will be similar assem- blies, not only of naturalists, but of scientific men in every department, from every part of the world. — Cond. The Wurtemberg Society for undertaking Voyages of Natural History, has hitherto sent out only botanists, whose collections in Sardinia, Istria, Smyr- na, Carinthia, &c., have given entire satisfaction to the shareholders. It is now proposed to send out mineralogists, and M. Kurr has already departed for Scandinavia. The shares are 1 5 florins ; and, on the expiration of the voyage, the shareholder receives, according to his wishes, either specimens in botany or mineralogy. {For. Rev., Jan.) Universal Language. — M. BUrger, of Heidelberg, well known by his mathematical works, has announced a system of universal language, by which a correspondence may be kept up, on easy and certain principles, by individuals of all nations, although totally unacquainted with each other's native language. The acquisition of the system will scarcely require two days. {For. Rev , Jan.) Remains of Tropical Plants. — M. Humboldt seems to be of opinion that the existence of the remains of tropical plants, &c., in northern latitudes, may be accounted for from the former internal heat of the globe, now, as he imagines, greatly diminished by volcanic spiracles, &c. {Tableau de la Nature.) HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS. Weaih&r at Brussels. — The present winter seems likely to exceed that of 1826-7 in severity. It set in on the 6th, and the frost has been keen and steady ever since. As you may like to compare our weather with yours, I copy my register of the height of the thermometer in the shade, at 8 o'clock each morning, for this month. [We have added the temperature at Edmonton, near London, from the Literally Gazette, for the same days.] Brussels. London. Brussels. London. Brussels. London. Brussels. Lond. Jan. 1. 34° 33° Jan. , 6. 29° 25° Jan. , 11. 22° 27° Jan .16.11° 28° 2. 39 47 7. 28 30 12.24 28 17.20 25 5. 38 29 8. 29 28 13.25 55 18. 23 19 4.35 32 9. 32 30 14.29 29 19. 25 16' 5. 35 31 10. 30 30 15.30 31 20. 21 15 , Brussels, Jan. 21. 24°; at noon, 20^; and at 10 p.m. 10°. 22. 9°; most bitter, with a high E. wind. 23. 8° J most bitter, with a high E. wind. There was a fall of snow, 6 in. deep, on the 10th, but none since. Clear and sunny on the 16th, 2 1st, and 22d; all the other days cloudy, but calm. — W. S. Brussels, Jan. 20. 1829. Edmonton, near London, Jan. 4. — A violent hail-^storm ; hailstones of an irregular shape, 3 and 4 in. in circumference ; 14th, a little snow ; 20th, snow; 26th, snow; 27th, heavy shower of rain. During the first three weeks, generally cloudy, and the wind N. and N.E. ; the last week cloudy, and a heavy shower of rain on the 27th. Wind S.E. and N.E. SOUTH AMERICA. The Sun^s Rays reflected from a dark-coloured Sand. — In Captain Basil Hall's Journal, written on the coasts of Chile, Peru, and Mexico, the fol- lowing passage occurs : — " On the 26th of May, 1 821, we sailed from Val- paraiso, and proceeded along the coast of Lima. During the greater part of Vol. IL — No. 6. a ^S Natural History in London, this voyage the land was in sight, and we had many opportunities of seeing not only the Andes, but other interesting features of the country. The sky was sometimes covered by a low, dark, unbroken cloud, overshadowing the sea, and resting on the top of the high cliffs which guard the coast; so that the Andes, and, indeed, the whole country, except the immediate shore, were then screened from our view. But at some places this lofty range of cliffs was intersected by deep gullies, called quebradas, connected with wide valleys, stretching far into the interior. At these openings we were admit- ted to a view of regions which, being beyond the limits of the cloud I have described, and therefore exposed to the full blaze of the sun, formed a bril- liant contrast to the darkness and gloom in which we were involved. As we sailed past, and looked through these mysterious breaks, it seemed as if the eye penetrated into another world ; and, had the darkness around us been more complete, the light beyond would have seemed equally resplend- ent with that of the full moon, to which every one was disposed to compare this most curious and interesting appearance. As the sun's rays were not, in this case, reflected from a bright snowy surface, but from a dark-coloured sand, we are, perhaps, thus furnished, by analogy, with an answer to the difficulties sometimes started, with respect to the probable dark nature of the soil composing the moon's surface." Yours, truly, — G. M. Lynn Regisy Nov. 17. 1828. Art. II. Natural History in London, LiNNEAN Society. — The first Meeting for the present session was held, on tlie 4th of November, when a paper was read, entitled, a " Description of a new species of the genus Phalangista from New Holland;'* by Thomas Bell,Esq. F.R.S. &L.S. Dec. 2. Read. An Account of a new Species of Pheasant ; by Mr. Benjamin Leadbeatter, F.L. S. Two living specimens of this splendid bird, which is originally from the mountains of Cochin-China, were presented by the King of Ava to Sir Archibald Campbell, and by him to the Countess Amherst. Her Ladyship succeeded in bringing them both alive to England y but they unfortunately died soon after their arrival. Nov. 18. Read. On the Nature and Origin of the Lingulate Rays in Zinnia, and on a remarkable Multiplication observed in the Parts of Fruc- tification of that Genus ; by Mr. David Don, Lib. L.S. Notices of several Land and Fresh-water Shells, new to Great Britain, with occasional Obser- vations; in a Letter addressed to Lewis Warton Dill wyn, Esq. F.R.S. &L.S.; by S. G. Jeffreys, Esq. Dec. 16. Read. Observations on some Species of the Genera Titrao (grouse) and r/rtyx. Natives of North America ; with Descriptions of four new Species of the former, and two of the latter Genus ; by Mr. David Douglas, F.L.S. Specimens of these birds were exhibited to the Meeting, and some of the grouse were of great beauty, especially one named T'^trao urophasianus, about the size of the wood-grouse (Tetrao urogallus), which it may be considered to represent in the new continent. Jan, 20. Read. Descriptions of new Genera and Species of the Class Compositae, belonging to the Floras of Peru, Mexico, and Chile ; by Mr. David Don, Lib. L.S. Feb. 3. Read. Some Observations on the common Bat of Pennant ; with an Attempt to prove its Identity with the Pipistrelle of French Authors ; by the Rev. Leonard Jenyns, M. A. F.L.S. . Feb. 17. Read. A Paper on the Plants called Compositae; by Mr.' Pavid Don, Lib. L.S. The Secretary communicated to the Meeting that the Council had completed the purchase of the collections and library 'Natural Histm-y iri London, 'Si oF the great Linnaeus, with those of the late President, for ;5000 guineas. These collections and books will be removed immediately into the house of the Society in Soho Square. We congratulate the Society and the public on the acquisition of these treasures to science. Nearly all the mate- rials which Linnaeus employed, are now in the possession of the British public. Geological Society. — The first Meeting for the present session was held on the 7th of November. — Read. On the Geology of Nice; by H. T, De la Beche, Esq. Nov. 2\. Read. On the Geology of Nice, continued. The diluvium of Nice is peculiar ; it, in general, takes the form of breccia, either diffused regularly, or occupying clefts : appearing, however, in both situations to be intimately connected. The secondary rocks of Nice consist of two great formations ; the upper one composed of siliceous, argillaceous, and calcareous particles, intimately mixed, but in very variable proportions ; some of the beds abounding in green grains, which circumstance, together with the nature of their fossils, induces the author to rank the formation to which they belong with the green sand of England. Nummulites, how- ever, which are rarely found in the green sand of this country, are found plentifully in that of Nice. The strata are very much disturbed and con- torted ; so that an unguarded observer might often suppose them to be inferior to rocks on which they are in reality incum.bent. Dec. 5. and 16. Read. On the Excavation of Valleys, as illustrated by the Volcanic Rocks of Central France; by Charles Lyell, Esq. V.P.G.S. F.R.S. &c. and R. L Murchison, Esq. For. Sec. G.S. F.R.S. &c. The theory long since announced, which ascribes the excavation of val- leys to the long continued erosion of streams, has been supposed to derive remarkable support from the appearances of the volcanic tracts in the in- terior of France ; and the authors referring especially to the works of Ml de Monlosier, and the illustrations of that district recently published by Mr. Scrope, conceive that what they had seen themselves in Auvergne and the Vivarrais, strongly confirm the views of these and preceding writers. Jan. 2. 1829. Read. A Letter on the Series of Rocks in the United States ; by G. W. Featherstonhaugh, Esq. F.G.S. The writer, after having made himself acquainted, by personal observation, with the rocks of Eng- land, states his opinion that the rocks in North America, which would appear from Mr. lEaton's Synopsis^ to succeed one another in an order perfectly irreconcilable with that which has been observed in the British Islands, do, in reality, follow the same order. In confirmation of his opinions, the author gives a detailed account of observations made by himself in the course of an excursion from the city of Albany to the Hilderberg Mountains, over a plain which extends about thirty miles from north to south, and sixteen miles from east to west. The surface of this plain, which is 324 feet above the level of the Hudson River, consists of sand incumbent upon a very thick deposit of the marl above noticed, which is found also in various parts of the United States as far south as Louisiana. Near the Hudson River this marl is incumbent on transition rocks, but at the Hilderberg Mountains, on carboniferous lime" istone, containing the fossils usually found in that formation, and imperfect seams of black chert or flint. This range is remarkable for its fissures and caves; one of which, more than 1500 feet long, situated in the town of Bethlehem, is minutely described by the author. Within this cavern is a pool of water, along which one of the attendants paddled himself in a small skiff, to the distance of 800 feet, in a course parallel to that pursued by the author, and separated by a screen of natural pilasters with occasional open- ings; this pool forms the head of a rivulet about one third of a mile froiri the entrance of the cave. The author was unsuccessful in his endeavour? to discover bones within the cavern, though it abounds in diluvial matter^ G 2 ^ Natural History i?i London, which, in some places, presents a section of, at least, seven feet in height. There is another cave in the same neighbourhood, said to be still more extensive, which he proposes to explore. No regular search for bones has yet been made in the caves of the United States. The only fossil bones hitherto found in any cave in that country, are those of the megalonyx ; although the bones of the megatherium, elephant, mastodon, ox, and horse have been discovered in other situations : but so little attention has been paid to the circumstances under which they occurred, that it is impossible to decide whether they were lodged in alluvial or diluvial deposits. In the author's opinion no fossil remains of the hyaena, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, bear, or tiger, have ever yet been found in the United States. A Letter respecting some remarkable Fossil Remains found near Cromer in Norfolk; by Samuel Woodward, Esq. Mr. Woodward notices the limited extent of the marine formation of eastern Norfolk, and is of opi- nion that its rejectamenta may point out the boundary of a former sea in that district. The marine remains denominated crag are found at Cromer, and west- ward of that town, at Coltishall and around Norwich. To the eastward of these situations, instead of marine shells, a layer of ligneous and mammalian remains is found reposing on the chalk. The author considers that a line drawn from Cromer, or a little east of it, and passing in a south-east direc- tion towards Lake Lothing by Lowestoff, will very nearly describe the course of the antediluvian shore; to the eastward of which, immense numbers of the fossil remains of the elephant, horse,'deer, &c., mingled with the trunks, branches, and leaves of trees, have been found even to the dis- tance of twenty miles out at sea; and on the Knole-sand the tusk of a mammoth (drawings of which are annexed to the letter) was found in the year 1826, resembling those recently brought to England from Behring s Straits. For more ample details of the Geological Society, see the Philosophical Magazine and Annals of Philosophy ^ new series. No. 26. Feb. Zoological Society^ Jan. 1829. — The Museum in Brook Street now con- tains 600 species of mammalia, 4,000 birds, 1,000 reptiles and fishes, 1,000 testacea and Crustacea, and 30,000 insects. The gardens were opened to the public in June, and with the museum have been visited by upwards of .50,000 persons. In the former are 430 living quadrupeds and birds. The members of the Society exceed 1200; and on the whole it may be stated to be in a flourishing condition. A bird*s-eye view of the gardens engraved on wood, and giving a very perfect idea of them, will be found in the Arcana of Science for 1829, a work which is one of the cheapest and best of the day. Commemoration of Ray. — The second centenary of the birth of the illustrious John Ray, which happened on the 29th of November last, was celebrated by the lovers of evei*y branch of natural history, by a public dinner, attended by about 130 of the most distinguished cultivators and Eatrons of science in and about London, including the officers of the Royal, linnean. Geological, Horticultural, and Zoological Societies, the Rev. the Provost of Eton, and several of the Professors of the Universities of Ox- ford, Cambridge, and London. The chair was taken by Davies Gilbert, Esq. M.P. the much-respected President of the Royal Society. After dinner the President proposed, " The memory of Ray," and accom- panied the toast by an eloquent speech, setting forth his merits. " Men who had done good service to their country, whether in the field of science or elsewhere, were entitled to its grateful remembrance ; the display of that remembrance was calculated to incite others to an honourable struggle for similar distinction ; and he was sure that when these proceedings should become known, they would tend greatly to promote the cultivation of the science of natural history. Natural History in London, 85 After enumerating the principal works which Ray produced, he observed " Ray was the first who reduced natural history to a system, and prepared, the way for those more perfect arrangements which have since had so salu- tary an influence on its cultivation. It was to his penetrating genius and indefatigable exertions, that the civilised world was indebted for many most important discoveries. If he did not himself always arrive at the goal, he pointed out the road ; and it was to his pursuing the course he had com- menced, that we owed our present advanced state in many particulars of natural history. Haller felt how much he owed to Ray, and he termed him the greatest botanist in the memory of man. " Of this inestimable author Stillingfleet observes, • that no writer, till his time, ever advanced all the branches of. natural history so much as that sagacious, diligent, English observer, whose systematical spirit threw a light on every thing he undertook, and contributed not a little to those great and wonderful improvements which have since been introduced.' " Mr. Bicheno, Secretary to the Linnean Society, pronounced a warm eulogy on Ray, " whom Cuvier had justly called un MethodistCy and whose works he had studied, still with fresh advantage, for the last twenty years. Ray was, indeed, a methodist. He was the first who arranged the grand outlines of natural history, and enabled every one to become acquainted with the groups, the grand formations of nature. With the minute parti- culars of his subject, Ray had not much interfered, but he had originated that system of arrangement which gave perspicuity to the labours of others, and had accurately described the characters of nature's grand ope- rations." Mr. E. Forster, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Linnean Society, said, that born and educated in the same county with Ray, he had been taught, from his infancy, to admire that great man ; and his admiration soon became veneration from a study of his writings. Nearly forty years ago he had first visited his tomb, befoi'e it had long undergone a repair at the expense of a gentleman present (Sir Thomas Gery Cullum). In his pilgrimages to Ray's tomb, he had felt great delight in seeing also the place of his birth, the church in which he had been baptised; and in entering the house in which this good man had lived and died, it was pleasing to reflect that he was treading the very boards which Ray had trodden, and that he was looking, perhaps, on trees and plants which Ray had admired. Dr. Fitton, the President of the Geological Society, and Mr. Greenough, passed each a high eulogy on the character of Ray, who made many saga- cious observations on geology, and entertained some opinions much beyond the state of the subject in his own time. Mr. Vigors, the Secretary of the Zoological Society, spoke of the high sense now entertained of Ray as a philosophical zoologist. On the healths of the Naturalists of Great Britain and Ireland being drunk, coupled with the name of Mr. Kirby, the Rev. Gentleman said that he had never before addressed a public assembly of a festive character ; but he felt it right to take that opportunity of testifying his admiration of the great and good Ray. He was great as a natural philosopher, and great also as a moral philosopher. He penetrated the world of science further than any of his contemporaries, and by his exertions formed a bright con- stellation of information, whose beams had served as a guide and beacon to more modern labourers. In entomology, the branch of science to which he himself was devoted, the naturalist of the present time was, indeed, deeply indebted to Ray, who had combined the system of Aristotle with that of Swammerdam, and cleared the way for Linnaeus. Much had been done to unveil nature, but still much remained to be done; and he hoped that a course of perseverance would be pursued until all was accomplished. G 3 ^ Natural History in the English Counties. The healths of Cuvier and Jussieu, and the Naturalists of Europe, Were ^runk with much approbation. Dr. Buckland's health, and Prosperity to the University of Oxford, having been most cordially received, the learned Professor addressed the meeting at considerable length, bearing testimony to" the merits of Ray, whom, as an individual, we must ever esteem, love, and venerate, and whose name the annals of philosophy will never cease to record among the first founders and benefactors of natural science. On giving " the University of Cambridge," the Chairman took notice of the expulsion of Ray from that University, which harsh act he was disposed to attribute to the persecuting spirit which raged without the walls of that learned seminary. He could say of many of the present members of Tri- nity College, that they regret that the violence of the times had compelled their predecessors to acquiesce in the retirement of Mr. Ray from his Fel- lowship, for refusing to subscribe a declaration altogether unwarrantable. Oxford had as much to answer for in regard to her treatment of Mr. Locke. The Rev. Professor Henslow returned thanks. He remarked that the University of Cambridge had, so far as the marble or the canvass could make amends, endeavoured to atone for the little, or, he should rather say, the great, injustice which Mr. Ray had sustained. The bust of that great man was ranged by the side of those of Newton, Boyle, Barrow, Dry den, and Willughby ; and his portrait was considered to confer honour on the place in which it was. But Cambridge might, with justice, boast of pos- sessing a far more powerful proof than those, of the estimation in which it held the genius and conduct of Ray : his spirit still lived there ; and although the study of natural history had not yet been brought to that degree of perfection there which it might be, he hoped the day was not far off when it would command general attention. Such pursuits he considered the best correctives of fanaticism and bigotry. " The Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London,'^ and the healths of Baron Humboldt and Dr. Wollaston, having been severally drank, the Chairman retired amidst the applauses of the Company. The health of Mr. Children, who suggested the Commemoration, was then given with hearty approbation, and the company separated, after having spent a day which they will long remember with delight. A more full account of this Commemoration will be found in the Philoso- phical Magazine and Annals of Philosophy, for February, 1829, from which the above is extracted. Art. in. Natural History in the E?iglish Counties. Breeding of Woodcocks in Eiigland. — Sir, The fact that woodcocks occasionally breed in this country has long been established on undoubted authority. The occurrence, 1 am inclined to think, may perhaps take place oftener than is generally supposed. It should be remarked, that the woods, which are the usual haunts of the species, are comparatively but little dis- turbed during the breeding season, viz. the end of April, or beginning of May ; so that these birds may, possibly, sometimes retain quiet possession of their sylvan domains without attracting our observation. It is highly probable that the individuals of this species, which are sometimes seen in the beginning of autumn, may not have migrated from the north at that early period, but may be such as have remained in this country through the summer (as is suggested in one of the extracts from the public journals below). I beg to offer you the following instances of woodcocks breeding * ISfatural History in the English Counties, 87 in this country, which have come to my knowledge. On the 1 9th of May last, James Smith, keeper to John Chetwode, of Ansley, Esq., near Nun- eaton, shot two young woodcocks in a wood called Hore Park, in that neighbourhood ; and, on the following day, an old bird was shot by the same person at the same spot. The young birds are described to me as having been dry and bad when cooked and brought to table, but the old one was excellent. John Wigson, woodman to W. Dilke, Esq., informs me that he observed a woodcock sitting on four eggs in Ryton wood, in the neighbourhood of Coventry, in the beginning of May, 1827. From some cause or other, however, the nest was deserted, and some of the eggs destroyed : on break- ing one that remained, it was found to be nearly ready to hatch. Ryton wood, I am told, is a very favourite spot with cocks ; and J. Wigson thinks there was probably a brood at that place this season, from the circumstance of his having observed a bird there very late in the spring. One remark presents itself on the above notices; namely, that if the eggs of woodcocks are about to hatch by the beginning of May, and the young birds are able to fly by the 1 9th, the old ones must have paired and com- menced the business of nidification, &c., at least, we may suppose, a month previously, i. e. by the beginning of April, which is earlier than many in- dividuals of this species leave this country for northern climates. The idea, therefore, which I believe is entertained by many sportsmen, that wood- cocks pair before they quit our island, appears to be well founded. I have just been informed that woodcocks were shot in the woods of J. Boultbee, Esq. of Baxterley, which almost adjoin to Hore Park wood, on the 9th of April last. The following notices from the public journals are in unison with those above recorded : — England. A few weeks ago, woodcocks were still in the preserves of R. More, Esq., of Linley Hall, in Shropshire. This is not quite a solitary case this year. A woodcock's nest was lately found in Chicksand woods, Bedfordshire ; since which time, in the same woods, and within 300 yards of the same place, another has been discovered ; having, like the other, four eggs in it. They have all been hatched, and four couple of birds produced, which are now about the woods. {Coventry Mercury ^ June 1. 1828.) Scotland. A very beautiful woodcock was shot last week at Banchory by Major Cruickshank, of Langley Park. This circumstance is looked upon as prognostic of an early and severe winter, as woodcocks usually do not make their appearance before the month of October. {Aberdeen Chron.) Ireland. On the 8th of August, a fine woodcock was shot in Florida demesne, county of Down. This, we believe, is rather a rare occurrence, as these birds do not visit us till about November, and emigrate again in February. As it was seen in the course of the spring, it is supposed to have remained in the country since last winter. {Belfast Chronicle.) -^YourSy &c. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory, Sept, 26. 1828. Middlesex. An Artesian Well has been bored in the Duke of Northumberland's grounds, at Syon, to the depth of 535 ft. The first 20 ft. bored through consisted of loose gravel and sand ; to this succeeded strong blue clay, to the depth of 410 ft. ; next, 10 ft. of green sand ; then between 30 and 40 ft of loose chalk ; and, finally, very firm and hard chalk, to the depth of 535 ft., which is said to extend to an unknown depth. A strong spring was found in the green sand, but it was not powerful enough to rise higher than 30 ft. from the surface. The next spring was found in the solid chalk ; and the two springs, united, now rise to the height of 5 ft. above the surface, and G 4 88 Natural History in the English Counties, the water flows over at the rate of 5 gallons per minute, of a temperature of 55° Fahrenheit.— W. Brentford, Feb. 9. 1829. Flycatcher in November. — The first week of this month I observed a spotted flycatcher in a field near this place ; but it had been apparently wounded in one leg, as it leaned on one side when perching on some rails. — B. Sweet. Pomona Place, King*s Road, near Fulham, Nov. 28. 1828. Suffolk. Thecla splm. — It may be interesting to many of your readers to hear that, during the past summer, a new, or at least a very rare, insect (Thecla .vpini) has been taken in this country. Mr. J. Seaman, of Ipswich, a most indefatigable and persevering entomologist, captured many specimens of it during the month of June last. I have a catalogue of some of the rarer British birds killed in this county within a few years, which I will forward to you. — J. B. Hoy. Stoke Nayland. iVbv. 22. 1828. Plants in flower' on 21st December, 1828, near Bungay, Suffolk.—- GraminecB : Poa. annua. Annual meadow grass. 'Euphorbihcex : iVfercuri- dlis per^nnis. Perennial Mercury. TkymelecB : Daphne sempervirens, Ever- green Daphne. Yincece : Finca major. Great periwinkle. LabidtcB : Z/amium album, White dead-nettle ; L. purpureum, Purple dead-nettle ; Hbrminum sylv^stre. Wild oculus Christi (541via Ferbenaca). Compositce: *S6nchus oleraceus, Kitchen-garden sowthistle ; CVepis tectorum. Roof hawk*s beard ; Taraxacum officinale, Shop dandelion ; Phrygia nigra. Black [knapweed ; jB^llis perennis. Perennial daisy ; ^ichillea ikfillefolium. Many-leaved yar- row ; *Senecio laciniatus, Jagged groundsel ; S. vulgaris, Common ground- sel. LeguminoscB : tTlex europae'us, European furze; Trifolium arv^nse, Fallow trefoil. Geranidce : (reraniura Robertianum, Robert geranium ; G. molle. Soft geranium ; G. pusillum. Pygmy geranium. Malvacece : ilfalva vulgaris, Common mallow. Caryophyllece : Zyychnis vespertina, Evening lychnis; Stellaria media. Middle-size chickweed. Cruciferee : Sisymbrium oflficinale, Shop bank-cress ; jLepidium campestre. Champaign pepperwort; Erysimum cheiranthoides. Wallflower hedge-mustard ; Tlilaspi cuneatum. Wedge-shaped treacle-mustard. Raniinculacece : j?anunculus ripens. Creeping crowfoot ; B. acris. Acrid crowfoot. (Named from Gray's Natural A?'rangement of British Plants.) — D. Slock. Bungay, Dec. 22. 1 828. Lancashire. Natural History Society of Preston. — Sir, I have enclosed a copy of the laws of our Natural History Society, and a catalogue of the books now in the library. The Society originated with four individuals, has continued to increase gradually, and there are now about thirty subscribers. Several of the members feel anxious to form a museum, more particularly as there is nothing of the kind in the town, and have lately had a meeting to discuss the means to accomplish it, but have not hitherto come to any fixed determination. If you, or any of your correspondents, could furnish a few hints in your Magazine on this subject, and point out how similar establish- ments have been formed and are conducted in other places, of no greater magnitude than this town, such hints would prove highly acceptable. Dr. Harwood's late course of lectures here, on the Mammalia and A^ves, has contributed to enliven the taste already manifested towards zoological pursuits. The lectures were uncommonly well attended, and every one appeared delighted, many expressing sorrow at the shortness of the course. If a respectable museum could be established, it would doubtless soon be enriched with valuable presents, would tend to keep up a spirit of enquiry into Nature's works, and prove an unfailing source of intellectual gratifi- Nattiral History in the English Counties. 89 cation and rational amusement. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. — Jos, Kenyon. Preston, Oct. 4. 1828. Westmoreland. Crossbills, as occasional visitants at Ambleside. — For some weeks past a pretty large flock of crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) have been observed in the vicinity of Ambleside, Westmoreland. Their favourite haunt is a plantation of young larches, where they may be seen disporting almost every day, especially between the hours of eleven and one. The crossbill is a rare British bird, and may be classed among our occasional visitants, as, during certain seasons, none make their appearance. They are northern birds, which breed, or are supposed to breed (for, in truth, their real history is still rather obscure), in Sweden and Norway. They are never seen here except during the earlier part of the winter season, or (as in the present instance) late in autumn. I think they were first observed in the neigh- bourhood this year during the third week of October, which I consider an unusually early appearance. I hope it does not betoken a severe winter? If I happen to detect the period of their final departure, I shall inform you of it. — J.W. Ambleside, Nov. 20. \S2^. Cumberland. , Arrival of certain Birds of Passage in the Neighbourhood of Carlisle. — The green sandpiper {Totanus ochropus) was seen in this neighbourhood on the 21st of July, and the woodcock on the 26th of August, both remark- ably early. I know not whether you take much interest in the arrival of the various birds of passage, but perhaps some of your friends may be grati- fied with the following account of the arrival of the swallow tribe in this neighbourhood, during the last four years : — 1825. 1826. 1827. 1828. Sand marten (ifirundo riparia), April 10. .April 10. Aprils. April 4. House marten (^rundo urbica), - 26. - 27. - 22. - 28. Swallow (^irundo rustica), - 23. - 16. - 20, - 18. Swift (Cypselus A^pus), - - 25. ■ - 29. - 29. - 29. T. C. Heysham. Carlisle, Sept. 29. 1828. . > [ North Wales. f Insects taken at Barmouth, North Wales. — The following list of insects taken at Barmouth, North Wales, and in its vicinity, may not be without interest to travellers fond of entomology : — Papilio hjale. Saffron butterfly ; met with under the rock below the inn in 1826, but not seen since. P. cardui. Painted lady ; found in great abundance in the same year, but very rarely met with since. P. wrticae. Small tortoise-shell. P. A'rgus, Common blue. P. Vo, Peacock; abundant. P. Atalanta, Red admirable; abundant. P. S6me\e, Black-eyed marble. P. Janira, Meadow brown. (Sphinx A'tropo5, Death's head hawk-moth ; two fine specimens taken on the window. Phalae^na Jacobae^a, Cinnabar; behind the inn. Ph. filip^ndulae, Burnet ; abundant. Ph. phi, Broom. Ph. gu^rcus. Large egger. Ph. zoegana, abundant ; described by Donovan as rare. Ph. viridana. Small green oak ; this beautiful but destructive little moth completely strips the oak copses about Barmouth of their leaves. Ph. vauaria. Gooseberry. Ph. wrticata. Ph. evonymella. White ermine. Ph. hexadactyla. Many- feathered. Ph. pinetdla. Pearl veneer ; described by Donovan as rare, but here not unfrequent. Ph. atralis. Ph. idmhria. Ph. bilineata. Ph. caja, Great tiger. Ph. dactyla, White-plumed. Ph. pavdnvd. Emperor ; 90, Natural History in Scotland, only in the caterpillar state. Ph. typocoides, Scarce Gothic. Ph. buc^- phala, Buff tip. Ph. ram esa, Bramble. Ph. gonostigma. Scarce vapourer. Ph. cherophyllata, Great chimney-sweeper. Ph. pudibunda. ^Sphinx El- penor, Elephant hawk. Chrysomela Biterula; a very rare insect. Curculio /)ini ; rare. Cicin- dela campestris, Sparkler. Plpula rivosa. Panorpa communis, ^ranea ^adfema. It is probable that a practised entomologist would gather a rich harvest in the vicinity of Barmouth ; the insects here mentioned having been collected by an unscientific person, not much acquainted with their habits and haunts. — M. A. R. September 26. 1 828; Art. IV. Natural History in Scotland, Leaf-cutting Bee. — The editor of the Dumfries Courier, in reference to a paragraph which appeared, I believe, in the Scotsmauy detailing the account of a nest of the leaf-cutting bee (-4'pis centuncularis), formed near Amluch, in Anglesea, cites the case of one in Dumfriesshire, in which the cells were constructed of birch leaves, obtained, it is conjectured, from Cal- lender wood. This remark is followed by an interrogation, whether the circumstance has been noticed before in Scotland ? I may answer the query by stating, that my personal observation proves it is by no means rare. This Interesting insect is not limited in its choice to one plant. The leaves of Macartney's rose, iliespilus canadensis, P'raxinusO''rnus, &c.,are those, among others, which I have remarked as so singularly scolloped out by its forceps. The summer before last I observed that it exhibited a singular predilection for the leaves of my rose acacias, six of which displayed the most singular configurations, every leaf on every plant being carved and scolloped in an extraordinary manner, and altogether presenting a spectacle at once interest- ing and unique. — J. Murray. Blackcock i^^trao tHrix). — A curious variety of the female of this species was shot in August last by Sir Sidney Beckwith on the muirs above Beatock Bridge, in Annandale. The ground colour of the whole bird was a dusky yellowish white, paler on the under parts, with the dark markings of the feathers umber brown. When shot, she had a brood of several young with her. The specimen is now in the collection of Sir William Jardine, Bart. — W.J. Oct. 25. 1828. Solan Goose (Sula alba). — A specimen of this bird, in the plumage of the first year, was killed last week a considerable way up Moffat Water, Dumfriesshire. It was taken in a marshy pool by a herd-boy, and seemed much exhausted. There appeared no wound. The distance of the place where it was caught from the sea is about twenty-five miles. — Id. Red-breasted Merganser (M^rgus serrator). — Mr. Selby and Sir William Jardine met with the nest of this species in June last, when on a fishing excursion upon Loch Awe, in Argyleshire. The nest was found upon a small wooded island, placed among thick brushwood, under the covert of a projecting rock, and completely surrounded with nettles, long grasses, and fern. It was carefully made of moss, plucked from the adjoining rocks, mixed with the down of the bird ; both in structure and materials resem- bling that of the eider duck. It contained nine eggs, of a rich reddish yellow, or fawn colour. The bird was remarkably tame, sitting until nearly taken with a small hand net. — Id. Natural Histoi-y in Ireland. 91 Art, V. Natural History in Ireland. Cork Tree {Qiie'rcus Either) at Samvierstown. — I send you a sketch {Jig. 20.) of a remarkable cork tree now growing at Sammerstown, the residence of Daniel Sweeny, Esq., in the vicinity of this city. I have not been able to ascertain at what date, or by whom, it was planted ; but, from the size of the elms (some of them 1 2i ft. in circumference) and other trees growing near it, and probably planted at the same time, I should sup- pose the cork tree to be several centuries old. That it must have been a remarkable tree several generations since, is proved by the fact of the pro- Krietor at that time, when about to let the lands on which the tree stands, aving introduced a clause, in the lease, by which the tenant incurred a penalty of 20/. if he cut down or injured the tree. The following are the dimensions of the trunk and principal branches : — Girth of the trunk at 3 ft. from the ground, 8 ft. lOin. ; height of the trunk before it divides, 9 ft. ; girth of each of the two principal branches, 6 ft. 10 in. ; girth of the second-rate branches, 5 ft. 4 in. ; horizontal diameter, or spread, of the head, measuring from the extremities of the branches, 36 ft. ; thickness of the cork and outer bark on the trunk, 3 in. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — James Drummond. Cork Botanic Garden, Dec. 9. 1828. 9% Perennial Calendar, Art. VI. Perennial Calendar. We are here enabled to lay before our readers three journals of the weather and calendars of nature, which, whether considered separately or comparatively, are full of interest and instruction. England. Journal of the Weather kept at Wycombe, Bucks, Lat. 51° 3Y 44'' North ; Long. 34' 45" West, during the Year 1828, with Monthly Observations. By James Tatem, Esq., Member of the London Meteorological Society. Table of Thermometer and Barometer. Month. Thermometer. Barometer. Mean. Greatest Greatest Greatest Mean. Greatest Greatest Lowest variation. Heat. Cold. Variation. height. extreme. January 38-78 15-28 52-50 23-50 29-67 0-78 30-16 28-89 February 38-95 17-31 56-25 23-25 29-54 0-86 30-22 28-68 March - 41-28 21-28 62-25 23 29-65 0-86 30-11 28-79 April May 44-80 24-44 69-25 25-50 29-49 0-59 30-09 28-92 51-42 21-32 72-75 32-25 29-59 0-45 30-08 29-14 June 56-73 19 26 76 41-25 29-74 0-67 30-07 29-07 July - 58-28 19-28 76 39 29-46 0-35 29-75 29-11 August 56-19 17-80 74 41 29-61 0-50 3005 29-11 September 54-95 19-70 74 35-25 29-69 0-59 30-29 29-15 October 46'95 18-70 65 28-25 29-87 0-82 30-22 29.05 November 42-44 23-44 55-75 19 29-62 0-66 30-06 28-96 December 42-23 18-73 54 23-50 29-70 0-78 30-16 28*92 47-75 29-64 Table of Rain , Snowj Fair Days , and Wind. • ' ^ Month. 1! It 1 = ^1 V- Rain. Winds. 1 Ins. Dell. c4 1 (4 «3 1 ^ «) 1 ^ Z 1 January 14 15 2 4-67 1 8 3 2 7 6 1 3 February 14 11 4 1-47 3 2 6 3 3 5 3 4 March - 20 10 1 0-77 2 1 8 10 8 2 April May 10 20 3-50 1 2 2 1 3 1 3 7 17 14 1-92 4 8 3 2 5 5 4 June 18 12 2-68 6 2 3 9 5 5 1 July 15 16 4-55 1 6 8 6 4 2 August 15 16 5-3 4 3 5 2 14 4 2 September 15 15 3-25 5 6 1 5 6 1 6 October 23 8 1-8 3 1 4 1 5 7 6 4 November 18 12 1-28 1 10 3 2 4 6 3 1 December 14 17 2-6 6 5 5 7 7 1 193 166 7 33-83 28 51 32 33 79 63 35 35 Perennial Calendar, 9S January. An extraordinary quantity of rain fell during the month, up- wards of three times as much as in January 1827, and very considerably more than for the eleven last years. The mean temperature was higher than since 1817, but the mean height of the barometer was above that of last year, in the corresponding month, notwithstanding the excess of rain. Snow fell on the 11th and 15th; the whole together about 3 in. in depth. Thunder heard and lightning seen about two o'clock in the morning of the 18th. The evaporation 0*05625 of an inch. February. The mean temperature was above that of the last year, and the maximum higher than observed by the journalist, in the month of February, for twelve years. The mean height of the barometer lower than since 1825, in the same month, but the range greater than for some years; snow fell on four diiferent days, and the whole amounted to 8 in. in depth ; the quantity of rain and melted snow 1*475 in., of which about f of an inch was from the latter. A lunar halo, with misty area, seen about ten o'clock on the 28th. The evaporation 0*03125 of an inch. March. This month was remarkably dry, and, about the middle, very warm for the season; the mean temperature above that of last year which was higher than usual. The mean height of the barometer was also above that of March last year. The quantity of rain very considerably less than in any corresponding month since 1822. Some little snow fell on the night of the 28th, but was soon melted. Thunder heard on the 22d and 23d, and a rainbow seen, on the fourth, about five P. M. The evaporation 0*14575 of an inch. A'pr'd. Rain fell on twenty different days, between the 3d and 25th, after which tlie barometer rose, and the weather became fine ; the quantity of rain greater than since April 1818, and, as might have been expected, the temperature and barometer were both low. The mean of the thermometer lower than for the last four years, while the mean of the barometer was below that of any year, in the same month, since 1821. An indistinct lunar halo, with misty area, seen on the 28th about nine P. M, The evaporation 0*25625 of an inch. May. The range of the thermometer not so great as in May last year, but the mean temperature was 1*15227 higher. The barometer was also higher, although below the usual average of May. In the latter part of the month, there was much dull and heavy weather. On the 27th half an inch of rain fell, yet the whole quantity was less than in 1827. The maximum of heat occurred on the 16th, on the evening of which some little lightning was seen in the north and north-east. The evaporation 06625 of an inch. June. The mean temperature was above the average of the month, and considerably higher than in June last year, though not so high as in 1826. The mean elevation of the barometer partook of the same character. The quantity of rain more than since 1824. Lightning seen on the 16th and thunder heard on the following day. The evaporation 0*86875 of an inch. July. The quantity of rain remarkably great, exceeding that of July in any one year, since 1825 (on the 9th upwards of 1^ in. fell in the course of the day) ; the temperature was consequently low, the maximum being beneath those of the last six years, and the mean lower than since 1825 ; ^he barometer was also much depressed, the mean lower than since 1822. Thun- der heard on the 8th, 1 4th, and 26th, and lightning seen on the 5d. The evaporation only 0*28125 of an inch. August. The month, like August in last year, was cold, the temperature being extremely low, the maximum never reaching summer heat and the range very small ; the barometer was also low, and the quantity of rain greater than what has fallen at Wycombe, in any one month, for the last six years ; the wind chiefly from the west and south west. Thunder heard on the 3d, and thunder heard and lightning seen on the 6th, and also on the 1I4 Perennial Calendm\ lOth, when the thermometer was only one degree above temperate. The evaporation 0-41875 of an inch. September. Less rain fell than for the Isat three years in September, the whole month warmer, the mean being higher than since 1 823. The baro- meter higher than usual although below the mean, of the corresponding month, in last year, which was remarkably high. Lunar halones, with misty areas, seen on the nights of the 20th and 21st. The night of the 28th was remarkably dark ; and about midnight it blew a heavy gale from the south-west. The evaporation 0'33125 of an inch. October. Rain fell on eight days only, and so little has not fallen in this place, in the month of October, for the last six years, the whole quantity waa considerably less than half of that which fell in the same month, in 1827. The mean temperature less than since 1823, but the barometer re- markably high during the month, the mean being much above those for many years past. The month might be denominated very fine. The evapo- ration 0*19375 of an inch. November. So mild, dry, and fine a November has not occurred for many years. The mean temperature higher than since 1824, The mercury much above the average of the month, although the mean did not reach that of last November, but the quantity of rain was less than has been ob- served by the journalist, during his residence at Wycombe, a period of six years. The evaporation 0*0875 of an inch. December. The month was remarkably warm, the maximum being higher than since 1819, and the mean temperature above that of any one fof December in the last twelve years ; the barometer has also been very much elevated, the mean being considerably higher than since 1818, and the quantity of rain less, by 2Ain., than last year. Thunder heard and light- ning seen on the 7th about 12 P. M. and an indistinct lunar halo observed* on the night of the 19th. The evaporation 0*075 of an inch. SCOTLAND. Meteorological Table and Calendar of Nature for 1828. Extracted from the Register kept at Annat Garden, Perthshire. N. Lat. 56° 35^^ ; above the Level of the Sea 172 feet. Mean height of Barom. Mean Temper. aturc. Depth of Rain in Inches. No. of days on which Snow or Rain fell. No. of fair days. Vegetating season, beginning 20th of Marchj and end- ing 20th of Oct. January February March - April May - - June July - - August - September October November December Average of year 29*68 29*57 29*63 23-53 29-62 29*72 29*50 29-60 29-73 29-79 29-61 29-53 38*2 39-7 44*9 44*3 52-3 58*4 61-1 59*1 56-e 50-5 44*1 44-9 4 2*80 1*05 2*69 2*50 1-50 2*20 2*26 1*38 2*07 3*26 2*55 14 15 8 10 11 10 13 12 8 11 16 14 17 14 23 A 20 20 20 18 19 22 20 '^ 14 17 Mean tempera, ture dur- ing that period. Depth of rain fal- len dur- ing that period. 53*9 14.53 29*62 49-5 28*26 142 224 ,^ Observations. It is remarkable that the mean temperature of last season, is within a very small fraction of a degree of the temperature in the ex- Perennial Calendar, 95 tremely hot and dry season of 1826 : but the mean temperature for 1826, for the vegetating season, was about 2° higher than in 1828, during the same period ; the high temperature that prevailed during the winter months of the last season, will account for the approximation of the annual tem- perature for both years. The fall of rain in 1826 was only 14 in. the half of which fell during the vegetating season. The fall of rain last year was near the ordinary average, and measured 28-26 in., 14i of which fell from the 20th March to the 20th October, which accounts for the general luxuriance of the crops in this country. The mercury, in the barometer, was highest on the 29th October, bein^ on that day 50 Fahr., it was lowest on the 2 1st March, being at 28-10. Fahr., The warmest day was on June 28; mean heat of that day 67° 5', extreme heat 77°. The coldest day was on the 12th February; mean temperature of that day 32^ greatest cold 28°. The wind blew from the north-east, east, and south-east, 153 days, and from the north-west, west, and south- west 213 days. The only loud gales of wind occurred on the 16th and 17th January from the east, on the 14th February from the east, on the 9th March from the west, on the 24th and 25th September from the west, on the 20th and 27th November from the west, and on the 7th December from the west. Calendar of Nature for 1828,/or the Carse of Goivrie, Perthshire. January. Frost prevailed from the commencement of this month till the 17th, though not severe. The Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemale) ap- peared above ground on the 19th, and was in flower by the 23d; Snow- drops were in flower on the 31st. The robin red-breast sang regularly from the 18th, and the mavis and blackbird commenced singing on the 28th. February. The temperature for the first ten days averaged 46° ; a snow storm prevailed from the 10th to the 28th ; the weather from the 18th was mild till the end of the month. The common Mezereon (Daphne Mezh- reon) showed its flowers on the 3d, and on that day the field lark com- menced singing. Bats were seen flying at Perth on the 5th; partridges began to pair on the 7th ; magpies began to build their nests on the 10th, which, on discovering their mistake by a fall of snow, they tore down on the 14th. The male flowers of the hazel (Corylus ylvellana) were developed by the 16th, the Water Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifoliura was in flower by the 27th. March. In this month there were eleven days of clear sunshine ; towards the middle of the month the temperature was unusually high. The »S'axl- fraga oppositifolia, a beautiful little Scottish mountain plant, was in flower at Annat Garden on the 4th ; rooks began to build on the 6th ; frogs were heard croaking on the evening of the 8th; and the female blossom of the hazel appeared on the 9th; gooseberries were in leaf by the Hth; Moor- park apricots in full flowers on south walls, by the 12th; daffodils and jonquils by the 17th; marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) by the 20th; peaches in flower, on south walls, by the 26th ; wild geese beginning to set off in flocks from the Low Carse. April. The temperature was as low as 40°, at the beginning of this month, but rose gradually to a mean of 48° towards the end. The wind blew from the N. E. till the 10th ; a circumstance not uncommon in the early part of April, and always accompanied with cold, occasioned, as is supposed, by the winds blowing over the melting snows in the northern' parts of Europe. Green gage plums were in flower on walls by the 6th, apricots on standards by the 8th, sloe tree in flower and the whitethorn^ and larch in leaf by the 10th. Swallows appeared on the 23d, and the maple tree was in leaf by the 24th. 9S Perennial Calendar: Mai/. The wind blew from the east for the most part of this montli, and, with the exception of nine days, the atmosphere was cloudy. The scarlet strawberry and common broom in flower, and the birch in leaf on the 1st, the oslin apple was in flower by the 3d. Young rooks had left their nests, and were branching and shot at by the 4th, when the cuckoo was first heard. Teuchats (the proper name ?) appeared in marshy grounds by the 6th, the lilac was in flower on the 12th, and the oak in leaf on the 18th. The walnut came in leaf on the 20th, and the Scotch redstreak apple, the latest flowerer, on the 24th. The narcissus came in flower on the 29th. The landrail was heard in the corn-fields on the 14th. Jime. The atmosphere was clear during the greater part of this month. The laburnum came in flower by the 4th, the mulberry leaves were fully expanded by the 5th, the common scarlet strawberry was ripe on the 24th, a period of 51 days from the appearing of the flowers, mean temperature of that period 60°. Hay harvest began on the 24th on clover and rye grass grounds. The gooseberry caterpillar appeared on the 7th, and the apple caterpillar on the 17th; the last were coiled up in their downy catacombs by the 24th, and some of their flies were seen by the end of the month. Jtdy. Warm showers were frequent throughout this month, the at- mosphere was for the most part cloudy, there being only three days of brilliant, and eight days of partial sunshine. Wheat came in flower on the 6th ; and it was soon discovered that myriads of small caterpillars, of a sulphur colour, supposed to be the Tipula /ritici described in Loudm*s EncyclopcBdia had taken possession of a great part of the ear, and were devouring the embryo grain : within three weeks from the time they were discovered, they were transformed into small flies. The wheat is, in conse- quence, about one half deficient in quantity all over Scotland. Barley, which was sown on the 1st of May, came in the ear on the 7th, being 68 days. Mean temperature of that period 55° b\ Z/ychnis chalcedonica in flower on the 11th. Hare bells (Campanula rotundifolia) in flower on the 13th. Timothy grass, and the Butomus umbellatus in flower on the 15th, and the Z/ilium candidum on the 1 8th, pulled ripe juneating apples from an east wall on the 22d, early varieties of gooseberries ripe by the 23d. The sun- dew (Drosera rotundifolia) and the grass of parnassus (Parnassia palustris) were in flower on the 26th on moist moor grounds. The cuckoo ceased his note on the 30th. August. Dull hazy weather prevailed till the 20th, and heavy showers had laid the ripe wheat in the Low Carse, which was partially sprouted. The (Calluna vulgaris) common heath, which was in full flower by the 11th, the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale by the 13th. Wheat harvest commenced in the Low Carse on the 15th, and was general by the 21st. Barley that came in the ear on the 7th of last month was cut on the 25th, a period from the earing of 49 days. Mean temperature of that period 59° 4'. September. The atmosphere throughout this month was for the most part hazy. A violent thunder storm occurred on the 9th, wind westerly. Wheat that had been sown on the morning of the 9th gave a braird on the 17th, a period of eight days. Mean temperature during that period 54° 6\ The harvest was secured on the highest grounds, which form the north bank of the Carse, by the 22d ; on the evening of that day there appeared an unusually brilliant Aurora Borealis. Green gage plums were ripe on the 9th, and white beurr^e pears on the 15th, elruge nectarines on the 18th. Swallows began to congregate on the 24th. October. The weather throughout the whole of this month was mild and pleasant; on the 6th and 8th the wind was boisterous from the west; there were eight days of clear sunshine. Wheat sown on the 8th gave a braird on the 21st, a period of thirteen days. Mean temperature of that period 52°. Flocks of wild geese began to arrive from the north on the Perennial Calendar, 97 16th, and swallows had disappeared. Nothing in the shape of frost occur- ring, and the soil being tolerably moist, the leaves of forest trees did not begin to drop till near the end of the month, by which time late varieties of pears and apples were taken down. November. A considerable quantity of rain fell in the course of this month, but the temperature was unusually high for the season. On the 20th a loud gale of wind blew from the west, and slighter gales from the same quarter occurred on the 24th and 26th. The laurustinuses began to open some blossoms on the 12th. Wheat that had been sown on the 29th of last month gave a braird on the 1 7th, a period of nineteen days. Mean temperature during that period 44°. December. The characteristics of the v/eather, throughout this month, were nearly the same as in November, and the temperature fully higher : for the temperature, fall of rain, &c., for each month, I must beg to refer to the table extracted from the register kept at this place. The Christmas rose was in flower by the 20th. The sweet-scented coltsfoot showed some flowers by the 25th. The thrush, blackbird, and robin redbreast sang regularly from the middle of the month. The year concluded with a violent thunder-storm, seldom surpassed in the summer months by loudness, and never equalled by the vividness and luminosity of the flashes of light- ning with which it was accompanied. This formed a precursor of a change of weather, and frost set in with the first hours of the new year. — A. Gorrk, Annat Gardens. Feb. 11. 1829. IRELAND. Exti'acts from a MeieorologicalJournal kept near the town of Kilkenny, during 1828. Latitude 52° 35', W. longitude 7° 25'; about forty miles, from the eastern coast, and 500 feet above the level of the sea. The soil light, deep, and gravelly ; the subsoil a gravelly loam. The thermometer observations taken at 1 P.M., and hung about four feet from the ground in the angle connecting a north-east and north-west wall. March. Maximum degree of heat taken at 1 P. M. in the shade on the 14th, wind south, 61°; minimum at 1 P.M. on the 27th; wind north- west, 45^; mean heat at 1 P.M., 51°. Days rainy 5, fair 15, hail 1, hoar frost 2 ; wind east and north-east 3, south 5, west 7, and north 3. Anemones appeared in blow on the 14th, standard Orleans plum on the 15th, pear trees on a southern aspect on the 16th, /beris sempervirens on the 27th, TroUius asiaticus on the 28th, *S'axlfraga crassifolia on the 29th. The total absence of fro?t during the preceding winter, and mildness of the season, hitherto, has brought it considerably in advance of its usual stage at this period. April. Majcimum degree of heat, taken as before, on the 27th, wind south-west, 6Q° ; minimum on the 8th, wind north-east, 43° ; mean tempe- rature at 1 P.M. SS"^ 25^; rain 12 days, hail 2, fair 16; wind east 2 days, south 2, south-west 4, west 4, north-west 5, north 9, and north-east 4. Pear trees in blow on the 2d, Sanguinaria canadensis on the 3d, /Vis ger- manica on the 8th, Pyrus spectabilis on the 17th, ieucojum aestivum on the -18th. Harsh northerly winds in the latter part of the month, inju- rious to the early bloom of fruit-trees ; but, on the whole, the prospect is promising. May. Maximum of heat in the shade on the 30th, wind south-west, 68°; minimum on the 17 th, wind north, 55°; mean temperature, 58°. Maximum of radiation from the sun influenced by reflection, the thermo- meter four feet from the ground, on the 19th, wind east, 71°; mean tem- perature of sun heat 65° 3' at 1 P.M., exceeding the temperature in the shade on the 18th. Heat of the earth, at the foot of a southern-aspected wall 1 foot deep, 57°, 2 feet deep, 55°; 1 foot deep, at the foot of a north^rn^ Vol. II, — No. 6. h 98 Pere7inial Calendar, aapected wall, 56^, 2 feet deep, 56°. Thunder on the 29th, on a change of wmd to the north ; rain 15 days, fair 16 ; east wind 9 days, S.E. 4, S. 4, N. 3, S.W. 3, W. 1, and N.W. 7. Xamium Orvala in flower on the 2d, apple trees on the 8th, Cratae'gus Oxyacantha on the 11th, guelder rose on the 13th, Pompadour and Scots roses on the 25th. The weather in this month moist and chilly; wall-fruit, in general, cut up by north- westerly winds and frost early in the month, and standard fruit much hurt; bush-fruit uninjured ; slugs and snails abound in unprecedented numbers, devouring every thing eatable and unprotected. The season still maintains the early impulse it received. June. Maximum heat in the shade at 1 P.M. on the 28th, wind S.W., 79°; minimum on the 6th, wind N.W., 57** ; medium temperature 67° 5'; maximum of sun's radiation on the 29th, wind E. 86°; mean sun heat 69" ; excess above heat in the shade about one-thirtieth; thermometer buried at the foot of a south wall 12 inches deep 56°, 2 feet 55° i foot of a north wall 12 inches deep 5G°, 2 feet 55° ', well water 26 feet deep 52°; rain 12 days, fair 18, high wind 7 ; wind E. 5 days, S.E. 1, S. 6, S.W. 5, W. 3, N.W. 8, and N. 2 ; thunder on the 20th, wind shifting from north to south. J?6sa villosa first in bloom on the Sth, pinks on the 9th, red currants ripe on the 23d, Keen's seedling strawberry on the 24th, Mayduke cherries on standards on the 25th, early Antwerp raspberry on the 26th. High north and harsh north-westerly winds early in this month, along with cold rains for some days successively, chilled and blighted such of the young fruit as sur- vived the last, so that, except in favoured spots, the crops are lost ; some of the coarser and hardier kinds of fruit partially escaped. North-west winds are those most injurious to the fruit crops of this country, and they occur generally about this season. The easterly do comparatively but little injury. July. Maximum heat in the shade on the 16th, wind in the east, 70°; minimum on the 26th, wind N.W., 62°; medium temperature 67°; maxi- mum of sun's radiation on the 12th, wind in the west, 84°; mean heat of sun's radiation 70° 5'; excess above temperature in the shade only one twenty-second; well water 55° i thermometer buried 12 inches deep at the foot of a south wall 62°, 2 feet deep 61°, 3 feet deep 60^°; 12 inches deep at foot of north wall 60i°, 2 feet deep 59^° , 3 feet deep 59°; thunder on the 25th, wind shifting from south to north; rain 18 days, heavy from the 20th to the 27th; wind E. 3 days, S.E. 9, S. 6, S.W. 1, W. 2, N.W. 5, N. 5. Gooseberries ripe on the 10th, Magdalen or St. James's pear on the 31st, Rudbeckia hirta on the 23d, Helianthus multiflorus first in bloom on the 24th, small fruit abundant. The crops of hay which we commenced cutting about the 24th of last month are much injured by the heavy rains at the beginning of this ; much of the corn also laid, the moist weather having encouraged a thick and luxuriant blade. August. Maximum heat in the shade on the 29th, wind south-east, 74°; minimum on the 9th, wind north-west, 60°; medium temperature 66°; maximum of sun's heat on the 29th, wind south-east, 92°; medium of sun's heat 71°; excess above shade one-thirteenth. Thermometer at the foot of a south wall 12 inches deep 60°, 2 feet 60°; north wall 12 inches deep 59% 2 feet 59°. Wet days 19, 6 of thin heavy rain, 12 fair. Wind E. 5 days, S.E. 3, S. 5, W. 6, S.W. 4, N.W. 7, N.E. l. Eve apple or scarlet Juneating ripe on the 3d, chisel pear and wheat-cutting on the 1 0th, Orleans plum on the nth, yellow jack plum on the 17th,Oslin apple on the 18th, yellow Alberge peach on the 19th, red Magdalen peach and Pourpr^e hative on the22d,Grosse Blanquette pear on the 25th, Beurr^e Bergamot, and Orange Bergamot on the 28th; sweet clematis in flower in a western aspect on the 1st, -Erica multiflora on the 3d, v41thae'a frutex on the 19th, Chelone on the 25th ; Cyclamen autumnale on the 27th. This month, for two thirds, was extremely wet; the latter part cleared up, when the crops seemed in a Indicatorial Calendar. 99 desperate condition, and, in a great measure, redeemed them. The season may, nevertheless, be reckoned among our earliest ones, preceding by, at least, ten days or a fortnight, those of ordinary occurrence ; but, owing to the want of radiating sun-heat, fruits have not acquired their perfect flavour or full size this year. September. Maximum of heat in the shade on the 5th, the wind in the east, 68°; minimum of the same on the loth, the wind in the north, 6S° \ mean temperature in the shade at 1 P.M. 64° j maximum of sun's radiating heat on the 2d 84°; mean radiating sun's heat at 1 P.M. 69°; excess of the sun's heat on the 28th, one-thirteenth; thermometer buried 12 inches at the foot of a south wall 60°, at 2 feet 60°; 12 inches deep at the foot ; of a north wall 58°, 2 feet 59'^. Well water 26 feet deep 33-5°. Range of the barometer from 29*20. to 29-78. Thunder on the 15th, wind shift- ing from south to north ; heavy rain on the 23d, high wind on the 24th from the south, and since from the west. The musk rose in blow on the 1st, Clethra arborea on the 4th, Bignonia radicans major on a south aspect on the 19th, Colchicum autumnale on the 28th; Elruge nectarine ripe on the 5d, purple fig on the 4th, Kerry pippin on the 1 4th, Marseilles fig on the 18th, aromatic russet apple and Williams's Bonchretien pear on the 19th, Bourdine peach on the 22d, mulberry on the 23d, Bell's scarlet apple on' the 25th, dwarf Ischia fig on the 30th, autumn Bergamot pear on the 29th. The first nine or ten days of this month were valuable for completing the harvest ; high winds and rain predominated in the latter part. Vegetables are this year abundant and of good quality ; the fruits which escaped the late frosts are, in general, stunted and ill-flavoured, though ripening early. — J. R. Kilkenny. Art. VII. Indicatorial Calendar, The two ensuing months are the most interesting to the naturalist of the whole year. With ethereal mildness come forth vegetable and animal tribes, which the winter had hidden or banished. Flora. In the garden and fields the appearance of the early flowers, and swelling of the pregnant buds, indicate the advancing season, showing the stage of its advancement, by comparing present appearances with those of the like kind which happened in bygone years. Every bed or border flower, every bulb or tuber, are now in motion, rising in gay succession ; while the mellowed ground is receiving its charge of annual seeds. Fauna. The birds that live constantly with us are the first of the animal creation which are actuated by seasonal changes. Many of them are pre- paring for the business of nidification. The raven and common owl are usually leaders ; then the rook, jack-daw, and redbreast. Crows, magpies, and jays are later. Among song-birds, the song-thrush, missel-thrush, and afterwards the blackbird, are among the early builders ; but all these are much governed by situation : the inhabitants of a warm, extensive shrub- bery of evergreens begin their social connections much sooner than those located in the bleak forest. But our chief seasonal birds are the emigrants. The first is the chifF-chaff": this httle bird is sometimes heard so early as the 8th of March. Along with it appears the whinchat and stonechat : the latter is supposed not to leave England entirely, but only shifts from one part of the island to another. The redstart may be expected about the 8th of April ; the swallow on the 13th ; cuckoo, nightingale, wryneck, black- cap, willow wren, pettychaps, white-throat, and lesser white-throat, about the 20th ; the house, sand, and black martens about the 25th ; and the turtle-dove and flycatcher about the 30th. Mr. Sweet says, that mapy of H 2 ' 100 Queries and Answers. our migratory birds arrive earlier, and remain about London for some time before they disperse themselves into the interior of the kingdom ; but do not commence singing till they have chosen their nestling place. Insects are daily issuing forth from their hybernacula, or bursting from their chrysalises. On a frosty morning not an insect is to be seen in the air; but should this be succeeded by a warm, sunshiny afternoon, the air swarms with them, a general hum is heard on all sides, and, on the return of evening, except the night-flying beetles and moths, they are all fled to repose on the rugged bark of trees, into the sheltering hedge or bush, or into cavities in the ground. The brimstone-coloured butterfly is one of the most conspicuous indices of the naturalist; its first appearance is generally memorandumed. Weather. In this changeable climate we have very few certain data, enabling us to foretell what kind of weather may be expected. That what is to come depends on that which is just past, is one of our old rules of prognostication, and, in the case of alternations of much rain or drought, the rule holds good, and so often, that proverbs in conversation, and maxims in morality, are founded on the circumstance, viz. " long wet, long dry,'* " after a storm a calm," &c.; but when a past course of weather is of no decided character, neither very wet nor very dry, the rule is of no value. Within the next month, however, we shall very probably experience what is equally dreaded by seamen and travellers in these latitudes, namely, hard blowing weather between the 18th and 24th of the month. — J. M. Chelsea, Art. VIII. Queries and Ansxioers. The sound or call of some kind of Bird (Vol. I. p. 297.). — Your cor- respondent, J. N., wishes to know what birds he heard on his way, by moon- light, through part of Galloway. From the description of the sound, I should be inclined to think it was the snipe, as the noise they make is exactly like that of a goat, and they are called, in the north, heather- bleaters. The note of the whimbrel is a plaintive whistle, or occasionally a low tremulous shake. — William Henri/ Hill. Newland, Gloucestershire, Sept. 10. The Pied Flycatcher. — Sir, I was pleased to see in your Magazine of Natural History (Vol.1, p. 331.), an account of the Pied Flycatcher, by J. Blackwall, Esq., who states it to be abundant in the woods near UUswater, and in that vicinity. 1 have never seen this species alive myself; and as I am desirous of obtaining living specimens of all the migratory British warblers, I should also be much pleased with a male bird of this species, or a nest of young ones, which would arrive quite safe if sent by a careful person, and fed on the road with a little raw lean meat, moistened with water. Should Mr. Blackwall, or any of your correspondents, be kind enough to procure and send me a bird or nest, I should feel much obliged, and should be happy to return the favour in any way in my power. Per- haps a nest of eggs that have not been sat on would be more convenient : those could be packed tight in a little box in wool, and would arrive safe ; and I could get them hatched and bred up by some nearly related bird in. this neighbourhood. The Dartford Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler I also wish for par- ticularly, to add to my collection. The former is said to be plentiful on the commons in Devonshire and Cornwall, and is sometimes, but rarely, found on those in the neighbourhood of London ; but I have never yet been fortunate enough to obtain one. Queries and Aris^ers* 101 The grasshopper warbler, more generally known by the name of grass- hopper lark, is plentiful in several counties, but scarce about London ; and I would willingly remunerate any person that would procure and send me a living male bird, or nest, of either or both. I have now eleven species of the interesting migratory warblers, all in good health, and several of them in full song; four handsome male blackcaps, a wheatear, and whinchat, that sing nearly all day long ; the redstart, and larger and lesser whitethroats, also sing occasically, but are not yet in full song: the greater part of them, if the weather is mild, will be in full song about Christmas. I am. Sir, yours truly, — R. Sweet. Pomona PlacCy King^s Roadj near Fidham, Nov.28. 1828. A dark-looking Water Bird. — Sir, Very early one morning, in Septem- ber, 1826, as a friend and myself were paddling about in a small boat in the harbour of Fowey, Cornwall, we spied a dark-looking bird on the water at the mouth of a *' pill" or creek. We contrived to get within shot, and my friend fired and shot it dead. On taking it into the boat, I was much delighted at finding that I had got a strange bird. My companion was certain that he had killed a tame duck belonging to a neighbouring miller. I, however, carried it home, and forthwith made a sketch of it, and pur- posed measuring and examining it more minutely. A cat, however, fore- stalled me, and having borne it away to her own museum, I was obliged to rest contented with the rough drawing. Enclosed is a copy of my original figure (^g. 21.}, which is so far accurate as probably to enable some of the readers of your excellent Magazine to inform me what the bird is, it being a novelty to me. From the long body, roundness of the tail, and situation of the nostrils (in the middle of the bill), it might be placed in the genus M6rgus ; while, from the form of the bill and leg, it seems to belong to the ^'nas. The bill, it will be observed, is remarkably large, and the fore- head slopes more gradually to it than is usually the case in the duck tribe. This bird was about the size of the wigeon (^^nas Penelope), and, I should imagine, had not arrived to its perfect plumage, by the uncertain form of the white spots on the cheek. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — J. L — s» Liskeard Vicarage, Cornwall, Dec. 10. 1828. A Crow, which I saw last Sunday on Barham Downs, had the wings, back, and belly of a slate colour, the wings tipped with black, and the head of a glossy jet black. Pray, Sir, was it a distinct species, or only a variety ? — P. H. Kingston Rectory, near Canterbury, Nov. 22. 1828. A Swallow in November. — On Sunday last, Nov. 23., I saw a swallow fly over our garden, as strong and apparently in as good health as at mid- summer. The day was very fine, and the flies were plentiful ; but how did it subsist during the severe frosty days that were past ? — -B. Sweet. Po- mona Place ^ KingU Road, near Fulhayyi, Nov^ 28. 1828. H 3 102 Series and Aiisweis. Silver Fish. — Sir, will some of your correspondents inform me, through the medium of your Magazine, whether there are any such fish as silver fish, and from what part of the world they are brought into this country ? I re- member seeing, a year or two ago, in the pond in the botanical garden, Liverpool, both golden, and (as I then understood) silver fish, in full vigour apparently ; but I am induced to make the present enquiry, from having recently heard that there are no such things as silver fish really; and that what are generally known by that name are only the golden ones grown old, and having thus lost their colour. Do not gold fish come from China ? [Yes.] — W. A. a R., Bee. 8. A variety of the Moor Buzzard, {fig. 22.) — Sir, I send you a variety of the Moor Buzzard, which I shot in Marsh Gibbon Field, near Bices- ter, on Nov. 12. 1 am not certain that my name is right (see Latham quoted by Bewick) ; but as none of these birds are very common, I thought it might not be unac- ceptable to you. I observed it late in the afternoon take its sta- tion, in its usual heavy listless manner, on an old ash tree, which had a good command of the moor, where there were abun- dance of snipes, but not liking the sound of my gun, it went olF. The next morning, near the same spot, it arose from a thick sedge, -^t and being at a considerable dis- ^ tance, I hoped I had shot a bit- tern, being a much more likely place for that bird than a bird of prey. I have remarked, that whenever a place is frequented by snipes, there is almost sure to be one or two buzzards in the neighbourhood, although it is probable that they sel- dom succeed in taking any other than birds which have been shot in the body, and escaped from the sportsman apparently unhurt. — H. Bicester, Nov. 1828. We thank our correspondent ; the bird has been stuffed by Mr. Lead- beater, the eminent artist in this way, employed by the Linnean Society, and is placed in the museum of Messrs. Sowerby, No. 2. Mead Place, Lam- beth. Mr. Leadbeater and Mr. Sowerby consider it to be the Moor Buz- zard (Falco aeruginosus, Linn.) a variety wanting the light spot on the crown of the head. — Cond. The Animal that inhabits the Nautilus. — Sir, I would wish to be informed, through the medium ofyourvaluable Magazine, as to the nature of theanimal that inhabits the iVautilus, and the use it makes of the chambers ; and, if Conchilla*s History of the Trochus and iVautilus in your Magazine (Vol. L p. 24.) be not fabulous, the means the Trochus uses to propel itself to ren- der it such a powerful enemy to the iVautilus, the former not seeming to me to be so well adapted for locomotion as the latter. — A Young Con- chologist. Sept. 18. 1828.; Mpa batdva, the U^nio batava of Lam. — I would be glad to know if there be a specific distinction between this and the U'nio pictorum. Is the dis- tinction sufficient to make it more than a variety ? I have received from various parts of Europe the batava, rostrata, and ^'nas, and should conclude, from the specimens received, notwithstanding Lamarck and other distin- guished conchologists have described them as different, that they are not in- titlecl so to be considered. No conchologist of this country would, if found within our rivers, consider them any thing more than mere varieties. Many Queries and Answers. 103 of the species from the Ohio have half a dozen varieties more distinct. — J.L. FhiladelpUa, August 16. 1828. Winter Quarters of Frogs. — Can you, or any of your correspondents, in- form me what become of frogs during the winter : whether they remain dormant, or whether they die ; if the latter, how the race is preserved ? In crossing meadows, late in the autumn, which are liable to floods, I have frequently observed lumps of a jelly-hke substance lying on the ground, of a yellowish colour, sen^i-transparent, and about as much on a spot as would fill a small tea-cup. For some time I was quite at a loss to what to attribute the cause of it, till at length, upon a closer inspection of one of them, I discovered in it the remains of the head and feet of a frog. Am I right in concluding, from this circumstance, that these substances are the bodies of frogs, which have been decomposed by the approach of win- ter ? Yours, &c. — J. B. Jan. 21. 1829. Shower of Frogs. — " As two gentlemen were sitting conversing on a causeway pillar near Bushmills, they were very much surprised by an unu- sually heavy shower of frogs, half formed, falling in all directions j some of which are preserved in spirits of wine, and are now exhibited to the curious by the two resident apothecaries in Bushmills." {Belfast Chron.) Can there be any truth in this strange assertion ? When a boy, I remember having heard of young frogs being found on the top of a church steeple. — G. M. Li/nn Regis, Nov. n. 1828. When at Rouen, in September last, we were assured by an English fa- mily resident there, that during a very heavy thunder shower, accompanied by violent wind, and almost midnight darkness, an innumerable multitude of young frogs fell on and around the house. The roof, the window-sills, and the gravel walks were covered with them. They were very small, but per- fectly formed, ail dead, and the next day being excessively hot, they were dried up to so many points or pills, about the size of the heads of pins. The most obvious way of accounting for this phenomenon is by supposing the water and frogs of some adjoining ponds to have been taken up by the wind in a sort of whirl or tornado. — Cond. A Tick which moved on a diseased Part of itself. — Some days ago, I ex- tracted a tick from a dog, and flung it into a finger-glass of water. After floating for some minutes, the abdomen seemed to detach itself from the rest of the body, and the insect to move upon this discarded part of itself, as a man walking on a raft. The abdomen of the tick had been very much distended, and wore the appearance of one of those small leathern bottles in which oil-colours are sold to artists, only considerably less in size. I shall be much obliged to any of your correspondents who would favour me with an explanation of this fact, and to yourself for noticing it. I beg to remain yours, &c, — C JB. London, Nov. 3. 1828. A Curious Worm. — Sir, Perhaps some of your correspondents can ac- quaint me with the name of a small worm, which I found in my garden in the early part of the summer, and which 1 will attempt to describe. Its length is exactly 5 in. 2 lines, and it is about as thick as a hog's bristle, ta- pering to a point at each end ; its colour was, I think, when alive, something of a reddish brown, except about two lines at each end, which were nearly white. I observed it throwing two-thirds of its body into the air in a very curious manner, with a motion resembling that of the antennae of some large insect. I suppose it to be a species of the Gordiu^, but have always con- sidered the Gordii as water insects, and although this creature seemed to enjoy twisting itself among the herbage, which was at the time teeming with the effects of a long soaking rain, yet my garden is distant from any pond, and enclosed with walls. An examination in a microscope only showed some hundreds of rings, of which the whole body is composed, and enabled me to discover no perceptible difference between the two ends, nor indeed organs of any kind. Upon putting it carefully into the palm of my hand, H 4 104 Queries and Answei'S. the heat seemed to distress it exceedingly ; it curled itself up into a dozen knots, and was dead in less than a minute. As my best book is Pen- nant, I shall be obliged to you for any information respecting this very cu- rious insect. — W. W. Wandsiuorlh, Nov. 2. 1828. A Nidus on a Rush.— The enclosed drawing (Jig. 23.), represents a nidus in my possession attached to a rush ; the nidus in the drawing and in the figure being exactly of its na- tural size. I discovered it whilst botanising in the early part of the summer, and so closely does it re- semble a flower, that I mistook it for one, even after it was in my hand. It is perfectly white, and of ma- nufacture the most finished. The lower end i:> quite flat, with edges as sharp in proportion as those of the crown of a hat, which I consider a great pecu- liarity, as I cannot recollect any insect manufacture of a web-like material, whether nidus of spider, or cocoon of caterpillar, except such as are round or/ A. oval, and certainly none with sharp edges such as I describe. As I found two of them, I cut one open, and found about a dozen eggs sticking to the base at A, but not occupying one-tenth of the interior. This large unoccupied space suggests the idea, that it is intended for a sort of nursery for the young when first hatched, and the wonderful instinctive economy of the insect may, I think, easily be imagined. As the rush on which it was fixed was growing in water, the parent insect must have been an inhabitant of the water or its surface. Feeling the period of incuba- tion drawing near," instinct, wonderful instinct, in- forms it, that the element in which it lives and moves and has its being is not the* proper situation for its eggs to be deposited. It ascends to the top of some aquatic plant, forms its very elegant nidus in which it deposits its eggs, and, having hermetically secured every partof it, leaves the rest to the influence of the sun, which, in a few weeks, animates the dormant prin- ciple of life, and a living creature bursts from each egg. The young are probably not strong enough, at l\li\ 111 first, to endure the water, and unable to bear any in- clemency of weather; but their first infancy is passed in a dry and comfortable chamber, inclosed in which they may alike defy the wind and rain, and when they have acquired sufficient strength, they have only to eat their way through the walls of their nursery, and, crawling down the rush, commit themselves to the water. This I conceive to be the economy of the insect, of whatever genus it may be, but any information respecting it will be very acceptable. It is still in my possession, as perfect as when first gathered. Every one who sees it admires it ; but I have not yet met with any one who ever saw such a thing before, and as I have only seen two in my life (both of which were close together), I take them to be rather uncommon. (Id.) Aphis on Endive and Lettuce. — Perhaps some of your correspondents would give me some information on the following subject : — Having planted out some endive in the garden, which at first appeared to thrive well, I was surprised to find, after a short period, that the plants drooped and died. On removing them, I found the root surrounded by a host of aphides, attended by a quantity of red ants. These aphides were of various sizes, from the size of a small pin's head to that of the sixteenth part of an inch. 1 should be glad to know whether this species of aphides is peculiar Queries and Answers. 105 to the endive and lettuce; also if all the aphis tribe produce honey dew j and, if not, do the ants prey on the bodies of these insects ? I observed the ants very busy attacking the aphis behind, and running from one to another. — William Henri/ Hill. Newland^ Gloucestershire , Sept. 10. 1828. Tipula tritici. — From the destructive effects of this fly in 1827 the wheat crop in East Lothian was ahnost entirely annihilated. This season, though its ravages have been less severe in that quarter, yet it has more generally infested the wheat crop throughout the whole of Scotland. You have given a very accurate figure of it in your Magazine of Natural History, Vol. I, p. 227. ; ;but it would be exceedingly interesting to many of your readers if you or any of your correspondents would, in a future Number^ give some particulars of the natural history of this destructive insect, and mention if any method has been tried, or can be adopted, to subdue it. — J. Ferme, Haddington^ Dec. 1828. Procelluria Ledch'n. — Some correspondent would, perhaps, favour you with an account of the Procellaria Leach«. At present but three of the genus are British, viz. the Procellaria glacialis, or Fulmar; the Procellaria pelagica, or Stormy Petrel, commonly known to sailors as Mother Carey's Chickens ; and Procellaria Puffinusy or Shearwater. — Id. Putting Bees into Mourning — Sir, In your Magazine of Natural His- tory (Vol. 1. p. 93.), Mr. D. Stock wishes to know if the custom of putting bees into mourning is practised in other parts of England. Happening to mention the circumstance to a person who has been used to bees all his lifetime, and who is a native of Kent, I was informed that it is the custom in some parts of that county, to tap at each hive, upon the death of any member of the family where bees are kept, otherwise the bees all die, or do not thrive with the family afterwards. — Andrew Mathews. Alfred House, Turnham Green, Sept. 18. 1828. LathrcB^a squamai'ia. — Sir, I beg to offer to your correspondent Mr. Smith, of Sandgate (Vol. I. p. 407.), the best description I can supply, from recollection, of the Lathrae'a squamaria found in this neighbourhood : — Flowering branches frequently more than double the size stated in the English Flora, rising 10, 12, or even 14 in. above the surface, bearing from thirty to forty flowers, disposed in three distinct yet perfectly unilateral rows ; smooth, shining, tinged with bluish purple, and having a few flower- less bracteae below, but gradually becoming hairy upwards ; thickest about the middle.. BractecB (called leaves in Eng. Flor.) broader than their length, sitting, smooth, shining, and rather fleshy ; one at the base of each petiole, and certainly of a different structure from the true subterranean leaves. Petioles and calyx hairy ; though these and the stem are repre- sented smooth in t. 50. of Eng. Bot. In the English Flora, the calyx is described as having the hue and texture of the leaves (qu. bracteae ?) ; whereas, it is soft and thin, not at all succulent. Flowers of a dullish pink purple ; the segments of the upper lip of the corolla much longer than the calyx, collapsed together, enveloping the stamens and the greater part of the style, though the stigma projects beyond them. Capsules succulent. I have confined myself to those points in which I think our plant differs from the description in Eng. Flo., and from the figure in Eng. Bot., not hav- ing Hudson's Flor. Aug. to refer to. Though, at this period of the year, I am obliged to trust to memory, I flatter myself I shall be found correct ; for, being dissatisfied with Sowerby's figure, I made a drawing from nature, in April last, which has fixed its image on my mind ; but having since given it to a scientific friend, I am still without reference. I may add, that a com- parison of the figure in Eng. Bot., and of t. 1 60. of Curtis's British Ento- mology, the plates of which, for fidelity of outline and richness of colouring, are beyond all praise, strongly supports your correspondent's doubts. It is somewhat singular that, though the Lathras'a has been long suspected to be parasitical, no botanist has yet told us how it is attached to the roots 106 Queries and Answers. of its parent tree. The elegant and lamented author of the invaluable English Flortty with characteristic diffidence, says, " the real root is, I be- lieve, fibrous and parasitical ; " and the profound philosophic botanist to whom we are indebted for the Prodromus Florce Nov. Hol.y &c. &c., and whose extensive knowledge of vegetable physiology first suggested the true nature of the gigantic Raffl^sm, confessed to me, not many months since, that he had recently endeavoured to discover the mode of growth of the Lathrea, without success. Allow me, then, to state, that after having been frequently baffled in my attempt, I was fortunate enough, during the last season, to ascertain this hidden fact. I also detected some peculiarities in its organisation and economy, which throw considerable light on the func- tions of this singular and interesting plant ; but before giving them to the public through another channel, I wish to confirm them, by further investi- gation, the ensuing spring. In the mean time, I would feel much gratified to see, in your next Number, any observations which Mr. Smith or any other correspondent may have made, bearing upon this more important part of the subject. — J. E. Bowman. The Court, near Wrexham, Nov. 18. 1828. Smell of neiv-mown Hay. — Sir, In your Magazine of Natural History (Vol. I. p. 381.), I observed an article on the " Cause of the smell in new- mown Hay," in which the writer there seems inclined to believe that the fi'agrance in new-mown hay arises from the sweet-scented vernal grass (An- thoxdnthum odoratum"). I have made, on a small scale, several species of grasses, separately, into hay, with a view to satisfy myself on the subject ; and I found the hay made from them all, more or less, partake of fragrance. Might not the scent arise from the fermentation of saccharine matter con- tained, more or less, in grasses in general, and also from the manner in which the hay is got up ? I remain, Sir, yours, &c. — Humphrey Gibbs, London, Dec. 1828. Skeleton Plants. — Will any of your correspondents favour me, by com- municating, through your pages, the process necessary for divesting the leaves and capsules of plants of their soft parenchymatous matter, leaving only the blanched and reticulated vessels, which so clearly displays their interior structure or framework, and presents so beautiful a picture of vege- table anatomy ? The ingenious Mr. Crow, of Kensington, has brought this art to the highest pitch of perfection ; and I am inclined to think it is effected by some simple means. — J. E. B. Wrexham, Feb. 4. 1829. Durability of Seeds. — Permit me to ask you for a reference to any work or works in which the durability and indestructible qualities of seeds are treated of at length ? — Charles Greaves. Devonport, Nov. 24. 1828. Marine Vegetables. — Will you call the attention of botanists to marine vegetables, with a special view of ascertaining if there are not many plants fit for eating, which would be serviceable to our seamen on distant shores ? Has not Dr. Maculloch printed a paper on this subject ? — Id. Coal Fossils from Clifton, near Manchester. — Sir, I send you a sketch (^g. 24.) of a fossil cane or reed, which I got out of the little mine coal in 24 the township of Clifton, near Manchester, at the depth of 8 1 yards. It is about 2i in. broad, pressed flat on the under side, but raised in the middle on the upper side. I also send you a sketch of two other vegetable fossils Queries and Answers. 107 (Jig. 25. and/g. 26.), from the same mine. Fig. 25. has the appearance of a kind of rush laid side 25 by side, and extends to about 5 ft. in length, and about 2 ft. in width : it generally is about an inch in depth, and contains three layers, both sides being similarly marked. Fig. 26. is simply marked upon a thin seam of coal, for if the coal is taken from off the metal, no part of the impression remains. The fossils (Jigs. 25. and 26.) are composed of metal, being a kind of blue shale, and _ ^ _ were both covered with a thin seam of coal. Can you inform me to what order and genus they belong, and also what is the best work published on fossils, with plates? — JB. St. Hele?i's, Jan. 19. 1829. The article on the Progress of Geology (Vol. I. p. 442.) adverted, in chronological order, to the most distinguished and valuable publications which have illustrated this science and its different departments. To this series we refer our correspondent. As an introduction to the knowledge of fossil organised bodies generally, B. will find Mr. Parkinson's Intro- duction, or outlines of oryctology, highly useful ; and it is further recom- mended by its cheapness. It is well deserving a conspicuous place in the library of the geologist. The fossil Testacea are best illustrated in Mr. Sowerby*s splendid and costly Mineral Conchology. Artis*s Antediluvian Phi/tologt/ deserves also to be consulted. That branch of the science which relates to fossil botany has been, perhaps, the least cultivated in this country. Both of Mr. Parkinson's works contain some valuable illustrations. One volume, indeed, of the Organic Remains of a Former World is exclusively devoted to the consideration of its vegetable relics. Martin's Petrifactions of Derbyshire may be consulted by B. to advantage. Messrs. Coneybeare and Phillips have contributed some valuable pages on this obscure subject in their Outlines. Count Sternberg's magnificent book is of the highest authority in this department. The Histoire des Vegeta'ux Fossiles of Adolph. Brongniart, of which two numbers are published, promises to be the first work on the subject. 108 Queries and Afiawcrs, There is evidently a'great general analogy between the fossil Flora of the English and the Continental coal-fields ; but the comparison of these plants has scarcely been pursued with the attention necessary to the com- plete establishment of their identity, although very interesting collections are by no means rare in this country. In the absence of a work especially devoted to the elucidation of this branch of natural history in England, our collectors have not unfrequently experienced difficulties in referring the fossil plants to their respective genera. Some mention has been made of an intention to supply this deficiency; and it is conceived that the Flora of our carbonaceous formations will furnish an abundant supply of new and interesting productions, and, by a comparison with the existing vegetation, will further illustrate the phenomena of heat and climate in the former world. As an instance of the necessity for such a work, might be mentioned the fact, of a collection of coal plants having been sent from this country into Germany by an eminent naturalist, for the sole purpose of being identified, named, and returned. Figs. 25. 26., referred to in B.'s communication, are common, probably, to all coal districts, and appear not only in the argillaceous and bituminous shales, but in the superincumbent and inferior sandstones. Fig. 24. is probably one of those arundinaceous plants with fluted and jointed stems, known by the name of Calamites, and probably the Calamites dubius of Artis : they commonly appear in a flattened form, particularly in the shales, and are often distorted when the casts are filled with argilla- ceous iron ore. Fig. 25. is somewhat obscure, but most probably Euphorbites vulgaris of Artis. Fig. 26. is a Phitolithus (Aphyllum asperum of Artis). ! The appearance of the same species, and even of parts of the same plants, of this class, varies according to the circumstance of their presenting either epidermal, cortical, or ligneous impressions and surfaces ; each representing the epidermis, the bark, and the wood j and hence these have been properly styled Protean fossils. — R. C. T. Optical Phenomenon. — Sir, On Sunday, the 11th of November, 1827, about two o'clock, my attention was called to the singular circumstance of the passengers, walking on the north side of the High Street of this town, having two shadows, which were well defined, and nearly equally strong. They were projected partly on the pavement and partly on the front of the houses, and formed an angle of about twenty degrees, the heads being nearly 3 ft. asunder. Wishing to ascertain whether the double shadow was visible to the person by whom it was formed, I passed through that part of the street, and found that only one was apparent ; but, upon re- treating into the middle of the roadway, two shadows were seen as before. This optical phenomenon I am induced to attribute to refraction, occasioned by the state of the atmosphere. About an hour before, rain had fallen, the air was filled with watery particles, and the surface of the street was wet, which would naturally cause a strong exhalation under a brilliant sun, which was the case at the time, and formed a bank of mist, on which the images might be represented. I offer this hypothesis with great diffidence, and should be happy to learn the opinion of yourself, or of some of your scientific readers, on the subject, through the medium of your Magazine. During the eclipse of the sun, on the 29th of November, 1826, 1 noticed that two shadows were formed. This was the first time I observed it ; but similar appearances have occurred twice during the last month. — Mupha- tamet. Wi/combe^ December 8. 1823. Scriptural Geology. — Sir, Having lately read a book entitled Scriptural Geology^ purporting to be written in answer to M. Cuvier's Theory of the Earth and Dr. Buckland's Reliqui■ Geology of Palestine. — Sir, In your valuable Magazine of Natural His- tory (Vol. I. p. 390.) I observe a notice of a paper on the geology of Pales- tine, in which it is stated that there are no volcanic rocks on the borders of the Dead Sea. Though these may not have been observed, yet there are traces of a volcanic neighbourhood in the sulphur found near the southern extremity of it, and in the hot springs and sulphur in the valley of Calirrhoe, near the north end ; for a notice of which see the interesting Travels of Captains Irby and Mangles (printed for private distribution in 1823), p. 453. and 467., and at p. 375. and 577. Distinct volcanoes, some miles south of the Dead Sea, are described and laid down in the map accom- panying that work, which it is to be regretted that the authors do not pub- lish. See also a curious dissertation on the Dead Sea in Dr. Daubeny's important work on volcanoes, p. 279. — W. C. T. Jan. 1829> * So that the Rev. Dr. Scot's paper read before the Wernerian Society contained no new thing. — See Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol.1, p. 291. 120 Obituary. The Granite, in Yorkshire^ mentioned by your correspondent, L. E. O. (Vol. I. p. 596. j, is certainly only in the form of large boulders, which are very numerous in the county of Durham and north of Yorkshire, having been carried by a strong current from the north-west. In the street at Darlington is a very large one, which the large flesh-coloured crystals of felspar it contains show to have travelled from the neighbourhood of Shap, in Westmoreland, where the same variety of granite appears in the mass. Many specimens of the same may be traced to the mouth of the Tees. For a valuable dissertation on the subject of gravel and boulders, I would refer your correspondent to Professor Buckland's Reliquia; Diluviance, — W. C. T. Jan. 1829. Art. X. Obitua ry. Charles Peter Tlmnherg, M.D., Knight, F.R.S. L.S. &c.,'^the successor of the younger Linnaeus as Professor of Botany at Upsal, died on the 8th of August last, in the 85th year of his age ; after having filled the botanical chair, during half a century, with indefatigable zeal. He had travelled over a great part of the world, for the purpose of extending his knowledge, and exploring nature. Died, Nov. 24., aged 74 years, Mr. John Ashhy, one ^f the Society of Friends, and a grocer and draper in Bungay for many years preceding his death. He commenced his career as a naturalist in entomology ; but, how- ever amusing the collecting of insects might be, the destroying them was too revolting for him to practise ; and he then turned his attention to botany, a study which he pursued with ardour nearly to the time of his decease. In his earlier life he was acquainted with Mr. Curtis (author of the Flora Londin^nsis)y Mr. Woodward, and other distinguished naturalists. He dis- covered many rare plants in this neighbourhood, to which his botanical rambles were principally confined ; and he is mentioned in Smith's Flora Britannica and English Flora as the finder of the Ornithogalum luteum at Shipmeadow, about three miles from this town. • Mr. Ashby formed a her- barium of British plants, in which may be found not a few of the uncommon plants of this kingdom. He did not confine himself entirely to botanical pursuits, as he also formed a very excellent collection of coins ; and his specimens of fossils, &c. are also rather numerous. — Daniel Stock. Bun- gay, Feb. 4. 1829. Died, Jan. 6., in his 79th year, Robert Stone, Esq. F.L.S., formerly an inhabitant of this town, but for the last twenty years he resided at Beding- ham Hall, in Norfolk, the family estate. Mr. Stone was well known as a botanist. An ample testimony of his labours in the science of botany may be found by a reference to the early editions of Withering's Botanical Arrangement, in which Mr. Stone assisted, and in which his name so fre- quently occurs, that to particularise any instance would be quite useless. His herbarium of British plants is nearly complete. Having spoken of Mr. Stone as a naturalist, aa a man what am I to say of him who was universally esteemed and respected by his friends and acquaintance ? THE MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY MAY, 18^9. Art. I. On certain Effects produced by Fresh Water on some Marine Animals and Plants, Read to the Belfast Natural History Society, by the President, James L. Drummond, M.D., December 30. 1828. During the past summer, a part of which I spent at the sea- side, I was anxious to confirm, beyond a possibility of doubt, an observation which I had made several years ago, viz. that when the Squamous Sea Mouse (Aphrodit^^ squamata) is put into fresh water it dies almost instantaneously. I could not, however, obtain any specimens, but I am certain, at the same time, that it is a fact ; for, on a former occasion, I brought from the shore seven or eight specimens of that animal alive in a phial of sea water, and I found in them all, that, although perfectly brisk and active in the sea water, the moment they were dropped into a basin o^ fresh water (and I made the trial on them one after another), they immediately sank to the bottom, and never again exhibited the slightest symptom of life or motion. The observations I have made lately on another species of animal, of much larger dimensions, are not a little singular, and are, I apprehend, altogether new. I obtained a number of living specimens of the worm, which the fishermen call the White-worm, or Lurg, or Lurgan. It is the Nereis caerulea of Linnaeus. These specimens were quite fresh, and were brought to me in a bowl of sea water. When handled, they moved with great vivacity, convoluting or twisting their bodies from side to side, like the larva of a gnat, or else swimming with great velocity round the basin. They were about as thick as one's little finger, and fully a foot in length. On putting one of them into a basin containing some fresh water it sank to the bottom, and lay for a moment motionless, as if stunned. It then dashed here and there through the water, VoL.II. — No. 7. K 122 Effects produced by Fresh Water violently lashing its anterior and posterior ends from side to side : but this extreme agitation continued only a few seconds ; when the animal subsided to the bottom, unable to exhibit any farther signs of motion than some partial convulsive twitches in different parts of its body, or a quivering here and there in its segments or articulations. The skin of the body was contracted in various places, so as to present a wrinkled or withered appearance. In six minutes from the immersion the animal seemed perfectly dead ; the wrinkled appearance of the skin was gone, and not the slightest mark of irritability appeared in any part. The other specimens, eight in all, ex- hibited the same phenomena with little variance. None of them showed any appearance of vitality after ten minutes' im- mersion. Three of them protruded very slowly their remark- able ventricose proboscis (if the latter term can be at all appropriate) during their last expiring moments, and so it remained after death. I allowed the above specimens to remain in water all night ; and on the following morning, on going to put them in spirits in order to preserve them, I was surprised to find them so rotten, that they fell in pieces by their own weight, and were quite useless as specimens. They had not, however, acquired any offensive or putrid smell. Some days afterwards I obtained a fresh supply of living specimens, some of which were entire ; but a number of them were in fragments, having been cut through by the spade in digging. The latter were quite alive, and seemed to have suffered no more in point of vitality by having been cut, than the common earthworm does under similar circumstances. I had proof, too, that the being cut through does not prove fatal; for, in one of the entire specimens, about 2 in. of the tail end was a new production. The animal had, at some prior period been severed by the bait-digger, and a new portion had been restored. This portion, as is generally the case with repro- ductions, was smaller in diameter than the rest of the animal. It was also of a paler hue, and the line of demarcation be- tween the old and the new parts was very distinctly marked. The separate pieces of the cut worms, even those which wanted both head and tail, were affected by the fresh water in the same way as the entire specimens : they were first thrown into violent convulsions, then became affected with transient spasms, and, in a few minutes, all appearance of vitality was extinguished. The first idea that struck me, as to the possible cause of these phenomena, was, that perhaps the water, from wanting the density of sea water, was unfit for respiration, and that there- 071 some Mamie Afiimals a?id Plants, 32^ fore the animals had died of suffocation. Pennant states that the torpedo dies in fresh water almost as soon as in the open air ; but I had already ascertained that these worms will remain in air for many hours, without seeming to suffer any inconvenience. I had a number of specimens lying on a plate motionless ; for, unless disturbed, they are little inclined to move. I dipped my hand in fresh water, and with a jerk, sprinkled some drops of it over the plate, and the specimens on it. In about two seconds the worms were all in violent agitation, rolling round on the longitudinal axis of their bodies, and writhing together in apparent agonies. After a few minutes ihe agitation ceased, and they again lay motionless. I now tried the effect of touching an individual with a small drop of fresh water. The part to which the latter was applied, almost immediately contracted in the manner that a leech contracts at the place where a little salt is applied to it, and then, the whole animal became agitated and dashed violently about the plate, fre- quently, at the same time, protruding and contracting its pro- boscis. Similar effects followed every trial I made, and it mattered not what part of the animal was touched ; the smallest drop of water from the point of a probe produced the partial contraction at the part, and then the general convulsive writhing and agitation of the whole body. Even fragments of the worm were similarly affected. It appeared to me, how- ever, that the mouth extremity was more sensible to the touch of the poison than any other part, as the convulsive efforts which followed seemed more violent, and longer continued than when the water was applied elsewhere. I made similar trials on many of these animals, and invari- ably found the same results. The most striking way of ex- emplifying the virulent effects of fresh water is, when the worm is at rest to apply consecutively from the point of a probe ten or a dozen small drops of sea water to any part of it, this causes no alteration ; the animal continues motionless. If we then change the drop to be applied from salt to fresh, the very first application of the latter immediately produces the phenomena above described. In whatever way it is that fresh water proves so poisonous and fatal to this species, one thing is obvious, that the animal can never propagate except under the influence of sea water. It can never colonise rivers or lakes, and the subject, if farther pursued by experiments on other species, may, perhaps, throw some light on the distribution of animals. The Lurg-worms cannot even safely inhabit those parts of the shore which are long uncovered by the sea; a heavy shower of rain during K 2 124 Effects produced by Fresh Water ebb tide might destroy them ; and it is only a casual circum- stance that one of them is found in the usual place of digging for bait. They must be sought for at the verge of low-water mark, and they are only to be found in plenty, and of full growth, during the neap tides. The common Lug (Zumbricus marinus) is, on the con- trary, generally dug out of the sand at a considerable distance from low-tide mark, and where it is left dry for many hours. Showers of rain, therefore, we should suppose, can exercise no deleterious influence on it ; and accordingly I found that some lug, which I kept immersed for several hours in fresh water, did not seem to be at all incommoded by it. That fresh water has a considerable influence on the vitality of some marine plants is obvious from the following remarks. "When we examine fresh specimens of i^ucus punctatus. Con- ferva setacea, or U'Uo. dich6toma, we find that they possess a very considerable degree of rigidity, or firmness. Now, I have observed that these plants, after being immersed in fresh water for a short time, lose their firmness, and become per- fectly flaccid. They also change their colour in a material degree especially the first two. These, when gathered fresh, are of a garnet-red colour ; but, when immersed in fresh water, the tint soon turns to orange. These, however, are not the only changes which take place. I had long ago remarked that when recent specimens of -Fucus punctatus or Conferva setacea are immersed in fresh water for a few seconds, and then taken from it, they give out a crackling or crepitating noise, like that made by fine salt when thrown into a fire. I had observed, too, that during the continuance of this crepitation. Conferva setacea (especially if in fruit) projected minute globules of water, or some fluid, to a distance of several inches. I last summer observed also a weak crackling noise in LTlva dichotoma under similar cir- cumstances. Now, in all these, the crepitation, when it ceases, which is in a few seconds, may be renewed by again dipping it in the fresh water, and then removing it; but at each successive time the crackling is weaker, and it ceases altogether after a third or fourth immersion. If the specimen, also, have been in the water longer than a few minutes, the crackling is very weak, or not perceived at all. The cause of it in Conferva setacea I have clearly ascertained, and it may be easily seen, with the help of a common pocket magnifier, or even by the naked eye. I poured some fresh water on a common white plate to the depth of about one twelfth part of an inch, and in this I put a on some Marine Animals and Plants, 125 portion of the plant quite fresh from the shore. It remained for several minutes quiescent, and then some of the divisions of the frond exhibited sudden startings like spasms. I had re- peatedly before been amused by watching this appearance on a larger scale though with the naked eye, by putting a bunch of the plant in a basin of water. When so placed it soon assumes the appearance, to a considerable degree, of being animated ; instantaneous startings are observed in the chief branches, along with lateral motions of the smaller branches, which are seen to move towards, or to diverge from, the former. But the cause of these startings, and of the consequent mo- tions of the branchlets, was more obvious, by observing what passed in 2ijportion of the plant laid in a thin stratum of water on a plate, as above alluded to. The colour of the specimen was, when so placed, homogeneous throughout ; but whenever the startings took place, a change began to take place also in the colour. The joints of the plant are filled with the co- loured fluid ; and while it is in the salt water the septa, or partitions between the joints, remain entire; but when the influence of the fresh water is felt, the septa burst, and the contents of one joint are exploded into the next, the colouring matter, at the same time, losing its uniform tint, and curdling into grains, or granular points of a dark hue, as if concen- trating itself in order to part from the fluid through which it had been before uniformly diffused. From the violence with which the contained fluids are urged through the partitions of the joints, breaches form in the sides, also, of some of them, and then at every new spasm a quantity of the colouring matter is hurried through these lateral breaches into the circumambient water. The latter explosions present under a common mag- nifier an extremely interesting appearance. They are instan- taneous ; and when the projected fluid has attained its extreme distance, the colouring matter suddenly settles in a cloud of dark grains, so as to give not an unlively idea of a bomb-shell in the act of bursting. Repeated explosions take place from the same breach, but at very uncertain intervals. Sometimes several occur in rapid succession, and again half a minute or more intervenes between them. It appeared to me that each explosion from the lateral breaches was caused by a new rup- ture between some twojoints. These observations I repeated many times, and I here state what I remarked as exactly as is in my power. They are only, however, what I observed with a common magnifier, or with the naked eye ; but, perhaps, a more patient research, K 3 126 Effects of Fresh Water on some Marine Productions. assisted by a good microscope, may open up still more satis- factory views of the subject. With respect to the other two species, I can speak with less precision ; I shall state, however, what I believe to have ascer- tained, though I shall not venture to speak undoubtingly. The C/lva dichotoma has a reticulated texture, which, as Lightfoot observes, gives it the appearance, when magnified, of belonging to the genus Flustra of corallines. Now it ap- peared to me, when examining portions of this plant under the influence of fresh water, and in the field of an Ellis's micro- scope, that each of the cells which cause the reticulated appear- ance was covered by a membranons lid, which, from the pre- sence of the fresh water, burst up with violence. On examining jFucus punctatus in the same way, soon after its first contact with fresh water, I could perceive a very evident jerking mo- tion occurring here and there over its surface, with an appear- ance as if little facets or scales had been suddenly let loose, like the lid of a hunting watch when the spring is pressed. I must observe, however, that what I have stated of these last two plants is to be considered as only an introductory view of the subject, and that farther investigation will be necessary to give absolute certainty. At the same time the analogy between the phenomena presented by the three species mentioned is so strong, that there can be little doubt of their being regulated by the same law. I believe the C/^lva dichotoma gets paler by immersion in fresh water ; but of this I am not prepared to speak positively. Respecting the other two species there can be no hesitation, they both give out their colouring matter copiously to the fresh water in which they are placed, and that in a very short time. If the Conferva setacea be spread on paper in sea water, it retains its original hue ; there is no bursting up of its septa, nor breaches in its sides, and it does not tinge the paper on which it is spread. I have preserved a number of specimens in this way. i^ucus punctatus, when preserved in the same manner, retains its original deep hue, and does not tinge the paper. The flaccidity which takes place in them all is scarcely to be accounted for, except on the principle that their texture is in some respect broken up, and we may presume also that, as in Conferva setacea, both the other species explode the contents of their cells or cavities. The circumstance of these plants giving out their colouring matter to the paper on which they are spread has been often remarked, but has never before, I apprehend, been suspected of being connected with their vitality. That it is so, however, the observations made above clearly demonstrate. For it is not because the plant is dead that the colouring matter is given Indications of Spring. 127 out, but, on the contrary, because it is living ; and it appears to me that the phenomena exhibited by the Conferva setacea, when immersed in fresh water, are very analogous to those of the Lurg-worm. It is a living body labouring under the effects of poison; and the bursting up of its septa, the breaches formed in its sides, the curdling, and spasmodic explosion of its colouring matter, are, like the convulsions of the worm, the symptoms which characterise its expiring struggles in the arms of a deadly foe. It is obvious that what I have said respecting the dissemi- nation of the Lurg-worm will equally apply to these plants. The ocean is their prescribed element, and they can never appear under any form or variety in lakes, rivers, or any col- lection of fresh water whatever. How extensive the field may be which these remarks are calculated to lead to I cannot conjecture : but I apprehend there can be little doubt that many interesting facts of an ana- logous kind remain in store for future observation ; and I hope that I may again have an opportunity of laying before the Society farther information on this subject. Art. it. Indications of Spring, By Robert Marsham, Esq., and Lord Suffield. Communicated by R. C. Taylor, Esq. F.G.S. The following Table of the " indications of spring " con- tains the result of more than sixty years' observation, by Ro- bert Marsham, Esq., of Stratton Strawless, in the county of Norfolk ; a gentleman of whom it need scarcely be premised that he was an attentive and accurate observer of the pheno- mena of nature. In this work he probably derived some assistance, latterly, from his neighbour Lord Suffield. Strat- ton Hall, where Mr. Marsham recorded his remarks, is nearly in the centre of Norfolk, and its neighbourhood was greatly embellished by the judicious skill which he exhibited in the rural art of planting. The Table was printed for private dis- tribution many years ago, but I am not aware that it was otherwise published. At all events the register is so curious and so appropriate to the design of your Magazine, that it well deserves an early place in its pages. I have introduced an essential alteration in the arrangement, for the sake of a better classification of the indications. To the meteorologist, also, this document cannot fail to be acceptable, since it marks the range of variation in the climate of the eastern part of the kingdom. The earliest date recorded is the year 1735j and K 4 128 Cuvierlan System of Zoology, the latest observation appears in 1800. The least variation is in the time of the appearance of the migratory birds, and the hatching of young rooks. The greatest range is in the blos- soming of the turnip, the appearance of the yellow butterfly, and the singing of the thrush. INDICATIONS OF SPRING, Earliest Latest, Greatest DiflTerence ( observed in Medium Time. Thrush sinsrs •... 1735, Dec. 4. 1752, April 7. 1781, April 29. 1752, April 9. 1751, Dec. 27. 1800, Feb. 2. 1747, Mar. 26.! 1736, Mar. 30. 1750, Feb. 20. J790,Jan. 14. 1778, Dec. 24. 1796, Jan. 10. 1790, Mar. 16. 1759, Feb. 11. 1750, April 13. 1750, Feb. 22. 1750, Feb. 21. 1779, Mar. 4. 1779, Mar. 5. 1750, Mar. 31. 1779, April 5. 1763, Mar. 10. 1794, Mar. 28. 1794,- Mar. 7. 1779, April 2. 1794, Mar. 19. 1794, Mar. 15. 1766, Feb. 13. 1792, May 19. 1792, June 26. 1767, May 7. 1761, Mar. 20. 1757, Mar. 14. 1764, April 24. 1797, April 26. 1771, May 4. 1783, April 17. 1795, Feb. 10. 1790, June 18. 1784, April 22L 1784, April 22. 1799, June 2. 1771, May 4. 1771, May 4. 1784, May 6. 1771, May 2. 1799, May 20. 1771, May 10. 1771, May 2. 1770, May 12. 1771, May 7. 1772, May 26. 1756, May 7. 1771, May 7. 5Q years — 81 days. 59 years — 42 days. 46 years— 58 days. 51 years — 29 days. 47 years — 83 days. 53 years — 40 days. 52 years — 29 days. 62 years — 27 days. 57 years — 73 days. 36 years— 93 days. 65 years — 48 days. 55 years— 129 days. 30 years — 37 days. 59 years — 70 days. 59 years — 50 days. 57 years — 71 days. 52 years— 72 days. 47 years — 63 days. 43 years — 57 days. 54 years— 50 days. 53 years — 35 days. 47 years — 52 days. 36 years — 45 days. 40 years — 61 days. 36 years— 54 days. 43 years — 49 days. 34 years— 53 days. 1747, Jan. 14. 1784, April 28. 1760, May 29. 1789, April 23. 1750, Jan. 22. 1744, Feb. 21. 1789, April 14. 1777, April 13. 1763, Mar. 30. 1773, Mar. 3. 1750, Jan. 15. 1742, April 15. 1778, April 5 1758, Mar. 19. 1744, May 12. 1744, Mar. 30. 1745, Mar. 29. 1773, April 6. 1773, April 6. 1757, April 26. 1785, April 23. 1784, April 23. 1776, April 21. 1789, April 9. 1787, April 29. 1796, April 13. 1788, April 12. Nijrhtincale sines Ring Doves coo ............ Rooks build Frogs and Toads croak ... Yellow Butterfly appears Snowdrop apiJears Turnip flowers • Wood Anemone blows... Hawthorn flowers Sycamore leaf •• Birch leaf Elm leaf. Oak leaf Beech leaf. Horsechestnut leaf... ... Spanish Chestnut leaf..... Hornbeam leaf ..< Ash leaf T.imp lf>af .......... Maple leaf. Art. III. The Cuvierian, or Natural^ System of Zoology, . Essay 3. The Characters of Vertebrated Animals^ and their Divi- sion into Four Classes ; Mammijerous Animals^ Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes. Distinctive Characters of each Class, By B. Having given in the preceding essays Baron Cuvier's ge- neral view of animal physiology, and stated the principles on which he establishes four grand divisions of the animal king- dom, I shall, in the present essay, comprise his more ample description of the characters of the first division, Verte- brated Animals ; also the distinctive characters of each of the four classes into which they are divided. It will be shown that this division into four classes is justly founded upon the internal organisation, and not upon the external forms, of ani- mals ; and the reader will not fail to perceive the importance, indeed the absolute necessity, of an acquaintance with the lead- ing facts in animal physiology, if he would obtain a correct knowledge of zoology as a science. Cuvierian System of Zoology, 129 Vertebrated animals form the most important division of the animal kingdom. Their bodies and limbs being supported by a framework {charpente) or skeleton, composed of pieces which are connected or movable ; their motions have more strength and precision than those of animals in the other divisions, and the solidity of their supports permits them to attain a great size: the largest animals are found in this division. The nervous system of vertebrated animals being more concen- trated, and the central mass or brain more voluminous, than in animals in the other three divisions, their sensations {sentz- mens) have more energy and duration, hence they possess superior intelligence and greater perfectability. The body of vertebrated animals is composed of a head, a trunk, and limbs. The head is formed of the skull which encloses the brain, and of the face which is composed of two jaws, and the recep- tacles of the organs of sense. The trunk is supported by the backbone and the ribs. The backbone, or spine, is composed of numerous bones called vertebrae, moving upon each other ; the first supports the head. All the vertebrae are perforated, and together they form a bony channel or tube, in which is lodged that trunk of the nervous system called the spinal marrow. The backbone is most frequently prolonged beyond the lower limbs, and forms a tail. The ribs are semicircles, which protect the sides of the cavity of the body ; most frequently they are articulated at one end to the vertebrae, and at the other to the breastbone or sternum ; sometimes they are scarcely visible. Vertebrated animals have never more than two pair of limbs ; sometimes the hind limbs, and sometimes the fore limbs, and sometimes both pairs are wanting, and take other forms relating to the motions they have to perform. The fore limbs may be converted into hands, or feet, or legs, or fins ; the hind limbs into feet or fins. - - The blood of vertebrated animals is always red, and has a composition proper to maintain the energy of feeling, and the muscular vigour which exist in different degrees in' the ani- mals belonging to this division, and which correspond with the quantity of respiration. . -. The organs of the external senses are always two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the teguments or covering of the tongue, and those of the whole body. There are always two jaws: the principal motion is in the lower, which rises and falls ; the upper is sometimes entirely fixed. Both jaws are most frequently armed with teeth, excrescenqes of a peculiar nature^ very 130 Ctwierian ^stem of Zoology, similar to bone in their chemical composition, but which increase by layers {couches) and by transudation. But one entire class, namely, birds, have their jaws covered with horny beaks, and this is the case with the genus tortoise in the class of reptiles. The above characters, which are chiefly external, would enable any person unacquainted with physio- logy to distinguish verlebrated animals from those in the other divisions. Some orders of articulated animals approach in form the nearest to vertebrated animals, but they have no internal skeleton. The characters derived from the internal structure and orga- nisation are striptly physiological, and the learner must refer to what has been stated in the first and second essays respect- ing them. Jn the division of vertebrated animals, the nerves unite with the spinal jpord through passages in the vertebrae, or in the skull s they appear all to unite into a double bundle {faisceau) which forms this spinal cord, and which, after having crossed its filaments, spreads and swells out to form the divers tuber- dps of which the brain is composed, and terminates in two medullary masses called hemispheres, the I'elative volume of which corresponds with the extent of intelligence. The intestinal canal extends from the mouth to the anus, undergoing, in its course, various expansions and contractions : it has different appendages, and receives different dissolving fluids. That which pours into the mouth is called the saliva; other fluids which enter the intestines have received different names; the two principal are the secretion from the gland called the pancreas, and the bile which is secreted by another very considerable gland called the liver. While the digested aliments traverse the 'alimentary canal, the part proper for imtrition, called the*chyle, is absorbed by particular vessels called lacteals, and is carried into the veins ; the residue of the nutrition is also carried into the veins by vessels analogous to the lacteals, forming with them one sys- tem, called the system of the lymphatic vessels. The veins bring back to the heart the blood which has served to nourish the different parts, and which has been renewed by the chyle and the lymph ; but this blood is obliged to pass wholly, or in part, into the organ of respiration, to regain the nature of arterial blood by the absorption of oxygen, and by exhalation, before it is carried back into the arteries. In the first three classes of animals, the respiratory organs are lungs, an assemblage of cells into which the atmospheric air penetrates. In fishes the respiration is performed by gills, a series of lammae between which the water passes. Cuvierian System of Zoology, 131 In all vertebrated animals the blood which supplies the liver with the matter that forms the bile, is veinous blood which has circulated in the intestines, and which, after reuniting in one trunk, called the vena porta, is spread again through the liver. All vertebrated animals have a particular secretion from two large glands attached to the sides of the backbone called the kidneys ; this liquor, denominated urine, generally remains sometime in a reservoir called the bladder. The sexes are always distinctly separated ; but the mode of impregnation varies very much. The eggs of some reptiles, and of almost all fishes, are impregnated by the male after they are spawned. We may perceive in the above characters, how far all ver- tebrated animals resemble each other : nevertheless they admit of four grand subdivisions or classes, characterised by the kind or strength of their motions, which also depend on the quantity of their respiration ; since it is from the respiration that the muscular fibres derive their energy, and their irri- tability. The quantity of respiration depends on two conditions : the first is the relative proportion of blood which is presented to the respiratory organs in a given time ; the second, the relative proportion of oxygen which enters into the composition of the fluid in which the animal lives, whether water or air. The quantity of blood which is acted on by respiration, de- pends on the structure and disposition of the organs of respir- ation and circulation. The organs of circulation may be double, so that all the blood which is returned by the veins is obliged to circulate through the respiratory organs, before it is carried again to different parts by the arteries ; or these organs may be simple, so that only a portion of the blood returned from the body to the heart is obliged to pass through the respiratory organs, and the rest circulates again through the body, with- out having been subjected to the effects of respiration. The latter is the case with reptiles ; their quantity of respiration, and all the qualities that depend on it, vary according to the proportion of blood which enters the lungs at each pulsation. From these characters Cuvier forms the four subdivisions or classes of vertebrated animals, which are, — Class 1. Mammiferous Animals, which, bring forth their young alive and suckle them, being provided with teats (Lat. mam" mce), whence the name is derived. Class 2. Birds, Class 3. Reptiles, Class 4. Fisk, 132 Cmierian System qf Zoology. The general plan of the skeleton is the same in each class, though it admits of considerable modifications, as may be per- ceived by the annexed figures. Fig, 30. a represents the hu- man skeleton, man being placed at the head of the mammiferous class ; b, the skeleton of a bird ; c, that of a frog ; and d, the skeleton of a fish. Man is preeminently gifted by his Creator with superior intellectual powers, he is distinguished also by his erect posture, which required a structure varying consi- derably from that of mammiferous quadrupeds: had we chosen the skeleton [of any of the lower orders of this class, the form would have approached more closely to those of the other classes, but taking the extremes of the grand division of vertebrated animals, we still perceive the leading characters of the osteology to be the same. Namely, a skull containing the brain, supported by the vertebral column which contains the spinal cord, and to which the ribs are attached. With respect to the limbs, they admit of a great variety of form suited to the wants of the animal, and in the lowest order of the mammiferous class, which comprises dolphins and whales, we find only one pair of limbs, and in the latter, they are so concealed in the flesh, as not to be visible. The upper limbs of birds do not terminate in toes or claws. Some reptiles have only one pair of limbs, others, as serpents, have none. The distinctive characters of the four classes above enume- rated founded not on the form of the skeleton, but on the circulation and respiration, are thus given by Cuvier. Mammiferous Animals have a double circulation, and the aerial respiration is simple, viz. it is effected by the lungs only. Cuvierian System qfZoology, 133 Birds exceed mammiferous quadrupeds in the quantity of their respiration, for they have not only a double circulation, and an aerial respiration, but they respire also through other cavities besides the lungs, the air penetrating through the whole body, and bathing the branches of the aorta or great artery of the body, as well as those of the pulmonary artery. Fishes have a double circulation, but their respiratory or- gans (the gills) are only formed to respire by the intervention of water, and their blood only receives the portion of oxygen dissolved or mixed in the water, so that the quantity of re- spiration is, perhaps, less than that of the next class. Reptiles. Reptiles. The organs of circulation are simple, and only a portion of the blood brought back by the veins passes through the organs of respiration. Their quantity of respir- ation, and all the other qualities that depend on it, vary ac- cording to the proportion of blood which enters the lungs at each pulsation. In mammiferous quadrupeds the quantity of respiration is less than that of birds ; but it is greater than that of reptiles, on account of the structure of the respiratory organs ; and ex- ceeds that of fishes, on account of the different elements in which they live. Hence result the four kinds of movements, which the four classes of vertebrated animals are particularly destined to exert. Mammiferous animals, in which the quantity of respiration is moderate, are generally formed to develope their strength in walking or running. Birds, which have a larger quantity of respiration, have the activity and strength of muscles neces- sary for flying. Reptiles, in which respiration is more feeble, are condemned to crawl ; and many of them pass a part of their lives in a kind of torpor. Fishes require to be sup- ported in an element nearly as heavy as themselves, in order to exert their proper motions in swimming. All the circumstances of organisation proper to each of the four classes, and particularly those which regard their move- ments and exterior sensations, have a necessary relation with their essential characters ; nevertheless, the class of mammi- ferous animals has particular characters belonging to their viviparous generation, the manner in which the foetus is nourished in the womb by means of the placenta, and the teats with which they suckle their young. On the contrary, the other three classes are oviparous ; and if we contrast them together with the first class, we shall find certain resem- blances which indicate in the three classes, birds, fishes, and reptiles, a special plan of organisation, comprised in the general plan of all vertebrated animals. B. 134* Preternatural Growth of the Incisor Teeth, Art. IV. Observations on a preternatural Grotvth of the Incisor Teeth, occasionally observed in certain of the Mammctlia rodentia. By the Rev. Leonard Jenyns, F.L.S. Instances of the wild rabbit have occasionally been met with in Cambridgeshire, in which the fore-teeth had grown to so great a length, as to be rendered wholly unfit for the pur- poses they are intended to serve. This disease, as, in truth, it may be strictly called, has been often observed before *, both in these, and, I believe, also in other animals of the order Rodentia (les Rongeurs Cuv.), whose incisors are all constructed on the same, or nearly the same, plan. Nor is it for the novelty of the occurrence that the following remarks are offered: my present object is merely to draw attention to the circumstances of at least two cases, that were not attended by that accident which is usually supposed to produce the singularity in question. It appears to be the statement of some authors, that, in order to occasion this anomaly, it is necessary that one pair of incisors, or one single incisor, be either broken or fallen outf; and that it is for want of the accustomed attrition against the teeth which are deficient, that the opposite pair grow to an unusual extent. This is so far true, that, I believe, in all cases, it is in immediate consequence of the cutting edge not being worn away, or at least to that degree that it is in healthy individuals from constant use, and to supply which loss these teeth are provided with the power of growth J, that this irregularity shows itself: but I would observe that the * See Plott's Natural History of Staffordshire, p. 252. tab. 22. fig. 6.; also Morton's Natural History of Norttiamptonshire, p. 445. f Cuvier, speaking of the incisors of the Roddntia, observes, " Leur forme prismatique fait qu'elles croissent de la racine a mesure qu'elles s*usent du tranchant, et cette disposition a croitre est si forte, que si Vune ffelles se perd ou se casse, celle qui lui etait opposee n'ayant plus rien qui la comminue, se d^veloppe au point de devenir monstrueuse." — Regne Animal, tom.i. p. 187. J It is well known to comparative anatomists, that the incisors of the Rodentia, like the tusks of the elephant and hippopotamus, are in a con- stant state of growth, and that they are furnished with roots which in length nearly equal the jaw itself, curving back underneath the grinders, and extending in some cases as far as the coronoid processes. In con- sequence of this singular provision of nature, so admirably adapted to the habits and economy of this tribe, there is a constant, yet gradual, advance- ment of the interior part of the tooth, to supply the place of the portion worn down in feeding, &c. ; and, under ordinary circumstances, this in- crease is so nicely regulated, that the cutting edges of the two pairs of incisors always preserve the same relative situation with respect to each other. A good description and representation of this contrivance may be seen in Blake* s Essay on Teeth. {Disputatio med, inaug. de Dentium For- matione, &c., p. 88 — 91., tab. 5. fig. 9.) in certain of the Mammalia rodentia. ultimate cause of the evil may arise from other accidents besides those above mentioned. Thus, it may originate from too soft food ; from a morbid and too rapid secretion of the osseous matter of the tooth, which is constantly being deposited at its root, or from some slight derangement of the under jaw ; such as, for instance, a dislocation of one of its condyles, where- by the incisors of that jaw would be thrown out of their proper position, and their cutting edges could not be brought fairly into contact with those of the opposite pair. In either of these cases, the growth of the teeth will be over-proportioned to their abrasion by the acts of gnawing and feeding, and a preternatural elongation of that part which is above the gums will immediately take place. It is obvious that this diseased growth will be more or less rapid according to the degree of influence exerted by the predisposing cause, and the length of time it has operated. Perhaps, in the first stage of the malady, its progress may be very gradual, and not much interfere with the usual habits of the animal; but the teeth having once attained such a length that, under any circumstances, their edges cannot be brought to act upon each other, their growth must be much more rapid, and ultimately prove such an inconvenience, as must often terminate in the starvation of the sufferer. It is to one of the above causes that I would attribute this singular accident in the two following instances, in neither of which was there any deficiency in the proper number of teeth, or appearance of their having been broken. In the first of these rab- bits, which is preserved in the museum of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and is a remarkably fine example of the anomaly in question, the lower incisors are the pair chiefly elongated (7%. 31.); and they are here so prodi- giously developed, as to turn completely over the nose, measuring in length, from the surface of the gum to their cutting edges, no less than two inches and one eighth. * I am inclined to suggest, that, in this case, it was a too rapid secretion of the osseous matter * The usual length of this portion of the incisor in the wild rabbit is only three lines, or a quarter of an inch. 136 Preternatural Growth of Incisors in Mamm, rodentia. of the tooth in the lower jaw that led to the disease ; because, under any other circumstances, it seems probable that both pairs of incisors would have been equally elongated; where- as the upper pair were, comparatively speaking, but little affected. In the second rabbit that occurred this was found to be the case, and both pairs were observed to have very much exceeded the usual length ; but then, in this instance, there was such an irregularity in their mode of growth, that we may, perhaps, find a better explanation of the anomaly in some derangement of the jaws, the result either of natural constitution or of accidental injury. Whatever this might have been (for I regret that this rabbit was not pre- served, and no examination of the jaws made at the time), the effect was that of causing the lower pair of incisors, when viewed together, to assume the shape and appearance of the letter V, diverging from one another at the surface of the gum, and extending in opposite directions, to the length of nearly an inch and a half. The degree of divergency observed in the upper pair was nearly as great as this in the lower, and their length about the same ; but their curvature very much greater ; as, indeed, would necessarily result from the greater bend of that portion of the jaw in which these incisors are formed. In this instance, the portion without the gums had completed three parts of an exact circle, and their cutting edges were in close contact with the roof of the mouth. Both the above rabbits, when taken, exhibited the appear- ance of being nearly starved to death, through an inabiUty of procuring their usual food. In the first case, life had been sustained solely by the small quantity of herbage which the animal, was enabled to crop with its lips at the side of the mouth, which appeared to have been used for that purpose. In the second instance, even this method of feeding could scarcely have been resorted to with success, the rabbit being absolutely unable to close its mouth, from the pressure of the lower portion of the curve, formed by the upper incisors upon the surface of the tongue. The individuals to which the foregoing observations relate occurred in the neighbourhood of Cambridge. I have since then being favoured by a friend with a third example of this monstrosity, in a rabbit killed in Lincolnshire, one of whose upper incisors was even longer than in the case last mentioned, having actually grown into the palate, and reentered that portion of the jaw from whence it originally sprung. This appeared to be the result of some local disease, affecting, in the first instance, that single tooth, which was also much twisted in its direction ; but, as in process of time the growth of this tooth became so great as to interrupt the operation of (hi the Kath of the Ancient He1/re*ms. 1 37 feeding, and thereby to diminish the ordinary frictioit upon the edges of the other three incisors, these hkewise uUimately became preternaturally elongated, though to a much less degree. Art. V. On the Kath of the Ancient Hebretvs, considered as the Pelican of the Moderns."^ By David Scot, M.D. M.W.S. F.H.S.E. Kath is a species of bird reckoned unclean by the law of the Hebrews, and mentioned five times in their writings. In three passages f, it is rendered pelican by the Sept. Why it should not be so rendered in the other two passages if, it is not easy to discover. Perhaps the translators of these were not the same as the translators of the former ; and what not a little favours this conjecture, the translators of the prophets are ob- served to be inferior to those of the law. It is rendered pelican by the Vulg. in one passage §, but onocrotalus in three passages.il Nor is the Vulgate to be charged with inconsistency in so doing; for onocrotalus is understood to be the same bird as the pelican. Formerly naturalists were not agreed upon this point ; but, latterly, the number of dissenting voices has been on the decline. The arguments for and against it have been stated by Professor Cyprian, in his enlarged edition of Franzius's History of Animals, Onocrotalus is properly a creature that brays like an ass, and the pelican is thought to have got that name from the harshness of its cry. This it chiefly utters when on the wing. In this respect it imitates those birds which approach it in size ; such as the heron, the wild swan, and the crane. Some say that the cry of the pelican resembles the complaint of a man in distress, and that David compares himself to it on account of his moaning.4- " By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness : I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am like a lonely bird on the house top." Of this passage the points of comparison may be disputed, * Read before the Wer. Nat. Hist. Soc. 31st Jan. 1829, and communi- cated to the Magazine of Natural History, by Dr. Scot, Feb. 25. f Levit. xi. 18. Deut. xiv. 17., and Psalms cii. 7. X Isa. xxxiv. 11., and Zeph. ii. 14. § Psal. cii. 7. II Levit. xi. 18. Isa. xxxiv. U., and Zeph. ii. 14. 4- Psal. cii. 5, 6, 7. Vol. II. — No. V. l . 138 On the Kath of the Ancient Hebrews, Whether does the Psalmist'compare himself to those birds from his moaning, his leanness, or his solitude ? There is no idea intimated in the psalm that the Psalmist was in solitude, farther than that the birds with which he com- pares himself were solitary. They are called the pelican of the wilderness, the owl of the desert, the lonely bird on the house top. In all probability these birds are said to be solitary, because they cry when they are in that state. If it be said that the Psalmist compares himself to these birds on account of his leanness, the comparison will only hold betwixt himself and the pelican. This bird is always lean, and so are most birds which live upon fish, particularly the gull tribe ; but the owl is not mentioned for its leanness, nor the lonely bird on the house top. If it be argued that he compares himself to these birds from the resemblance of his moaning to their cry, w^e are disposed to acquiesce. The cry of a man in grief is very disagreeable to the ear, and the cry of the pelican has always been reckoned such. When David compared his moaning to the cry of the peli- can, the comparison cannot be termed more improper than that of Hezekiah, when he compared his chattering, as the English Bible calls it, to that of the swallow and the crane, which they utter on the wing, whether they be moved with grief or not. Some other birds, which make a disagreeable noise, have also been thought to be called onocrotali, particularly the bit- tern and spoonbill. The noise which the bittern makes is horrible and loud, and there have not been wanting some who believe onocrotalus to be the bittern. Others reckon it to be the spoonbill ; and it seems to be agreed upon that the spoon- bill makes more noise than the pelican, but that it is not so harsh. We agree with those who think the onocrotalus to be the pelican, rather than the bittern or spoonbill ; though, at the same time, it must be confessed that it is not very clear what bird the ancients meant, either by the pelican or the onocrotalus. Onocrotalus, if the etymology be considered, is any bird whose cry is so harsh as to suggest the braying of an ass, whether the bittern, spoonbill, or pelican of the moderns be understood. Pelican, pelicanos; or, with the moderns, peli- canus pelicani ; is still more uncertain in its application. Some derive it from pelekan, to cut with an axe ; and Aristophanus calls the Picus martins the pelican, " apo ton pelekan ta zula^^ from cutting trees with its bill. Aristotle, Cicero, and Pliny, however, seem to derive the word apo to2i plateos, from the breadth of the bill, and certainly mean either the spoonbill, or considered as the Pelican of the Moderns, 1S9 me pelican of the moderns ; or, at least, a bird that frequents the waters and lives on fish. If we could satisfy ourselves that the word pelican came from pelat^ a verb in Chaldee to vomit, the pelican of the Greeks, and the kath of the Hebrews, would have precisely the same meaning. While the Septuagint and Jerome have occasionally ren- dered the kath of the Hebrews the pelican, the critics on the Continent are for rendering it the spoonbill ; though we have not heard by what arguments that rendering is supported. We know that Bochart was inclined to translate kath the heron or bittern ; or rather the pelican^ heron^ or bittern ; because he had taken up the idea that cos standing' next to kath in the two lists of birds, given in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, was the pelican ; but it did not occur to him that kath was the spoonbill. As the ancient Greeks seem to have given the name of ono- crotalus to the white pelican from its disagreeable cry, soothe Arabians for a similar reason call it the water camel. In the English Bible kath is translated pelican in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Psalms, but with an inconsistency not easy to account for, cormorant in Isaiah and Zephaniah. The cormorant is a sea bird, living entirely by the fish which it catches in the ocean; and there is a manifest absurdity in making it dwell in the ruins of a great city, among houbaras*, owls, and ravens. Both Isaiah and Zephaniah say that the kath was to take up its abode in the ruins of Babylon and Nineveh, and this is a very intelligible and probable account when spoken of the pelican. Babylon stood upon the Euphrates, and Nineveh upon the Tigris, and pelicans fed on the fishes of those rivers, and when their hunger was appeased, retired to the ruins to rest, whether during the night or the day. In habits, however, whatever may be the size, there is not a great difference between the pelican and cormorant. Both of them have a pouch below the chops, though that of the cormorant is but small, and this circumstance makes the resemblance still more striking. While Linnaeus has called the former Pelecanus Onocrotalus, he has given to the latter the name of Pelecanus Carbo. The name of Pelecanus Onocrotalus was given to the white pelican by Hasselquist the Swedish tra- veller, and from him, we believe, introduced by Linnaeus into his system. * See the author's dissertation on the kephud of the Hebrew Scriptures, considered as the houbara of the Arabs, and not the hedgehog of the Eng- lish Bible. L 2 140 On the Kath of the Ancient Hebretvs, Kath, the original term for pelican, is taken from kae, to vomit, and it is undoubtedly given to this bird, from its throw- ing up the food, which it has lodged in the large pouch under the lower mandible. This can be distended so much as to admit the heads of two men ; and it is found to be a most con- venient receptacle for the food which this bird collects for itself and its young. Many of the ancients have said that the proper food of this bird is shellfish, which it swallows, and throws up when the heat of its stomach has opened the shells. In all probability, however, what it collects of shellfish goes no farther than the pouch ; and continues in the pouch till the seams are opened with its heat. Then the fishes are thrown out, and the bird picks out the flesh, and leaves the shells. That shellfish is its food is somewhat questionable. As it seeks its food over the sea, far from the shore, and also fre- quents rivers and fresh-water lakes, it is more likely that fish without shells is its ordinary food ; and this certainly will be more easily managed, if not more quickly digested. When it wants to dislodge what is laid up in the pouch, it presses its bill against it, and part or all of what it contains is brought out. To accomplish this purpose considerable effort is required, but to this the bird is accustomed. From this striking acl;ion has arisen the fable among the an- cients, that the pelican pierced her own breast, and nourished her young with her blood, and on that account it became as celebrated for maternal, as the stork for filial, affection. This story, like many others, rests upon no solid foundation ; but the idea was natural enough to imperfect and astonished observers ; and such, we suspect, has been the character, more or less, of all the ancient naturalists. The action, however, which is so remarkable in this bird, shows the propriety and force of the Hebrew term by which it is named, kath being the vomiter or vomiting bird. The action of vomiting, or throwing up the contents of the pouch or gizzard, &c., is common to this bird, and most of the gull tribe, when they are pursued ; but, as the pelican does so of its own accord, it more strictly deserves this title than any of the gulls. The pouch in question is not only to be considered as a re- pository for the fish caught, but as a net for catching it. The remark is made by Shaw the traveller, and if true the bird must have the art of dilating, as well as placing it in such a manner as to intercept the fish swimming around it. The manner, however, in which the pelican fishes, does not render this account very probable. For this purpose the bird considered as the Pelican of the Moderns* 14?1 raises itself above the surface of the sea, and then flies along, with one eye towards the water, till it sees a fish near the sur- face. Instantly it darts down upon it with astonishing swift- ness, " seizes upon it with unerring certainty, and stores it up in its pouch." It rises again as before, and repeats the same manoeuvres, till it has got a sufficient quantity. It now retires to the shore, and at leisure devours the fruits of its industry. As it digests quickly, it has generally to fish more than once in the course of the day. At night it rests a little way from the shore, its head being supported by its breast. In this posture it remains, till hunger prompts it to break its repose. Thus it passes its life in a kind of dozing indolence when not fishing. Nothing but the call of hunger can rouse it into action : and as from its size it mounts into the air with diffi- culty, it would never make the attempt but for the removal of its hunger. Altogether the pelican is very stupid. When sitting on its eggs, it suffers them to be taken from under it without making opposition. At least it manifests no other concern than merely pecking the person that removes them. To the kath being the pelican, in Psal. cii. 7., Shaw objects that it is described as a bird of the wilderness, and that being a water fowl, it would starve in a wilderness in which fish was not to be found. To this objection it may be answered, that what are called wildernesses, in Asiatic and African coun- tries, are destitute neither of rivers nor lakes. Ptolemy places three lakes in Marmarica, which is an extremely desert region ; and the Israelites, when marching through the deserts of Arabia, met with the waters of Marah, and the fountains of Elim. It, indeed, may be laid down as an established fact, that however desert any region may be, if it have mountains, it will have lakes and rivers. To this purpose may be quoted a very pertinent passage from Jerome, noticed by Martinius and Merrick, in which the pelican is said to live " in solitudine Nili fluminis," in the solitude of the river Nile ; and as this river winds through desolate tracts the prophet Amos is perfectly justified in calling it " the river of the wilderness." It may be remarked that Damir, quoted by Bochart, asserts that the onocrotalus does not always remain in the water, but often flies far from it, and might not its monstrous pouch be given for this among other purposes, that neither itself nor its young ones might want food, when it was at a distance from the water? L 3 142 The Kath considered as the Pelican. Hence has arisen among naturalists the supposition of two species, or rather varieties, of white pelican, the one living in deserts, and the other on the banks of rivers, or the margin of lakes ; but now it seems to be the general opinion that there is no ground whatever for such a supposition. The pelican is large among the feathered race, greatly exceeding the ordinary goose in size, or, as Edwards, in his History ^ Birds, asserts " it is double the bigness of the largest swan." Its bill is long, and hooked at the end ; its colour white, inclining to yellow on the neck, with black feathers along the middle of the back ; its voice harsh and disagreeable ; and its toes connected with a web. From the same respectable authority we learn that the peli- can inhabits the greatest part of the old world ; that it is found in climates far north and south, as well as in all the interme- diate latitudes ; that it is not uncommon in Russia, abounds in Egypt, and even reaches the Cape of Good Hope. It has been seen, though very rarely, in Great Britain. That it was to be met with in the land of Canaan, the authority of holy writ declares, and modern travellers still bear witness that it is very frequent in Western Asia. We have not heard what kind of flesh this bird possesses, nor whether any use has been made of its feathers. In the absence of correct information, the flesh and feathers of the heron and crane, or rather of the gull or gannet, will afford a good criterion for judging of the fleshy and feathers of the pelican. Being a large bird, and requiring much range of water to supply its food, it is probably rather scarce, and by many peo- ple must be viewed rather as a curiosity than put to any use. Of course it will be oftener found in a menagery than seen flying over our heads, or rising from the fens or lakes. A print of it may be seen in Scheuchzer's Physica Sacra, plate ccxlvi., and we have ourselves seen the original in a col- lection of live animals, carried through the country for show. It belongs to the order Palmipedes, or birds that are web- footed, frequent the waters of the ocean, as well as rivers and lakes, live on fish, and are good at swimming. The nest of the common pelican is deep, and a foot and a half in diameter. It consists of sedges, but is lined on the inside with soft grass. The bird builds it in the marshy and uncultivated places of islands rather than of continents, and lays two or more white eggs. Notices of British Snipes. {'^ 143 Art. VI. Descriptive and Historical Notices of British Snipes, By H. V. D. Sir, I HIGHLY approve the plan of your Magazine, and regard it as a useful medium of collecting and recording the observ- ations and intelligence, both of scientific naturalists, and ob- servers of nature, in various parts of the kingdom. By these means the science of natural history may be much benefited, and the researches of the naturalist much promoted; many errors may thus be corrected, and valuable facts established. The particular kind of communication I should recommend in the zoological department of your undertaking would be complete natural histories of particular species or families of animals. The accurately noting down the arrival and depar- ture of the migratory birds (as proposed in your Perennial Calendar of Nature, p. 80. of your First Number) will help to elucidate the mystery attendant upon our periodical visitants. In aid of your useful plan I will now proceed to offer you an attempt at the history of the Common Snipe, and its two con- geners, the Jack and Solitary Snipe, according to my observ- ation and experience, as a naturalist and sportsman, in the eastern part of the county of Norfolk. The plan I propose to pursue, in this communication, is to begin with their first arrival here in the spring months ; then to trace them through the breeding season, to the arrival and departure of the multi- tudes which cover our marshes in the latter part of autumn. Some few individuals remain with us during the winter months, if unaccompanied with severe frosts, in which latter case they all invariably quit our extensive tract of marshes to find food and shelter in warmer climes and open springs. In the early part of February a few return to this district, being regulated in their emigration by the state of the tem- perature, and by the quarter whence the wind blows. Their arrival is delayed by the prevalence of east and north-easterly winds ; but should warm genial air, accompanied with south- west winds, at this time prevail, they will arrive in greater numbers, and at an earlier period. I am convinced, from the observation of several years, that their return is much regu- lated by the state of the atmospheric temperature, inasmuch as that return is consistent with the flowering of certain wild plants, which is retarded or forwarded precisely as the spring happens to be cold or warm. For instance, in the latter parts of the month of February the little Z)raba verna is seen opening its flowers on old walls and banks with a southern exposure ; at that time I have invariably observed that a few snipes (the ad- vanced guard of the main body) are to be found in our marshes. L 4 144« Descriptive and Historical Notices When I notice (about the second week in March) the /Ra- nunculus Ficaria, and the ^lola odorata in blossom, I am then confident of finding diversion in the pursuit of snipe-shooting, By attending to these coincidences, a Norfolk sportsman will rarely be disappointed in his expectation of amusement at this time of the year, if (as before observed) a west or south-west wind should prevail. I have noted their return, in some years (as in 1825), as early as the last week in February; and, in some years (as in 1826), the arrival of the greater body has been as late as the last week in March. The usual time, however, for their principal remigration may be stated to take place from about the 14th of March to the end of the month. The greater proportion of these spring visitants soon take their departure for the more northern latitudes, which is expe- dited by the same south-west wind which brought them here, and equally retarded by a wind blowing from the opposite quarter. Many remain to breed upon our Norfolk marshes, for which purpose they select such as cattle have been depastured upon, in preference to those marshes which are reserved for mowing. The period of pairing commences early in April, at which time the male snipe serenades his mate with two distinct notes, differing as widely from each other as from the cry they utter at other times. The one note may be compared to the repe- tition of the word " tinker, tinker," uttered in a sharp shrill tone, as the bird ascends in his flight : the other, uttered as he descends, is somewhat similar to the bleating of a lamb, only in a deeper tone, and accompanied with a violent vibration of the wings. The nest is formed not unlike that of the lapwing, being composed of coarse grass. The female generally lays four eggs (rarely five), placed with their small ends together in the centre of the nest. The eggs are smaller than those of the lapwing, of a green colour, marked with spots of light and darker brown. I cannot state with accuracy either the period of the incubation of the common snipe, or the exact time when the young are excluded from the egg. As a sportsman, I can only inform you that I have this year killed young snipes, strong upon wing, as early as the last week in May ; but in other years seldom before the 6th of June. The Jack Snipe has been known (though very rarely) to breed on our marshes. I have not had an instance of the Solitary Snipe's nest being found in this county. In the latter part of July, or early in August, the snipes, old and young, quit their breeding marshes in common with other fen birds, and betake themselves, in family parties of six or seven in a flock, to marshes which have been recently mown. In the latter part of August, we have a much greater number I of British Snipes.' 145 of snipes on our marshes than were bred in the neighbour- hood. This I have constantly regarded as a congregating and migration of the snipes bred in the northern part of this kingdom. On the 26th of August 1825, the writer of this article killed a specimen of the »Sc61opax major, and last year he killed one on each of the following days in September, namely, 17th, 24th, and 27th, and on the latter day he killed a Jack Snipe, the first he had seen in the season. With regard to the habits of the »Sc61opax major, I have to observe, that, in the language of sportsmen, it lies closer than the common snipe, being difficult to flush, and, in rising, rarely emits any cry ; its flight is heavy, resembling that of the woodcock, and is continued for a short distance only. The early arrival of the ^Scolopax major has sometimes induced me to imagine that this species may breed in our island, although I have never heard of an instance recorded of its nest having been found. The first arrival of the snipes, as I have before observed, I regard as the emigration of our home birds. During the last week in September and the first in October (especially if at- tended with strong gales from the east and north-east), we expect the second arrival. These I have always considered as bred in foreign countries. At this period they sometimes come to us in vast quantities, but are wary and difficult of approach. They rise in flocks, emitting their shrieking cry, and alarming others in their flight. The marshes they mostly frequent at this time, are those on which neat stock or bullocks have been feeding during the summer months ; the grubs of 5carabae^i, and other insects bred in the dung of cattle, af- fording them abundant supply of their favourite food. At this time they are accompanied by the Jack Snipe, whose haunts are wet marshes, with uneven and mossy bottoms, and the borders of alder rows. In the latter end of October, and during the month of No- vember, great numbers frequent the broads (or river lakes) with which this country abounds. They rest on beds of wa- tercresses, and the broken remains of the 5cirpus lacustris '(which had previously been cut by the marshmen, under the name of holders, for chair bottoms), and the Jypha lati- f6lia {vulgo Gladdon), and A^parganium ramosum [vulgo Black- weed), which are used by coopers to put between the staves of casks. On the floating remains of these and other aquatic plants they lie in great numbers, and are to be approached only by the means of a boat. In the early part of a morning, when the whiteness of a hoar frost renders the snipes visible, the marshmen secrete themselves in a small boat, behind a neighbouring reed bush, and shoot at them sitting upon these broken weeds, and have sometimes the good fortune to kill 146 Descriptive and Historical Notices many at a shot. In the latter part of November they gradu- ally take their departure, and, except a few stragglers, are not to be met with before the months of February and March in the following spring. I cannot give you much certain information respecting the food of snipes. I have killed them with small red worms, with grubs of beetles, and small shell snails in their mouths. On examining the contents of their gizzards, little is to be disco- vered of their food, which is speedily comminuted by the pow- erful operation of that muscle. Pebbles, sand, and small dark seeds (apparently of a Juncus), are usually found in the gizzard. The seeds are probably intended to break the food, more than to constitute nourishment. There is likewise vege- table fibre contained in the stomach. Here, Mr. Editor, my narrative must close, and I invite naturalists and sportsmen in the southern and western parts of this kingdom, to take up the history of the genus, where I am under the necessity of closing it, and communicate it through the medium of your Magazine. I shall conclude these observations with some useful re- marks, external and anatomical, which a medical friend of mine has furnished me with, regarding the specific differences of this natural family. aSco'lopax. Anatomical Character, — Each species has a gall bladder, two cae^ca {Jig. 33. a a\ and an appendix (h) situated a little higher up the intestines. Tibia feathered to the Knee, Sc. rusttcola[Wood- coc^).(/^. 32.)— Tail feathers 1 2, four trans- verse black marks at the back part of the head, with three paler ones. Length, 13|in. Length of bill, Sin. Extent, 25 in. Weight, 12 oz. 35 ^ ^ ^ Anat, Char, Cae^ca two eighths of ^ — /^ o _ an inch long. The gizzard contained ^O O' ^ vegetable fibres of a green colour (very much resembling moss), small black flat seeds, a pebble, and sand. of British Snipes. 147 Lcrwer Part of the Tibia naked. Be, major {Solitary Snipe), {fg. 34.) — Tail feathers 16 ; the five outermost white, barred wtih black. Belly, sides, and thighs barred with triangular black markings. Length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, 11^ in. Length from the tip of the bill to the end of the toes, 1 4^ in. Length of bill, from 2^ in. to 2^ in. Extent, 19 in. "Weight from 7 to 7^ oz. Anat. Char. Cse'ca ( fig. SB. a a) one eighth of an inch a long. In the gizzard were skins of very (3 — ^ ^ ■ — ^^ — • small grubs and fibres of roots ; in that ^ 55 of another, which had no food in it, the inner membrane was lying in longitudinal rugae, each of which was thickly beset with conical papillae, resembling rows of teeth. Sc. Gallindgo {Common Snipe), {fg. 36.) — Tail feathers 14. Belly, sides, and thighs pure head an orange-coloured stripe, bordered on each side with a black one. Length to the end of the tail, from \0\ in. to 11 J in. Length to the end of the toes, 14 in. Length of bill, from 2 J in. to 3iin. Extent, from 16 in. to 17jin. Weight, from 4 to 4^ oz. Anat. Char. Cae^ca {fig. Si. a a) one inch and a half long. The gizzard con- tained small seeds, fibres of roots, and pebbles. Sc. Galltnula {Jack Snipe), (fg. 38.) — Tail feathers 12. On the centre of the head^a black stripe, bordered on each 148 Natural History of Molluscous Animals : — side with an orange-coloured one. Length to the end of the tail, 9 in. Length to the end of the toes, 10 in. Length of bill, If in. Extent, 14^ in. Weight, 2 oz. 3 dr. 39 «' - Anat. Char, Cae'^ca (j%-. 39. a a) one ._ inch and three eighths long. The giz- zard contained small shells, vegetable fibres, and pebbles. It is by such communications as the above, that in my opi- nion your Magazine may be rendered most valuable. I am, Sir, &c. H V. D. Art. VII. Sir, The Natural History of Molluscous Animals, Series of Letters. By G. J. Letter 2. Indirect Benefits. In a You may often have heard it observed that living beings form a continuous and uninterrupted chain, lessening down From Infinite Perfection to the brink Of dreary nothing," from which no link can be removed without disordering the uniformity of the whole. If applied, as is usually done, to the external appearances or internal organisation of animals, the comparison is not altogether correct; but none can be more so if it is intended merely as an illustration of their mutual dependence upon one another. This is so close and intimate that we cannot calculate the probable effect of the annihilation of even the most insignificant species. It might involve the destruction of some other immediately dependent on it for the supply of a necessary want; the extermination of this again would be but the precursor of another's death, another still would succeed and ruin would spread around until man him- self fell in its embrace. In this view it may with great pro- priety be said that " Each shell, each crawling insect holds a rank Important in the plan of Him, who framed Indirect Benefits, 149 This scale of beings ; holds a rank, which lost Would break the chain, and leave a gap behind Which Nature's self would rue." . One, and indeed the chief, chxumstance which binds ani- mals so closely is, the dependence each has upon another for a supply of necessary food. On contemplating this part of creation we behold a scene of havoc and devastation per- petually and every where going on, so that " there is not," as Smellie has remarked, " perhaps a single species of ani- mated beings, whose existence depends not, more or less, upon the death and destruction of others." That this order of things, however cruel it may appear to us, is subservient to the good of the whole, cannot admit of any doubt ; and it is my purpose, in the present letter, to convince you by some detail of facts, that molluscous animals in this relation play a not unimportant part. But, as it would be tedious to enu- merate all or the greater portion of the animals to which they furnish nutriment, we shall confine ourselves to those which possess some peculiar interest, or which minister directly to the luxuries or necessities of man. To commence with quadrupeds. It is nothing surprising that the different species of walrus, inhabitants of ocean, should feed partly on shellfish, but perhaps you would not expect to find among their enemies animals strictly terrestrial. Yet the oran otang and the preacher monkey often descend to the sea to devour what shellfish they may find strewed upon the shores. The- former, according to Carreri Gemelli, feed in particular on a large species of oyster, and fearful of insert- ing their paws between the open valves, lest the oyster should close and crush them, they first place a tolerably large stone within the shell, and then drag out their victim with safety. The latter are no less ingenious. Dampier saw several of them take up oysters from the beach, lay them on a stone, and beat them with another till they demolished the shells. Wafer observed the monkeys in the Island of Gorgonia to proceed in a similar manner * ; and those of the Cape of Good Hope, if we are to credit La Loubere, perpetually amuse themselves by transporting shells from the shore to the tops of the mountains f, with the intention undoubtedly of devouring them at leisure. Even the fox, when pressed by hunger, will deign to eat muscles and other bivalves ; and the raccoon, whose fur is esteemed by hatters next in value to that of the beaver, when near the shore lives much on them, more * Bingley's Animal Biography. ■ t BufFon's Nat. Hist. i. 221. English translation. fc 150 Natural History of Molluscous Animals: — particularly on oysters. We are told that it will watch the opening of the shells, dexterously put in its paw, and tear out the contents. Not, however, without danger, for sometimes, we are assured, by a sudden closure, the oyster will catch the thief, and detain him until he is drowned by the return of the tide.* The story, I regret to say, appears somewhat apocry- phal, for, — - " nee lex est justior uUa, Quam necis artifices arte perire sua," f These are amusing facts ; the following, to the epicure at least, may be equally interesting. In some parts of England it is a prevalent and probably a correct opinion, that the shelled-snails contribute much to the fattening of their sheep. On the hill above Whitsand Bay in Cornwall, and in the south of Devonshire, the Bulimus acutus Drap. (Jig, 40. a) and the Helix virgata ( b ), which are found there in vast profusion, are considered to have ^gj:^^^ this good effect ; and it is indeed '"^^-^ -^ impossible that the sheep can browse on the short grass of the places just mentioned, with- out devouring a prodigious quantity of them, especially in the night, or after rain, when the Bulimi and Helices ascend the stunted blades.f " The sweetest mutton," says Borlase, " is reckoned to be that of the smallest sheep, which feed on the commons where the sands are scarce covered with the green sod, and the grass exceedingly short; such are the towens or sand hillocks in Piran Sand, Gwythien, Philac, and Senan- green, near the Land's End, and elsewhere in like situations. From these sands come forth snails of the turbinated kind, but of different species, and all sizes from the adult to the smallest just from the egg ; these spread themselves over the plains early in the morning, and, whilst they are in ques,t of * The following note is taken from BelPs Weekly Messenger, ioT Jan. 7. 1821. A tradesman of Plymouth, having lately placed some oysters in a cupboard, was surprised at finding, in the morning, a mouse caught by the tail, by the sudden collapsing of the shell. About forty years since at Ash- burton, at the house of Mrs. Allridge, known by the name of the New Inn, a dish of Wembury oysters was laid in a cellar. A large oyster soon expanded its shell, and at the instant two mice pounced upon the " living luxury," and were at once crushed between the valves The oyster, with the two mice dangHng from its shell, was for a long time exhibited as a curiosity. Carew,in his History of Cornwall, tells of an oyster that closed on three mice. An apposite instance is also epigrammatically recorded in the Greek Anthology. f [«* There is no juster law, than that the contrivers of death should perish in their own devices."] t Mont. Test. Brit. p. 347. and 417. Indirect Benefits, : 151 their own food among the dews, yield a most fattening nou- rishment to the sheep." {Hist, of Cornwall, p. 286.) Among birds the Mollusca have many enemies. Several of the duck and gull tribes, as you might anticipate, derive at least a portion of their subsistence from them. The pied oyster-catcher receives its name from the circumstance of feeding on oysters and limpets (Patella vulgaris), and its bill is so well adapted to the purpose of forcing asunder the valves of the one, and of raising the other from the rock, that " the Author of Nature," as Derham says, " seems to have framed it purely for that use." Several kinds of crows likewise prey upon shellfish, and the manner in which they force the strong hold of their victims is very remarkable. A friend of Dr. Darwin's saw above a hundred crows, on the northern coast of Ireland, at once, preying upon muscles. Each crow took a muscle up in the air twenty or forty yards high, and let it fall on the stones, and thus broke the shell. Many autho- rities might be adduced in corrobation of this statement. In Southern Africa so many of the Testacea are consumed by these and other birds, as to have given rise to an opinion that the marine shells found buried in the distant plains, or in the sides of the mountains, have been carried there by their agency, and not, as is generally supposed, by eruptions of the ,sea. Mr. Barrow, who is of this opinion, teJls us, in con- firmation of it, that " there is scarcely a sheltered cavern in the sides of the mountains that arise immediately from the sea, where living shellfish may not be found any day of the year. Crows even, and vultures, as well as aquatic birds, de- tach the shellfish from the rocks, and mount with them into the air : shells thus carried are said to be frequently found on the very summit even of the Table Mountain. In one cavern at the point of Mussel Bay," he adds, " I disturbed some thousands of birds, and found as many thousands of living shellfish scattered on the surface of a heap of shells, that for aught I know, would have filled as many thousand wag- gons." * The story, therefore, of the ancient philosopher whose bald pate one of these unlucky birds mistook for a stone, and dropped a shell upon it, thereby killing at once both, is not so tramontane as to stumble all belief Land shells furnish a few birds with part of their sus- tenance, and the principal of these are two well known song- sters, the blackbird and the thrush. They, y ■ " whose notes Nice finger'd Art must emulate in vain," * Travels in Southern Africa, i. 8. 4to. 1806. 1 62 'Natural Histcn'y of Molluscous Animals : — depend in great measure, when winter has destroyed their summer food, on the more common species of Hehces, espe- cially on H. nemoralis. These they break very dexterously by reiterated strokes against some stone ; and it is not uncom- mon to find a great quantity of fragments of shells together, as if brought to one particular stone for this very purpose. * Fishes are stupid animals, and incapable apparently of planning any stratagem by which they might surprise the un- heeding conch. You might imagine, therefore, that our favourites, " in their grotto works enclosed," were sufficiently secure from their hostile attempts. It is not so. They are the frequent victims, not indeed of the cunning, but of the in- discriminating and almost insatiable appetite, of fishes ; and from the stomach of a cod or flounder you may procure many a shell, not otherwise so easily attainable. When indeed we call to recollection the vast and incalculable numbers of mol- luscous animals which crawl on the bottom, or swim in the bosom, of the ocean, and the voracious habits of the swarms of fish which every where traverse it, we may reasonably conclude that their utility in this respect in the economy of nature is very great, and beyond human ken. And not only do the shellfish nourish, but it has been presumed, or perhaps proved, that they impart a peculiar flavour to at least some of their devourers, which greatly enhanced their value in the esteem of Roman epicures. Thus Martial sings " "^^ " No praise, no price a gilthead e'er will take. Unfed with oysters of the Lucrine lake :" t and, according to Pliny, the mullets which savoured of their food were the most prized — " laudatissimi conchylium sa- piunt:j:;" and these, as saith honest Izaak Walton, "they would purchase at rates, rather to be wondered at than be- lieved." I must here digress a litde, to advert to the more direct utility of the MoUusca in furnishing to the fisherman the means of enticing to his snare the hapless victims of his art. On every coast the shellfish peculiar to it are extensively employed for this purpose, but we may confine ourselves to those used by our own fishermen. At Salcomb on the coast of South Devon the Pholas dactylus is found in great abundance, and is used * Montagu, Ornithological Dictionary, f Hence Pope in his Satires^ " Let me extol a cat on oysters fed j rU have a party at the Bedford-head." t [« The most prized savour of shell-fish." ] Indirect Benefitsi 153 with success. Many boat-loads of a river muscle (U^iio mar- garitifera Turton) are taken from the mouth of the Ythen, a river not far from Aberdeen, and employed in the fisheries of cod and ling established near Peterhead. The clam (Pecten opercularis) and the great muscle (Modiola vulgaris) are re- sorted to in other parts of the kingdom, and are eagerly sought after as a bait for cod ; and you are aware that ipany thousands of limpets (Patella vulgaris) and of the common muscle (ik/ytilus edulis) are daily torn from the rocks, to en- snare the common fishes of our coasts, and thus contribute materially to add one more luxury to the tables of the rich, and to give to the poor a cheap and wholesome diet. The large whelk (i5uccinum undatum) and a species of rock-shell (Miirex despectus Mont.) may likewise be enumerated among our ordinary baits; but the most valuable of the class is cer- tainly the Zoligo vulgaris {Jig. 41.), or, as it is called by our fishermen, the sleeve or hoe-fish. With this animal one half of all the cod taken at Newfoundland is caught. It appears there in throngs about the beginning of August, and seems to succeed to the capelin (the fish with which the other half is taken), as if to supply, immediately, provision to the cod, the traffic in which " brings wealth to individuals and strength to the state." It begins to retire from the coast in September. " During violent gales of winds, hundreds of tons of them are often thrown up to- gether in beds on the flat beaches, the decay of which spreads an in^ tolerable effluvium around. It is made no use of except for bait ; and as it maintains itself in deeper water than the capelin, instead of nets being used to take it, it is jigged, — a jigger being a number of hooks radiating from a fixed centre, made for the purpose. The cod is in best con- dition after having fed on it." * * Edin. New Phil. Jour. No. i. p. 37. The editor remarks : " The cuttle-fish occurs in abundance in many of our estuaries and coasts, but has hitherto been considered as of no value. Now that it is known to form an excellent bait for cod, and even for other fishing, it is not to be doubted that it will in future, in this country, be used with equal advantage and profit as a bait for the capture of our cod, ling, &c." Vol. II. — No. 7. m 154? Natural Histo)^ of Molluscans Animals, Crowds of the inferior animals certainly feed on the Mollusca'^ but as there is little interest in the detail, a very few examples will here suffice. Two small leeches (//irudo bioculata and complanata) often wage successful war against the fresh-water snails so abundant in our ditches ; and another species [H. hyalina), not so cruel in disposition, draws its nourishment from the sanies which flows from the Planorbis carinatus. Its calcareous envelope is no protection to the muscle against the wiles of the Nymphon grossipes ; thousands of littoral shells are devoured by the sea anemones ( Actmise) ; and the common star-fish knows so well how to force the oyster from his close retreat *, and destroys such numbers of them, that every dredger who observes one of their enemies, and does not tread on and kill it, or throw it upon the shore, is liable ta some penalty. As ultimately connected with our subject, I must now inform you that to some animals among the inferior tribes, shells afford a house and a place of refuge, as necessary to them as either air or food* The turbinated univalves become, after the death of their proper owners, the habitations of the soldier or hermit crabs (Pagurus Leach\ whose naked and slender abdomens, covered merely with a skin of a delicate texture, would, with- out this foreign covering, be crushed to pieces in the strife of waves and rocks to which they are exposed, or devoured by the enemies which surround them. A singular species of soft worm, or Siphunculus, discovered by Mr. Montagu, inha- bits old and worn specimens of the ^Strombus pes Pelecani Lin,, whose aperture it closes up with agglutinated sand, leav- ing only a small round hole, within which it lives in security ; and another species not yet described, though common on the coasts of Scotland, takes possession of the common tooth-shell (Dentalium entalis), and secures the aperture in the same man- ner. The beautiful and delicate Paper Nautilus, with whose interesting history you must be, at least, partially acquainted, is not navigated over the surface of its native ocean by its own architect, but by a species or Ocythoe, or cuttle-fish, its para- sitic inhabitant. This surprising fact was long disputed amongst naturalists ; but the specimens brought to England by the gentlemen of the unfortunate Congo expedition, have enabled Dr. Leach and others to give it very great probabi- * " The prickly star creeps on with fell deceit. To force the oyster from his close retreat. When gaping lids their widen'd void display, The watchful star thrusts in a pointed ray. Of all its treasures spoils the rifled case, And empty shells the sandy hillocks grace.'* Jones, Linnean System of Plants, 155 lity, if not to demonstrate its truth. Mr. Cranch tells us, that, having placed two living specimens in a vessel of sea-water, the animals very soon protruded their arms, and swam on and below the surface, having all the actions of the common cuttle of our seas. By means of their suckers they adhered firmly to any substance with which they came in contact, and when sticking to the sides of the basin the shell might easily be withdrawn from the animals. They had the power of retiring completely within the shell, and of leaving it entirely.* One individual quitted its shell, and lived several hours, swimming about, and showing no inclination to return into it; and others left the shells as they were taken up in the net. The observa- tions of Sir Everard Home are, perhaps, no less decisive, confirmed, as they have been, by subsequent naturalists. He found the ova of the animal caught in the Argonauta (so the shell is known in science) to differ from those of every other testaceous animal that lives in water, in having a very large yolk to supply the young with nourishment after they are hatched, and in not being enclosed in a camerated nidus, or chambers of a peculiar kind, which are a necessary defence in the period between the Q,gg being hatched and the young acquiring its shell.f I shall leave you to your own reflections upon this fact. It is not the least remarkable of the marvel- lous works with which Infinite Wisdom has stored this world. " Wonderful, indeed, are all His works, Pleasant to know, and worthiest to be all Had in remembrance always with delight." I am, &c. G. I. Art. VIII. An Introductory Vietv of the Linnean System of Plants. By Miss Kent, Authoress of Flora Domestical Sylvan Sketches^ &c. (Continued f?'om Vol. I. p, 436.) Leaves assume an endless variety of forms and combina- tions ; some are shaped like an egg, some like a heart, some like a fiddle, some like a hatchet, &c. Others are com- pound ; composed of many small leaves called leaflets, which, * Aristotle knew that the animal of his iVautiluswas not naturally con- nected with the shell. {Be Nat. Animal., lib. iv. cap. ii. sect. 54.) f Tuckey's Narrative of an Expedition to the Zaire, appendices ii, and iii. Mr. Broderip, in an interesting essay on this subject in No. xiii. of the Zoological Journal, considers the question still undecided; but his observations upon the whole, in my opinion, support the view I have taken. M 2 156 Introductory View of the being arranged in various ways, form the pinnate leaf, the ternate leaf, the quinate, the stellate or verticillate, &c. &c. Suppose a stalk to have several leaves at each side, growing at regular distances, in pairs, this is a pinnate (winged) leaf ( fig, 42. a) ; if the stalk terminate in a leaflet, it will be termed pinnate with an odd leaflet ( h). Imagine one of the lat- ter leaves to have a very long stalk, with similar pinnate leaves set on each side of it ( c ), this is a hipinnate (twice- winged) leaf; these being again arranged in the same manner, upon a third stalk, form a tri- pinnate leaf {d) ', and, in pro- portion as this is repeated, the leaf will become compound, de- compound, superdecompound, &c. &c. It frequently hap- pens (as in Jig, 42. b) that the leaflets towards the end of the leaf are smaller than those at the base, which gives the leaf somewhat of a triangular ap- pearance; the more conspi- cuous in proportion as it is more compound. The um- belliferous (umbel-bearing) plants, which compose nearly the whole of the second order of the class Pentandria, have, with few exceptions, pinnate leaves, more or less compound. The British Flora possesses only eight genera in this order, that are not included in the natural family called Umbelliferae or Umbellatae. Of this number are the beet (^eta), of which the root is eaten in salads (it contains a great quantity of sugar, which may be extracted and manufactured for use) ; the glass- wort (Salsola), used in the manufacture of glass ; the elm ( C/1- mus); and the gentian (Gen\\dna\ a genus remarkable for the brilliant blue colour of its flowers, and the bitterness of its roots. " As bitter as gentian," is a common phrase. The root of a species of gentian growing on the Alps, and other mountains on the Continent (G. lutea), is the bitter chiefly used in medicine. The umbelliferous plants agree in having their flowers supe» rior and pentapetaloiiSy and in producing a naked fruit of two seeds slightly attached together. Many of them are so much alike in their general character, as not easily to be distin- guished. Hence mistakes have occurred ; the more important, Linnean System of Plants^ lit I as some of the plants are aromatic and edible, others fetid ; and poisonous. It is given as a general rule, that such as grow in high dry situations are wholesome, while those grow- ing in low and marshy situations are poisonous ; but this rule is by no means to be depended upon as infallible, though it holds good in nine cases out of ten. As this is a subject of no small importance, I shall speak at some length of the more dangerous among them, and of the characters by which they may be distinguished. Several of the umbelliferous plants have a few leaves at the base, either of the partial or the uni-^ versal umhel^ or sometimes of both. Some botanists call these leaves bracteas^ a name given to a leaf differing from the general foliage of a plant, and attendant upon the flowers ; but Linnaeus considered them, collectively, as a species of calyx, and called it an involticrum, from the Latin involvo, to wrap. By the presence, or absence, the number, form, and situation of these leaves, several of the plants may be distinguished. There are three genera, one aromatic, and two extremely virulent; of which the partial umbels have three bracteas, on one side only. In one of these, named fooPs parsley (^thiisa Cynapium), be- cause, not very wisely, mistaken for the true parsley, they are long and pendulous ; in hemlock (C6nium maculatum), they are short, narrow, and spreading outwards, while the bracteas of the universal umbel bend downwards ; in coriander (Corian- drum sativum), they are linear lanceolate ( fig. 43.), and those of the universal umbel are very few, if any. The first two of these plants are deadly poison ; the latter, though the fresh plant is fetid, and pro- bably deleterious, produces an aromatic and whole- some seed, which is well known. I might men- tion other distinctive characters ; but, as these are <^uite decisive, it is better not to oppress the memory with others, which might rather tend to confuse than to enlighten those who desire to remem- ber them. Another very deadly plant of this tribe is the hemlock water dropwort (Q^^nanthe crocata), which may be known by a poisonous orange-coloured juice exuding from every part of it, when bruised ; from the root, more espe- cially. Even the scent of this plant has been known to occa- sion a sense of giddiness in the head. Water hemlock (Cicilta vir6sa) grows in ditches, and on the banks of rivers. The uni^ versal umbels have but one or two, seldom any, bracteas ; the partial umbels have several, narrow, taper-pointed, and of un- equal size ; the leaves are biternate, and the leaflets serrated (notched like a saw) at the edges, the points appearing some- what white and withered. Before we proceed, it may be well M 3 158 Introductory View of the to observe that a ternate leaf is composed of three leaflets set together, usually at right angles (/^.44. a) I a hiternate leaf, of three ternate leaves, disposed in the same manner ( h ). An- other dangerous plant of this order is the water parsnep (^Sium nodifl6rum), which grows in close companionship with the ^mmr to i watercress; and, when not in ^^^T fj flower, so nearly resembles that plant, as to have been frequently mistaken for it. It is not a week since I detected this poisonous herb in fellowship with the watercress, in a quantity purchased for a family of children. The watercress is of a darker green, and sometimes dashed with brown ; the leaflets are of a rounder form, more especially the odd one at the end, which is larger than the rest, and their edges are irregularly waved. The water parsnep is of a uniform light green, without any tinge of brown ; the leaf- lets are longer and narrower than those of the watercress, tapering at each end, and serrated at their edges. The best way to become acquainted with the difference, and to obtain a confident knowledge of them, is to examine them in the month of July, when the flowers of both are present to decide be- tween them. I have not specified all the dangerous plants of this tribe ; our limits will only admit of my noticing the peculiar characters of the most dangerous. Among the edible plants of this tribe are the carrot, parsnep, fennel, caraway, parsley, celery, &c. A foreigner of the family, is the giant fennel, or i^erula, of high renown as the vehicle in which Hesiod records Prometheus to have brought down fire from heaven.. He is said, too, to have been the ijiventor of the steel by which fire is struck from flint; metaphorically, therefore, he might be said to have brought fire from heaven. The sailors of the Levant frequently convey this element, from one island to another, in the stem of the i^erula. The pith it contains is used by the Sicilians as tinder ; and all these facts connected, give a sort of poetic truth to Hesiod's story. The very nauseous but useful drug, Assafoetida, is a resinous exudation from a species of i^erula, growing among certain fountains in Persia; and, fetid as this drug is, it is much esteemed, in many parts of the East, as a seasoning for various dishes. It is said that the Banian Indians, who eat no animal food, scarcely eat any thing that is not seasoned with it ; and 6ven rub their mouths with it, as a provocative to the appetite. If it were done as a mortification and a penance, we could readily Linnean System of Plants. 159 conceive why this delicate drug was used in preference to the fine aromatics of the East ; but it is not much more extraor- dinary than that the Cossacks should drink train-oil; and, after all the astonishment we feel at the strange taste of these Indians, what shall we say to the fact, that this very drug, which has the scent and the flavour of putrid onions mingled with soot, is used by British cooks, occasionally, as a substi- tute for garlic I — in very small quantities, it is true ; but still it is used. Of the third order, Trigynia, we have five British genera ; among which we may reckon the elder tree (iSambiicus nigra), a tree of infinite value to the peasantry of some remote coun- tiy-places ; it supplies the place both of the surgeon and tlie druggist ; it furnishes ointments, infusions, and decoctions, for all ailments, cuts, or bruises. Every part of it serves some useful purpose : the wood, pith, bark, leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit. Its narcotic scent makes it unwholesome to sleep under its shade; and if corn or other vegetables be smartly whipped with the branches, they will communicate a sufficient portion of this scent to keep off* the insects by which so many plants are frequently blighted. An infusion of the leaves, poured over plants, will preserve them from caterpillars also : so that this tree does as much good by its noxious, as its agree- able, qualities. The wine made from the berries is well known ; but, perhaps, it may not be so generally known that the buds make an excellent pickle. A water distilled from the flowers rivals buttermilk itself as a rural cosmetic. There is another species, the dwarf elder (»Sambiicus jG'bulus), which possesses, in a heightened degree, all the noxious qualities of the common elder, without any of its virtues, but that of keeping other nuisances at a distance. This fetid plant was supposed, by our ancestors, to have sprung from the blood of their enemies, the Danes, whence it obtained the English name of Danewort. The bladder-nut (Staphylea pinnata) belongs to this order. It is an elegant shrub, by no means justly appreciated. It is. called bladder-nut, from the hard fruit, which is contained in a large inflated capsule. The nuts were formerly used by the monks, as beads to count their prayers by. The French tamarisk ( Zamarix gallica), a delicate shrub, with pink flowers, is, notwithstanding its specific appellation, a native of England, growing chiefly on the southern coast. The salt flavour of its leaves renders it a grateful food to sheep ; but we would not willingly bestow it upon them, for it is not sufficiently common to admit of so lavish a use of it. The. genus Fiburnum is better known by a foreign species, than by those which are indigenous of the country. We al? M 4 160 Introductory FieW of the hide to the laurustinus (F. 7'inus) of the south of Europe, which displays its white flowers even amid the whiter snow. One of the British species, too, is known rather by a variety than by its common mode of growth : the Guelder rose {V, CXpulus) bears its flowers in cymes, like the elder tree ; but the flowers are larger, and those in the outer part of the cyme are larger than those in the centre : the variety usually culti- vated, and called the snow-ball tree, has the whole cyme com- posed of the larger flowers (which are barren), and crowded so close, as to form a round ball. We should hesitate whether to prefer this variety when in blossom ; and certainly, when the blossoms fall, it is inferior to the common Guelder rose, since it wants the bright red berry, which is as handsome to the eye, as it is nauseous to the taste. There is another na- tive species, called the wayfaring tree (Fiburnum Xantana). The leaves of both assume a deep red colour in the au- tumn; and it has been observed that this change is very common in the British species of such genera as are chiefly American. The sumach, or poison oak (jRhus), is a large foreign genus of this order, powerfully poisonous. From the .Rhus vernix, or varnish tree, is obtained the fine varnish of the Japanese ; and another, well known in England by the name of copal var- nish, is produced by the JRhus copallina. The smooth sumach (jRhus glabra) is common in our shrubberies : the stem and branches are clothed with a thick and soft scarlet down ; the leaves are pztmate ; the leaflets large, serrated, and elegantly graduated, from the length of four inches at the base, to two inches, or less, at the apex ; in the autumn they assume a fine crimson. Several of the species are so poisonous as to be very dangerous neighbours ; and it is asserted that a swarm of bees, alighting upon a branch of the varnish tree, was instantly destroyed by its effluvia only. Of the fourth order there are but two genera; of the first of which, Britain possesses one species ; the grass of Parnassus. The fifth order also is a small one, of which there are but three genera in the British Flora : but among them is one species worth whole genera of common plants. It is a slight little plant, about two feet high, with lanceolate leaves, and bearing a panicle of very pretty, blue, veiny flowers. To this plant we are indebted for that most exquisite of luxuries, linen, and for an article perhaps yet more valuable, paper. It is the Z/lnum usitatissimum, the common flax. An oil is • pressed from the seeds (called line or tin seed), which is used by artists; and the seeds themselves are applied to many medicinal purposes ; but the plant is chiefly cultivated for the Linnean System of Plants. 161 bark. In the preparation of flax it is necessary to macerate and steep it in water ; which renders the water so poisonous to cattle, that an act was passed, in the reign of Henry the Eighth, prohibiting the steeping of flax in any public stream or pond. The sixth order, Hexagynia, contains only one genus, sun- dew (Drosera); formerly ranged, very improperly, in the fifth. The leaves of this plant are set with a number of red hairs, bending inwards, which discharge each a drop of viscid acrid fluid : these little globules, shining in the sun, explain the appellation of sun-dew. Insects are frequently imprisoned by these hairs, and by their juice. Some persons believe that they are irritable, and contract when touched, so as to hold their little prisoners more securely. The seventh order, Polygynia, consists of three genera, plants of no great note, of which Britain furnishes one species, the mousetail (Myosurus minimus). It may generally be observed, throughout all the classes, that the pistils seldom exceed the stamens in number. Having thus cursorily considered the fourth and fifth classes, we will examine one or two plants attentively, before we pro- ceed further. Fig, 45. represents a sprig of a plant in its perfect state, together with the several parts of the dissected flower ; and I beg of the reader to compare these parts with the passages re- ferring to them. Let us suppose that we have just gathered this plant; how shall we ascertain what it is ? The first thing to be considered is the class ; and, to find this, we must count the stamens : there are four ; the class is Tetrandria, We must now see how many pistils there are ; and as the pistils usually remain in the calyx, and the stamens are attached to the corolla, we will remove the corolla, that we may not confuse them together. The corolla comes off" in one piece, bringing the stamens with it (Jb) : the flower is monopeta^ lous. There is one style remaining in the calyx : it has two germs (below the calyx), between which the style is inserted (c) ; but this, we are to remember, is but one pistil, since we reckon from the base of the style, and many pistils have a plurality of germs: the order, therefore, is Monogy?iia* We will now turn to this class and order in the English Flora (a book which no botanist or botanical student should be with- out), and we shall find there twenty-three genera; but. these IBS' Introdzictory Fiew of the are ranged under five different heads, or sections, by which our enquiry will be greatly facilitated. The first section has ** flowers, monopetalous, superior, and single-seeded." Our plant, as we have seen, has two seeds. The second section has " flowers moiiopetalous, superior, and two-seeded." The plant is in this section ; and, by attention to these characters, we have reduced the number of genera, in which we have to seek it, from twenty-three to four. We had before us one plant, the name and character of which was to be discovered among fifty thousand ; and, within a few minutes, we have (thanks to the illustrious Swede) been able to reduce that number within this small compass ! When we think of this, we cannot suf- ficiently admire the accurate judgment and patient investigation which earned for us this power. Nor is it to Linnaeus alone that we are indebted, since, though he was the founder of this admirable system, the number of plants classed by him has been quadrupled since his time ; and many zealous naturalists have devoted their time, health, and money to the discovery of the natural productions of foreign countries. But we are leaving our plant to wither ; and we have yet to learn to which of these four genera it belongs. — " Rubia, Corolla bell- shaped," &c. We need not proceed with this, for it cannot be the right ; we will try the next. — ** Galium, Corolla flat, fruit dry." This answers to it very well. We will turn to the full description of this genus, and compare it further. " Calyx superior, very minute, with four teeth {d) ; corolla monopeta- lous, wheel-shaped *, in four deep, acute, often long-pointed segments, without a tube {b) ; filaments, from the base of the corolla, awl-shaped, shorter than the limb f {e) ; anthers of two round cells [f) ; germs inferior, of two combined globes {c) ; style thread-shaped, the length of the stamens, cloven at least half way down (g) ; stigma capitate % (Ji); seeds two, naked, combined, globular, not crowned by the calyx {i) ; flowers terminal or lateral ; the skin of the seed either smooth, granu- lated, or bristly." These characters perfectly describe the plant before us ; it is a Galium. But there are seventeen British Galiums. We must next ascertain the species. The genus is ranged under two divisions ; the species which have smooth, and those which have bristly^ fruit. Of the latter there are but two ; and as f * A wheel-shaped corolla is monopetalous, with little or no tube, and the limb spreading horizontally. t The limb is what is sometimes called the border, or margin : it is the spreading part of a flower, above the tube, cup, or bell, which composes the lower part. ;, % Capitate signifies headed; having a little head, or knob, like a pin. Linnean System of Plants, 163 our plant is one of them, we shall have but little difficulty, for we begin with the sixteenth species. " Galium horeale. Leaves four in a whorl," &c. Our plant has eight leaves in a whorl j it is the next species, Galium Aparine^ goose-grass, or cleavers ; so called because the bristles, which cover every part of the plant, cleave to every thing that comes near it, and rend the down from geese as they pass. Some persons refer the name of goose-grass to geese feeding upon the herb. The seeds of this plant, when roasted, are a tolerable substitute for coffee; and, as Sir J. E. Smith justly observes, "if raised for a crop, they might have the additional recommendation of being much dearer." We have another plant to study yet : this pretty, delicate, blue flower, so closely buried in coarse, rough, bristly leaves, that they seem as though they must wound its tender sides. {Jig, 46.) We will split open the co- rolla {h\ and within the tube we shall find five stamens, which were before con- cealed from view by five little valves in the mouth (or, as some call it, the throat). The plant is in the class Pentandria, We find one pistil remaining in the calyx : it has four germs ; in the midst of which the style is inserted {c). It be- longs to the first order, Monogynia, The first section of this order contains the Asperifblice before mentioned. The flowers are monopetalous, inferior, with two or four naked seeds : there are ten genera, and to one of these our plant belongs. " Echium, Throat of the corolla dilated, naked,*' &c. The throat of this plant is not naked ; therefore it cannot be an ^''chium. . " Pulmonaria, Corolla naked in the throat," &c. " LitJwspermum, Corolla naked in the throat," &c. " Symphytum, Corolla closed with awl-shaped converging valves," &c. The valves in our specimen are roundish and blunt ; therefore it cannot be a *Symphytum. " Borago, Corolla closed with awl-shaped or notched valves," &c. ** Lycopsis, Corolla closed with concave obtuse valves, funnel-shaped, with a doubly bent tube ; seeds concave at the base." ^ Yes, these valves answer the description {d), and the tube is bent two different ways [e). Let us compare the plant with the fill! description of the genus iyc6psi3. " Calyx inferior, 1^64 Linnean System of Plants, of one leaf, in five deep, oblong, acute, erect, or somewhat spreading segments ; permanent {f). Corolla of one petal, funnel-shaped; tube cylindrical, curved to one side just above the base, and recurved towards the summit {e) ; limb in five rather deep rounded segments, sometimes oblique, and slightly irregular {g) ; mouth closed with five rounded, concave, hairy, converging valves {d). Filaments very small, within the tube, at the uppermost curvature. Anthers oblong, incum- bent {h). Germs four (c). Style thread-shaped, half the length of the tube (?). Stigma obtuse, notched [k). Seeds four, ovate, angular, with a bordered scar, attached to the base of the enlarged swelling calyx (/)." All these characters cor- respond with the plant before us. If we observe a calyx from which the corolla has fallen, and the seeds grown to a toler- able size, we find that the calyx also has grown larger than when it supported the flower ; and if we take one of the seeds out of it, we may see that the part by which it was fastened is a little hollow in the centre, so that the circumference of the seed forms a border round it. The part by which a seed is fastened is called the scar^ or hilum : this may be seen in the broad bean, and in many other seeds ; and is the part which we turn downwards when we sow them. But for our plant : we have ascertained it to be a iycopsis ; and as there is only one British species, it must, of course, be that one. Let us see if it agrees with the description of that. " Whole herb very bristly and prickly. Stem erect, branched, slightly angu- lar, leafy, one or two feet high. Leaves light green, single- ribbed [m) ; the lower ones bluntest, and tapering down into foot-stalks {n) ; the rest sessile, or clasping the stem. Clusters in pairs, forked (o), revolute ( p) ; erect when in fruit, display- ing their enlarged bristly bracteas (q). Partial * stalks shorter than the calyx, erect, especially in fruit. Calyx very bristly. Corolla bright blue; tube and valves white; limb a little irregular, and inclining. Seeds hard, grey, ovate, pointed, wrinkled, and granulated." Our plant is the small Bugloss (Zycopsis arvensis), a very common annual weed, flowering in June. Having so accurately examined this plant, and confidently ascertained it, I will now take leave, for the present, of the fifth class ; and, in my next, shall invite your readers to admire with me the beautiful class Hexandria. * The partial stalk is that which actually bears the flower, and connects it with the larger, which is called the common flower- stalk. Botanically, a flower-stalk is called a peduncle; and when there are both partial and common flower-stalks, the former are termed pedicles (from pediculus, dim. o£pes, a foot or prop). A l0af-stalk is distinguished by i^&tejtm petiole. On the Natural History of Vegetables * 165 Art. IX. On the Natural History of Vegetables, By Mentor. Sir, As the names, qualities, and peculiarities of plants, both indigenous and exotic, will frequently occupy your pages (and which will be highly useful and pleasing to your young read- ers who may be fond of plants), it has occurred to me that a short series of papers on vegetable physiology will not be altogether unsuitable for your work. In doing this, I do not mean to keep the old beaten track of scientific physiology, which would only be a kind of transcript of books of far higher authority than any thing that I dare pretend to bring forward on the subject. But in thus leaving the old road, I shall not be misled by the hand-posts of theoretic directors, but be at perfect liberty to follow where Nature leads ; and, as she ap- pears divested of the verbiage and trappings of science, plainly describe what long experience has acquired, and extensive practice has confirmed. I am far from inferring from this that scientific terminology should be banished from your periodical. This would be Vandalism indeed ; and would detract from its merits as well as contract its circulation. But in the case of botanical physio- logy, a science which every young countryman (many of whom will be your readers) should thoroughly understand, the sub- ject is often obscured by a redundance of terms, and the abstruse language in which it is described. I intend, there- fore, in these papers to use the plainest language I can : it will be most natural to myself, and I hope will be sufficiently clear to the reader. It will be a kind of natural arrangement to begin with a description of the Hoot, -—When a seed is placed in the soil in a favourable situation, it swells, bursts its shell, if it has one, and its skin, and protrudes its radicle spur in a downward direction. Its first shape, if that of a tree or other large seed, is a blunt cone. The centre progressively protruding, becomes more taper, till the point ends in a slender and very delicate thread ; and continues to extend itself in a direction which the con- stitution or quality of the soil allows. From other seeds, especially those of herbaceous plants, not one, but a tuft of slender fibres is produced from the under side of the heart, or vital point of the seed ; these extend themselves in all direc- tions, and also tending downwards. All underground roots are composed of, or are furnished with, slender fibres. They are the organs by which the principal part of the watery and aerial nourishment of the plant is received. To be capable of 16,6 On the Natural Histm-y of Vegetables. this function, they must be extremely susceptible, and conse- quently of the most delicate structure. This is obvious enough to the naked eye, but much more so when assisted by the micro- scope ; such sensitive organs are not fitted to bear the influence of light, unless submersed in water, or in a very humid state of the air, as we often witness in a hot-bed, or other confined place. Darkness, therefore, is necessary for the natural action of fibres ; and this, together with a certain degree of heat and humidity, accounts for their prone direction in ordinary cases, or for their taking any other direction if unnaturally situated by art or accident. When the root of a seedling tree has descended an inch or two into the soil, it is in shape a lengthened cone ; its exterior becomes of a darker colour, and beset with transverse indented marks, or minute tubercles ; from the former issue fibres, which gradually increase in length, and become branching radicles, which in time take all the appearance and offices of the first ; these in their turn are marked, and become divided in like manner. This progressive division and subdivision continues in all directions : first downwards, and afterwards horizontally, according to the distance from the surface, which is suitable to the nature of the plant, and always in proportion to the extent of the head which it is called upon to supply. These fibres, whether they form the advancing points of the roots and their branches, or as they issue from the exterior of the parts previously formed, are, as has been already noticed, exceedingly sensitive; suddenly extending themselves into water, or into the humid cavities of the soil ; and on a change of these exciting circumstances, as suddenly shrinking back to the place whence they issued, or if exposed to dry air wither- ing away. That this excitement is caused by an impulse of the vital principle within, as well as favoured by the propitious elements without, is sufficiently obvious ; because they are only active simultaneously with the other growing effijrts or expan- sions of the plant, and remain inactive when these are at rest. If, however, they continue to advance, the bases, or first formed parts of the leading ones, gradually change, by enlargement of their diameters, and instead of delicate transparent pro- cesses, become hardened tenacious fibres, thus extending the points and ramifications of the roots on all sides. When a root has become as thick as a finger, a transverse section thereof shows, that it is composed of four very distinct parts. First, a central pith, consisting of a spongy, soft, and light substance. Second, a circular body of tough, woody threads ; each forming in the first stage of its existence, a longitudinal sap-conducting tube, either individually, or after- On the Natural History of Vegetables. 167 terwards forming during induration interstices of various figure and capacity for the same purpose. The various attach- ments, contortions, and structure of this woody cylinder, are cu- rious objects for the microscope ; and have been fertile sources of conflicting opinions among men of science. Of this cylinder the interior part next the pith is first formed, and is always more compact in its texture than the exterior side or surface, which has been recently, or is in the act of being, formed. Third, the inner bark, which is visibly composed of longitudi- nal fibres or threads, variously attached to each other ; and when detached, presenting a kind of network similar to the recent fibrils which insert themselves between two tiles, or other smooth surfaces closely laid together. Fourth, the bark ; the inner surface of which is partly composed of longi- tudinal threads, resembling closely those of inner bark, and from which there is no very distinct separation ; but its exte- rior surface presents a very different structure, being composed of parts both longitudinally and transversely divided and sub- divided, and appearing to the eye a spongy cork-like mass, coloured by the qualities of the air residing in the earth, with- out which all roots die or remain dormant. Besides those longitudinal layers, which form the structure of a root, and which are so visible on the transverse section, there are other woody rays which diverge from the exterior of the pith, and terminate on the interior verge of the inner bark. The uses and office of the root are to fix the plant in the soil, and to extract or receive therefrom the various qualities necessary to the deyelopement of itself and the other parts of the plant. The fibres, which have been already described, are the agents which visibly receive those qualities, which are the food of the plants; but a conjecture is admissible, whether the tubercles on the bark be not also recipients of some quality or other. Of the use of the fibres, however, there is no doubt : we see them in full exertion while vegetation proceeds, and languid or inert when growth is stationary. From every observation which practical attention has been able to make, whether from the stump of an amputated root, or from the end of a cutting placed in favourable circumstances in the soil, they appear to originate from the interior edge of the inner bark ; and, in fact, are nothing else than elongations of the extreme, or lower, ends of the fibres, which compose that organ. When they issue from a layer, they may be traced to the same part of the vegetable structure, not as originating there, because this would be supposing an entity to proceed from a nonentity, which is impossible : no ; their origin is the vital lieart or corculum, whence they and all the organisation 168 071 the Natural History of Vegetables. sprang. When, therefore, these descending vessels are low- ered from their aerial station, and placed in immediate contact with the objects of their search, viz. darkness and humidity, they are impelled, or invited to burst through the bark the nearest way to find them. Whether the powers of a root exist in its formation, or from some internal faculty, which by expansion forms a vacuum for the admission of extraneous qualities, is a curious question. When considered as a member of a living being, whose head elevated in the air, is constantly expanding and perspiring, there is no great difficulty in comprehending how the fluids of the root ascend to the head, and also how the vessels of the root may be replenished. In this view, the fibrils and other recipients of the roots may with propriety be called absorbents; which implies, that there is a redundance of the necessary quality without, and a want of it within, hence its absorption. But this is not generally adopted ; some attributing the inhal- ing power of the roots to a peristaltic motion of the vessels, and the vitality of the plant, though we see the same effects produced by a piece of lifeless sponge, or a bundle of unor- ganised threads. It is necessary, therefore, to be cautious in attributing to vegetable organisation, or any combination of matter, self-agency. We are surrounded by the powers of nature, mighty though invisible. The pressure of the atmo- sphere and its constituent properties, the expanding force of heat, the subtile effects of electricity, all more or less influence vegetation, and unite with its own powers in its motions and developement. Another circumstance, connected with the powers or suscep- tibilities of roots, deserves notice : this is, their invariable ten- dency to the place of their favourite or richest food. Whe- ther this be heat, moisture, or manure, thither will all fibrils advance, though placed at the distance of several feet. This is explained, by supposing that the qualities mentioned are surrounded by a little atmosphere carrying their specific pro- perties, which reach, and in course attract, the fibrils. Of the Crown, or Vital Principle of the Root. — There is at- tached to all roots what, from its position, is called their crown : it divides them from the stem or stems, and consequently forms a base to the latter. In the seed it was the heart or radius, from whence arose, as has already been noticed, all the various organisation of the plant. It is the seat of life in all trees, especially when young, and remains long visible in some kinds (the Spanish chestnut, for instance), even after the pith and heart of the stem is gone to decay. It is always existent in herbaceous plants, but becomes undistinguishable in most On the Natural History of Vegetables, 1 69 trees. In individual plants, as most of the palms, it remains stationary ; no part of it being detached into either roots or stem, but only small portions of it into each seed. All jointed stems, whether herbaceous or ligneous, contain a portion of the crown at each joint ; and all plants which increase them- selves by runners, as the strawberry, being the living progeny of the crown, are furnished with portions thereof. In all annual plants the principle of the crown is perpetuated by being con- veyed to the seeds, as in wheat ; into the stem and seeds, as in the balsam; and into the stem, seeds, and tubers, as in the potato. In the generality of trees and shrubs the crown is fugitive, and diffused over the whole plant, roots, stem, branches, shoots, and seeds. An exception to this exists in the pine or fir tribe, which (save one) never are furnished with any por- tion of the crown to throw up suckers from the root. On many plants the crown shifts its place annually. In the tulip, narcissus, &c., it is a thin plate, which forms at the base of the bulb, discharging the last year's crown and roots belovv. In the strawberry, asparagus, &c., the new crown is formed at the side of, and rather above, the old one. In some plants it is constantly rising from a lower to a higher station on the stem, as appears on the annona; on which plant, it also may be observed, portions of it are detached to the base and crown of the fruit as well as into the seeds. Other plants are en- dowed with the property of removing from their old to new stations by the lateral progress of the crowns of the roots, as the water lily, and all those called " walking plants." Even the leaves of some plants partake so much of the structure of the branches, as to have portions of the vital crown lodged in them, as Zygophyllum ; others in the petiole of the leaf, as Qohce^a ; and in one genus detached parts of it are found in cup-like appendages on the surface of the plant, as in Ziehen. There is a curious instance of the motability of the crown observable in cereal plants, and probably all those having jointed stems ; viz. if a seed of wheat happens to be buried too deep, the seed vegetates, producing roots and a stem, with its leaves appearing above ground ; but the first crown being far- ther from the surface than is proper for the nature of the plant, the second and third joints are substituted in its stead, they throwing out the coronal roots to perfect the plant, while the seminal roots and first interjoint of the stem are left to perish. All these different dispositions of the crown of the root occur in the vegetable kingdom, and, wherever they exist, they are capable of emitting roots and stems like the parent crown Vol II. — No. 7. n 1 70 On the Natural History of Vegetables. from which they have proceeded: those located in or upon the ground soon strike root ; others in the air protrude roots also, which are fitted for their situation by their indurated texture and strength : the air plant and banyan tree are in- stances ; and not only of the principle and origin of roots, the roots being dispersed so far over the tree, but also, wherever existent, their natural tendency is towards the earth. It has already been noticed, that the fibrils on the roots of trees, shrubs, and strong-rooted perennial plants, are annual productions, or at least only in action during the growth of the plant : but in other individual-stemmed perennials, as the tulip, the roots as well as the fibrils, like the leaves and stem, are annual ; that is, they are produced from the radical crown, on which are seated the abbreviated leaves, future stem, flower, and fruit, which compose the bulb ; and when these last are perfected, the whole, w^itli the roots also, perish, and are suc- ceeded by a new crown, bulb, &c. The different ways which nature has assigned for the per- petuation of the radical crown, have given rise to distinguishing characters of roots; viz. the fibrous, as in wheat; the bulbous, as in the tulip ; the tuberous, as in the potato ; the globular, as in the turnip ; the truncated, handed, beaded, &c., all which are appendages of roots, rather than roots themselves ; and in fact are only motations, or provisional efforts, of the crown for multiplying or protecting itself. Although the crown may be only deemed as one of the essentials of a plant, and that it only performs, in connection with the others, its part of the vegetable economy; yet it is necessary to remark that it has special powers possessed by no other organ, except the seed, which is the essence of all. As proof of this, we may observe, that, if the crown be so placed as that it has not a suitable share of the necessary elements for its natural developement, it will produce lateral progeny from itself, without assistance from any other organ ; witness the production of young tubers in a pit, or young bulbs in a drawer of the seed-room. Such is the natural history of the Root : it is divested of almost every term of science, but it is hoped it will not be the less intelligible, by being described in the language of a prac- tical man. The student may easily apply the proper terms, when so far initiated in the study, as the foregoing may lead him; and, as some other papers on the same subject, and couched in the same style, will follow, it is presumed they will not be altogether unworthy of the young reader's notice. Mentor. Fehmary^ 1829. Phenomena attending Sphce^y^ia fraxinea. 171 Ari. X. On some Phenomena attending Spkce'ria iraxmea. By Electricus. Sir, The specimen which I enclose for your inspection, I believe to be one of the SphaeVia yVaxinea (/^. 4?.)? class Crypto- gamia, order i^ungi, L. Unfortunately, I have not turned my attention to this tribe of plants ; and I possess only the edition of 1792 of Withering's Bota- nical Arrangement ; I am therefore un- able to determine whether this subject has now another ge- neric name. Be this as it may, the annexed descrip- tion is decisive, I think, of the identity of the fungus. " Sphse^ia /raxinea. — Roundish, convex, black, dotted, nearly sitting, pustular. ' Convex without ; substance within consisting of a number of concentric layers, composed of mi- nute tubes, or threads, pointing from the centre. Substance hard ; covered with a thin bark, of a brownish black, some- what wrinkled and rather glossy, grey within.' {Pay,) * Very irregular in shape, from one half to more than an inch in diameter. Pustules scarcely visible to the naked eye.' {RehL Supp., i. 34.) This, which is very common, differs from the S. maxima, in being more woody, and showing concentric circles when cut. It is generally more completely sessile than it is represented in the figures. " Lycoperdonyraxineum of Huds., &c. SphaeVia concen- trica Bolt. — On ash trees when rotten, or in a decaying state, and observed on no other tree." (Ray.) — With., vol. iii. 475. It is not on account of the mere curiosity of the species that I now send it to you. Sir, although I am acquainted with but one little, old, ash tree, in a state of decay (and that nearly four miles from my residence), which produces these Sphae^- riae from between the interstices of the bark ; but from the singular phenomena which it exhibited during eight or ten nights successively. Three or four of these Sphae^riae were brought home one morning, and placed on the mantle-shelf: N 2 172 Phenomena attending Sphce^ria haxinea. they were regarded at first as curious, and somewhat orna- mental productions of nature ; but when I entered the par- lour on the following morning, I was struck with surprise at finding each of them surrounded w ith a black powdery efflo- rescence {fg. 48.), dense edges well defined near the fungus, but graduiilly shaded off, and somewhat ra- diated. Underneath, there was not the slightest particle of powder; but the whole convex surface of each was covered with a powdery mass, or stra- tum, of a fine bluish - black colour, which was readily brushed off with a feather; in fact, from ten or twelve of these fungi, I col- lecited dust enough to form, when ground up with mucilage of acacia gum, a small cake of colour, with which the accompanying specimen was etched with a crow-quill. By repeated observations, I found that the radiation took place only in the night; never between the hours of 10 A.M. and 5 P.M., but constantly after the evening had closed. Connecting this fact with other natural phenomena, I am inclined to ascribe the process to electrical agency ; I believe it to depend upon that ascend- ing current of electricity, which is evidently in a state of pecu- liar activity during the night, and is the origin of several marked phenomena; among others, I little doubt, that of the diffusion of odour from the corollas of night-smelling plants. I hope soon to invite your attention to the phenomena of the descending day-current of solar electricity, and the ascending night-current, just alluded to; but the subject would be pre- mature on the present occasion. In the instance of this curious fungus, I think it philoso- phically just to enquire, whether or not the peculiar season of the last year, 1828, might not produce effects very different from those attendant upon ordinary seasons. From the 18th or 19th of March, the whole spring and the greater part of the summer appeared to be governed by electrical induc- tions j and it is possible that many phenomena may have Retnarkable Spruce Fir at Braco Castle. 173 depended solely upon those inductions, and therefore may not occur again. If I live, I mean to pay close attention to this fungus, and report the result faithfully and particu- larly, should you see fit to honour this communication so far, as to insert it in your Magazine. In the meantime, I state the following general facts. The specimens now sent were gathered about the middle of May; the one which much resembles an insect of the coleopterous tribe, was that which produced the efflorescence on the piece of paper accom- panying it ; it had been at work several nights before I laid it on the paper, and the writing was added at the very time stated. The other two specimens are sent merely as such ; and one is divided to exhibit the concentric layers and radiations of the internal structure. No efflorescence proceeded from these layers of the inside, nor was that from the exterior surface much disturbed or prevented by the section. I am inclined to ascribe the effect to electricity as its ultimate cause, in this particular instance; because, I think, the separation of the fungus from its natural bed (the bark of the ash) might in- terrupt the regular current, and produce anomalous effects. Nevertheless, as vegetable electricity is governed by specific laws, which exert different energies at different periods, I con- ceive, that, although the ascending night-current might be thus interrupted, the state of the atmosphere might induce chemical affinities, by which the aqueous juices of the fungus were decomposed, and sufficient heat developed to produce radiation. Some such internal action must have been in- duced, and that, too, by an energy which was not in action during the day. Light must have been antagonist to it; for the effect was never discerned till towards the hour of sunset, and it ceased with the return of day. lam inclined to ascribe the phenomenon secondarily to the decomposition of water ; because the radiation ceased when the fungus became dry, and was renewed, though only in a very slight degree, by immer- sion in water. I am, Sir, &c. Grove House^ Dec. 2Q, 182S. Electricus. Art. XI. Some Account of a remarhahle Spruce Fir Tree in the Woods at Braco Castle^ Perthshire, By Mr. Archibald GoRRiE, C.M.H.S. Sir, . The luxuriance of the Indian banyan tree (Picus indlcus) attracts the notice, and excites the astonishment, of European N 3 174 Remarkable Spruce Fir at Braco Castle. travellers. This plant, in common with many of the genus J'icus, readily emits roots at the joints of the young wood ; the young side-shoots are pendulous, and on reaching the ground they readily strike root under the genial climate, and in the rich soil, of Hindoostan. The plants which compose the genus Pinus are, for the most part, more difficult to raise by layers or cuttings than those of any other genus of trees which abound in our northern forests ; and yet it is among the pine tribe that the nearest approach is made to the Indian banyan. A beautiful tree of the black American spruce (^^bies nigra), about forty years old, stands in the woods at Braco Castle, Perthshire, the property of James Masterton, Esq., of Braco ; from its side-shoots a number of young trees have sprung up of different altitudes around the mother-plant. The circum- ference is regularly and gradually extending, and fresh shoots strike root and grow perpendicularly all around the original plant. Should this beautiful assemblage of evergreen spires be allowed to extend, and be protected from the inroads of cattle, it may be difficult to assign limits to the beautiful mass of vegetation which time may form. The above sketch {fig, 49.) will give some idea of its present appearance. It may be proper to add that a natural seedling from this tree, standing not far distant from the mother-plant, apparently about twelve years of age, is also in its turn already surrounded by a numerous and healthy rising family. Both these trees were pointed out to me by Major F. H. Elliot, Royal Engi- Winds mid theh' Causes, 1 75 neers, and the proprietor, Mr. Masterton, as natural curio- sities. I am, Sir, &c. Archd. GorrieJ Annat Gardens, near Eyrol^ Perth, March 10. 1828. Art. XII. Of Winds, and the Causes of their different Kinds. By Mr. Main. It has been stated by Dr. Birkbeck as his opinion, that not only the causes of wind will be better understood, but also the time of its happening in any particular place be predicted with certainty. This would be a wonderful, as well as useful, portion of human knowledge. Such foresight would regulate much of the open-air business of life ; in assisting to preserve the fruits of the earth ; and, in an infinite degree, to influence the movements of the mariner. Considerable advances have been made in this science in intertropical climates, where the sun exerts so much power. There the prevailing winds are generally, or partially, period- ical. In the central parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, where the currents of the atmosphere are not dis- turbed by the influences of land, the winds, if any at all, blow constantly from east to west, or from the collateral points. This is caused by the cooler air of evening pressing westward upon the heated air of mid-day ; in other words, the lower temperature of the air in the place to the eastward of the sun, causes it to press westward upon the rarefied air at the place over which he i^ vertical. This general breeze, in that part of the Indian ocean which washes the southern shores of Asia, is broken into varying, though nearly periodical currents, called monsoons. These winds, and their changes, have been rationally accounted for, by attributing their deviations from the general current met with ten degrees to the southward of Ceylon, to the influences of the more rarefied state of the air, over the peninsulas of hither and farther India ; and also to the sun's motion in the ecliptic, which, in some measure, causes those seasonal influences. It is now a well established fact, that the exciting cause of all currents of air is before, and not behind, the blast. This is daily exemplified in warm countries on the sea-shore ; for when the unclouded sun has risen about four hours, and has heated the land to a higher temperature than the sea, imme^ N 4 176 Winds and fhcir Causes* diately the sea-breeze sets in ; and during the night, the land becoming cooler than the sea, from radiation of its solar heat and evaporation, a contrary current, called the " land wind," takes place. An easy experiment satisfactorily explains this phenomenon : — " Take a large flat vessel, fill it with cold water, and into the middle of this put a water-plate filled witli warm water : the first will represent the ocean, the latter an island rarefying the air above it. Blow out a wax candle ; and, if the place be still, on applying it successively to every side of the vessel, the fuliginous particles of the smoke, being visi- ble and very light, will be seen to move towards the plate, and, rising over it, point out the course of air from sea to land. If the ambient water be warmed, and the plate filled with cold water, when the wick is held over the centre of the plate, the contrary will happen, and show the course of the wind from land to sea." [Clare^ on Fluids.) The general breeze, or " trade wind," has been known to bring ships sailing from the equator as far north as the Eng- lish channel. But this seldom happens ; because the vast con- tinent of Europe being generally warmer than the Atlantic ocean, the prevailing winds set the contrary way. Hence our equhioctial gales in the month of March, as well as winds from that quarter the greater part of the year. The gales at the vernal equinox may be accounted for thus : — The power of the sun is daily increasing; which, in con- junction with the agricultural face of Europe, ploughed, har- rowed, and rolled down to a smooth, naked, and reflecting surface, so rarefies the air, that the cooler, and, consequently, denser air over the western ocean rushes fiiriously eastward in violent gales. These continue usually four or five days, or till the aerial ocean attains an equilibrium. After this, the surface of the earth is soon clothed in verdure, and no longer so reflective ; the currents of air become variable, according to circumstances near or remote, till the fields are shorn of their vegetable covering, and the exposed summer-dried sur- face again attracts the cooling gales from the westward at the autumnal equinox. Different currents of air, in both hemispheres, are caused by accidental and local rarefactions thereof, either from heat or sudden and heavy falls of rain, and sometimes from vol- canoes. These phenomena, wherever they happen, produce a sort of vacuum, of less density than the surrounding atmo- sphere ; which, closing to fill up the unoccupied or rarer space, generates those streams of air, which, according to their force, are called breezes or gales ; or, from their whirling direction, hurricanes or tornadoes. Interest derived from the Stud^ of the Wefither, 177 The atmosphere, being a fluid of different densities, must necessarily be almost always in motion; it is expanded by evaporations of water raised into it, and decreased in volume when these are withdrawn. One, perhaps never-ceasing, mo- tion it must necessarily have, though not usually perceptible near the surface of the earth ; viz. currents of cold air from the poles to the equator, and contrary currents above, of warmer and lighter air, from the equator to the poles. Art. XIIT. On the Art of deriving Interest from the Study of the Weather. By Mr. A. Gorrie, C.M.H.S. There are fevf sciences more imperfectly understood, and, I believe, there are few more generally interesting, than me- teorology, as far as it relates to temperature, moisture of the atmosphere, and their effects on vegetation as well as on the health and comfort of the human species. So generally oper- ative are these effects on the animal spirits, that every man is more or less a meteorologist ; even the lower animals, in many instances, afford sufficient evidence of their being instinct- ively prognosticators of approaching changes in the state of the atmosphere ; vegetables too, by the contraction and expan- sion of their foliage and flowers, have in the absence of more scientific criteria been referred to for the same indication ; and it may not be altogether out of place here to submit a few of these popular indications in the shape of queries, con- ceiving that the Magazine of Natural History is the proper channel through which their solution may be obtained. Why is the awn of the wild oat and of the sw^eet-scented spring grass more straight when the hygrometer indicates sa- turation, than when the air contains less moisture ? Why do the convolvulus, the anemone, and anagallis shut up their flowers, and many species of trefoil shut up their leaves, and why does the Porlier« hygrometra contract its foliage, before rainy weather ? Why does the mole send up earth, why do earthworms appear on the earth's surface, and why are toads seen to move more than usual, when dry weather is to be succeeded by rain ? Why are the summits of some lofty mountains covered with a cap of mist, when there is none in the adjacent valleys, about twenty-four hours before rain ? 178 Art of deriving Interest Why do sheep, cattle, and fowls eat more voraciously, and why is the sound of the distant bell and waterfall more dis- tinctly heard, before rain ? Why do crows (rooks) fly aloft in wild disorder, why do pigs make an unusual noise, and why do the dolphin and porpoise approach the shore, before a tempest of wind ? Why do cattle snufF the air, roar, and appear frantic, be- fore thunder ? Why do the joints of the aged feel painful before the ap- proach of what is vulgarly termed " rough weather," and why is the hypochondriac depressed when the mercury in the barometer is low ? These are a few, and only a few, of the popular indications of atmospherical changes : and though they may exhibit an appearance of rural simplicity, yet as they are facts which have evidently been taught " in Nature's school," and which have obtained the sanction of ages ; connected too as they are with a science which, notwithstanding its claims to antiquity, may still be said to be in its infancy ; the philosopher will allow that they come within the legitimate range of his in- vestigation. Such natural phenomena, it may be safely in- ferred, attracted the observation of mankind in the earliest ages : we know that the Greeks and Egyptians wrote on the subject ; the Jews too, a pastoral people, " could discern the face of the sky ; " and, even in our day, shepherds may be ranked among the " weather wise ;'" nor is there any thing more common amongst country people at meeting than a pinch of snuff, and some sage remarks on the state of the wea- ther ; indeed, the universal mode of salutation in this country used by strangers, or by such as wish to treat one another as strangers, is uniformly a remark on the weather. " There is a fine morning, a soft day, or a cold evening," are modes of salutation with us, as common as is the " Salem Alikem" (Peace be with you !) amongst the inhabitants of the more serene countries of the East: and where familiarity is not in- tended, if opportunity serves, more lengthened remarks are introduced, such as "Do you think we shall have rain? What is the age of the moon ? Do the clouds betoken wind ? What effect will the late rain have on the crops?" &c. ; till the con- versation is sufficiently extended to become a stepping-stone to the discussion of politics. That this should be the case where the climate is so variable is not at all surprising; the wonder is, that a subject so intimately connected with the comforts of man, and which daily presses itself on his observ- ation, should remain (notwithstanding the facilities which modern science affords for the study) not only unpopular, but from the Study of the Weather. 1 79 to many fatiguing and revolting. In our researches we are not now confined strictly to the appearances of the sky, or the class of phenomena noticed above ; the properties of air and other bodies are now better understood. The barometer, thermometer, the hygrometer or differential thermometer of Lesley, serve to inform us of the fluctuations in the pressure of the atmosphere, its temperature, and the moisture it con- tains ; and yet, with all these advantages, the science of me- teorology seems to excite less interest in our day than at any former period : and wherefore is this the case ? We see me- teorological tables that have been extracted from registers, where the observations have been made with due care no less than 730 times in one season ; but then these tables present a mass of figures, and, notwithstanding the trouble the writer had in furnishing that mass, sheer laziness will not allow us to be benefited by his labours. To render these tables palatable, they must come in a more fascinating form,' and associated with practical remarks. Applying these remarks to the purposes of common life, a particular reference to the relative progress of vegetation in different seasons, as acted upon by temperature, moisture in the atmosphere, and moisture in the soil, ought to form an accompaniment of every such table. Meteorological writers are therefore to blame for serving up their tables in such un- couth and forbidding shapes : let them connect their observ- ations on the state of the atmosphere with its effects on the vegetable, and, if they please, on the animal, kingdoms ; and if this is done with accuracy and any degree of judgment, it is hardly possible to conceive a mind so entirely divested of curious research as to be prevented from comparing the pre- sent with the past, in all its bearings, and from forming just deductions from the comparison. For instance, in looking over a calendar of nature (p. 205.) for the spring months of this year, the reader will find that vegetation is from 1 6 to 20 days later in March than in the corresponding month of last year ; and, on looking to the table, he will find the mean tempera- ture to be 2° 4' less, and the supply of moisture to be 2^q inches less. He will therefore conclude that a recurrence of the same or similar circumstances which happened in either season, will be followed by similar effects ; and this novel in- vestigation will open to his mind a new source of pleasure. I am. Sir, yours, most respectfully, A. GORRIE. Annat Garden, January 15. 1829. ^ - 180 PART 11. REVIEWS. Art. I. The Journal of a Naturalist. London. 12mo, pp.403. Sir, You have, no doubt, met with a grass-green volume, of very sufficing plumpness, and flourishing appearance, lately- produced under the title of 21ie Journal of a Naturalist. Both the name and the aspect are inviting ; the author, at our first meeting, offers us the shade of a noble tree to repose under, and at once bespeaks our good will, and disposes us to listen to his communications. We set out with him on his rambles ; and, though the commencement of our journey presents no- thing very interesting, we still proceed. The prospect becomes promising : beyond the downs, grass lands, and potato fields, we behold a clump of fine old trees, a pretty sprinkling of flowers, and a sprightly assemblage of singing-birds. We sometimes incline to be weary of the repeated delays of our companion, who seems disposed to devote more time and attention to some objects than we are inclined to grant; and misled, perhaps, by a love of home and its vicinity, to place too high a value on some of its commonest productions. At last, however, having settled the merits of the limestone rocks, the shells, and flints, and happily consigned the fate and fame of strontian to the justice of time, we flatter ourselves that we have passed all obstacles to our progress towards a more pleasing part of the country; when suddenly we are requested to pause by the side of a limekiln, to give ear to a tale that requires all our powers of belief. We are informed that, some years since, a man oppressed with fatigue, and benumbed with cold, laid himself down, with his feet upon the stones placed in the kiln to burn throughout the night, and there fell asleep. The limestones becoming gradually heated, the man still sleeping and unconscious, one foot, with the lower part of the leg, was entirely consumed. When the kilnman awakened the man in the morning, and he attempted to rise, he missed — not his foot, reader — but — his shoe, and begged it might be found. The leg-bone no sooner touched the ground than The Journal of a Naturalist, 18 1 it crumbled away, " having been calcined into lime ; " yet the man seemed unconscious of his loss ; " he expressed no sense of pain, and probably experienced none, from the gradual operation of the fire, and his own torpidity, during the hours his foot was consuming." Might we be permitted to doubt of the attempt to rise, and the missing of the shoe, we should believe that his not expressing any sense of pain was attribut- able to that beneficent law of nature which decrees that ex- treme suffering shall produce insensibility. We will venture upon no further comment on this story; some things are pos- sible that are passing strange. Our author then proceeds to expatiate upon the successive employments afforded to the labouring classes of the district; such as potato-setting, hay-making, teasel-gathering, corn- reaping, &c., until the approach of winter, when comes the time for " breaking the limestone for the use of the roads." And here we see an instance of the powerful effect of habit : here is a man, apparently amiable and kind-hearted, whose leisure is devoted to the contemplation of nature, and whose pursuits have taught him that the meanest worm, the pettiest insect, holds its station as a link in the great work of creation, yet so little acquainted with the necessities and feelings of his own species, as to believe that he is describing prosperity and comfort in a passage like the following : — " The rough material costs nothing ; a short pickaxe to detach the stone, and a hammer to break it, are all the tools required. A man or a healthy woman can easily supply about a ton in the day; a child that goes on steadily^ about one third of this quantity ; and, as we give \s, for the ton, a man, his wife, and two tolerable-sized children, can obtain from 25. 8^. to 35. per day, by this employ, during the greater part of the winter ; and, should the weather be bad, they can work at intervals, and various broken hours, and obtain something; and there is a constant demand for the article." By what process of reasoning, or by what want of reason- ing, is it, that a man, apparently in the enjoyment of the com- forts of life himself, yet not sufficiently affluent to be ignorant of the value of money, can persuade himself that this is well- doing ? Most probably from a habit of enjoying his own ease, without thinking of others ; and of looking upon the poor (perhaps unconsciously to himself) as an inferior race of beings. How is it that a man, evidently leading a life of ease; with leisure to enjoy his speculative rambles, in the finer sea- sons ; a sufficiency of food to satisfy his appetite, sharpened by exercise ; an easy bed to repose on after his fatigue ; clothing to cover him at all seasons ; a sound roof to shelter him from 1 82 The Journal of a Naturalist, the inclemencies of winter, and a snug fireside at his command (and these comforts, at least, we must suppose him to enjoy) ; — how is it that a man so circumstanced should be so utterly insensible to the misery of the condition he describes, that he should think it much that " a man or a healthy woman" may, by continued labour throughout a winter's day, earn one shil- ling P — that a family of four, if the children go on steadili/, may, by their united labours, obtain from 165. to 185. in a week, to provide them all with lodging, firing, food, and clothing ? — and this, too, only if the weather be favourable. If there be bad weather (and how much bad weather usually occurs in the winter season we need not say), " they can work at intervals, and various broken hours, and obtain something ! " They have actually a chance of avoiding utter starvation, even in bad weather ! — if they cannot get two meals in a day, they may possibly get one ; and if bread be too dear, they may yet procure a potato ! — that is, indeed, provided they be all healthy. Let us suppose this poor family, by the industry of the parents, and the continued labour of the children, to earn the enormous sum of 185. in the week: deduct two for rent, and one for firing, and 155. will remain to clothe and to feed them, and to supply such occasional expenses as must sometimes occur ; as the purchase of any articles of furniture, tools, &c., Ss. 9d. for each individual. Were the author of this volume, but for one week, to make the experiment of living within such an income, I am persuaded he would read the passage in question witli very different feelings and opinions of the " well- doing " of the villagers of that " favoured district." Much may be done with sobriety, industry, and hope, it is true ; and 1 85. or even 1 6s. a week is more than many poor families sub- sist upon ; but let us not affect to look with admiration upon the happy condition of a poor family who can " obtain some- thing " by hard labour, in broken hours, even in bad winter weather ! This gentleman's ideas of good living, when speaking of the peasantry, may be seen in other passages of the work. Po- tatoes, he tells us, form their chief food. " Every labourer," continues he, " rents of the farmer some portion of his land, to the amount of a rood or more, for this culture ; the pro- fits of which enable him frequently to build a cottage, and, with the aid of a little hread^ furnishes a regular, plentiful, and nutritious food for himself his mfe, and his children, within, and his pig^ without doors; and they all grow fat and healthy upon this diet." The population of England, our author observes, is fast increasing, in consequence of the cultivation of this vegetable ; and that it is the only earthly production of I The Journal of a Naturalist. ISS which the cultivation may be so extended as to meet every demand. The story of Sir Walter Raleigh having first introduced this useful root into Ireland, he is disposed to treat as fabu- lous ; because, he says, it was not generally known in Ireland until fifteen years after Sir Walter's return from his last voy- age ; but, in the next page, he goes on to say that the first mention made of the potato, in England, as possessing any kind of virtue, was by Sir Francis Bacon, four-and-twenty years after Gerarde's mention of it in 1597 (when he received some of the roots from Virginia, and planted them) ; and fur- ther adds, that it was not grown in gardens until forty years afterwards ; nor to any extent in the field, until the middle of the last century. Sir Walter Raleigh has long been considered as the. first introducer of this valuable root into Ireland, where it is peculiarly good and valuable; and he should not, on slight grounds, be deprived of that reputation. But we have travelled in a circle, and returned to the spot whence we started — to the Shellard's Lane Oak. Our author takes this opportunity of calling to mind many of the magni- ficent trees that have, at different periods, been celebrated in this country. He observes that trees have the same power of collecting moisture about them, in the winter, when bare of leaves, as in the summer, when full-clothed ; and mentions, as an instance, an ash tree which he saw dripping with water, in a fog, when every thing around appeared perfectly dry. This he accounts for, by considering the tree rather as a condenser than an attractor. In the beginning of the present year I observed a similar circumstance with regard to a jessamine, which dripped with water after a morning fog, while other objects remained dry. The same thing, says the writer, may be observed on a post or a gate, on the side exposed to the passage of the fog. To this condensing of fogs and mists, causing a frequent fall of water from trees, he attributes, in a great measure, the luxuriant appearance of the herbage be- neath them. A variety of causes may occasionally produce such luxuriance ; but it is a well-known fact, that compara- tively few plants will thrive under the dripping of trees ; a fact, the knowledge of which has compelled many a husbandman to lop from his trees some of their finest branches. I am sorry so frequently to differ from this naturalist; but what does he mean by saying that the " utility of the blossom of flowers is by no means obvious ? " He follows up this assertion by admitting its use in the preservation and perfect- ing of the germen, the food it affords to multitudes of insects, &c. &c. ; and is this nothing ? Not to dwell upon the many 184 The Journal of a Naturalist, cihemical and physical uses of blossoms, those here admitted are quite sufficient to rescue them from the charge of inutility : but these the author overlooks, as well as the delight afforded to man by their beauty and perfume ; because he sees " the whole race of creation, with the exception of man, utterly re- gardless of them: " and even this is an assumption. How do we know that the bee and the butterfly, while extracting the honey of flowers, may not also be engaged in admiring their hues and odours ? — how do we know that the carpenter-bee has no eye for the blushing red of the petals of the rose, be- cause she chooses to line her nest with the green leaves ? — or, if this preference be decisive against such admiration, what says he to the fact, that a very near relative of this bee, hangs her apartments with the bright scarlet petals of the poppy ? " I would not," says he, " arrogate for man an exclusive right, or make him generally the sole consideration of the beneficence of Providence ; but there are influences which his reason alone can perceive, incitements to good thoughts, and •worthy actions." Yet, surely, man may be considered of some little importance in the scale of creation ; and that from which he derives pleasure, and " incitements to good thoughts," need not necessarily be pronounced useless, because (even admitting the fact) other creatures do not partake of that pleasure ! Neither, on the other hand, let us be too sure that these influences and incitements are exclusively peculiar to man. Knowing the little that we do know of the bee, the ant, and the beaver (to say nothing of an infinity of other creatures remarkable for what we call instinct), how can we venture upon such an assertion ? While we admire what we see and know, it becomes us humbly to doubt of that which is hidden from our knowledge. In his passion for flowers, I warmly sympathise with the writer; and in his preference for those of spring. Perhaps, says he, it is from the early flowers of spring that we derive the greatest degree of pleasure ; " and our affections seem immediately to expand at the sight of the first opening blos- som under the sunny wall or sheltered bank, however humble its race may be." Again, he says, " With summer flowers we seem to live as with our neighbours, in harmony and good- will, but spring flowers are cherished as private friendships." Let not private friends despise the comparison ; for those who feel it, will not be among those who are least susceptible of friendship, or who attach a slight meaning to the term. " It is a perplexing matter," says our author, in another passage, " to reconcile our feelings to the rigour, and our reason to the necessity, of some plants being made the instru- The Journal of a Naturalist, 185 ments of destruction to the insect world/* Danger often lurks amid flowers, as we all know ; and it is not exclusively to insects that they prove fatal ; many animals, men included, have been destroyed by their poisonous juices: it has even been asserted that human life has been cut off' by their per- fume only ; and in cases of infection, as the plague, flowers have been supposed active in conveying its evil influence. Yet we do not the less look upon them as emblems of purity and innocence. The flowers (more especially alluded to in this passage) which, by their construction, make captive or destroy the insects attracted by their honey, are few ; we may rejoice that they are so, for, although we may acquit them of any " wanton cruelty," and, remembering the distinction of Shakspeare's grave-digger, admit that the insects went to the flower, not the flower to the insects ; yet it is not pleasant to see a flower covered with its little victims. I do not, however, consider the matter in so serious a light as this gentleman appears to do. All creatures were born to suffer death ; and I rather incline to pity the flower, that it is doomed to become the unsightly agent of their destruction, than the little flies that escape the spider's net to be smothered in a blossom. Some persons believe that their destruction is necessary to the wellbeing of the plant, but there seems little ground for such a notion. The greater part of the volume is devoted to birds, treating of their songs, nests, migrations, food, and various habits ; and this we suspect to be the portion which the author has written with the most pleasure to himself. He evidently speaks from his own personal observation ; and* though he tells us little that is new, the nature of the Subject, and his evident interest in it, beguile us into more pleasure in his companion- ship than we can account for, in reviewing the matter of his discourse. In speaking of the rook as the only bird that returns to the nest it has once forsaken, I conjecture the writer must mean to except the season of incubation. ' The rook revisits its old nest at a season of the year when it has no young family to shelter there, but is not the only bird that revisits its nest at other seasons. The marten will frequently rear its young in the nest of the former year ; and if the custom be not more general, it appears to arise from the injury these frail habit- ations may have received from time and the elements ; which makes the building of a new one the less trouble of the two. The swallow commonly returns to its old haunts ; and, though it builds a new nest, frequently contrives to save labour, by placing it so immediately above the former one as to be sup- VoL.IL — No. 7. o -, . . 186 TJie Journal of a Naturalist. ported by it, and, consequently, to require less work and slighter materials. The flycatcher, and, indeed, a variety of other birds, will build in the same spot for many years in succes- sion, as he himself admits in another part of the volume ; and particularly instances the flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola) as frequenting the same hole in the wall for several years. If my memory does not deceive me. White makes a similar remark, though, I think, of a different species. It is remarkable that a person so much accustomed to ob- serve the proceedings of birds, insects, and other diminutive creatures, and who must, consequently, be aware of the many dangers by which almost every species is surrounded, should express himself in this manner, in speaking of the blackcap ; — '* This exceeding dislike of man is very extraordinary ; larger or more important birds might have an instinctive fear of violence, but this creature is too small and insignificant to Ivave ever experienced or to apprehend injuries from him." Too small ! — how many small birds are annually destroyed or imprisoned by hundreds, either on account of their beauty, their flavour, or their music ; and what should exempt this little creature from the same fate, or fear of the same fate ? — having, too, so sweet a note, as to be compared with the night- ingale itself. This fear he attributes to the divine ordination, which has declared " that the fear of man shall be upon every beast of the field, upon every fowl of the air, and upon every living thing that moveth upon the face of the earth." There are few, I believe, who will not readily admit that it is not " his sublime countenance, contemplative of the heavens," that produces this awe of man ; nor does the question, by what it i^ produced, appear very difficult to solve, even without the ^id of revelation. Is there a creature, however minute, that is not an object of destruction or persecution to man, through- out its existence ? Many are killed in self-defence, many for food, many for sport, and but too many in mere wantonness. Such creatures as have nq weapons of defence are mostly t^id, and they have cause to be so. Suppose this little bird to have wanted this its only defence, to have had no security but in its smallness and its insignificance, and how many of its race would have been likely to escape destruction, capti- vity, or the loss of their young ? Birds have been found in desert islands that have met " the sublime countenance " of man without alarm ; and have displayed no signs of fear or shyness, until taught by experience to fly the dangers that invariably accompanied him. The artifice of counterfeiting death, when captured, ob- served by the writer to be practised by the dorr beetle The Journal of a 'Naturalist, 187 (*9carabae^us stercorarius) and some other insects, has also been attributed, in some few instances, to birds ; but the fact ap- pears very liable to misconception, that which has been taken for art, may be merely the paralysing effect of fear. How are we to ascertain that it is not so ? Perhaps there are few persons, who ever think upon such subjects at all, that have not, at one time or another, been struck with the numberless dangers that beset the earth- worm (Zumbricus terrestris). "Eminently serviceable as this worm is," says the writer, " it yet becomes the prey of various orders of the animal creation, and perhaps is a solitary examr pie of an individual race being subjected to universal destruc- tion. The very emmet seizes it, when disabled, and bears it away as its prize : it constitutes, throughout the year, the food of many birds ; fishes devour it greedily ; the hedgehog eats it ; the mole pursues it unceasingly in the pastures, along the moist bottoms of ditches, and burrows after it through the banks of hedges, to which it retires in dry seasons ; secured, as the worm appears to be by its residence in the earth, from the capture of creatures inhabiting a different element, yet many aquatic animals seem well acquainted with it, and prey on it as a natural food, whenever it falls in their way; frogs eat it ; and even the great water-beetle I have known to seize it, when the bait of the angler ; and it has been drawn up by the hook. Yet notwithstanding this prodigious destruction of the animal, its increase is fully commensurate to its consump- tion, as if ordained the appointed food of all ; and Reaumur computes, though from what data it is difficult to conjecture, that the number of worms lodged in the bosom of the earth exceeds that of the grains of all kinds of corn collected by man." These observations carry us yet a little further : we remember that, various as are the creatures that feed upon the worm, the food which sustains that reptile, in its turn, is equally miscellaneous. The creatures that eat the worm, while living, are eaten by it when they are dead ; and it is possible that, in the never-ceasing change of things, the parti- cles of which every living creature is composed may be destined to undergo these numerous dangers in the form of the worm. The thought is not a proud one, perhaps not a pleasing one; — but we stay not here — change still proceeds — and by this process the self-same atoms may, in turn, compose a lily or a lark. The author speaks, perhaps, somewhat too strongly in as- serting that winter is " the time in which nature is most busily employed;", and that all the fruits and flowers of the summer are only the advance of what has been ordained and o 2 188 Catalogue of Works on Natural History, fabricated in these dull months." Naturalists in general con- sider winter rather as a nurse to the young buds formed be- fore its commencement; and admit it to be, in some degree, a season of rest. Upon the whole, though the volume before us contains little that is new, and bears no competition with the simplicity, the cordial vivacity of White; yet I have read it with much pleasure, and return thanks to the author for entertaining me on a subject over which I could willingly linger with him as long as he had any thing to say. Books offer various sources of pleasure as well as of profit; a volume which gives us- but little original information, may still have its value as a remembrancer of agreeable subjects and useful truths. I would willingly see this writer's example followed by others who take interest in similar pursuits, and have similar oppor- tunities of observation; and though journals of this nature should be multiplied ad infinitum, I should be among the first to welcome and to read them. K. Art. II. Catalogue of Works on Natural History , lately published, mth some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British Naturalists, Britain. StaTk, John, F.R.S.E., Member of the Wernerian Natural History Society of Edinburgh, &c. : Elements of Natural History, adapted to the present state of the Science, containing the Generic Characters of nearly the whole Animal Kingdom, and Descriptions of the principal Species. Edinburgh. 8vo, pp. 1044, with plates. We have delayed noticing this volume, hoping to be able to review it at length ; and the same cause has prevented our hitherto recording the title of the excellent work of Dr. Fleming, A History of British Animals. Both works are highly spoken of by those who are considered competent judges. Of Stark^s Elements a reviewer in Brewster's Journal observes, " the technical arrangement is judicious, the style simple and perspicuous,] and a right tone of feeHng pervades the whole work." The Menageries .• Quadrupeds, described and drawn from Living Subjects.! Forming the commencement of the Library of Entertaining Knowledge,] and pubhshed under the superintendence of the Society for the DifFusior of Useful Knowledge. London. 12mo. Vol. L Part L 2s. This is the first of a series of intended publications on natural histor}^, in] which it is proposed to proceed in describing individual animals, " without] following exclusively an arrangement depending upon what zoologists call| the order, the family, or the genus to which they belong We are not] about to write a systematic work on zoology, which shall comprise evervj specimen of the animal kingdom ; but with especial reference to the plan ofj difFusimg entertaining knowledge, we shall rather attempt to lead the reader Goring and Pritchard^s Objects for the Microscope, 189 to a gradual acquaintance with the science, by instructing him in the pecu- liarities of individual animals, than to make these peculiarities subordinate to classification. We apprehend that, in adopting this course, we pursue a natural and interesting mode of communicating a popular knowledge of the subject. It is frequently better to lead men from the example to the prin- ciple, than from the abstract principle to the example. This is the mode in which a practical knowledge is best attained, in all things." The introduction contains some important remarks on what may be called the art of deriving enjoyment from subjects of natural history, or indeed from any subject ; and that is, the art of awakening attention to it. " With- out a habit of attention to the things around them, men walk about in the world with their eyes half shut ; for they are insensible to all but the com- monest external appearances, and have no perception of the minuter pecu- liarities which distinguish one class of objects from another, of the beauties of their structure, or of the harmonies of their arrangement." Hunger and cold are the primary causes of attention to food and dress; but there is no natural stimulus equally powerful to the acquisition of general knowledge. How is this stimulus to be given ? By pointing out its pleasures and advan- tages ; the curiosity which it gratifies, and the distinction which it confers. To fix the attention of young people it is good to limit it to one thing at a time. How many boys arrive at the condition of manhood without know- ing any thing more of a spider than that such an insect exists ; but let the boy be confined for a week in a naked room, with no other companion than a spider, and how different will be the interest he will take in the insect, and the knowledge he will acquire of its habits ! This knowledge will recur to his memory every time afterwards when he sees any individual of this fa- mily of insects, and having derived pleasure from them, he will desire to in- crease this pleasure by further observation, and by research into every thing connected with spiders. " It is the distinction between the savage and the civilised man, that the one has no respect for the qualities of the living be- ings or inanimate substances amongst which he is placed, except as they minister to his physical wants ; whilst the other, without neglecting their subservience to his necessities or comforts, views them likewise with re- ference to all the conditions of their existence j considering each variety of the whole world of nature, whether separately or in groups, whether in- dividually perfect or in parts, as affording the most striking illustrations of the extraordinary adaptation of every existing thing to the purposes for which it was created." Whatever makes a vivid impression on the senses excites attention, and in this view the engravings which illustrate the menageries, and other mo- dern works on natural history, will not be without their use. They are, in the little book before us, very well executed, as is the literary part of the work ; and, from its low price, there can be no doubt of its extensive dif- fusion, and beneficial influence on those for whom it is intended. Goring, C. R., M.D., and Andrew Pritchard: The ^Natural History of se- veral New, Popular, and Diverting Living Objects for the Microscope, with the Phenomena presented by them under Observation, &c. &c. ; conjoined with accurate Descriptions of the latest Improvements in the Diamond, Sapphire, A planatic, and Amician Microscopes; and Instruc- tions for Managing them, &c. &c. To which is added, a Tract on the newly-discovered Test Objects. Illustrated by very highly finished co- loured Engravings, from Drawings of the actual Living Subjects. No. I. London. 8vo, pp. 32, coloured plates. In the preface microscopic science is ably vindicated from the sarcasms of the ignorant. The first chapter contains practical remarks on microscopes ; the second, on the larva and pupa of a straw-coloured plumed Ciilex or gnat ; and the third, on the larva and, chrysalis of the Ephemera margi- o 3 1 90 Lindlei/s Syjiopsis of the British Flora, nalis. The drawings to illustrate these chapters 'are most beautifully "en- graved and coloured. The following is a description of the larva and pupa of the plumed gnat : " The transformation," says Mr. Pritchard, " of this animal from the larva to the pupa is one of the most singular and wonderful changes that can be conceived ; and, under the microscope, presents to the admirer of nature a most curious and interesting spectacle. Although the whole operation is under the immediate inspection of the observer, yet so complete is the change, that its former organisation can scarcely be recognised in its new state of existence. " If we now compare the different parts of the larva with the pupa, we remark a very striking change in the tail, which, in the previous state of being, was composed of twenty-two beautifully plumed branches ; while, in the latter, it is converted into two fine membranous tissues ramified. This change appears the more remarkable, as not the slightest resemblance can be discovered between them ; nor can any vestiges of the former tail be found in the water. The partial disappearance of the shell-like bodies is another curious circumstance. The two lower of them, it may be conjec- tured, go to form the new tail, for if the number of joints be counted from the head, the new tail will be found appended to that joint which was nearest them in the larva state. The two small horns which form the white-plumed antennae of this species of gnat, when in its perfect state, are discernible in the larva folded up under the skin near the head. The alimentary canal appears nearly to vanish in the pupa, as in that state there is no necessity for it; the insect then entirely abstaining from food j while, near this canal, the two intestinal blood-vessels seen in the larva have now become more distinct, and are supplied with several anastomosing branches. " During the latter part of the day on which the drawing was taken, the rudiments of the legs of the perfect insect might be seen, folded within that part which appears to be the head of the pupa ; and several of the globules had vanished, those remaining longest that were situated nearest the head. It may be necessary to observe that the head of the pupa floats just under the surface of the water ; and the insect, in this state, is nearly upright in that fluid, while the larva rests its belly or sides at the bottom of the pond or vessel in which it is kept. " The circuitous manner in which the Creator appears to form this species of gnat, and many other of his smaller productions, is truly wonderful. Other creatures are formed directly either from the egg or the natural womb. As, however, the Deity does nothing in vain, it may be presumed that He must have had in view some important object in the preliminary steps through which these beings have to pass, as from the egg to the larva^ chrysalis, and perfect insect ; and, however low these minutiae of nature may be held in the estimation of the unthinking mass of mankind, this most elaborate pro- ceeding renders it not improbable that they may be deemed by Him the choicest and most exquisite of His productions. These mysterious creative operations of nature, as detected and unravelled by microscopes, are surely grand and capital subjects for observations. I should pity the spirit of the man who scorned to be amused by inspecting these marvellous metamor- phoses, and disdained to be informed of the manner in which they are ef- fected." Lindley, John, Esq. F.R.S. L.S. and G.S. ; Member of the Imperial Aca- demy Naturae Curiosorum of Bonn, of the Botanical Society of Ratis- bon, and of the Physiographical Society of Lund; Corresponding Member of the Linnean Society of Paris ; Assistant Secretary of the Horticultural Society; and Professor of Botany in the University o| London : A Synopsis of the British Flora, arranged according to thf Natural Orders ; containing Vasculares, or Flowering Plants. Londor 8vo. \os, 6d. Lindley*s Synopsis of the British Flora. 191 The reasons that have led to the preparation of this book are thus given in the preface : — " All the British Floras/ with the exception of the Flora Scotica of Dr. Hooker, have been arranged upon the principles of a system, which, whatever popularity it may, from particular circumstances, have acquired, and however useful it may have been found in communicating a knowledge of the names of things, does certainly not now tend to the advancement of science, or to an accurate knowledge of things themselves. Of course I allude to the system of Linnasus ; a system which has almost disappeared from every country but our own, and which ought now to find no other place in science than among the records of things whose fame has passed away. Hence all our British Floras are, in this view of the case, essentially defective, with the exception already made." Another objec- tion is the Inaccuracy of the technical language of the British Floras ; objections, however, to which " the Flora Scotica of Dr. Hooker, and the Flora Edinensis of Dr. Greville, are honourable exceptions." Finding no work, therefore, suitable for recommending to the botanical class of the London University, Mr. Lindley " determined upon preparing a work upon those principles, of which the greater part of Europe has now become the advocate, and which might, if destitute of all other merft, at least possess the recommendation of being commensurate with the present state of bota- nical knowledge." After noticing the attempt which lie has made in this work to reduce the language of botany to a uniform standard, " to render the nomenclature of genera and species conformable to that of Continental vvriters of the highest authority ; " to introduce some new genera and spe- cies; and, above all, " to remove the difficulties which at present attend the study of the natural affinities of plants," he adds, '* but after all that has been effected in the present case, or that is likely to be accomplished hereafter, there will always be more difficulty in acquiring a knowledge of the natural system of botany than of the Linnean. The latter skims only the surface of things, and leaves the student in the fancied possession of a sort of information which it is easy enough to obtain, but which is of little value when acquired ; the former requires a minute investigation of every part and every property known to exist in plants ; but, when understood, has conveyed to the mind a store of information of the utmost use to man in every station of life. Whatever the difficulties may be of becoming acquainted with plants according to this method, they are inseparable from botany, which cannot be usefully studied without encountering them." A second volume is promised on the cellular plants, but is deferred " in the hope that, ere much time shall have elapsed, some of the uncertainty which now exists respecting the lichens and fungi will be removed. It may be at present safely affirmed, that we know nothing of the limits of the; genera and species of either of these extensive orders." We shall not enter into the details of this Synopsis, because, after Miss Kent has completed her introduction to the Linnean System, it will be fol- lowed by a corresponding introduction to the Jussieuean System ; but to those who are already prepared for this system, we may safely reconimend Mr. Lindley's book as by far the best, or rather almost the only book the English reader could resort to for a knowledge of that system. We have only one little fault to find with the author, and two of our correspondents are of the same opinion on the subject as ourselves, viz. that he has taken no notice of Gray's Natural Arrangement of J^riiisk Plaiits. This work may not be perfect ; but no man can deny that it is elaborate, and contains a good deal of originality. It includes both Vascu- lares andCellulares ; and when the botanical world are informed that a great part of it was prepared by the lateR. A. Salisbury, one of the earliest promoters of the study of the Jussieuean System in this country, and one who, in 1819, was, both in France and Italy, held next in rank among British botanists to Mr. Brown, they will agree with us in thinking that Mr. Lindley ought o 4 192 Lindley's Synopsis of the British Flora, not to have passed it over as though it did not exist. We insert some of the remarks of two of the correspondents alluded to : — " Mr. Lindley, in the first page of his preface, asserts that all the works in illustration of the Flora of Great Britain (except the Flora Scotica of Dr. Hooker) have been arranged according to the Linnean System ; and at p. 9. he says * Mani^ genera appear now, for the Jirst time, in an English Flora.' " Now taking the English Flora of Smith as the standard, the following are the genera introduced by Mr. Lindley ; but those against which I have put a * had already been published in the work of Gray with the same appellation ; and most of the others, as you will see, have only received from Mr. Lindley another name. Gray's work was published in 1821. A'chnodon Agr6pyrum Airdchloa Alliaria Ammophila Anacamptis Anemagrostis Antennaria Arctostaphyloa Armaria Arrenatherum Barbar^a Blysmus Brachypodium Calamagrostis Calystegia Caps^Ua Carrichtera Catabrosa Catopodium CentrSnthus Chamagrdstis Chondrflla CondyIocarpu& Corydalis Coryndphorus- Cotoneaster Cytisus Deschampswr Digraphis Diplotaxis Echinochloa Erophila Filago i^cenfculumr Gagea Gastridium Glyce Gymnad^nia Heleocharis Chil6chloa Graj/. Koeleria Gray. Psamma Gray. Apera Gray. UVa-U'rsi Gray. Chaetospora Gray. rella Gray, Mibora Gray, Heleogiton Helosciadium Hivcuhis Holoschce^nus Hydrochloa Isolepis KnautiflE Larbrea Leiogyne Limbarda Maruta Meconopsis Melilotus Molinia Muscari Onobrychis Ophiurus Oxycoccus Oxytropis Petroselinum Physosp^rmum Kingstonia Gray. Monflia Gray, Pseudosp^rmuHi Gray. Platan th era Prism atocarpus Legouisa Gray Pulicaria Robertson^a Romen'a Schenodorus Sclerochloa iS'eseli Setaria iSilaus 5ilybum Trichodium Trigon^lla Trinia Trisetum Valet^ian^lla Villarsia Vulpia, jLibanotis Gray, Agradlus Gray, Limnanthes Gray, ^ " In making these remarks I wish it to be clearly understood that I con- sider Mr. Lindley has much improved the language j and that even after deducting much of the originality which he claims, the book, from various circumstances, must be acceptable to the botanists of this country. — C.K.'* Literary Notices, 193 ' " Decandolle has adopted Gray's order Ceratophylleae, and acknowledged it as Gray's; Mr. Lindley has adopted the order Ceratophylleae, and given, as an authority for it, Decandolle : as well might he have quoted from De- candolle one of Robert Brown's orders, and given Decandolle as an au- thority. — Z)." Hooker, W.J., L.L.D. F.R S. and L.S. &c. &c. and Regius Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow : Botanical Miscellany, intended to comprise Figures and Descriptions of new, rare, or little-known Plants, from various Parts of the World, particularly of such as are useful in Commerce, in the Arts, in Medicine, or in Domestic Economy. London, No. I. 8vo, 24 pis. 10*. bds. A slight glance at this work enables us to say that the plates are beau- tifully drawn and coloured; when No. II. appears we shall enter into details. Hinton, John Howard, M.A. : Elements of Natural History, or an Intro- duction to Systematic Zoology; chiefly according to the Classification of Linnaeus, and aided by the Method of Artificial Memory. London. 4to, 5 plates. A very curious and clever work, in which an attempt is made to impress the Linnean classes and orders of the animal kingdom on the memory, by the application of the system of mnemonics of Feinagle (Jackson's we think better). It is a praiseworthy attempt, and will be useful for children. Johnston, George, M.D. ; Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons ; Extra- ordinary Member of the Royal Medical, and Corresponding Member of the Medico-Chirurgical, Societies of Edinburgh ; and Corresponding Mem- ber of the Zoological Society of London : A Flora of Berwick upon Tweed. Vol. I. Phaenogamous Plants. Edinburgh. 8vo. The arrangement is that of Linnaeus, and the nomenclature that of Smith's British Flora ; there are plants of each of the 23 classes of flowering plants, and of 286 genera ; and the work, as far as we have had leisure to look into it, is at once scientific and interesting from local remark. When the second volume appears, we hope the author will throw the genera together in tables, according to the natural system, and in other tables according to their geological relations. France. Saigry et Raspail, MM., distinguished naturalists : Annales des Sciences d'Observation, compr^nant I'Astronomie, la Physique, la Chimie, la Mi- neralogie, la Geologie, la Physiologie et I'Anatomie des deux Regnes, la Botanique, la Zoologie ; les Theories Math^matiques, et les principales Applications de toutes ces Sciences a la M^teorologie, a I'Agriculture, aux Arts et a la M^decine. Tome I. Paris, 1829. This is a new periodical of great promise. Art. III. Literary Notices. The Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society delineated, being descriptions and figures in illustration of the natural history of the living animals in the Society's collection, is announced to be published with the authority of the Council, under the superintendence of the Secretary and Vice-Secretary of the Society. The engravings will be executed on wood by Branston and Wright, from drawings by Harvey. A Picturesque Guide through the Regent^s Park, with a description of the Colosseum, the Zoological Gardens, engravings of the most curious animals, &c. in a pocket volume, with a plan and thirty other engravings, is announced. 194 PART III. MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. Art. I. Natural History in Foreign Countries* FRANCE. JRepsoducTION of Leeches. — It has been found by M. Pallas^ that after leeches have been used for medicinal purposes, they are most reproductive. He puts them into a box with argillaceous earth, six inches deep, at any time from the middle of August till the end of September. In five months cocoons will be found, each containing twelve individuals. The cocoons are, on the outside, light, porous, and woolly, to keep out moisture and regu- late the temperature; on the inside they are fibrous and dense, enclosing a thin multilocular pellicle, which contains germs. — Bulletin des Sciences No- turelles. As the medicinal leech is a native of Britain, and by no means uncommon in lakes and pools in marshes, the preceding experiments of M. Pallas might, perhaps, be turned to profitable account in the breeding of animals in such extensive demand as leeches. The greater number, it may be supposed, of the leeches which have been used, die soon afterwards; but if they were employed as breeders, and since M. Pallas says they are the best breeders, it would be turning a loss into a considerable profit. — J. R, Nature of Vegetation at dif event Epochs of the Crust of the Globe. — M. Adolphe Brongniart has published an interesting paper upon this subject in the Annates des Sciences Hist. Nat. for November, in which he divides the time of the formations into four periods ; viz. — 1. The immense numerical predominance of vascular Cryptogamia, that is to say, 2<'ilices, Characeas, and Lycopodiaceae, and the great developement of these plants, are the essential characteristics of the first period, 2. The numerical equality of vascular Cryptogamia, of gymnospermatic Phanerogamia represented by the Coniferae and Monocotyledones, as well as the least developement of the vegetables of the first of these classes, appear to be the essential marks of the second period. 3. The third period is particularly distinguished by the predominance of gymnospermatic Phanerogamia, and particularly of Cycadeae ; the vascular Cryptogamia hold the second rank, and then an inconsiderable number of Monocotyledones succeed. 4. Lastly, the fourth period presents us with the vegetables of all the classes at present existing ; among which, as at this epoch, Dicotyl^dones are by far the most numerous ; then Monocotyledones, gymnospermatic Phanerogamia, and, last of all, Cryptogamia and Agamia. The following Tables, however, will exhibit these interesting views more distinctly : —. Natural History in Foreign Countries, Ids Number of Species of each Genus and Family peculiar to the Four Periods. Names of the Classes, Fami- lies, and Genera, CLASS I AGA^MIA. Confe'rv^. Confervites A'LGJE. /''ucoides CLASS IL CRYPTOGA'MIA CEL- LULO'SA. Mu^sci. Muscites CLASS IIL CRYPTOGA\MIA VAS- CULA^RIA. ^qiseta'^cejs. j;quis^tum Calamltes Fi'lice*. Pachypteris Sphen6pteris Cycl6pteris Neur6pteris Gloss6pteris - Pec6pteris Lonch6pteris Odontopteris Anom6pteris - T£Bni6pteris Clathr6pteris Schiz6pteris Sigill^ria - MarsiliaYe^. Spheriophyllum Chara^ce*. Chira Lycopodia'^cejE, Lycopodites Selaginltes - Lepidodendron Lepidophyllum Ijepidostrobus Cardiocarpon - Stigmaria CLASS IV. PHANEROGA^MIA GYM- NOSPE'RMIA. Cyca'^de^. Cycadites Zamia Pteroph^Uum Nilsbnia Mant^llja Conifers. P'mus Taxites Voltzia Juniperites Cupressites - Thilya Thuytes Brachyph^llum - 3d. 4(.2, I Names of the Classes, Fami. I lies, and Genera. CLASS V. PHANEROGA^MIA MO- NOCOTYLE'DONES. Nai'*adj3. Potamophillitis Zosterites Caulinites Pa'lmie. Palmacites Flabellaria Phcenicites Zeugophyllites Cbcos LlLIA^CEiE. Buckl&ndiar Clathraria Smilacites ConvallarUes Antholites CA'NNEiE. Cannophyllites Monocotyledones of doubtful Family. Endogenites Culmltes Sternb^rg?a Poacltes [- PalaB(Sxyris Echin6stachy8 - - ^thoph^Uum - Trigoncarpum - Amomocarpum Musocarpum Pandanocdrpum CLASS IV. PHANEROGA^MIA DI- COTYLE'DONES. AmentaYe^. Carpinus ^^tula Comptbn?a Jugla'ndi^. Juglans ^4ceri'ne^. ^ymphea'*ce«;. JVymphae'^a Dicotyledones of doubtful Family. Exogen'ites Phyllites AntholUhes Carpollthes - Vegetables of doubtful Class. Phyllothfeca - Annularia Asterophyirites Volkmann?a 1st. 2d. ,4th. sereral 3 many many, several many, Table exhibiting the Number of the Species of each Class during each Period. ist. 2d. 3ci 4th. Present. 1. Aga^mia 4 5 18 13 7,000 II. Cryptoga^mia Cellulo'^sa - _ 2 1,500 III. Cryptoga'mia Vascula'^ria 222 8 31 6 1,700 IV. Phaneroga\mia Gymnospe'rmia - _ 5 S5 20 150 V. Phaneroga^iia Monocotyle'donEs ■ 16 5 3 25? 8,000 VI. Phaneroga'^mia Dicotyle'oones - . 100? 32,000 Vegetables of doubtful class Total of each Flora 22 - - 264 23 87 . 166 50,350 196 Natural History in Lo7idon*^ Art. II. Natural History in London. Zoological Society. — A catalogue of the members has been published, which includes 1291 names, besides corresponding members. The museum in Bruton Street has received, and is daily receiving, valuable additions, as is the garden in the Regent's Park. The extent of this garden has been, in consequence of the various donations and purchases, considerably increased, and several neat and appropriate structures are now erecting for the abode of different specimens. It is a gratifying circumstance that these specimens are, for the most part, clearly and distinctly named, with the native country of the animal added. We could wish to see a greater variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants introduced, and equally clear names and geo- graphical indications placed at them also. Why should it not, as far as practicable, be a botanic garden as well as a zoological garden ? It is much to be regretted that those who first designed the plantations of the Regent's Park seem to have had little or no taste for, or knowledge of, hardy trees and shrubs ; otherwise, as we have before remarked, this park might have been the first arboretum in the world. Instead of the (about) 50 sorts of trees and shrubs which it now exhibits, there might have been all the 3000 sorts, now so admirably displaying their buds and leaves, and some of them their flowers, in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges at Hackney. A walk round that arboretum, at this season, is one of the greatest treats which a botanist can enjoy, and a drive round the Regent's Park might have been just as interesting. It is not yet too late to supply this defect, and the ex- pense to Government would be a mere bagatelle. The Zoological Society, in the mean time, might receive contributions of herbaceous plants, and be at the expense of planting and naming them. Linnean Society. — March 3. Read. A continuation of Mr. Don's paper on the Compositae of South America. March 17. Read. A paper on the fig trees of Jamaica, by James Mac Fadyen, Island Botanist : communicated by H. T. De la Beche, Esq. F.R.S. &c. This paper describes six species indigenous to Jamaica. The genus is divided into two sections, accordingly as the fruit is sessile or pe- dunculated. Under the first are enumerated F. Simpsoni and F. cordifolia ; under the second, i^^.jamaic^nsis, F. viridis, i^.americana, and i^. lentiginosa. The author states that the four species are new, and that the characters of the rest had never before been properly investigated. Some remarks by Mr. Bicheno on the geographical and geological dis- tribution of the plants of Britain were also read : and the reading of Mr. Don's paper was continued. The head and horns of a remarkable species of the buffalo {Bos A'rni) from India, and also a variety of the fallow deer (Cervus Dama), were presented to the Society's museum. The Meeting then adjourned for a month. April 7. Read. A paper by the Rev. Patrick Keith ; the object of which was to prove that the sap of plants has the power of producing buds ; or, at least, that this is the case in a great number of trees. We should say, it is the case in all trees which will stole when cut over by the surface, or which will produce suckers or shoots from the root, as Pyrus, Prunus, Cratae'gus, ZJImus, Pilia, &c. Mr. Keith illustrated his paper by a drawing of a fragment of lime tree, in which two young shoots were protruded from the lip of a wound. We have now before us a piece of a shoot of the common elm of about 18 in. in length, and half an inch in diameter, in which four such shoots are growing from the lip of the cut or section, on the upper end. This elm stick, as it may be called, was put into a crystal jar, as a perch for our Pana arborea (p. 79.) on the 16th of January last; there is a little water at the bottom of the jar, which Natural Histoid in the English Counties, 197 keeps it moist." It has not "thrown out a single fibre, nor formed much of a callosity at the lower cut or section ; but at the upper section the callous is large with four small shoots, and the different buds in the natural bark have pushed from 2 to 4 in. in length. The stick and the frog were examined by several physiologists at the London Institution, March .31st. Mr. Keith alluded to the opinion of the writer of the article Vegetable Physiology, in the Library of Useful Knowledge (No. xiv.), on this subject, as "being inconsistent with the facts stated. The circumstance of the common thorn and of the elm and many trees producing shoots from cuttings of the roots is, in our opinion, quite decisive of the power of the sap or blood of plants to form buds generally ; but some trees require a more powerful excitement to do this than others, and some, as the pine and fir tribe, are exceptions. Geological Society. — Jan. 1 6. Read. An Appendix to Mr. De la Beche's paper on the Geology of Nice, by the Rev. W. Buckland, D. D., &c. After bearing testimony to the correctness of the description given by Mr. De la Beche of the immediate neighbourhood of Nice, the author com- municates his own observations made along the high road from that city to the Col de Tende, for the distance of about fifty miles. Dr. Buckland infers that the lower part of the calcareous deposit near Nice is the older Alpine limestone ; as is the opinion of M. Risso. On the authority of that gentleman, Professor Buckland remarks that near the source of the Var the older Alpine limestone contains gypsum, with sulphur and salt springs; and he thinks it probable that the gypsum found near Vinaigre and Requiez, and at Cimiez, belongs to this formation, rather than to the younger Alpine limestone, to which Mr. De la Beche refers it. A similar developement of the new red sandstone is seen between Toulon and Frejus, accompanied with gypsum, saccharine dolomite, rauch- wacke, and conglomerate. Read, also. Observations on the mountain Ben Nevis, and on some other places in Scotland. Art. III. Natural History in the English Counties. Kent. A Male Spermaceti Whale, Phi/seter catbdon {hatOy below, odouSy a tooth ; teeth in lower jaw only) Lin. — Sir, Most of your readers are acquainted with the character of the whale, his voracity, strength, and enormous size ; but few of them can have had, or probably ever will have, an opportunity of seeing this truly gigantic and stupendous fish. Such an opportunity, however, has lately occurred. A male spermaceti whale had, for some weeks, been observed moving around the coasts of Essex and Kent, when, on Monday last (Feb. 16.), it was perceived near Whitstable (a small fish- ing-town, about six miles from Canterbury), in an apparently exhausted and debilitated state. Some fishermen, therefore, went boldly in quest of him ; and, after a short but perilous hunt, drove him within half a mile of the shore, where the wearied animal, having in vain attempted to escape, rolled himself on his back, and almost instantly expired. He measured 62 ft. in length, and 16 ft. in height; a size, I believe, by no means large, some hav- ing been caught in the northern seas upwards of 100 ft. Two harpoons were found sticking in his back, which seemed to be very much bruised, owing, probably, to the shallowness of the water in which he had been so long confined. The stench arising from the dead body was almost intoler- able, and was smelt at three miles' distance from the sea. I might here; enlarge on the curious method of cutting the flesh, extracting the oil, &c., 198 Natural History in the English Counties. but I have already trespassed too long on your valuable pages, and shall, therefore, merely observe in contlusion, that the plates and descriptions, by Bewick and others, are, as far as I could judge from a short but minute inspection, perfectly correct. I am. Sir, &c. — Perceval Hunter. King- stone Rectory i near Canterbury y Feb. 19. 1829. Capture of a Cachalot on the south Coast. — On the 1 5th of February a fine spermaceti whale was captured at Whitstable ; and such an occurrence being very rare on our coasts, at your request I proceed to state the in- formation respecting it which I have been able to collect j truly regretting, from the imperfect knowledge of these giants of the waters possessed by our naturalists, that none appear to have been able to avail themselves of so excellent an opportunity of removing the many doubts and difficulties respecting the external figure and anatomy of the animal. The only detailed account of its capture which has been presented to the public has been given in the Essex Herald, and that is in some par- ticulars at variance with others, derived from persons' who profess to have been eye-witnesses. According to the first authority, the whale was seen approaching some dredging boats in comparatively shallow water, and the fishermen instantly went in pursuit. Being unprovided with weapons, they threw their anchors on him; and the crew of one boat, of 11 tons' burthen, had the temerity to sail over him ; upon which he rose and lifted it above the surface. In this strange warfare fortunately no injury was sustained, except by the whale, whose back retained the traces of the vessel's passage. The fishermen for a long time persevered, and at length harassed him so much that he was driven into shallow water, on the Grass Bank, upon which he threw him- self on his back; in which position he continued to bellow loudly until he expired. With the night tide he was floated by a warp upon the rock. A Whitstable boatman at Billingsgate has communicated to me the fol- lowing additional and rather varying particulars : — The whale was first observed in shallow water (on the Uth) off the Essex coast. He was im- mediately attacked by two boats, the men in which trying to kill or disable him, commenced by destroying his sight, and also thrust a sharp bar of wood into the abdomen, which, by the agonised efforts of the animal, was instantly and forcibly ejected, followed by a large quantity of blood. They then attempted to secure him by two very strong cables, and with another fastened a small anchor to his tail. The cables were speedily snapped, and the leviathan broke from his pursuers, but only to meet a more certain fate on the opposite shore. The Whitstable men were more fortunate, the whale becoming stranded upon their coast, and assisting to destroy himself by his tremendous efforts to escape into his native element from the inces- sant persecutions of his new enemies, who endeavoured to kill him by wounds in every accessible part of his body. The noise of his floundering upon the shingles was compared by our informant to that of all his bones being broken, which, added to his bellowing, was as terrible to the ear as the sight of so vast an animal, exerting his utmost power in a struggle for existence, was to the eye. It was the opinion of this person that he ulti- mately died from the exhaustion occasioned by his unavailing efforts. The first intention of the captors was merely to disable him, and tow him up alive to London, where they would doubtless have reaped from his ex- hibition a rich reward for their perilous exertions. Mr. Gould, who went to Whitstable some days after the death to secure and prepare the skeleton for the Zoological Society, has kindly favoured me with all the information he was able to procure on the spot. He was informed that the whale was left by the tide in only 8 ft. of water on the Essex coast, in which situation he was seen by the master of a French ship, who immediately put off to attack him. He was then so much exhausted by beating about in shallow water, as quietly to suffer a small cable to be Natural History in the English Counties, 199 attached to his tail, and thus promised to become an easily conquered prize. He was forthwith fastened to the vessel and taken in tow. In about half an hour, however, the tables were turned, the deep water having by that time so much renovated his power, that it was soon apparent he was the stronger swimmer of the two, as he actually towed the ship stern foremost a considerable distance. This trial of strength between two such large floating bodies, so slightly connected, could not last long ; the cable broke, and he regained his liberty. Respecting his ultimate capture and death, Mr. Gould's account differs but little. The whale lay upon his side, and not upon his back ; which position Mr. Gould thinks it impossible for him to assume, from the sharp ridge of the dorsal hne. His death was promptly effected by a seaman in the preventive service, who had served on board a whaler, thrusting a spear in a proper direction, and putting an instantaneous stop to his sufferings. This whale, which was a male, belongs to that subdivision of the ceta- ceous animals which are distinguished by their heads being, in appearance, enormously disproportioned to their bodies, occupying about one third of the entire length. Of these there are only two genera, the Physeter, or cachalot, and the ^alae'na, or whalebone whale; and it is to the former that the individual in question belongs. Although these huge monsters of the deep are found occasionally in almost all seas, and migrate, in a limited manner, at 'particular seasons, they very rarely approach the temperate coasts of Europe, their principal locality being the Frozen Ocean. The following instances of their so doing are, however, on record : — A cacha- lot was seen off the Kentish coast in 1769 ; during the life of Sir Thomas Brown (who died in 1774), a very large one was stranded on the coast of Norfolk; in March, 1784, thirty-two young ones were cast on shore, during a violent gale, near Audierne, in France ; and, about twelve years ago, a small one was captured in the river Thames, just above Gravesend. The present subject of consideration may be considered as nearly full grown, being 65 ft. in length, and 36 ft. in circumference. In Griffith's translation of Cuvier's Rbgne Animal^ upwards of 70 ft. is mentioned, as their usual length, and 52 ft. 3 in. as their circurgference ; yet, I believe, they are seldom captured exceeding in size the subject of the present article; and it is rather singular, unless a different species had been measured, that Mr. Griffith assigns 1 5 ft. as the length of the lower j'aw, which was precisely that of our smaller specimen. The whale in question yielded 9 tons of oil and a considerable quantity of spermaceti : much of both was, however, unfortunately lost, by oozing out of the wounds, in the in- terval between its death and fiencing^ as the cutting up is termed by the whale fishermen. The value of the oil is stated to be 80/. per ton, making the animal worth 720/., exclusive of the spermaceti. As soon as the prize was secured, the fortunate men despatched one of their comrades to towli, to oflPer it for sale for 200/. It is said that he succeeded in his mission, but, by some accident, not returning at the time expected, it was sold to Messrs. Enderby and Sturge, of Thames Street, for 60 guineas, the first purchaser relinquishing his claim ; and copj)ers being erected on the beach by Mr. Sturge*s men, the operation of cutting up and boiling the blubber commenced five days after its death : but, even in that short interval, the internal parts had become so insufferably putrid, that the intestines, which were three cart-loads, were carried away and spread on the fields as manure. Mr. Gould afterwards examined these exuviae, in the hope of discovering ambergris, but was disappointed. This recalls to mind the quaint observation of Sir Thomas Brown upon a similar occasion, as quoted by Dr. Shaw in his General Zoology (vol. ii. part ii. p. 500.) : " In vain it was to rake for ambergriese in the paunch of this leviathan, as Greenland discoverers and attests of experience dictate that they sometimes swallow great lumps thereof in the sea, insufferable foetor forbidding that enquiry ; and yet, if, as 200 Natural History in the English Counties Paracelsus encoiirageth, ordure makes the best musk, and from the most fetid substances may be drawn the most odoriferous essences, all, that had not Vespasian's nose, might boldly swear here was a fit subject for such extractions." Messrs. Enderby and Sturge liberally gave the men 40 guineas in ad- dition to the original bargain, and they also realised 40/. by exhibiting the whale on the beach ; so that the crews of the boats (which, according to a second account in the Essex Herald,were seven in number) were eventually well recompensed for their trouble and risk. The skeleton was presented by those gentlemen to the museum of the Zoological Society; but govern- ment having put in a claim to the " royal fish," the whole proceeds of it are under arrest, and the bones now lie whitening on the shore. Although resembling a fish in their form and in being entirely confined to an aquatic life, the whales, in common with the dolphins and narwhal, are similar in formation and consequent habits, reproduction, &c., to terrestrial quadrupeds, except that they are deficient in hinder extremities, having only rudiments of the pelvic bones, not attached to the spine, and having some of the muscles proper to the thighs, &c. united to form the tail, which is of amazing power, and so deadly a weapon of offence, that a large boat has been upset by a single blow with it. Their ribs (which are fourteen in number in the spermaceti whale) are of course large, but not remarkably thick. One of them is exhibited in St. Mary's church, Redcliffe, near Bristol, as that of the dun cow slain by Guy, Earl of Warwick ! The an- terior extremities, although appearing externally like fins, the office of which they serve, are composed of the same bones as those of other Mammalia, but those of the arm and fore-arm are short and flattened, and the latter possess no power of rotation. The bones of the wrist are also flattened, and joined together by cartilage ; there is no opposable thumb, and the phalanges of the fingers are unequal in number. The heads of these animals offer the most remarkable departures, in form and structure, from the usual type. Both in the whales and cachalots they are of enormous and uncouth size : hence the specific appellation of the latter is Macroc^phalus. In them they are abruptly truncated in front, from which character is derived the common name, blunt-headed. From the head the body tapers gradually to the tail (which is broad, and placed horizontally), having, like fish, no proper neck, the seven cervical vertebrae being very thin, and crowded together so as to form virtually but one bone. From this description of the outline of the animal, it is evident that it is a complete wedge; but, in contradiction to the usual laws of mechanics, this wedge, or cone, moves with its base foremost, and, which is most astonish- ing, proving how seldom analogical theories should be implicitly relied on when applied to vital action, moves with the most astonishing rapidity, literally glancing through the yielding water like lightning through the air. This shows the utility and application of the powerful tail. This particular formation of the head affords room for that remarkable deposit of spermaceti which is contained between two large rising plates, composed of expansions of the frontal, temporal, and occipital bones. The space between these plates is divided longitudinally into two parts, which, from their vast size, have been aptly compared to caverns. This peculiar secretion has been ignorantly mistaken for the brain, the place of which it apparently occupies, that organ being very small, and situated far back in the head. Viewing the cranium, when divested of its integuments, &c., as seen in the beautiful preparation of the skeleton in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, and in one of a head only in the British Museum, this space is not unlike the body of a large gig, or cabriolet. In this the greater portion of the sper- maceti is contained in a fluid state during the animal's vitality, and mixed Natural History in the English Counties, 201 with a small portion of oil ; upon standing some time it concretes into nearly a solid mass. The head of the Whitstable whale was, as it were, tapped by driving a bar of wood into it, and the spermaceti flowed out in a full stream. This substance is likewise diffused through various parts of the body in a chain of membranous sacs, which communicate with each other like the air cells of birds; and is also, in small proportion, mingled with the general oil of the blubber. The spiracles, nostrils, or breathing holes, form another remarkable cha- racter of the Cetacea; but their structure, which enables the animals to blowt or eject water in a fountain, when they rise to the surface to breathe, is too well known to need description. In the present species they unite into one canal, which opens near the muzzle. After being wounded, much blood was mixed with the water spouted by our unfortunate animal. The mouth, also, affords several marked peculiarities. In the ^alae'nae the place of teeth is supplied by an apparatus which can by no means answer a purpose at all similar. This consists of a number of fringe-like plates on each side of the upper jaw. These plates constitute the tvhale- bone of commerce: their number sometimes amounts to 500. The ca- chalot, on the contrary, is furnished on each side with from nineteen to thirty, according to its age, of strong but short and comparatively blunt teeth; but even here an anomaly exists, they being found in the lower jaw only. The upper is covered with a callous gum, as hard as cartilage, and its edge is indented in sockets for the reception of the teeth of the lower. Arguing theoretically, it has been supposed that this structure is only fit for crushing the shells of crustaceous animals ; but the cachalots are, un- fortunately for this hypothesis, well known to be truly and tyrannically carnivorous, seizing every thing in their way, and, in the words of an author * before quoted, " covering the seas with blood, and pursuing their prey with a bitterness and pertinacity that has scarcely any parallel in animated nature; " in fact, being the insatiate tigers of the ocean. If this predacious habit were, indeed, a disputed question, the present specimen would not tend to decide it, as in his stomach was found only a little fucus, which he had probably snatched in haste from the surface of the waves, with the vain hope of satisfying his hunger and exhaustion, during his painful and pro- tracted chase. We have had the opportunity of inspecting an eye of this animal at the Zoological Society, and find it precisely according with the descriptions given of it by Cuvier and other comparative anatomists. Its structure is extremely curious. The longest diameter of the whole globe, which is flattened anteriorly, does not exceed 3 in., and that of the iris little more than one. The cavity containing the crystalline and vitreous humours is small and completely spherical, the great bulk of the eye being composed of the sclerotic coat, which is as dense and hard as cartilage. The lens is not larger than that of a haddock, and is spherical like those of fish. The optic nerve is the size of a goose quill, and is singularly surrounded by a very peculiar, soft, spongy substance, like finely reticulated cellular mem- brane. This substance is rather more than an inch in diameter, and is enclosed in a sheath as dense as the coat of an artery. The muscles of the eye are not distinct as in quadrupeds, but surround the whole ball like a purse, radiating from behind the edge of the cornea. The whole anterior part of the eye was destroyed. We have few additional particulars to add, and those are from the observations of Mr. Gould. The eyes were sunk into, or rather surrounded by, blubber of nearly a foot in thickness (they were probably driven into that situation by the efforts of the fishermen to blind the animal); the * Grifiith. Vol. II. -- No. 7. v 2D2 Natural History in Irelaiid, mouth was long and narrow; the palate smooth; the roof of the mouth high and arched ; the tongue according with the shape of the cavity it had to fill ; the stomach simple; the heart about 3ft. across ; and the aorta, of which a section is preserved at the Zoological Society, 15 in. in diameter. From these dimensions of the parts composing the fountain of life, we can feel no difficulty in giving credence to the apparently extraordinary calculations that have been made respecting the circulation of the whale. Dr. Hunter tells us (in the Phil. Trans,) that " ten or fifteen gallons of blood are thrown out of the heart at a stroke with an immense velocity :" upon which Paley observes, " the aorta of a whale is larger in the bore than the main pipe of the water-works at London Bridge ; and the water roaring in its passage through that pipe is inferior in impetus and velocity to the blood gushing from the whale's heart.'* We must now take leave of the subject, trusting that, should such another visitor approach our coasts, care will be taken to obtain at least a good figure, which, from the insuperable difficulties that surround those who seek them in their native haunts, perhaps does not exist of any of the larger cetaceous animals. — Henry Woods, A.L.S. ^c. J^?n7 9. 1829. Art. IV. Natural History in Ireland. Natural History in Belfast. — ^The town of Belfast, though containing little more than 40,000 inhabitants, possesses two literary establishments of public foundation : the " Academy," founded in 1786, and the "Aca- demical Institution," founded in 1810. From the similarity of the names, the constitutions, and the original objects of these two seminaries, they are frequently confounded by persons living at a distance. Mr. James Bryce, who is at the head of the mathematical department of the Academy, has lately introduced into his course of geography a series of lectures on mineralogy and geology. His pupils, lads from eighteen to twelve years of age, became exceedingly interested in the subject; some of them attended, as visitors, the meetings of the Belfast Natural History Society, an institution mentioned in a former Number of your work (Vol.1, p. 85.), and at ■length, one morning at the close of a lecture, they astonished their teacher by a proposal that they should form a Natural History Society for the Academy. The idea was cordially taken up by Mr. Bryce, and the consent •of the Principal of the Seminary being joyfully given, the Society was insti- tuted. Its objects are, to give mutual instruction in the various branches of natural history, and to form a museum for the Academy. Its consti- tution is almost a copy of that of the Belfast Natural History Society. Its meetings are held on alternate Wednesdays in the Academy library, where the specimens are kept ; a separate apartment not having been as yet provided for the museum. Mr. Bryce, himself a very young man, is E resident of the Society, and an ordinary member; and reads his paper in is turn. The writer of this article was present at one meeting of this juvenile association, when, Mr. Bryce being to read, the chair was occupied by one of the vice-presidents, a very manly, gentleman-like, yet modest lad of about fifteen, and the whole business was carried on with as much decoruin and propriety as could have been observed by the gravest assem- bly in the land. Mr. Bryce intends soon to enlarge his lectures, and instead of confining them to his own geographical pupils, to give the in- habitants of Belfast generally an opportunity of attending them.—/. MA, Belfast, April 9. 1829. Calenda)' of Nature. .^OS Art. V. Calendar of Nature, Scotland. Diagram, showing the Motion of the Mercury in the Barometer, Ther- mometer, and Differential Thermometer, or the mean, for each ten days of January, February, and March, 1829; as extracted from the Register kept at Annat Gardens, Perthshire, N. lat. 56° 23^', above the level of the sea 172 ft., by the mean of daily observation at 10 o'clock morning and 10 o'clock evening. (It may be proper here to correct an error in the notice of the meteorological table kept here, in last Number, p. 94., where the latitude is stated to be " 56° 35|V' in place of 56"^ 25\'.) An unaccountable difference appears between the mean temperature of last year, by the register kept at this place, and that kept at Wycombe Bucks by Mr. Tatem, where the difference in favour of a higher temper- ature is more than 4i° of S. lat. in favour of Wycombe, and which, according to Mayer's formula, supposing the height above the level of the sea of both places to be the same, should give about 5° of higher tem- perature at Wycombe than at Annat Gardens, but, in place of this, the annual average is reported to be nearly 2° lower. As I conceive it to be of much importance to the science of meteorology, as well as the credit of your publication, that such discrepancies should be p 2 204 Calendar of Nature, noticed, and, if possible, avoided in future, Mr. Tatem will excuse me for submitting the method by which I keep my register, and my reasons for adopting this mode. The mean temperature at 10, morning and evening, has been found to coincide nearly with the mean of the daily extreme* (see Brewster's Encyclopcedia, art. Meteorology, p. 159.): from 1822, I have kept a register on this principle, and I have always found the mean annual result to be within a small fraction of a degree with registers kept with the utmost correctness at Kinfauns Castle. Last season, the annual mean at Kinfauns Castle was nearly |» above that at Annat Gardens ; but this may be accounted for, partly from Kinfauns being 32 ft. lower, and every way better sheltered than this place, though in the same parallel of latitude. The annual mean, by Mayer's formula, of Wycombe should, be about 52°, and his formula I have found, in many instances, to approxi- mate very near to the true mean. If Mr. Tatem takes the mean of any one hour, without referring to the mean of the daily extremes, it may ac- count for the difference ; at any rate, the propriety of avoiding such differ- ence by your meteorological contributors, and of their acting on the same principles in furnishing their observations, will apologise to Mr. Tatem for the liberty I have thus taken, and may induce him to favour us with his remarks on the subject. The calendar which that gentleman has furnished is such as to render it impossible to doubt the accuracy of his observations ; the difference must be in the modes in which we take them. After this long digression, I must proceed to explain the diagram : h shows the mean height of the mercury in the barometer, by inches, as expressed on the right-hand side ; t shows the mean temperature, as marked on the index at the left-hand side. The month is divided into three parts, and the lines cross at the mean height of each. The dotted line across each month shows the mean temperature for that month ; and the dotted line across the table shows the mean temperature for the three months. The marks : show the exact height of rain in the rain-gauge, for the division of time to which it is opposite ; the whole will be given in figures at the end of the season. The range of the index will suit the whole season, h shows the dew-point, of which the observations commenced at the beginning of what is called the vegetating season, the 20th of March. The mean temperature this season was, in January 5-^°, in February 0^°, and in March 4^%° lower than in the corresponding months of last year. The fall of rain is for the same period 5| in., or 2^ in. less than last season. The coldest day was on the 2 1st of January; mean temperature of that, 24i° ; extreme cold, 20° ; wind, N. The warmest day for the three past months was on the 1 5th of February ; mean temperature of that day, 48|°; extreme heat, 5S^\ wind, N.W. The mercury in the barometer was highest on the 51st of January; height, 29^ in.; wind, N.E. : lowest on the 17th of March; height, 28^ in. The only loud gales of wind occurred on the 14th and 20th of March. Calendar of Nature for the Carse of Goiurie, Perthshire, January. — In this month, which was announced by a storm of thunder on the last hours of the old year, there was not a single fresh day. Snow fell on 10 days; 19 days were cloudy; and 12 clear sunshine. The wind blew from the north and west, 7 days ; from the west, 3 days ; and from the east and south-east, 21 days. The vocal songsters of the grove ceased their notes, except, occasionally, the robin redbreast, when sheltered near the haunts of men. The high temperature in December had brought the win- ter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) above ground, but its petals did not open till the last day of January. February. — The temperature of this month being 40°, we have little to record of the progress of vegetation. The wind blew from the north and north-west, 18 days; from the east and south-east, lO days; 13 days were Queries and Answers, 205 cloudy, and 1 5 clear sunshine. Larks began to sing on the loth ; partridge^ were seen in pairs on the 19th; and wood-pigeons were heard cooing on the 2 2d. March, — The wind blew from the east and north-east, 20 days ; and from the west and north-west, 1 1 days. The frost was severe from the 13th till the 18th; on the 15th the mercury in the thermometer fell to 23^. There were only 4 days on which snow or rain fell ; 12 days were clear, and 19 cloudy. Peas that were sown on the 14th of February gave a braird on the 31st of March, a period of 45 days; mean tempera- ture of that period, 40^. Rooks began to build on the 6th, regardless of the cold, the same day on which they were noticed to begin last year. The ^axifraga oppositifolia opened its beautiful flowers here on the 20th, 16 days later than last season. Apricots on walls are not quite so full in blossom on the 31st, as they were last season on the 12th. Daffodils and marsh-marigold remain to be noticed next month. Wild geese have been rising in flocks within the last three days, attempting to wing their way northward to their summer quarters; but, on observing the snow-clad hills, they wheeled about, and have again settled in the Low Carse. — A, G. Annat Gardens, March 31. Art. VL Queries and Anstvers. Lists of Engravings. — If, in your future Numbers, you would, when reviewing zoological works, exhibit a list of the engravings which they respectively contain, you would, by so doing, render your Magazine addi- tionally useful, and would confer, at the same time, a particular favour on, I am persuaded, a numerous class of your country readers, who must have often felt the same inconvenience, in this respect, with myself. The works to which I more particularly allude are such as the Zoological Journal, Sellfi/'s Ornithology^ Selby and JardirHs General Ornithology, Griffith''s Edition of Cuvier, Sivainson's Zoological Illustrations, &c. &c. — A. C. R. March 31, 1829. The Guinea-pig (Cavia Cobaya). — What are the colour and habits of this animal, in its wild state ? It was known to the Romans, and, I believe, it is also a native of South America, but this is all I know, — C. Lamb. March 5. Donovan's Eggs of British Birds. — Have any more than four numbers of this work come out, and is it to be continued ? I have heard nothing of it since Feb. 1827. — ^. C. R. [See the answer to J. D. Salmon below.] British Birds* Eggs. — Which is the best work, with coloured plates, on British birds' eggs, and, at the same time, the cheapest ? Are the plates of the Ovarium Britdnnicum, by George Graves, Esq. F. L. S., well executed ? — J. D. Salmon. I am sorry to be obliged to say there is no English work on birds' eggs that I can venture to recommend. Mr. Lewin's is expensive, somewhat incorrect, and, unless one of his very early and best copies can be procured, but very badly coloured. The Ovarium Britannicum of Mr. Graves, only part i. of which has appeared that I am aware of, and that so long ago as 1816, contains but a small portion only of our British birds' eggs, and but imperfectly executed. Mr. Donovan has published four numbers, at 5s. 6d. each, of a work on British birds' eggs, containing about seventeen in the whole, and not on that account only somewhat objectionable. The l?est work on eggs, that I am acquainted with, is Naumann and Buhle's P 3 206 Qtieries afid Afiswers. ^SS^ of i^^ ^irds of Germany (with Latin names), five numbers of which are already published. I obtain my copy from Mr. Wood, 428. Strand, at about 145. each number. The five 'numbers contain together about 200 eggs. I possess parts only of two other German works on eggs. — W. Y. March 10. 1829. Habits of the Kingfsher.—Su\ In the remarks of S. T. P. of Leeds, on the habits of the kingfisher, in your first Number (p. 23.), is not a cir- cumstance upon which, I believe, all naturalists do not agree, entirely passed over, namely, the nest of the bird being made offish bones? This, as far as one instance may go, I can confirm, having taken a nest whilst at school. It was situated in the bank of a pool well stocked with fish, in Shropshire, in a burrow about four feet in length, the end of which was considerably enlarged, and contained about as many small fish bones as would fill a quart pot. They were disposed so as to form a nest, in which were seven beautiful eggs just such as described by S. T. P. with respect to figure and colour, and of, I think, a large size for the bird. Whether the burrow was formed by the kingfisher itself, I do no not know, but am inclined to think it was not, as there were several sand martens* burrows in the same bank. Yours, &c. — F. Jvly .30. 1828. Feet and Legs of the common Heron. — Sir, Many years ago an opinion was held among the fishermen of this neighbourhood, that the feet and legs of the common heron (^^rdea major) had something in them very attractive to fishes, and particularly to eels, which enabled that bird, when standing in water, to congregate his prey about him, and to take it with greater facility ; it was, therefore, a desirable object, among the fishing amateurs, to procure such feet and legs and to extract the little oily matter they contained, wherewith to anoint the worms forming the bait of, what is here called, a " Reball," with which eels are generally taken. I have heard but little said of this of late years; probably, it has been dis- covered to be an erroneous opinion, and may have been only a conjecture, arising from the observation of the wonderful provision which Nature generally affords to supply the wants of its creatures, a most striking instance of which is recorded in the last Number of your excellent Jour- nal (p. 64.) under the head of " Great American Bittern," where it is said, that " Wilson has omitted to state a most interesting and remarkable cir- cumstance attending that bird, which is, that it has the power of emitting a light from its breast, equal to that of a common torch, which illuminates the water so as to enable it to discover its prey.'* This has brought to my recollection, that most, if not all, birds of the J'rdea genus, but especially the common heron, have on their breasts a considerable space void of feathers, the place of which is supplied by a well-defined dense tuft of down, to which is adherent a peculiar farinaceous substance, clammy, and unctuous to the touch. It has always appeared to me very strange, that no ornithological writer which I have consulted has conjectured the use of this appendage, nor do I recollect having seen its existence very particularly mentioned. May it not be given to the bird for a purpose analogous to that of the organ by which its congener, the American Bittern (possibly by some electrical operation), produces the light, which must be so useful to him in taking his prey, and perhaps of enticing it within his reach, agreeably to a method found so successfiil by the fishermen of the Antilles, and of other parts of the globe ; or is it a conveniently placed repository of oily matter, to be used for the purpose of smoothing the waters, when ruffled, to enable him to see how to strike his prey with greater certainty, similar to the well- known practice of the fishermen of the Mediterranean ? 1 hope some of your correspondents will make their observations, and give their opinions on this subject, if you think it worthy of enquiry. I am, Sir, &c. — R. A,' JBridgewaterj March 20. 1829. Queries and Afiswet's, 20V A Species of Plover was shot by my brother last winter, which nearly agrees in colour with one described by Dr. Tiirton, as a variety of the golden plover inhabiting the island of St. Domingo ; but I think, from its superior size and some other distinctive marks, ornithologists might be dis- posed to make it a separate species. I made a memorandum, at the time, of its colours, &c., as well as I was capable, which is as follows : — Bill near an inch long, dark brown ; head, hind part of the neck, back, and covers of the wings, dark brown tipped with ochraceous, which gives it a spotted appearance; legs dark, with three toes, which have a membrane extending to, the first joint, no spur; cheeks, chin, and upper part of the breast, like the missel thrush ; the remaining part of the breast and belly white, with large black spots. Length 10 inches ; breadth 21 inches from the tips of the wings. It is here a scarce bird, and solitary. The golden plover generally comes here in small flocks. I should be glad to be in- formed by any of your numerous correspondents (if they can make it out from this description), whether it frequents any other part of the island of Great Britain ; and if so, whether single or in small flocks. — Thomas HaivTcins. The Haw, near Gloucester, June 18. 1828. European singing Bh^ds in India. — Perhaps some of your correspondents may be able to inform you whether European singing birds are as highly valued in the East Indies now, as it appears by the following note of the prices given for some that they were in January 1782. It is extracted from an account book of the late James Graham, Esq. of Rickenby, near Carlisle;, who resided in India above twenty years : 1 1 goldfinches, 66 Racary rupees (rather more than 2s. each) ; 1 blackbird, 40 rup. ; 1 thrush, 30. rup. ; 1 nightingale, 26 rup. ; 1 lark, 25 rup. ; 5 goolsarahs, 24 rup. Can any of your readers inform me what kind of birds the last named are, and how the others thrive in the climate of India? I am, Sir, &c. — W. C. T. March, 1829. Scolopax Sabini. — Where could I obtain a coloured representation or any details regarding the 5c61opax Sabini? — A. C.R. March 31. 1829. The Bird with a Sound like the Bleating of a Goat. — Sir, For the satis- faction of your correspondents, J. N. and J. M. (Vol. I. p. 297.), I need only refer them to Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary, title " Snipe, common,'* where a description of its habits in the spring will be found recorded almost in the words of J. N. Lest that useful but now rare book should not be in the possession of either, I will copy Montagu's description. " In the breeding season, the snipe changes its note entirely from that in the winter. The male will keep on wing for an hour together, mounting like a lark, uttering a shrill piping noise ; then descend with great velocity, making a bleating sound, not unlike an old goat, which is repeated alternately round the spot possessed by the female, especially while she is sitting on her nest.* Only a few of the snipes remain with us the whole year. The provincial name, heather-bleater, will be found in Montagu's Appendix. Neither the sanderling nor whimbrel, as supposed by J. M., have, I think, any claim to the above habits. — J. F. London, Sept. 25. 1828. y The Bird with the Sound like the Bleating of a Goat. — Sir, In your Maga- zine (Vol. I. p. 297.) I find that an erroneous answer has been given to your querist, J. N., respecting the bird called the heather-blite. The bird in question was, without a doubt, the common snipe ((Scolopax Gallinago Lin.). As snipes do not leave this country in the breeding season, I have had frequent opportunities of observing them whilst in the act of making the peculiar sound alluded to by your correspondent, and which they never make at any other season. If you will look into Bewick, you will find that heather-bleater is put down as a provincial name of the common snipe. — J. G. C. Ballitore^ County Kildare, Dec. 6. 1828. r 4 208 Queries and Answers* The Sound of a Bh'd resembling the Bleating of a Goat (Vol. I. p. 25)7.) — The bird that your correspondent, J. N., is desirous of obtaining the name of is the common snipe (^colopax Gallinula). Had he applied to any of his sporting friends, they would have informed him that heather-bleat (Scotice, biite) is a common provincial name for that bird, and that they very commonly make the noise which he describes J. M., in answering J. N.'s query, could scarcely have fixed on two birds more unlike to each other in their call than Charadrius Calidris and 5c61opax phae'opus, and in whose call, when I have heard them, I could never per- ceive the least resemblance to the bleating of a goat. I presume he has never had the following familiar ornithological puzzle propounded or expounded to him : — " The cuckoo and the gowk. The lavrock and the lark, The heather-bleat, the muire snipe, How many birds is that ? " — J. V. S. Pious mmor andmdximus. — Perceiving that some of your correspondents have mentioned Picus minor as a bird of extremely rare appearance, I beg leave to inform them that it may frequently be met with in all the woods near Leith Hill, a place fully deserving the attention of, and every way adapted as a residence for, the naturalist. The salubrity of the air, the soothing music of the neighbouring groves, and the many scarce and beautiful plants flourishing in the copses, have justly rendered Leith Hill an object of admiration and delight to all those who have hitherto visited this romantic and picturesque spot. The nuthatch, so beautifully described by your correspondent, S. H. (Vol. I. p. 328.), is there often heard hammer- ing in the woods, and Plcus maximus (the last a name of my own), another bird that I may probably send you some notice of. I am, Sir, &c. — Per- ceval Hunter. Dec. 25. 1828. Derivation of the Name John Dory. — Is it not plain jaune doree as the French fishermen call it ? — M. Whiter Quarters of Frogs, (p. 105.) — On the approach of winter, frogs re- tire from their drier and shady haunts, to ponds, wet ditches, or rivers ; under the grassy margins of which they sink and lodge themselves among the mud, out of the reach of frost, and of their natural enemies. In such situations they may be found congregated in great numbers, remaining inactive till the return of spring calls them to the important business of procreation. Their colour becomes much darker during their submersion, and they are then often mistaken for toads. — M. The Tick which moved on a deceased Part of itself (p. 105.) — This appear- ance, in all probability, was only a consequence of the pedicle, which attaches the thorax and abdomen, being elongated by the force applied in extracting it from its hold on the dog, and which enabled the body and legs to turn and surmount the floating abdomen. — M. Frogs doj^nant du7ing Winter. — Sir, In answer to your querist J. B. (p. 105.), whether frogs lie dormant during the winter or die, I can satisfactorily assure him that they do lie dormant ; for I observed, on the 18th of March ult. in a ditch of stagnant water, about a furlong from the river Ouse, a number of frogs in the act of spawning, they were full grown and of a dark mould colour. On the 21st, the ditch was frozen over and not a frog was to be seen, but on the sun thawing the ice, I could observe them emerging from holes at the bottom of the ditch, which appeared to penetrate into the bank a considerable distance, so that there is no doubt but that they lie dormant at the bottom of deep stagnant ditches ; or they penetrate into ban^s, under water, sufficiently deep to be out of the reach of frost. As a proof that they do not die during the winter Queries and Answers, 20^ I believe, according to naturalists, they do not propagate till they are three or four years old. Again, were they to die during the winter, how could they be found in companies of several hundreds in the spring, and full grown? — W. H. White. Bedford, Aprils. 1829. Distinction of Sex in Frogs, and whether it is the Male or Female thai croaks. — As I have never been able to perceive any external distinction between the sexes of frogs, I shall be glad if any of your correspondents can inform me, whether the male impregnates the eggs before or after emission. Also whether it is the male or female that croaks, and whether they croak, according to the old adage, on the approach of wet weather, or only at the time of spawning. I am. Sir, &c. — PT. H. White, H,M. C. S, Bedford, April 3. 1829. A Jelly-like Substance supposed to he the Bemains of Frogs (in answer to J. B. p. 103.). — Sir, I found a mass of this jelly last winter, together with the bones of the animal whose flesh had been thus decomposed : I have been in- formed that at night it is luminous, which is I think very probable. This sub- stance has, I believe, been sometimes taken for a plant of the genus Trem^lla. In Withering^ Botany, under the head of T. Nostoc, is the following notice of it: — "After very severe frost, I have frequently found a gelatinous substance, which from a careless observation might pass for a Tremella, but it is the remains of frozen frogs. This substance does not shrivel up in dry weather as the Tremella does, nor is it plaited and waved ; and^enerally some of the bones of the frog may be found in it. After the severe winter of 1789, I found great quantities of these on the edges and in the water of ponds." — W. C. T. March, 1829. The Jelly-like Substance in which your correspondent B. (p. 103.) no-^ ticed the remains of the head and feet of frogs, might probably be the dung of the heron, as I have witnessed something similar by the sides of ponds visited by those birds. — H. D. Richmond, March 25. 1829. Psalm-singing to Bees. — Sir, I have made every possible enquiry relative to the custom of psalm-singing to bees (Vol.1, p. 303.), but have been hitherto unsuccessful as to the particular circumstance stated, but I have learnt from apiarians, that such custom does not prevail in this country, and that the circumstance to which you alluded was an individual super- ftition. The apiarians of Bedfordshire have a custom of ringing their swarms with the house-door key, and the frying-pan, and if a swarm settles on another per- son's premises, it is not recoverable by the owner, unless he can prove the ringing, but it becomes the property of that person upon whose premises it settles. — W. H. White. Bedford. Ants and Aphides, (p. 104.) — Sir, I have made some further observations on the aphides found adhering to the root of the endive ; and I have been much amused by watching them, and the ants attending them. I observed that the ants first proceeded towards the head, or forepart of the aphis, and with its head or forceps gently moved the body of the aphis, which imme- diately commenced a rapid vibratory motion with the long legs proceeding . from the centre of its body ; it also emitted, from the extreme point of the abdomen, a pellucid drop of liquid which the ant greedily collected, and again proceeded to agitate the body of the aphis; taking it gently up with its forceps, and inducing it to emit another discharge of liquid. The aphis did not seem to dislike their operations, nor did it attempt to avoid the ant, but continued to feed quietly. Other ants were similarly employed, whilst others, 1 observed, disengaged the aphides from the root of the plants to which they adhered, and carried them to their subterraneous abode. Though the aphides made considerable resistance, and in point of size were equal, and often superior, to the ant, yet by perseverance and greater strength, they were conveyed struggling at every step to the strong hold of the ant. I removed an aphis some distance from the endive root, 210 Queries and Answers. and immediately an ant was despatched to fetch it back : I then observed that the ant was very cautious as to the manner in which it seized the aphis, evidently carrying it so that it might give the least possible uneasi- ness to the insect. I several times disengaged it from the grasp of the ant, which would not be deprived of its prey, but invariably seized the aphis by the same part of the body (exactly behind the long legs), nor could I pre- vent the ant from searching for it. At length the ant entirely removed its prey; and on my disturbing the earth surrounding the endive, I observed many ants conveying aphides to their cells. I removed one of the roots to a considerable distance, into fresh mould; carefully destroying every aphis upon it, amounting to some hundreds. Another root I also removed, leaving a few aphides attached to it; after a lapse of some days, I looked at both the roots, and found the first, which I had freed from insects, still with- out them. They had not increased on the second root, but those that re- mained were attended by ants, though at some distance from their former quarters, and there were proceeding as 1 have before described. I had the curiosity to taste the liquid which seemed to attract the ants, and which they invariably yielded on being touched, and found it sweet, though slightly bitter, arising, I have no doubt, from feeding on the endive. I cannot discover this species of aphis on any qther plant. Query, is this the puceron of Hubert, of which he gives so interesting a history in his work on the ant ? Yours obediently. — Walter Hen7'y Hill. Newland, Sept. 22. 1822. Aphides on Endive and Lettuce, (p. 104.) — If the insects described by your correspondent Mr. Hill were environed by a white cotton-like sub- stance, they are the same species which usually infest the roots of dandelion Although it cannot be affirmed that " all the aphis tribe produce honey dew," it is very probable that the excrement of all is of a saccharine quality. Wherever ants are busy, they are in quest of something edible (either for themselves or young: and where it is not spontaneously supplied, they will destroy an insect, or nectariferous flower, to obtain it. — M. ' Wood Leopard. — Sir, In answer to your correspondent A. Mathews (p. 67.), I beg leave to state that the larva of the wood leopard does change into a pupa, in the ti^ee just beneath the bark in a thin web. When ready to change, it forces its way out by means of bristles or prickles on each ring pointing backwards, so that as it alternately contracts and lengthens itself, they catch against the sides of its hole, and enable it to push hard enough to break away the bark into a hole larger than necessary for the escape of the moth. I observed this in one which had penetrated a garden service tree ; there were two more larvae in the same tree, which I did not obtain, but I have now four from a quince tree, two apparently full grown, and two half grown. Hence I conclude they are two years in a larva state. In this as well as other respects (size and colour excepted), the larvae of the wood leopard resemble the larvae of the willow goat, the pupae of which have bristles on the rings likewise, and for the same purpose. — G. H. Clapton, March 5. 1829. A vert/ minute Insect alighted on my coat sleeve ; I think it belongs to Ephemera, and to the first division of Turton, having three hairs or bristles. Wings two, hyaline, immaculate ; abdomen white except on the back, the segments of which are spotted with dark brown ; under part of the abdomen and legs snow-white; bristles of the tail white; head and thorax dark. It approaches nearest to the E. halterata than any that I see in Dr. Turton, who refers to Degeer's Ins. 2. tab. 17. fig. 17 and IS.j but his description does not exactly agree, neither does he mark it as a British insect. Length, about a line from head to tail, without the bristles, each wing about a line in length, and as much in breadth. When living, the wings being rounded and erect, they are nearly fan-shaped. — Thomas Hawkins. The Haw, near Gloucester, June 18. 1828. I Queries mid Answers. 211^ Larvice of Lepidoptera. — Late in the autumn (October), after two or three severe frosty nights, I observed hundreds of the larvas of a species of Papilio or Phalae-'na affixed to the stalks of grass, frozen to death (al- though in some of them life was not quite extinct). They were smooth and of a dark brown, nearly black, something the colour of Cologne earth j the head was of a shining black colour. Can any of your numerous cor- respondents, from this incomplete description, tell me what species of ca- terpillar it is ? Does the larva of the meadow butterfly put on this colour before it changes into the pupa state ? — Id. A Sea Spider. — Sir, One day last month, as a fisherman on this coast was dragging up his net, he found an intntder had entangled itself in the meshes of it ; which said intruder has since been exhibited under the denomination of a '* Tarantula Sea Spider." It certainly, in many respects, resembles the spider, but in others materially differs from it. It has eight legs, which are not jointed; and appear to be similar, both in form and situation, to the rays of the 5epia officinalis. (Vol. 1. p. 278. fig. 147.) It has but two eyes, which, when alive, were green, and are placed on the back of the thorax. It has no head, and is destitute of palpi. The mouth is beneath the abdomen, and inside of it is a spiral tongue nearly half a yard long, the extremity of which is armed with a pair of forceps. The spinner is very large, out of which the exhibiter took a web, but unluckily had thrown it away. The abdomen is oval, in form a little resembling the ^ranea mar- ginata. The colour of the insect is that of a pickled tongue, which, pro- bably, may -be accounted for by the pickle that had been used to preserve it; namely, of bark, alum, and salt. You may form some idea of its size when I add, it weighed 5^ lbs. Many wonderful stories are told of it when alive ; such as that it run with the velocity of a race horse, and changed colour every instant. The form of it is oval, and the abdomen terminates with a horny spike, nearly 5 in. in length ; which, when alive, was invisible, Mr. Murray, the owner of it, intends to exhibit it in London, in about a month, and he may he heard of at the Bazaar in Portman Street North. Pray what is it ? I am, Sir, &c. — M. C. G. Margate, Oct. 22. The Wo7'm found among Herbage by W. W. (p. 103.) — Sir, I have fre- quently found worms of the same description in puddles after autumnal showers, and once saw a smaller one twisting round some plants. My opi- nion has been, that they fall down with the rain; and their appearance may be accounted for precisely as that of the small frogs mentioned in the same page of your Magazine, said to have occurred at Rouen. The largest I have seen measured less than 4 in. when unrolled, and much resembled a piece of dull-coloured copper wire ; one end of the worm had a small bristle-like appendage, with a small knob at the end, projecting from a convex abrupt end, about the twelfth part of an inch long. When cut- ting they feel hard under the knife ; the inside appears like a white pithy substance. During motion it was frequently, for half the length, rolled into small circular rings : while the other half of the length was thrust out into a very obtuse angle, at about one fourth of its length. Some of the country people assert them to be animated horse-hairs, which fall from the tails of horses when drinking, and afterwards become eels ; and it is not an easy matter to persuade them otherwise. Perhaps some of your corre- spondents could better describe them, and their species and habits. I have observed the smaller ones much whiter in colour than the larger. 1 do not recollect to have seen them in ponds, and can scarce think them intestinal worms. — H. D. Eichinond, March 25. 1829. A cio'ions Worm. (p. 103.) — The Gordius aquaticus is as often met with on the surface of garden or other ground, in wet weather, as it is in water or clay, its common habitat. — J. M. The Gordius aquaticus is not unfrequently found to inhabit the intestines of insects. De Geer mentions these worms being found in grasshoppers. ^12 Retrospective Criticism* Dr. Mattliey, likewise, mentions one of these worms being found in the body of a certain grasshopper (-4'cnida viridissima) which was no less than 2^ ft. in length. Wherefore I think it probable that the afore-mentioned worm was voided by some insect. — C. Lamb. March 3. Art. VII. Retrospective Criticism, Lists of Plants. — Sir, Excuse me for hinting that your botanical readers would be more highly gratified if the botanical not€s (Notulae Botanicae), in your Magazine of Natural History, were more extensive, and the lists of rarer plants, sent you from time to time were more selects Of what are called rarer plants noticed in the vicinity of Bath, not more than about a dozen are anywhere uncommon ; while, properly speaking, there is hardly one rare plant enumerated. They are, with the above exceptions, com- mon in all places where flowers grow, except on the sea-shore or the rocks of Cairngorum. B'ew of them would be deemed rare at Johnny Groat's House, or the dismal regions of ultima Thule. But the contribution of such lists as contain the more uncommon and rare species with their localities, would be of immense advantage to the botanist, as he might either visit the places where his favourites are found, or put in requisition the services of his friends and connections for procuring specimens of them. Your botanical correspondents might also send queries to be answered by other correspondents. Thus, "A. B. wishes to be informed, &c., where the following plants are to be found growing naturally : Pinguicula lusitanica, Fragaria v^sca, &c. &c." The reply might be as concise as the query : thus, " Pinguicula lusitanica, Potton Marshes j Fragaria vdsca. Box Hill, Surrey." It would also be desirable to have a description of the soil and habitation in which such plants are chiefly found. This would assist the botanist in finding them, and enable the florist to cultivate them successfully in his flower-beds and open borders. Some plants generally grow on a clay soil, some on chalk or limestone beds, some on sand, others on loam ; some thrive best in the shade, others in exposed situations. Instead of the unin- teresting notices of white harebells, violets, &c., which are well known even to children, the physiological botanist would both amuse and edify us by describing the characteristics, habitats, and conformation of those plants which have any thing peculiar in these respects. Facts such as the follow- ing might, perhaps, be explained and illustrated: — Why the common primrose (Primula vulgaris) when cultivated becomes double and assumes a lilac colour, while the oxlip and cowslip (P, elatior and P. veris) retain their original form and colour under the same circumstances, though indi- viduals of the same family as the primrose. Why some flowers, such as the night stock, and some plants of the natural order Orchldeae, are odoriferous only towards evening or at night. Whether different species of herbaceous plants can be budded or grafted on the same stem, as different species of roses can be produced on the same tree. These and many other things of a like nature would be invaluable to your readers, and put in exercise the talents and ingenuity of your correspondents. — S. Palmer. Chigwell^ Essex, Sept. 1828. The Dog not the only brute Animal that Dreams. — " Dormit auditu acu- tiore, somniat.'"* (Lin.) In your Magazine, Vol. 1. p. 377. there is an extract from the Medical Gazette, in which it is stated that " the dog is the / " He sleeps with sharper hearing, he dreams.^* Betrospective Criticism. 219^ only animal that dreams." I do not know how this position can be satis- factorily maintained, involving, as it does, the necessity of proving a nega- tive, and being also contrary to what we should a priori expect. The fact that dogs do dream, I conclude the writer thinks sufficiently established by the circumstance, so commonly to be observed, of the convulsive motion of the feet, tail, and jaws, accompanied too, sometimes, with a short bark or yelping, to which these animals are subject during sleep ; from which it Js reasonably inferred that they are dreaming of pursuing their prey, &c. ; and I feel no disposition to deny the conclusion drawn from such premises. But surely the same may be predicated of cats also, who are subject, in a high degree, to the very same convulsive motions during sleep, as I have myself repeatedly witnessed. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory , Nov. 15, 1828. Mr. Babington^s List of rare Plants in the Neighbourhood of Bath. — A cor- respondent at Bath has sent you lists of what he calls the rarer plants and insects found in that neighbourhood : among the plants, I was surprised to find Campanula rotundifolia, Tiola tricolor, ^Solanum Dulcamara, ^lisma Plantago, Epilobium hirsutum and parviflorum, Ad6xa Moschatellina, Biitomus umbellatus, CXxalis Acetos^lla, iychnis dioica, iythrura Salicaria, JRes^da Luteola, Spivsei'a. Ulmaria, Chelidonium raajus, iVuphar lutea, Mentha hirsuta, Linaria vulgaris, ^yp^ricum perfoliatum, Tragopogon prat^nsis, Eupatoriwm cannabinum ; O'rchis morio, maculata, and mascula; Listera ovata, Typha, latifolia, Humulus Lupulus, T6rtula subulata and muralis, ^ryum arg^nteum. All these I reckon among our more frequent plants in this neighbourhood. I am aware that the local Floras vary according to soil, situation, &c. ; but most of the above plants I considered common in the greater part of the kingdom, which was the cause of my surprise. Of the insects, I am not so able to speak : but Dyticus marginalis and Nepa cinerea are frequently met with ; Panorpa communis in tliQ greatest abundance, and iS'phinx /igiistri, Pygse^ra Buc^phala, and A'rctia caja so often as not to be considered at all scarce. — Daniel Stock. Bungay, Nov. 17. 1828. Active Molecules. — M. Raspail, a French naturalist, who has taken much interest in the enquiry respecting the active molecules in the grains of pollen, has recently published the result of his observations. He will not admit that these granules are organised bodies, he says they are minute resinous concre- tions, formed in the fluid ejected from the pollen. When the drop is evapo- rated they do not change their form j whereas, after evaporation, all animal- cules collapse. These resinous granules were almost instantly dissolved when a drop of alcohol was applied' to them. Respecting the spontaneous motion supposed to be found in all inorganic substances, he says : " Ihave never discovered the smallest trace of it." M. Raspail mentions some of the causes of external agitation, which I enumerated in my paper on the sub-? ject in your last Number ; but the most important one, the existence of animalcules in river and cistern water, he has omitted. There is a species of Monas, which Muller says is so small and transparent, that it is exceed- ingly difficult to throw the light in such a manner as to make them per- ceptible with the microscope, but at times the whole mass of water seems full of them ; minute opaque particles, placed in such water, will appear to be driven about by inherent spontaneous motion. Dr. Brewster, perhaps the most competent microscopic observer in Eu- rope, has also published a paper on the subject in the Edinburgh Journal of Science for April. He says, in examining the grains of pollen, " I have never perceived a single motion in the least degree characteristic of animal life." It would have been more satisfactory if Dr. Brewster had also stated the result of his own observations. On the motions of inorganic molecules, he considers the question decided by the antecedent improbability of their 214 Retrospective Criticism, existence. I concur in opinion with Dr. Brewster, from having atten- tively examined various mineral substances, but I think a naturalist so emi- nent as Mr. Brown should be answered by facts, and not by conjectures ; and the more so, as Dr. Brewster's opinion, in the same paper, respecting a planetary motion of the molecules, will by many be deemed as impro- bable as Mr. Brown's opinion of their possessing spontaneous motion. Yours, &c. — Robert Bakewell. Hampsteady Apiil 4. 1828. Terminology of Birds. — Sir, Your having in your Magazine (Vol. I. p. 121, and p. 276.) furnished us with the technical names of the various parts of birds, shows your anxiety that your readers should be well grounded in the study of ornithology, yet I think your list of names of the various parts of birds are deficient in arrangement, which renders them more diffi- cult to commit to memory than they would otherwise be. I have from these lists arranged one for my own convenience, of which I send you a copy; in it I have omitted the terms " tridactylos," &c., which are not names of a part of the animal, but only descriptive of the formation of the foot. — Thos. Thompson, Hidl^ Sept. 9. 1828. [For more convenient re- ference, two cuts which appeared in Vol. I. are repeated.] The principal parts ofbirds are eight, . as follows : — l.R6strum, the bill, which is divided '" into 3 parts. 1. Maxilla the upper part of the bill, which is subdivided into 5< parts {^fig. 51. a) 'I. Na.res, the nostrils (e) P^rtrum, the hook {d) 2. Ckput, the head, which is divided into 17 parts. 3. C61men the ridge (c) 4. Mesorhinium, the upper rid) 5. Cfera, wax on the bill {fig. 55 2. Mandibula, the lower part of the bill {fig. 51. b) 3. Gbnys, the point of the Mandibula (e) 1. Lbrum, the naked line at the base of the bill {fig. 51. /, and 5i 2. Lingua, the tongue. 3. Fr6ns, the forehead {fig. 51. j) 4. Capistrum, the face {k) 5. Sinciput, the hinder part of the head {m) 6. R^gio opth&lmica, region of the eyes {o) 7. O'culus, the eye. 8. O'rbitaB, the orbits or centre of the eyes {fig. 52. o) 9. Supercilium, the eyebrow (Jig. 51. n) 10. Tempora, the temples (p) 11. Gitna, the cheek {q) 12. Crista, the crest (fig, 52. n) 13. C(Srnua, the horns. * 14. Bkrha, tlie beard (rf) 15. Mentum, the chin (e) 16. Aures, the ears {fig. 51. p) , 17. Rdgio par6tica, protuberance behind the ear (r) ;e(/) .a) lb) I Retrospective Criticism, 215 3. C('>llutn,theneck, which is divided, into 2 parts {Jig. 51. *). 4. D6rsum, the back, which is divided into 5 parts. 'l.C^rvix.the hinder part of the neck, which includes 2 parts {fig. 51. t). 2. Guttur, the throat, which is subdivided into 4 parts. 5"!. Nilcha, nape of the neck {fi:r. 51. ti) (2. AuchSnium, part below the nape (v) ri. Carnnculae, wattles (Vol. I. p. 124. fig. 5Q. d) I 2. Gula, the gullet {x) 3. Jdguluin, the lower throat Interscipulum, between the shoulders ( fig. 51. a) shoulders (r) the middle of the back (b) the scapulars {Jig. 5S. i) the rump {fig. 51. g, and 52. v) f 1. Pectus, the breast, (b) I 2. Axillae, the armpits (t) 5. C6rpus, the body, | 3. Abdbmen, the abdomen (e) which is divided.^ 4. Hypochondria, the sides of the abdomen (n) into 7 parts. 5. Epigastrium, the stomach (n) I 6. Venter, the belly (g) L 7. Crissum, the vent (i) , A^la, the wing, which is divided' into 7 parts. ' 1. Flextira, the bend of the wing (s) 2. T^ctrices majbres, largest wing-coverts (t) 3. Tectrices mtidire, middle wing-coverts (m) f 4. Tectrices minbres, smallest wing-coverts (n) 5. Primariae, quills (p) 6. R^miges, rowers (q) , 7. A'lula spCiria, bastard wing {Jig. 52. v) 7. Ca6da, the tail containing 2 pts, h { feathers. 1 TRectrices interm^diae, or 1 ^.i^. rniHfii<» tan 1- ix^ctrices caud« interJnedi*, j the middle tail J the side tail feathers. R(5ctrices laterkles, or Tectrices ca6dae laterkles,' . Cr6s, the leg, which is divided in 3 parts. 1. Femora, the thighs (^^. 52. .r.) ■ •■ '" ^' tSlTto^hrfootTwch?^- AcrostArsium, the front of the leg coJftaiisiparS. ' i^- Calckria. the spurs (Vol. I. p.l24. rPds, 7fi,„ft,„f „„„ Cl- T^igitif the toes {fig. 51. b) 3. -^ P14nta, or ^^'^P^°9^'^°^-J9 VfttU,^ th^ ar^^t tn,^ (rS C Tarsus. "tains 3 parts, rl. U '-?2. H ■C3. U Hallux, the great toe (c) ngues, claws (Vol. I. p. 124. fig. 56./) A Cloud of Witnessesin favour of the Motion of Ultimate Molecules (p.46.). — Erasmus mentions,! think in his " Spectrum," that a man stood m the streets of London, looking at the clear sky with astonishment," and utter- ing fearful exclamations. The passengers paused to enquire the cause : " Do you see that monstrous dragon ? " At first, they were incapable to discover any thing, but, after intense gazing, one saw the tail move, ano- ther then saw the head, a third described its colour, and so on, till, by the force of sympathy, the whole crowd saw the dragon very plainly. Your reviewer's " cloud of witnesses " proves that the present people of London can see as strange things, as those who lived in the days when it was visited by Erasmus. — Y. T. H. March 2. 216 Retrospective Criticism, Gray^s Natural Arrangement of British Plants. — You have not inserted the query I sent you on this book. [We sent it to an eminent botanist, whose answer we did not think it advisable to insert ; but we now regret not having done so.] The expression in SmitWs Flora is, " I have also, for the first time in a general British Flora, introduced the natural orders of our plants ;" which is, supposing he knew of Gray's work, a palpable falsehood. I have heard the increased number of terms, and the multipli- cation of genera, in Gray, objected to ; but is not this the consequence of the progress of science towards perfection ? If organs are really different in form, although intended for similar purposes, such as seed-vessels, surely it is better to designate such organs by a particular term, which at once conveys to the student the idea of the form and construction of the part in question. But some of your readers will favour me with an opinion on the subject ; because the work, if it has any merit, ought not to be cast into oblivion, merely because this or that author, however high he may stand, chooses to pass it over in silence. It has one advantage over all other works of the kind, in the English names being generally a transla- tion of the Latin names ; and if the derivations of the generic names had been given, it would have been, in this respect, complete. — 1). S. July 28. 1828. Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells. — Sir, In the Table of the Geological Arrangement of British Fossil Shells, which you did me the favour to insert (p. 26.), an accidental transposition of a line, in the press, has occasioned an error it may be useful to correct. At p. 34., the genus Solen should commence with the upper green sand, which formation, by the inadvertent transposition alluded to, is placed two lines above, under the genus Saxicava. It becomes the more desirable to point out this circum- stance, because it is the first time, I believe, that the occurrence of Solen in any but the tertiary beds has been noticed. At present only one species of Solen, S. afFinis of the London clay, seems to have been noticed in our treatises on mineral conchology. It is probable that there are several other species, and I believe I am correct in mention- ing their occurrence in the following beds : — In the Green sand below the chalk 1 species. London Clay - - 2 Crag - - 3 Whether there be a repetition of species in any of these formations is un- determined. It need scarcely be remarked here, that the Table of Shells is susceptible of considerable extension, as almost every collector possesses a few unde- scribed specimens. It is sufficient, for the present, that a// the character- istic fossils are included therein ; and, however extensive the subsequent additions, it is not very probable that the relative proportions of their num- bers, in the different geological eras, will eventually be found to vary much from the estimates which the present state of science enables us to form. At some future period, perhaps, I may trouble you with an amended Table ; .and I mention this with the hope that the pages of your Magazine may be ;One medium of adding to our knowledge of these interesting remains of a .former world. I shall consider myself honoured by the notice, either by this means, or privately, of any authentic species and localities of unde- - scribed fossil Testacea. — B. C. Taylor. 7. Wilmington Square, London, Aprils, 1829. THE MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. JULY, 1829. Art. L Farther Observations on the Influence of Fresh Water on Marine Animals. By Lieutenant J. H. Da vies, R. M. Com- municated by James L. Drummond, M.D., President of the Belfast Natural History Society. Sir, The following statement, which I have received through the kindness of your able correspondent, Lieut. J. H. Davies, R. M., being very illustrative of the fatal power often exerted by fresh water on animal life, and of the observations in my communication on that subject in your last Number, and being also highly curious in itself^ I request, with Lieutenant Davies*s permission, that you will give it a place in your next. I am, Sir, yours, &c. Jas. L. Drummond. Belfast, May 9. 1829. In the summer of 1817, being at that time a resident in St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland, I frequently amused my- self, in company with my brother-in-law, the comptroller of the customs, in hauling a small seine in that harbour. We were accustomed to shoot the net across where the water was perfectly salt, and drawing it up the harbour, haul it on shore at the upper end, where a small river discharges itself, so that the fish were drawn out of the salt water into the fresh. The species included were, eels, flat fish, codling, and a common fish, known as the sculpen, bull-head, &c. (Cottus ^Scorpio?), which in Newfoundland grows to a considerable size, and is finely marked with blotches of brown, red, and white. On those occasions all the other species of fish were lively, but the whole of these were dead and stiff. My attention was, of course, attracted by this singular circumstance, which was at- tributed to their being drawn into the fresh water. I witnessed Vol. II. — No. 8. g 218 Imposture entitled a Pygmy Bison. the same effect being produced several times at the same place ; and that this particular species is always killed by being sud- denly brought in contact with fresh water, is corroborated by my having seen the same effect produced in another place. In the upper part of the harbour of Portsmouth, Hants, at a place called Fleethouse, is a fine spring of pure water, situated below the high-water mark ; it is consequently covered by the sea every tide, at the receding of which, as the spring discharges copiously it is speedily fit for use, and is resorted to by all the neighbourhood. I have frequently seen this species of Cottus lying dead in numbers round the spring ; they had evidently advanced with the tide, and been killed by coming in contact with the fresh water flowing from the spring, the falling of the tide leaving them beside it. John Henry Davies. PortsmbutJi^ May, 1829. Art. II. Notice of an Imposture entitled a Pygmy Bison^ or American Ox. By V. Sir, As it is the duty of every naturalist to guard the public against impositions such as those exposed in your Magazine under the heads Mermaid (Vol. I. p. 106.), and Zoological Imposture (Vol. I. p. 189.), I have to bring under your no- tice another of a somewhat different description, which, from the uncommon ingenuity with which it is made up, is well calculated to deceive those little conversant with Nature. I allude to the specimen of a Pygmy Bison (Jig, 53. a), said to have belonged to Count Bournon, and at the time I saw it in possession of a Mr. Murray, a dealer in curiosities, &c., from Hastings, who valued it at forty guineas, as it was supposed to be unique of its kind, being but about 7 or 8 in. high, and every way proportionate and symmetrical, and at the same time quite perfect in horns, coat, and every other part which distinguishes the fully developed male Bison. Now, as the ani- mal of which it is the representative is, when full grown and equally perfect, of the stature of an ox, and even acquires such a size as to weigh from 1600 to 2900 lbs. ; and, as it may be presumed from analogy that the calf, or embryo, of the bison has not any horns, mane, &c., there can be no doubt of the imposture, which may, nevertheless, be fully worth the sum demanded for it, as a most perfect model of the bison, and as the summit of the art of deception. As I took some pains to I Some Account of the Water-Shrew. ^19 examine this curiosity, and to consider how so difficult a task had been accomplished, it appeared to me to have been grounded on a well-formed model of wood, very tightly covered, in the first instance, by the skin of a pug-dog of corresponding 53 size, the long hair about the head, hunch, and belly being added with consummate skill from the skin of a young bear, while the horns and hoofs were formed out of the black horn of the buffalo, all, however, so admirably put together, and the tout ensemble so elegant, as to stamp the artist as the first of his calling. I am Sir, &c. August, 1828. V, Art. III. Some Account of the Water- Shrevo : a Mouse supposed to have been lost for about a Century. By John F. M. Dovaston, Esq. A.M. Oxon., of West-Felton, near Shrewsbury. " Thou need'st na startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion. And fellow-mortal." Burns. Sir, On a delicious evening, far in April, 1825, a little before sunset, strolling in my orchard, beside a pool, and looking into the clear water for insects I expected about that time to come out, I was surprised by seeing what I momentarily imagined to S 2 220 Some Account of the Water-Shrew, be a Dyticus marginalis, or some very large beetle, dart with rapid motion, and suddenly disappear. Laying myself down cautiously and motionless on the grass, I soon, to my delight and wonder, observed it was a mouse. I repeatedly marked it glide from the bank, under water, and bury itself in the mass of leaves at the bottom : I mean the leaves that had fallen off the trees in autumn, and which lay very thick over the mud. It very shortly returned, and entered the bank, occasionally put- ting its long sharp nose out of the water, and paddling close to the edge. This it repeated at very frequent intervals, from place to place, seldom going more than two yards from the side, and always returning in about half a minute. I presume it sought and obtained some insect or food among the rubbish and leaves, and retired to consume it. Sometimes it would run a little on the surface, and sometimes timidly and hastily come ashore, but with the greatest caution, and instantly plunge in again. During the whole sweet spring of that fine year, I constantly visited my new acquaintance. When under water he looks grey, on account of the pearly cluster of minute air-bubbles that adhere to his fur, and bespangle him all over. His colour, however, is very dark brown, not quite so black as that of the mole, over the head and upper part of the body : the belly and throat are of the purest silvery white, with a dark spot under the tail : the ears are white at the edges, and very conspicuous ; not from their prominence, being almost buried in the fur, but from contrast of colour. The nose is long and sharp, but broader at the end than that of the land-shrew {Shrex «raneus) ; and the pretty little creature is broader and longer, of the utmost cleanliness and beauty, when afloat ap- pearing almost flat. Length about 3 in. ; tail not quite 2 in. ; eyes very small ; the claws fringed with very fine bristles. This minute description I am enabled to give, having, at the sug- gestion of my friend, John Clavering Wood, Esq., a most able and ardent naturalist, caught it in an angler's landing-net, and carefully inspected it in a white chamber-basin of water. The poor creature was extremely uneasy under inspection ; and we soon, with great pleasure, restored it to liberty and love : for he had a companion, whom, from her paler colour and more slender form, we doubted not was his mate ; and were fearful, by our intrusion, of giving offence to either. He swims very rapidly ; and, though he appears to dart, his very nimble wriggle is clearly discernible. He is never seen till near sunset, but I saw him, every evening I watched, with the most perfect facility. They are easily discovered about the going down of the sun, on still evenings, by the undulating semicircles quickly receding from the bank of the pool, when Some Account of the Water-Shre'-dc, 221 they are dabbling at the side, and readily distinguishable from those of the Gyrinus natator. I believe this to be the animal said to be so long lost in England, the water-shrew, *S6rex; fodiens of Pennant, and the *S5rex bicolor of Turton's English Linnceus; for my Latin edition (Holmiae, 1766) has him not at all. Gm. Lin. 113., describes him, "cauda mediocri sub- nuda, corpore nigricante subtus cinereo, digitis ciliatis ; " * though, to me, the under parts seemed purely white. By refer- ence to various books, I find the female has ten teats, and brings forth nine young ; fore-teeth, lower two ; tusks, upper three, under two ; grinders, upper four, under three. I have said he only appears at evening, and such are his general habits. Once, however, at broad and bright noon, while leaning on a tree, gazing on the sun-sparkles passing (like fairy lights) in number- less and eternal succession under the gentlest breath of air, I was aware of my little friend running nimbly on the surface among them. My rapture caused me to start with delight, on which he vanished to security within his rush-fringed bank ; while I, reasoning at every step, exclaimed with good old Belarius, ** To apprehend thus, Draws us a profit from all things we see; And often, to our comfort, shall we find The sharded beetle in a safer hold Than is the fulUwing'd eagle." Cymbeline. I should have mentioned that, on very still evenings, when my ear was close to the ground, I fancied I heard him utter a very short, shrill, feeble sibilation, not unlike that of the grasshopper-lark, in mild light summer nights, but nothing near so loud or long-conthmed. Though I have watched for him warily in that and other places, after having, to the end of May, contributed to the myriads of my amusements, I never saw him more. I have written this account, Sir, principally to gratify the urgent entreaties of some students of nature in these parts ; particularly those of my amiable friend Mr. Richard Tudor, surgeon, who, I may almost say, can neither eat, drink, nor even sleep without your Magazine ; and in whose ardent mind every, the minutest, gem of nature stirs some kindred germ : also those of my able, indefatigable, and scientific friend John E. Bowman, Esq., already a contributor, and likely to be a strong future support, to your pages. Should you sanction this with your imprimatur, I may, with such stimulants as the conversa- * « Tail, middle-sized, nakedish ; body, blackish, cinereous beneath ; toes, ciliated." 9 3 222 Nature and Habits of the Bearded Titmouse, tion of these gentlemen, make some head against my habitual indolence, rummage my notes, and brush up my brains, being most cordially a well-wisher to the cause. Yours, &c. John F. M. Dovaston. Westfelton, near Skrewsbmy, May 6. Art. IV. Remarks on the Nature and Habits of the Bearded Titmouse (Parus biarmicus.) By a Lover of Nature. Sir, In the Introduction to your valuable Magazine of Natural History, you invite your readers " to communicate every cir- cumstance, even the most trivial, respecting the nature, habits, and economy of animals ;" and thus encouraged, I am induced to offer a few remarks, drawn from my own observation, on the nature and habits of the Bearded Titmouse (Parus bidrmicus) {Jig, 54.), which, as I have not found mentioned in any work on ornithology, may, perhaps, be accept- able, and be considered to throw some light on the history of a bird so very little known. Bearded Titmice inhabit the marshes bordering on the Thames, both in Kent and Essex. I was told, in December last, that some had been lately seen in a large piece of reeds below Barking Creek ; and being desirous and determined, if possible, to see and observe them in their haunts, I went, ac- companied by one per- son and a dog, to the above-named place on a cold windy dull morning, weather by no means favour- able for my purpose ; but the reed-cutters having even then commenced their operations, I was fearful of deferring Nature and Habits of the Bearded Titmouse. 22.3 it, lest my game should be driven away. * Arrived on our ground, we traversed it for some time without success; and were about to leave it, when our attention was roused by the alarm cry of this species, and looking up, we saw eight or ten of these beautiful little creatures on the wing, just topping the reeds over our heads, uttering in full chorus their sweetly musical note, which resembles (if it may be likened to a word) the monosyllable ping, ping; pronounced at first slow and single, then two or three times in a more hurried manner : it may be compared to the music of very small cymbals ; is clear and ringing, though soft, and corresponds well with the de- licacy and beauty of the form and colour of the bird. We saw several flocks during the morning, or, what is more pro- bable, the same flock several times. Their flights are short and low, only sufficient to clear the reeds ; on the seedy tops of which they alight to feed, hanging, like most of their tribe, with the head or back downwards. If disturbed, they immediately descend by running, or rather by dropping. The movement is rapid along the stalk to the bottom, where they creep and flit, perfectly concealed from view by the closeness of the covert and the resembling tints of their plumage. We could hear, but not see, our dog hunting; and we thought he was of service in pointing out to us whereabouts the birds were. His being near them, however, did not make them easily take wing; they seemed to follow him, hovering and crying about him. I question if we should have seen, or even heard, a single bird without his assistance. We were fortunate enough to shoot one (a male) in fine plumage. I held it in my hand when scarcely dead. Nothing could exceed* the beauty of the eye ; the bright orange of the iris, nearly surrounded as it is by the deep glossy black of the mustachios and streak above, receives additional brilliancy from the con- trast, and struck me as a masterpiece of arrangement in colour and neatness. The bill also was of a fine clear delicate orange ; but this, too, soon became dull and opaque. I would here ask if you. Sir, or any of your correspondents can guess of what use the long feathers, called the mustachios of this bird, are. We may fairly suppose that Nature does not give her creatures useless appendages, for mere ornament; but I own I am at a loss to imagine their purpose, unless it be to aid the wearer in its passage through so thick a covert. * The Bearded Titmouse is known in these parts by the name of the Reed Pheasant; and is not unaptly called so. Their relative length of tail is not very unequal ; and when placed in certain lights, the tints of the tail feathers are by no means dissimilar. The accompanying sketch [from^ which ^g. 54. is an engraving] represents the bird as 1 saw it. g 4 224- White ButterJUes of Britain. I am told that the males and females keep distinct during the winter. This is not improbable; Mr. White says the same of the chaffinches, in his Natural History of Selboriie. I had no opportunity of deciding on the day in question. I have lieard also that the families of old and young birds are some- times seen together in the months of August and September. This I hope to witness ; at present I am rather sceptical. As my name would give no weight to these remarks, I withhold it ; but should they be thought worthy of a place in any of your forthcoming Numbers, I may at some future time trouble you under my own signature. At present I subscribe myself, A Lover of Nature. Woolwich, March 20. 1829. Art. V. On the White Butterfiies of Britain, By J. Rennie, Esq. A.M. A.L.S. The power of discriminating among things which differ in many minute points, but whose general similarity of appear- ance usually deceives the common observer into a belief of their identity, is one of the most necessary qualifications of a naturalist. This power, indeed, constitutes almost the whole difference between the accurate naturalist and those persons who look on the wonders of creation with careless indifference, who call every wild flower a weed, and every insect a fly or a beetle. According to my experience, it is exceedingly diffi- cult for persons arrived at m.anhood to acquire this power of discrimination; but in early life, a little care on the part of a parent or a teacher will render it comparatively easy. The training up young people to this mode of observation is of in- finitely more importance to them than exercising their memory exclusively upon books ; which is the usual routine of proce- dure at schools. By the latter method, the memory may, no doubt, be highly improved ; but it is, almost without exception, at the expense of the judgm.ent, which, by the former method, is the chief faculty exercised. It would not, indeed, be a very liard matter to demonstrate that the practice of distinguishing among the genera, species, and varieties in natural history is a more efficient exercise of judgment than even mathematics, though I cannot at present spare time for this. It will answer my purpose better to illustrate the principles of discrimination which I have advocated, by some of the most conspicuous of our native insects. The most common British butterflies must have been re- White Butterjiies of Britain. 225 marked by most persons to be those which are white; and all these, it may be inferred, are usually looked upon as of the same species, differing in nothing, except perhaps in the size; the latter being erroneously ascribed to difference of age, ac- cording to the analogy of birds, quadrupeds, and fishes. But the fact is, that there are a considerable number of species of our white butterflies, as well as several genera ; and probably more varieties even of these than have yet been ascertained or described. To these I shall now endeavour to direct the reader's attention. It may be of use, however to make the previous remark, that butterflies do not, like the larger ani- mals, increase in size as they grow older: for every in- dividual, from the moment it becomes a butterfly, continues invariably of the same size from its birth till its death. But- terflies, indeed, seldom live longer than a few days, or, at most, a few weeks, and during this time they eat little except a sip of honey : and since this is so, it would be absurd to expect that they could increase in size. It must not, however, be understood from this that the same species will always measure or weigh precisely the same ; for, though this will hold as a general rule, there are many exceptions, arising from the accidents the caterpillar may have suffered from which an individual butterfly originated. It is only during the caterpillar state that the insect eats voraciously and grows in proportion ; and if it is, during this stage of its existence, , thrown upon short allowance, it cannot acquire the standard magnitude, and the butterfly will be dwarfed from the first, and may even be sometimes deficient in one or more of its wings; a circumstance which I have witnessed more than once in butterflies reared by entomologists, who sometimes forget to furnish their caterpillars with food. The same re- marks with respect to growth apply to insects of every kind ; and the fact cannot be better exemplified than in the uni- formity of size in the house-fly (Musca domestica), among which scarcely one individual in a thousand will be found to differ a hair's breadth in dimensions from its fellows. It is not, however, by size only that our British white but- terflies may be distinguished ; for they differ very considerably both in the shape of their wings and the markings with which they are embellished. The ground-colour, indeed, is white, but this is, in many instances, dotted, clouded, or shaded with black, and sometimes with other colours, which furnish good characteristic distinctions. I shall now give a short outline of these distinctions, such as may enable young entomologists to determine the species of those which fall in their way in their summer rambles. I 226 Wiite Butterflies of Britain, The most common and conspicuous of our white butterflies belong to the genus P6nti«, with which I shall begin. Mr. Stephens forms two divisions of it ; the first having an obtuse angle at the tip of the fore wings, while the hinder wings are uniform in colour or not variegated on their under surface ; the second having the tip of the fore wings rounded, and the hinder wings variegated beneath. I. — Fore wings mth an obtuse angle at the tip ; hinder wings of one colour on the under surface. 1. The common large cabbage butterfly (Pontia ^rassicae) (Jig, 55,) measures 2^ in. , across the wings, whose upper surface is milk-white; the tips marked with a black band, irre- gularly jagged on the inner edge (a a), and having a black spot {bb) on the upper edge of the hinder wings. The under surface of the fore wings is white, with a yellow band at 'the^tips, and two black spots on the disc of each ; the [upper surface in the male having two corresponding spots which are wanting in the female. The under surface of the hinder wings is yellow, thickly studded with minute black points. 2. The early cab- bage butterfly ( Pontia Charicle« Steph.) {fig. 56.)isexceedinglylike the preceding, though there are a few points of distinction. It usually appears much earlier than P. ^ras- sicae, and is consider- ably less in size ; the wings expanding only 2^ in., while the black band at the tip of the wings is paler, and not jagged on the inner margin [a a), and the outer margin is fringed with yellowish white. In the fVhite Butterflies of Britain. 227 female, the inner margin of this band is deeply shaded with black. The inferior size alone appears to be sufficient to distinguish this insect as a peculiar species. 3. The small cabbage but- terfly (P6nti« rapae) {J%-. 57.) is very similar to the preced ing, but much smaller, the wings only expanding about 2 in. or less ; sometimes there is one, sometimes two, black spots on the upper disk of each fore wing; and in some varieties the spot is nearly wanting. There are always, however, two black spots on the under surface of each fore- wing, as in P. ^rassicae and P. Chariclea. 58 %^ ^ 4^ The spotless small cab- bage butterfly (Pontia metra Steph.) {Jig. 58.) is very like that variety of the preceding in which the wing spots are nearly wanting. It is of the same size as the preceding, but appears earlier. The tip of the wings is acutely angled, where there is a slightly shaded dusky band. The base of the wings is deep black; and the black spots on the disk, which characterise the three preced- ing species, are on this very faint, if not altogether wanting 5. The green-veined white butterfly (Pontic wapi) {fg. 59.) is somewhat less than the two preceding species, but is easily distinguished from them by dilated greenish veins branching over the under disk of the wings ; as may be seen in the figure. The upper surface of the tips of the fore wings is shaded with black, and the disk, in the female, marked with two large black spots placed transversely. Considerable variety occurs in the markings. 6. The larger green- veined white butterfly (Pontiflt Napae^se Esper.) is considerably broader in the expansion of the wings than the preceding. The ground colour is milk-white, with the upper tips of the fore wings black, and also a black spot on their disk, with two or three triangular dashes on their hinder margin ; the veins below are dilated and greenish. 228 While Biitierjiies of Britain, 7. The middle green- veined white butterfly (Pontiff sabellicae Peti- mr) {Jig, 60.) is larger than P. ;2api, but smaller than the preceding. The wings also are shorter and more rounded than in P. wapi, and the veins are dark above, and un- derneath are not green- ish, but dusky and very broad. This insect agrees, according to Mr. Stephens, with P. iryonias of Wallner. It is not easy to distinguish it from the preceding. II. — Fore wings with the tip rounded; under wings variegated beneath. 8. The Bath white butterfly (Pontiff daplidice) {fig,Ql,) is one of our rarest British in- sects; not above five or six having been hitherto caught in ithis country. It is about the ^^C^Qsize of P. Napae^as ; the ground colour of the wings white, with the tips of the fore wings black spotted with white, and the under surface of the hinder wings yellowish green, with white spots and an angular transverse line. 9. The orange-tip butterfly (Pontiff carda- mines) ( fig, 62.), or Wood-lady of the Lon- don fly-fanciers, is one of our prettiest British insects, and is common all over the country. The beautiful shade of orange on the angle of the fore wing [a a a a) will readily distinguish the male from every other butterfly ; but as the female has no orange mark, it may be necessary to look at the under side of the hinder wings, the fine marbling of which cannot be mistaken. White Butterflies of Britain, 229 10. The wood white butterfly (Leucophasia sinapis Steph {fig, Q^.) measures 1^ in. in the expansion of the wings, which are milk-white, with the tip of the fore wings rounded and dusky. In the female the wings are more rounded. It is by no means so common as those which fre- quent the cruciform plants; its caterpillar feeding, not on Sinapis, but on the bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), and pea everlasting (Zathyrus pratensis). '^ "^ ^ 11. The black- veined white but- terfly (Pieris era- tag gi) Ifig, 64.) is a beautiful indige- nous insect, which seems to have dis- appeared from the vicinity of London for several years. The expanded wings measure 2^ in., being consequently about the same size as the P. Chariclea. The wings are of a uniform white colour, distinctly veined with black. It frequents woods and hedges; the caterpillars, which are black with yellow and white hairs, feeding in society beneath a silken web, on the hawthorn. 1 2. The brimstone butterfly (Gonepte- ryx rhamni) {Jig^^S,] cannot properly be ranked amongst our white butterflies, since the ground co- lour is bright prim- rose yellow ; but this applies only to the male: the female is greenish white, with a dusky spot at the base of the wings, and an orange spot in the centre. The angular shape of the wings, however, will at once distinguish it beyond all mistake. From these brief sketches, aided by the figures, which are given from the accurate pencil of Sowerby, I think it will be in the power of the youngest and least experienced collectors to distinguish and name any of the white butterflies which they may chance to capture. Lee^ Kait^ June 25. 1829. 230 Oak Tree struck by Lightning, Art. VI. Notice respecting an Oak Tree struck by Lightning. By the Rev. T. W. S. Sir, I HAVE sent you a drawing {Jig» 66.) of an oak growing in the parish of Weston, in Norfolk, which was struck by light- ning on the 26th of last September. The drawing was taken immediately after, and represents the damage sustained at the Notice of Orthoceras anfiuldris and striata* 2SI time correctly ; but, since that, the standing bough has fallen, and the tree is otherwise fast going to decay. Not the slightest portion of bark was left upon the trunk, although not a bough was affected in that way, nor the leaves thrown off. The fis- sures reached from the top to the ground, but not in connec- tion ; gradually decreasing downwards, except the lowest, which decreased upwards. Pieces of bark were thrown the distance of ninety yards. This was one of six trees standing in a line, and not the tallest. In the summer of 1822, a fine oak was struck by lightning, which was growing on Scottow Common, in the same county ; but which, so far from being killed, had continued to grow and flourish till 1828, when it was felled, and proved to be a sound and good tree in most parts. The tree was large and wide-spreading, affording shade in the summer, and shelter in the winter, to the stock turned out to pasture ; and, at times, attracted attention from the number which it could cover. From the time of its being struck, not a head of cattle has been near it, not only not seeking its shade, but obviously avoiding the tree as being disagreeable. This (to me curious) fact is attested by many witnesses of the highest respectability; and, if any of your correspondents will favour you, and you the public, with the reason for the aversion which the cattle have from this tree, they will much oblige many, and Yours, &c. Weston Rectory^ Nov. 28. 1828. T. W. S. Art. VII. Notice of some Fragments of OrthSceras annularis and striata^ found in the Barr Limestone in Warwickshire. By Frederick Jukes, Esq. ; with a Note by J. D. C. Sowerby, Esq. F.L.S. Sir, The discovery of the Barr Trilobite, which you did me the favour to insert in a former Number of your Magazine (p. 41.), being new to the English lime formations, I am induced to offer to your notice some fragments of Orthoceratites from the same stratum referred to in my former paper, in the hopes that they may also present some variety in fossils of that nature not already discovered. The enclosed drawing (/^. 67.) may, probably, be worthy of insertion, as it yet bears the marks of a very beautiful external configuration; the section exhibits 232 Notice of Orthoceras anmddris and striata. its chambers and siphunculus nearly perfect. Its general ap- pearance somewhat resembles a trans- versely fluted co- lumn, with an ele- vated ring corre- sponding to each septum. It is surrounded, also, by a number of beautifully waved lines, which, on the rings, form angular projections. The specimens I have yet seen, from this place, are quite straight, and present, perhaps, three or four varieties. Some specimens {Jig, 67.) have elevated rings, with waved lines around them; others (/^. 68.) have slight depressions with longitudinal straight lines. The larger kind are fre- quently from 2 in. to 3 in. in diameter, and upwards of 1 ft. in length ; but the smaller specimens are generally most perfect and beautiful. The shaft from which the new trilobite was obtained, and from which the most perfect orthoceratites may also be pro- cured, is at this time filled with water ; and the open-work or out-crop of this stratum being subject to decomposition, from atmospheric influence, very few specimens of value can at this time be obtained. The upper, or Dudley, stratum, which also extends superfi- cially to this place, carries with it all the train of fossils which are found at Dudley and Walsall ; but, in the lower stratum, I have not yet heard of any others than the large trilobite and orthoceratites having been found. Since I wrote the above, I have been informed, by Mr. Miller of Bristol, that he has in his possession two specimens of trilobites, discovered in the transition limestone at Ledbury, Notice of Orthoceras anmddris afid striata, 233 corresponding precisely, in size and outline, to the large spe- cies found in this neighbourhood. Mr. Miller also states, that, at Ledbury, the upper and lower portions of the A'saphus caudatus are abundant, though seldom in a perfect state. The Calymene Tristan? is occa- sionally found there ; but the Calymene Blumenbach//, so plentiful at Dudley, has not yet been discovered. The Orthoceras also occurs there, though not sufficiently perfect to exhibit the external shell. It would be a satisfac- tory circumstance to persons interested in geology, to know if the orthoceratites, and large trilobite discovered at Ledbury, are found in lower beds to those which contain fossils of the Dudley character. I remain. Sir, &c. General Hospital, Birmingham, Frederick Jukes. March 3, 1829, The specimens with elevated rings {Jg. 67.) are of one spe- cies, Orthoceras annularis ikf/w. Con.t. 133.; the others (Jig. 68.), found in Colebrook Dale also, are the Orthoceras striata o^ Mi- neral Conchologi/, tab. 58., a species that is found in the Black Rock near Cork, and in the low beds of limestone near Pres- ton, Kendal, and other parts of the transition series ; in none of which, however, as far as I know, has the Barr trilobite been discovered. Many fossil shells are found with it in all these places, but, according to Mr. Jukes, not at Barr ; a distinction which appears extraordinary, and requires to be verified by a diligent search. The figure in Min. Conch, of O. annularis is taken from a specimen by no means so strongly marked as one sent by Mr. Jukes ; but another approaches very near to it, and proves them to be only varieties. March 10. 1829. J. D. C. S. Vol. n. — No. S. 234. PART II. REVIEWS. Art. I. A Flora of Bewoick upon Tweed. By George John- ston, M.D. &c. Vol. I. — Phsenogamous Plants. Berwick. 8vo. 1829. In the course of time many wise saws have been held cur- rent in physic, and many vain promises made by the empi- rical, yet we are acquainted with no apothegm half so wise as that which is condensed by Dr. Cullen, into two lines of small pica, and read as follows : " I have cured weak stomachs by engaging the persons in the study of botany, and particu- larly in the investigation of native plants." This being our sovereign panacea for the cure of the ills which flesh is heir lo in this great city, we shall be excused for calling our readers' attention, more at large than usual, to one of the best local Floras that has passed through our hands. The northern counties have been more than ordinarily for- tunate in the number of active botanists who have resided within their borders. Mr. Winch of Newcastle, so well known among naturalists for his skill and accuracy, has pub- lished various works as Guides to the Botanists through this interesting corner of the island. Then, Mr. Thompson, a surgeon in the army, set an excellent example to his migratory brethren, and showed them how they might reap laurels in other fields than those of death, and published " A Catalogue of Plants growing in the vicinity of Bernsoich^^ adding thereto many which had not been observed before. The author of the present work, not content with descri- bing species for the hundredth time, and giving a mere cata- logue within a limited district, has thrown in many pertinent remarks respecting their geological distribution, their uses in the arts, their physiological phenomena ; and in the Flora of a river so celebrated in pastoral as the Tweed, " where flowers of fairy blow," he has noticed the superstitions connected with them in former times, and the illustrations they have fur- nished to the poet. Not a field nor a flower but suggests to our author some beauty which is veiled from the ordinary passenger. The pleasures of science are thus greatly en- hanced, and a higher relish given to the pursuits of life. I Johnston^ s Flora of Bei^nsoick upon Tweed, 235 The district, whose vegetable productions he professes to examine, contains every variety of soil, whether inland or on the sea shore; and is remarkably distinguished also for the variety of its stratification. The catalogue is very properly prefaced with an account of the geology of the neighbour- hood, drawn up by a friend of the author, who has justly impressed upon his readers, both by precept and example, the importance of remarking the geological relations of plants. Up to a late period, the compilers of Floras have thought it of more consequence to add a species, than to ascertain its relation to the locality in which it was found ; yet every addition to the Flora of a country throws some light on the laws of vegetable distribution. It suggests the questions whether it be indigenous and coeval with the soil; or if introduced, by what means that has been effected. Whether arts or commerce, agriculture or manufactures, superstition or medicine, has brought it; or, which is frequently the case, whether the altered state of the earth's surface has not af- forded to Nature, by her ordinary laws, increased means of diffusion. In the days of Gesner, jPumaria ofiicinahs was a very rare plant in the fields of southern Europe, and sup- posed to have come from the East ; now it is the commonest weed in corn fields and gardens, from Greece to Lapland. Again, as plants approach the limits of their range, it is often curious to enquire what soils or rocks they prefer. Many south country species, without showing any particular attach- ment in places where they abound, become choice as they approach their northern boundary. Some terminate their range on chalk ; others on mountain limestone, or red sand- stone, or the sea shore. Some, which with us affect the driest soil, occur, in southern latitudes, in moist ones, as iinum catharticum. On the contrary, plants coming to us (so to speak) from the north, what strata and soils do they prefer or reject? how are the moisture, the temperature, the isothermal range, compensated for, when plants reach more southern parallels ? Z)aphne ilfezereum may safely be pro- nounced not to' be indigenous ; because its head quarters being in the subalpine regions of the north, and its locality in England being in the chalk woods of Hampshire, according to Miller, it is contrary to all our experience of compensation. What is there, again, in the nature of some plants that should dispose them to be vagabonds all over the earth, while others are limited to a single spot ? It is very important, also, that botanists should observe the negative list of particular places, as well as the positive. For instance, it is remarkable that ^'nthemis Cotula (stinking May-weed) should not be found R 2 236 tJohnston^s Flora of Bermck upofi Tweed, within the district of this author, whereas it is a most abun- dant weed in the south of England, and naturalises itself easily in America. It is delightful to observe how the boun- daries of knowledge enlarge as we make progress, and there is nothing which marks poverty of intellect so much as that conlplacency which supposes it has gathered in all that a sub- ject will afford. The Flora of Dr. Johnston comprehends a copious list of species, which is not so remarkable for containing any that are peculiar to the district (which is the case with the eastern counties and Cornwall), as it is for the singular stations where some of them are found. Thus to find Rhodiola rosea, which is generally alpine, on the sea coast, is quite unexpected ; as are ^^mpetrum nigrum and ,Scilla verna, on sea banks. Eriophorum pubescens, which is of modern creation, seems to be frequent, while the old E. polystachion is not common. The difference of these species is not very obvious ; and, like a thousand others of the present day, are only known by the " ear mark." Dr. Johnston's keen eye has rediscovered, in Ray's locality on Cheviot, the long lost Cornus suecica. Of the origin of the name "Forget me not" (TV/yosotis) the author gives the following account, extracted from Mill's History of Chivah-y, and communicated to that work by Dr. A. T. Thomson : — " Two lovers were loitering on the margin of a lake on a fine summer's evening, when the maiden espied some of the flowers of ikfyos^tis growing on the water, close to the bank of an island, at some distance from the shore. She expressed a desire to possess them, when the knight, in the true spirit of chivalry, plunged into the water, and swimming to the spot, cropped the wished for plant, but his strength was unable to fulfil the object of his achievement, and feeling that he could not regain the shore, although very near it, he threw the flowers upon the bank, and casting a last affection- ate look upon his lady-love, he cried, ' Forget me not ! ' and was buried in the waters." As the world insists upon a reason, this story is as good as another; but the worthy knight must have been sadly out of his element not to have been able to return from a bank on which his mistress could discern so minute a blossom, unless, indeed, we suppose him to have been clad in armour, which was a habiliment ill adapted for a lover by land or water. Is the author correct in assigning the name of" Blue-bells" to Campanula rotundifolia ? We had always imagined that the " Blue-bells of Scotland" were the AScilla nutans, and that the Campanula rotundifolia \vas the " Hare-bell," from JohnstorCs Flora of Ber'isoick upon Tweed, 237 its slender and grassy appearance. Thus Walter Scott, in describing the grace of the " Lady of the Lake," says, " E'en the slight hare-bell raised its head. Elastic, from her^airy tread. When doubtful natives are found, it is extremely desirable that authors should be particular in examining all the causes, as far as they can, which may have brought them into their situations. In a highly improved country like ours, there are, no doubt, hundreds of species adopted as natives, which art and cultivation have introduced, yillium Schcenoprasum, for instance, which is found at " Fastcastle," can hardly be established as wild. This, we know, was an oleraceous plant used by our forefathers, perhaps before the " Onion " was introduced. There are many plants peculiar to the neigh- bourhood of castles, which probably were the products of the gardens attached, and which have no claim to be regarded as indigenous. ikZelampyrum montanum is a new species which the author has attempted to establish, though not without hesitation, since the differences, he remarks, may be attribut- able to situation. Why not, then, have placed it as a variety, or variation, under its nearest congener, until he had satis- fied himself of its permanent character by cultivation ? This hasty splitting of species is involving the science in inextri- cable difficulty. The author states Ficia /athyroides to belong to the Ber- wick Flora ; but he assigns its station in so general a way as to lead us to suspect some mistake. This species, as far as we know, has hitherto been found only on the sands of the eastern counties. Probably, Ficia angustifolia or some variety of F, sativa has been taken for it. It appears that -Arctium Bardana more frequently occurs in waste grounds about Berwick than the A. Zappa. The author finds the Veronica filiformis of Decandolle, of which a figure is added, in cultivated grounds. Mr. Borrer had found it before in Sussex. Having now given our readers some slight taste of the 4;ontents of Dr. Johnston's work, we cannot dismiss it without recommending it to their rumination. It is composed more in the spirit of the Flora Lapponica, that model for all similar undertakings, than any other which occurs to our recollec- tion. Its technical dulness is relieved by litde excursions into the by-paths of literature and the useful applications of sci- ence. Instead of being as dry and uninteresting as a spell- ing-book, it is as engaging as that entertaining book. Dr. Johnson's folio dictionary. Without sacrificing good taste, R 3 2S8 Butterjiy Collectwh Vade Mecum, he touches upon familiar topics, or cites a poet ; yet maintains the dignity of science, and manages to mingle instruction with pleasure by means of the hitherto impracticable vehicle of specific descriptions. * C^ Art. II. Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately published^ with some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British Naturalists, Britain. Anon. Attributed to Miss Laetitia Jermyn of Ipswich : The Butterfly Col- lector's Vade Mecum ; with a Synoptical Table of British Butterflies, Ipswich and London. 12mo, 5 plates. 7^. 6d. This " Account of British Butterflies " is dedicated to the Rev. W. Kirby (p. 20.), and stated there and in the advertisement to be " enriched by his accurate and valuable remarks," which, to all who have perused Kirby and Spence's Entomology, will be a sufficient guarantee and recom- mendation of Miss Jermyn's work. After stating the improvements which the edition of 1827 has received, some of the attractions of this pleasing branch of natural history are no- ticed. " Although the study of every class of animals is most indisputably attended with peculiar advantages, yet it may safely be affirmed, that it is from the knowledge of the characters, metamorphoses, and various modes^ of life which insects are destined to pursue, that a more intimate acquaint- ance may be obtained with the laws of Nature, and veneration for the great Creator of all, than can be derived from the contemplation of any other class in the animated world. Whilst most animals retain, during life, the form which they receive at their birth, insects are distinguished by the won- derful changes they undergo. Their existence partakes of two, three, and four distinct states, and, in each of these, differs most essentially in appear- ance, organisation, and manner of living. It is in this class of animals, also^ above all others, that we are struck with what Cicero has called ' the insa- tiable variety of nature.' " (p. 7.) The whole of the preface is so much to our mind, that we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of extracting largely from it. In answer to the charge of inhumanity sometimes brought against the collectors of living animals, it is argued that the objection applies less in the case of insects than in that of the higher classes; because "it is an admitted hypothesis that, in proportion as we descend in the scale of being, the sen- sibility of the objects that constitute it diminishes ; " and that the poet's conclusion that a beetle, trod on, feels " a pang as great as when a giant dies," is incorrect. Why, Ray asks, were insects arrayed in beauty, and surrounded with wonders, but that we might be led to glorify the hand that made them ? " If,* says Gedner, * we do not think it worth our while, for any other reason, to turn our attention to the works of nature, yet surely, for the glory of the great Creator, we ought to do it ; since, in every insect, we may observe some singular artifice which is not to be found in any other bodies, and which fully demonstrates the omniscience of the Supreme Being who has created nothing but for a certain end, and for some valuable purpose.' (p. 9.) " Can it be necessary," asks Miss Jermyn, " to declaim on the superiority of a people amongst whom intellectual pleasures are preferred to animal Bidterjiy Collector's Vade Mecum. 239 gratification ? Is it to be regretted that many of the Spitalfields weavers spend their Saint Monday holidays in search of some of the more splendid Lepidoptera, instead of smoking in an alehouse ? or, is it not rather to be wished that they should recreate their leisure-hours by breathing the pure air, while in pursuit of this * untaxed and undisputed game? ' Insects (and more particularly butterflies) appear to have been Nature's favourite pro- ductions ; in which, to recompense them for their weakness, and to manifest her power and skill, she has combined and concentrated almost all that is either beautiful and graceful, interesting and alluring, or curious and sin- gular in every other class and order of her children. To these her valued miniatures she has given the most delicate 'touch, and highest finish of her pencil, (p. 10.) " The splendid appearance of the plumage of tropical birds is not supe- rior to what the curious observer may discover in a variety of Lepidoptera ; and those many-coloured eyes, which deck so gorgeously the peacock's tail, are imitated with success in Vanessa Po, one of our most common butter- flies. * See,' exclaims the illustrious Linnaeus, * the large, elegant, painted wings of the butterfly, four in number, covered with small imbricated scales ; with these it sustains itself in the air the whole day, rivalling the flight of birds, and the brilliancy of the peacock. Consider this insect through the wonderful progress of its life, how different is the first period of its being from the second, and both from the parent insect. Its changes are an in- explicable enigma to us : we see a green caterpillar, furnished with sixteen feet, creeping, hairy, and feeding upon the leaves of a plant ; this is changed into a chrysalis, smooth, of a golden lustre, hanging suspended to a fixed point, without feet, and subsisting without food ; this insect again under- goes another transformation, acquires wings and six feet, and becomes a variegated white butterfly, living by suction upon the honey of plants. What has Nature produced more worthy of our admiration ? Such an ani- mal coming upon the stage of the world, and playing its part there under so many different masks ! In the egg of the Papilio, the epidermis or ex- ternal integument falling off, a caterpillar is disclosed ; the second epidermis drying, and being detached, it is a chrysalis ; and the third, a butterfly. It should seem that the ancients were so struck with the transformations of the butterfly, and its revival from a seeming temporary death, as to have con- sidered it as an emblem of the soul, the Greek word psyche signifying both the soul and a butterfly. This is also confirmed by their allegorical sculp- tures, in which the butterfly occurs as an emblem of immortality.' Swara- raerdam, speaking of the metamorphosis of insects, uses these strong words : * This process is formed in so remarkable a manner in butterflies, that we see therein the resurrection painted before our eyes, and exemplified so as to be examined by our hands.' * There is no one,' says Paley, * who does not possess some particular train of thought, to which the mind naturally directs itself, when left entirely to its own operations. It is certain, too, that the choice of this train of thinking may be directed to different ends, and may appear to be more or less judiciously fixed, but in a moral view, if one train of thinking be more desirable than another, it is that which regards the phenomena of nature with a constant reference to a supreme intelligent Author. The works of nature want only to be contemplated. In every portion of them which we can descry, we find attention bestowed upon the minutest objects. Every organised natural body, in the provisions which it contains for its sustentation and propagation, testifies a care, on the part of the Creator, expressly directed to these purposes. We are on all sides surrounded by bodies wonderfully curious, and no less wonderfully diversified.' Trifling, therefore, and, perhaps, contemptible, as to the un- thinking may seem the study of a butterfly, yet, when we consider the art and mechanism displayed in so minute a structure, the fluids circulating in vessels so small as almost to escape the sight, the beauty of their wings and R 4* 240 Loudon^ s Ericyclopcedia of Plants, covering, and the manner in which each part is adapted for its peculiar functions, we cannot but be struck with wonder and admiration, and must feel convinced that the Maker of all has bestowed equal skill in every class of animated beings ; and also allow with Paley, that * the production of beauty was as much in the Creator's mind in painting a butterfly, as in giving symmetry to the human form.' " ' To see all things in God,' say the authors of the Introduction to En- tomologi/y * has been accounted one of the peculiar privileges of a future state ;' and in this present life, * to see God in all things, in the mirror of the creation to behold and adore the reflected glory of the Creator, is no mean attainment ; and it possesses this advantage, that thus we sanctify our pursuits, and, instead of loving the creatures for themselves, are led, by the survey of them, and their instincts, to the love of him who made and en- dowed them.' The more, then, we study the works of creation, the more will the wisdom and the goodness of the Creator be manifested ; and while we admire the order and harmony of the whole, or the beauty and variety of its parts, it will be impossible not to adore ' Him who is wise in heart, and wonderful in working ; ' and at the same time confess, with humility of soul, that ' The hand that made them is divine.' *' (p. 19.) After the preface follows an introduction, in which is discussed the gene- ral character of the order Lepidoptera, and the natural as well as practical history of diurnal Lepidoptera, or butterflies. These form the Linnean genus Papilio, which is subdivided into numerous genera by modern ento- mologists. These modern genera are here described, and a number of them figured, so that there cannot be a better book for a beginner in this study ; and we are therefore desirous most strongly to recommend it, regretting that a press of matter prevented us from rendering the authoress this justice last butterfly-season. — T. Loudon, J. C.y Editor, with the assistance of Professor Lindley, Mr. Sowerby, and others: The Encyclopaedia of Plants; comprising all those in Britain, either indigenous or cultivated, flowering or without Flowers; with Figures illustrating one Species or more of every Genus, all the Classes and Orders, and many of the Botanical Terras. London. 1 vol. 8V0, pp. 1159. 4/. 14*. 6d. This work, the labour of nearly ten years, is intended to be in botany, what a Johnson's Dictionary and English Grammar are in the English language ; and, if it is properly executed, it ought to hold the same place amongst English botanists, as a grammar and dictionary hold amongst Eng- lish readers. In a short time the character of its execution will become known ; meanwhile, its editor can recommend the book for the objects stated with the more confidence, since by far the greater part of the volume is the labour of Professor Lindley and Mr. Sowerby. Smith, Gerard Edwards, Esq., of St. John's College, Oxford : A Catalogue of rare and remarkable Plants collected in South Kent, with descriptive Notices and Observations. London, 1829. Svo, 6 col. pis. Here is an author whose names usher him into the presence of natural- ists under the most favourable auspices, and who furnishes a whimsical speculation how far his baptism and his botany are cause and eflfect. How- ever this may be, he does credit to his patronymics, and discovers great sagacity in distinguishing plants. The district he has examined compre- hends Weald clay, green sand, chalk, and plastic clay ; and he has not been unobserving of the limitations which these strata present to the diffusion of particular plants. Mr. Gerard Smith was already known to English botanists as having made the discovery of O'phrys arachnites, which stands recorded in the English Flora upon his authority. In this " catalogue" he has elaborately worked out the character of that species, and those of O. aranifera and fus- clfera, while he has added coloured delineations of them, as well as other Literary Notices, 241 plants : still, the intermediate varieties which he finds, throw some doubts on the permanency of his distinctions. Sir James Smith regards the O. arachnites of Kent, and fuscifera, as furnishing good specific charac- ters, and as being identical with the foreign specimens bearing those names. Whether it really be so may still be doubtful ; but, in so interesting a tribe as the insectiferous Orchideae, even the ordinary observer will be grateful to him for his laboured observations. Another discovery of this " fine-nosed herbalist," as Wordsworth would call him, is Orobanche caryophyllacea of Sir James Smith, which was sup- posed to be confined to the Apennines and Siberia. It is allied to O. major, but is, no doubt, a better species than some others of this intricate genus. The trefoils and medicks have attracted the author's particular attention ; and he adds the Medicago denticulata Willd. to our native list. His wood- cut of the spines of the legume of several species, though an after-thought, deserves attention. Ray's plant, Z/imonium minus, the author elevates to the rank of a spe- cies under the name of ^tatice cordata, in which he seems to be fully war- ranted by the practice of modern botanists. He also directs attention to a remarkable variety of Lathrae^a squanjaria, which, he thinks, may prove distinct. The observations on the mode of impregnation in Ruppia maritima de- serve to be repeated by one so favourably situated for the purpose as Mr. Gerard Smith is. He does not agree with Dr. Hooker's theory that the impregnation takes place beneath the water, and within the sheath of the leaves, before the flower-stalks are elongated, but thinks that Sir J. Smith abandoned his own opinion, and adopted that of Dr. Hooker, too hastily. If we were disposed to find fault with an author who really has shown great acuteness and quickness of observation, we might, perhaps, remark that he appears to be too ready to adopt species, which, unless they be well esta- blished, are the bane of science. He might also be censured for being occa- sionally too sentimental and pictorial in his composition, when treating of trivial matters ; a fault, alas ! which time will correct soon enough, and which we willingly screen, and think abundantly redeemed by the ardour of which it is characteristic. — CC/* Art. III. Literary Notices. The Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society delineated ; being Descriptions and Figures in Illustration of the Natural History of living Animals in the Society's Collections. Published, with the Sanction of the Council, under the Superintendence of the Secretary and Vice- Secretary of the Society. This work will appear in 8vo parts, monthly. " At the request of the Council, the Secretary of the Society, N. A. Vigors, Esq., has in the kindest manner consented to charge himself with the task of superintending the execution of every department of the work. The descriptions and anecdotes in illustration of the natural history of the ani- mals represented will be furnished by E.T. Bennett, Esq., the Vice-Secretary. The whole of the drawings will be made by Mr. William Harvey, who has already given so many proofs of his talent in this department of his art ; and the engravers, Messrs. Branston and Wright, will exert their utmost skill to do justice to the efforts of his pencil.'* We have seen a specimen of the first part, than which, in the way of engravings on wood, we have seen nothing superior. Agenda Geognosiica. — The veteran mineralogist, Leonhard, is about to publish Agenda Geognosiica, or a Manual for Travellers in Mountainous Districts. PART III. COLLECTANEA. Art. L General Subject. Active Molecules. — Fifteen years ago. Dr. Drummond, now Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in the Belfast Academical Institution, detected these bodies in the choroid coat of a haddock's eye, and published an account of the discovery, at that time, in his thesis De Oculi Anatomia Comparativa. He described them as long and spicular, various in size, and with the glitter of polished silver, so intense, that, when viewed in sunshine, the eye could scarcely bear its brightness. Multitudes revolved continually round their axis, while other and larger particles, after lying motionless for a little time, described three or four semicircles, and then sank into their former quiescence. These they repeated at short intervals, when they vanished to reappear in the same spot after the lapse of two or three minutes. This sin- gular movement was only observable in the larger corpuscles, the smaller glittering in perpetual revolution around their axis. The motion could not have proceeded from evaporation, for whether the fluid were com- pressed between plates of glass, or covered with oil, it continued ; nor from electricity, for neither attraction nor repulsion was exhibited ; nor from the agitation of the water, for then the other molecules should have shown a similar motion. " To suppose these particles," says the Doctor, " possessed of vitality may appear repugnant to reason, but I can conjecture no other way in which the phenomenon can be explained." The above-mentioned thesis was published in 1814, and a more detailed account was given in the Transactions of the Edinburgh Royal Society for the same year, in a paper " On certain Appearances observed in the Eyes of Fishes ; " a title by no means inviting, which may perhaps account for the little attention which the communication received. To these spicula, as he afterwards ascertained, the metallic colour of fishes is owing ; and to observe them in a very simple manner no- thing more is necessary than to scrape some of the scales off a salmon or herring, where the metallic or silvery tint is brightest; put them into a wine-glass with a tea-spoonful or two of water, and stir them so that the silvery film which is attached to the under surface of the scales may sepa- rate. That film is composed of the moving spicula ; and when it has whitened the water in the slightest degree, put a drop of the latter on any black or very dark surface in the sunshine, the stronger the light the better, and, with the naked eye, thousands of brilliant particles may be observed as busy as motes in the sunbeam. In the microscope also the light must fall on them ; for they seem to be very opaque, and it is only by reflected light that they can be observed. — t Art. II. Zoology * The Cuckoo. — Sir, Reading what you say relative to the cuckoo in your Magazine of Natural History, I beg to inform you that about fifteen years ago I obtained a cuckoo from the nest of (I think) a hedge sparrow, at Old Brompton, where I then resided. It was rather curious, as being Zoology. 243 within ten yards of my house, Cromwell Cottage, and in a narrow and much frequented lane, leading from near Gloucester Lodge to Kensington. This bird I reared and kept alive till late in January ; when it fell suddenly from its perch, while feeding on a rather large dew worm. It was buried : but I had, long afterwards, strange misgivings, that my poor feathered favourite was only choked by his food, or in a fit of some kind — his apparent death was so extremely unexpected from his health and liveliness at the time. I assure you that I regretted my loss much, my bird being in full plumage and a very handsome creature. He was quite tame, for in autumn I used to set him on a branch of a tree in the garden, while I dug worms for him to dine upon, and he never attempted more than a short friendly flight. During the coldest weather, and it was rather a sharp winter, my only precaution was, nearly to cover the cage with flannel ; and when I used to take it off, more or less, on coming into my breakfast, room in the morning, I was recognised by him with certainly not all the cry " unpleasant to a married ear," but with its full half " Cuckl Cuck!" — the only sounds or notes I ever heard from my bird. Though trifling, these facts may be so far curious as illus- trating the natural history of a remarkable genus, and I have great pleasure in offering them for your excellent Journal. — W. Jerdan.* Brompton. Nuthatch. — Sir, In confirmation of the account by your correspondent H. S. (Vol. I. p. 528.) of the persevering exertions of the nuthatch to escape from confinement, I beg to offer you a corroborating instance, which fell under my own observation. When a boy I occasionally amused myself, like other youths, with setting traps for birds, constructed, according to the ordinary method employed for that purpose, of four bricks, one of which was propped up in an oblique position, ready to fall down and secure the bird on its entering the trap. In one of these traps I ensnared a nuthatch. How long it might have remained in confinement, I cannot at this distance of time exactly state, but most probably not more than a few hours. On taking the bird from the trap, I was struck with the singular formation of the beak, so unlike that of any other bird I had ever seen. It was blunt at the end, and presented the appearance of having been truncated in an oblique direction i. e. as if the natural beak {fig. 69. b\ -^ ^ \ fiQ ^ had been cut off in the direction of the line (a). Hav- ^^ ^^fe^^^^^-^'^^^ O ing never before examined a specimen so closely, I ''^^^y^ "^"^ * at first thought this apparent truncation constituted ■"^^^ ^^ the natural conformation of the beak ; but I soon perceived that it had been fairly ground down to about two thirds of its original length, by the bird's pecking at the bricks in its efforts to escape from the trap. As your correspondent does not enter much upon the habits of this amusing bird in its natural wild state, it may not be uninteresting to notice the expertness it occasionally exhibits while engaged in the operation of piercing the shells of nuts, &c. The bird fixes the nut in a chink or cre- vice of the bark of a tree, or the Hke, and commences a vigorous attack upon the shell by forcibly and repeatedly striking it with its beak. This knocking (as your correspondent observes from White) may be heard to a considerable distance. During the operation, it sometimes happens that the nut swerves from its fixture, and falls towards the ground ; it has not descended, however, for the space of more that a few yards, when the nut- hatch, with admirable adroitness, recovers it in its fall, and replacing it in its former position, commences the attack afresh. The fall of the nut in the air, and its recovery by the bird on the wing, I have seen repeated several times in the space of a few minutes. Whether the nuthatch seizes the falling nut with its beak, or, as is more probable, with its grasping feet, I am not able positively to determine. — W. T. Bree. Nov. 15. 1828. * The learned and witty editor of the Literary Gazette, 244 Zoology. Developement of the Eggs of Spiders. — In spiders* eggs, M. Harold has observed a membrane corresponding to the shell of those of birds, also the white or albumen and the yolk and scar. But the yolk has no proper membrane, though it passes into the intestinal canal. The scar is also ob- servable, and disperses itself in granules ; and the vv^hite, instead of being absorbed by the young animal, as in birds, is the matter out of which is formed all its members, a circumstance that constitutes the principal dif- ference between the eggs of birds and spiders. The eggs of spiders, which are laid in the autumn, remain throughout the winter enclosed in a silken web ; on the approach of summer they gradually change into their active perfect form. The progress of this transformation has been M, Harold's study, and his observations are detailed with great perspicuity in his Unters, uber die Bildungsg. der Wiebellosen Thiere im Eie. The eggs, in their dormant state, every body knows, are very small iftg.lO. a) ; magnified (6), the scar or germ is discern- ible (c"). The first change is this germ dispersing its €>** granules into the albumen, which attach themselves to the vitellus, or yolk ; and, after being expanded in this manner, it assumes the figure of a comet in the interior of the mass. When the albumen becomes as it were saturated with these grains from the germ, or vital principle, it is then called colliquamentum ; and, when sufficiently coagulated, is for the present called ^^ cambium. This cambium becomes divided into two Dnequal parts : the smaller portion {fig. 71. a) being uppermost, is called the cephalic cambium,\t being that from which the head of the animal is afterwards formed ; and the greater portion (6), situated below, is called the thoracic cam- bimn, from which the body is composed. Soon after this division of the cambium, it is seen marked with the rudiments of the limbs and other parts, eyes, breast, &c. ; next, the lower extremities become moulded from that portion of the cambium called the abdominal. In process of time all the parts of the frame have gained form and consistence, the animal secre- tions commence, and the actions of the legs 72 and palpi begin by throwing off the thin skin which enveloped the whole mass. {^g. 72.) Some time passes before the young spider is very active ; he feels a kind of torpor until his frame is sufficiently fitted for his wander- ing predatory life. It was on the eggs of the ArknesL diadema that M. Harold made the observations, from which the foregoing is a brief extract. — J .M. Musical Snails. — As I was sitting in my room, on the first floor, about nine P.M. (4th of October last), I was surprised with what I supposed to be the notes of a bird, under or upon the sill of the window. My impression was, that they somewhat resembled the notes of the wild duck in its noc- turnal flight, and, at times, the twitter of a red-breast, in quick succession. To be satisfied on the subject, I carefully removed the shutter, and, to my surprise, found it was a garden snail, which, in drawing itself along the glass, had produced sounds similar to those elicited from the musical glasses. — Sam. Woodward. Diana Square, Norwich, Aprils. 1829. Developement of the Eggs of the Common Crab {Cancer Pagurus, L.) — In a late number of his Zoological Researches, Mr. J. V. Thompson of Cork has given some additional particulars relative to the animal of the supposed genus Zoea, which he considers as the larva of the common crab. \ Botany, 245 having hatched it from the eggs of the latter. His notes are accompanied by a magnified representation of the minute creature {fig. 13. a, antennae ; /, feet ; s, one of the lateral spines) together with a second figure, of the natural size, for compa- rison (between s and/). He states that, after numerous fruitless attempts, he at length [)ro- cured, in 1827, examples of the crab with spawn apparently ready to hatch, and succeed- ed in protecting one individual until young burst from their envelopes, and swam about in myriads, under the exact form given in the plate. In this stage, he adds, they are colour- less, and transparent as glass, except the dark central part of each eye, and a blackish dot on each side every abdominal segment, the dorsal spine exhibiting a pale pink tint, for nearly half its length, from the point down- wards. We cannot but recommend the example of Mr. Thompson to our other friends on the sea-coast, some of whom will, we doubt not, be stimulated by his success, as well as assisted by the clue which he has afforded, in the investigation of this highly interesting subject. As several forms of Zoea have now been described and figured, it is perhaps but fair to presume that they are the young of as many forms of Decapodous Crustacea; and it may not be too much to imagine that the whole order will be found, on examination, to be subject to the same laws of metamorphosis which regu- late at least one of its species. At all events, here is an ample field oF study opened for the careful observer. — E. Art. in. Botany, Drying Plants. — As one main object of your Magazine is to assist the tyro in natural history, I do not hesitate to send you some details of the process of drying plants, which I have, from time to time, adopted, and can, from pretty long experience of their efficacy, safely recommend. I entirely approve, and have long practised, the principle stated in Mr. Bree's letter (Vol. I. p. 298.), of frequently changing the papers as they become moist, but have satisfied myself with replacing them by others thoroughly dry without heating them. Heated papers will, no doubt, shorten the pro- cess and more effectually preserve the colours. I would, therefore, advise their being always employed ; and what follows is little more than a detail of the principle laid down in the letter above alluded to. Always gather the root with herbaceous plants, and, if possible, select a specimen with part of the head in seed as well as in flower. Clear away the soil, &c., and when quite dry place the plant between the papers, holding down the parts adjusted with the left hand while regulating the remaind^, and taking care to display any particular part which marks the generic or specific cha- racter. Instead of employing only two sheets of paper, lay three or four both above and below the plant to absorb a greater portion of the moisture, and place detached pieces of soft paper, folded into the required shape, size, and thickness, on each side the stem and more prominent parts, and, if ne- cessary, over the petals and leaves. This will equalise the pressure, and add much to the beauty of the specimen. Different plants require different degrees of pressure, accordingly as their texture is more or less firm ; and a less degree of pressure should always be used the first two or three days of the process, than as they approach desiccation, to prevent extravasation of 24i^ Geology a7id Mineralogy, the juices. Succulent plants may be left exposed 12 or 24 hours (sometimes several days) before pressing, to render them flaccid and more conformable; and the interior parts of their stems, if bulky, and also all but the outer coats of tunicated bulbs, may be removed by making a longitudinal incision on the side that is to lie next the paper. On the first removal of the moist paper, any irregularities in the disposition and folding of the leaves, &c., may be easily rectified, as they will then be partially flattened and more pliant ; and, on every subsequent removal, the plants may remain exposed for half an hour or an hour on a table, and submitted to a gentle cuiTent of air. This will carry off much moisture, and hasten the process ; but they should be again placed under pressure when the petals begin to curl up or contract. The operation of changing the papers should be repeated morning and evening for the first few days, and afterwards once a day ; as a general rule the oftener the better, particularly plants with purple or blue flowers, from which confined moisture very soon discharges the colour. After the drying is completed, it will be well to place the specimens in an oven with a gentle heat and under a very slight pressure, which, in the course of a night, will effectually drive off any remaining moisture that may have lurked in the central parts of thick stems, flower-buds. Sec. If the oven be resorted to in the earlier stages of drying, the necessary pressure will confine the moist heated juices, and destroy the colours. I have found great advantage in dry weather in placing my press close to a window, open- ing the latter only just enough to throw a current of air round the sides of the press to carry off" the moisture as it is given out. My presses are of the simplest kind : flat boards, or covers of books, on which I place weights, bricks, or books, to obtain the requisite pressure. Many layers of plants may be put under the same press, weighting it accordingly. These details may appear trifling ; but when I recollect how slowly I surmounted one difficulty after another, I feel a pleasure in thinking they may be of service to some of your young readers, who, like myself, at the commencement of their botanical pursuits, may have no experienced friend at hand to direct them. — J, E. Bowman. Art. IV, Geology and Mineralogy, Fossil Shells unpublished, — Sir, Extensive as is the catalogue of fossil shells (p. 26.), it might be considerably augmented by unpublished species ; and I subjoin a list which you may perhaps think worthy a place in your Miscellany. My cabinet contains entire specimens of all therein enume- rated, with the exception of those against which an asterisk is affixed, and of which I as yet possess only imperfect specimens. I have also some other fragments, but they are not perfect enough to determine the genera. Simple Univalves. Gen. No. of Species. Gen. No. of Spec ^alanus m Pileopsis . 2 Bulimus ? . Paludina ? (small) 2 Bdlla (lignaria) - _ Pleurotoma _ 2 Cancellaria _ Pyramidella - 1 Cerlthium _ Rostellaria . l» Cypr^^a r_ S^rpula - ;- 2 Infundibulum . Solarium - 1 Melania . Trochus -■ 2 ifcfurex " T^rebra .. 1 O'vula _ Vermicularia . 1 Patella ■■ Geology and Mineralogy, ^4^1 Simple Bivalves. Gen. No. of Species. Anomia - - 1 Cardium (echinatum) - 2 Chh.ma . - i A reversed var. of Cliama squamosa, i. e. the lower or adherent valve turns the contrary way. , Donax - - 1 Lima - - 1 Lucina (divaricata) - 2 Lutraria - - 1* Gen. Mactra Modiola Nucula (rostrata) O'strea Panopae^^ Pinna Psammotea ? Pholas (cuspatus) Tellina Venu* Pullastra No. of Species. 1 1 2 2 2 1* 1 1 4 5 1 The above shells are from the Crag formation, and are in addition to those published in Mr. Taylor's article (p. 26.) ; I am not aware they have hitherto been anywhere published. — S.V. W. Woodbridge, March, 1829. Geological Hammer. — Sir, Having had occasion for the use of a geological hammer, which should unite the qualities of power and compactness, it occurred to me, that an elastic handle, applied to one of Knight's Trimming Hammers, would effec- tually answer my purpose. I therefore selected one of that kind which is marked No. 5. in Knight's plate and description of Geological and Mineralo- gical Instruments and Apparatus {fig. 74.), and, removing the handle of wood, attached it to an elastic handle of leather, and it has answered ex- tremely well, during a long campaign amongst the rocks of Germany, serving every purpose which I wished it to serve. The construction of the handle is as follows : — Three narrow slips of soling leather having been se- lected of the length most convenient, I caused them to be firmly glued together, so as that the grain of the exterior pieces should be in a different direction from that of the enclosed piece. The whole was then rounded, and reduced from the extremity upwards, till it fitted the aperture in the metal, and then by two small wedges of wood driven in between the slips of leather the whole was firmly secured. The handle was then strongly bound with twine, round and round, from the one end to the other. I would certainly recommend this plan in preference to a vine-wood handle, or any other, as it is not liable to break, possesses a nearly perfect elasticity, and pre- serves its shape. — W. B. Clarke. East Bergholt, Suffolk, Nov. 24. 1828. Schorl, dark-coloured mica, slate (except it is very light-coloured), and many other minerals, attract the magnetic needle, after being exposed to the reducing flame. In some cases it is sufficient to attach a fragment of the mineral to be examined to the end of the platina wire, by means of a part of the moistened powder of the same substance ; in others, the whole must be reduced to powder, and a little borax added before it is exposed to the flame, to enable it to act upon the needle. This character, which is useful in leading us to a knowledge of one of the component parts of a mineral, as well as enabling us to distinguish it from others, appears for the most part to have escaped the observation of mineralogists, at least it is seldom noticed in their works. — W, H, M, 248 Meteorology, Art. V. Meteorology, Almanacks. — In the essay on almanacks, in the Companion to the Almanack for 1829, published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, it is stated (p. 7.) that at the present day none of the almanacks of the Conti- nental states contain any misleading matters similar to the astrological pre- dictions of that of Moore. This is a mistake. I have now lying before me an almanack for 1829, professing to be compiled " par Maitre Mathieu Laens- bergh, Math^maticien," and printed at Li^ge for nearly a century past; which is in as much repute in the Netherlands as Moore^s Almanack is in England, being universally read by the Flemish peasantry and lower classes ; and in which not less than twenty-five pages are filled with predictions of the weather, and of political events*, besides an " Extrait des proph^ties perp^tuelles de Thomas Joseph Moult, natifde Naples; pour I'annee 1829 ;" in which this great astrologer, whose name, I fear, is unknown in England, departing from the wary obscurity of his brother Moore, boldly proclaims that the spring will be fine, the summer wet, and the autumn cold and late. This little volume, of about 150 pages (which include some useful matter on agriculture, gardening, &c.), and of the price of about threepence, con- cludes with an " Almanach des Bergers pour I'annee 1829," wholly com- posed of hieroglyphics (previously explained), as a glove for frost, an awl for strong frost, a fan for heat, &c. &c., and in this the actual weather is predicted for every day of the year : as that on the 1st of January it would freeze, on the 6th it would snow, on the 9th it would rain, and so on. Another line of hieroglyphics indicates what days are suitable for sowing, grafting, &c., and also for cutting the hair, and cutting the nails. It is evident, therefore, that we are not single in absurdity, but in fact outdone by our Flemish neighbours ; and, I believe, one astrological almanack is published in France, or more. How the case may be in Germany I am ignorant ; but I am inclined to think that the labours of societies, like that in England for the diffusion of useful knowledge, directed to the reform- ation of the almanacks, are as much wanted throughout Europe as with us. — W. S. Brussels, March 20. 1829. * One of the shortest of the " Predictions pour I'annee 1829," will serve both as a specimen of the riddles, over which the Flemings have to ponder during the long winter evenings, and of the tone of political feeling to which they are adapted. The whole series is introduced by this address : — " Au Lecteur. — Doutez ou croyez, peu importe; les ^venemens que je predis ne s'accompliront pas moins. " Janvier. ~~ Voeux interesses mais superflus. — Puissant qui tombe, mediocre qui s'^leve. — II fallait un calculateur : ce fut un danseur qu'on choisit. — Lutte sanglante etobstin^e. — La croix brille a Torient. — Naza- rin faisait chanter ses contribuables : certain ministre fera pleurer les siens. — Belle alliance qui se prepare. — Ddfaite inattendue, r^sultat inesper^. — Quelle leyon pour les rois 1 Hommes libres, reprenez courage." [" To the Reader. Doubt or believe, it matters little; my predictions will not the less be accomplished. — January. Wishes selfish but vain. — The powerful falls, the weak rises. — An arithmetician was wanted : they chose a dancer. — Strife bloody and obstinate. — The cross shines in the East. — Nazarin made his tax-payers sing : a certain minister will make his weep. — A fair alliance is in preparation. — Unexpected defeat, unhoped for result. — What a lesson for kmgs ! Freemen, take courage."] 24-9 PART IV. MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. Art. I. Natural History in Foreign Countries. FRANCE. Collection of Natural History from Pondicherry. — Messrs. Cuvier,Des- fontaines, and Dumeril read a report, at a recent sitting of the Academy of Sciences, on the collections of natural history made by the officers of the Chevrette, daring her voyage to Pondicherry. The specimens brought home include 16 species of the mammalia, 256 of birds, 31 of reptiles, 238 of fishes, 271 of mollusca, 16 of the annelides, 132 of Crustacea, 590 of in- sects and spiders, and 161 of zoophytes. Many of these are altogether new to science ; and we are indebted for them solely to the enlightened zeal of the officers, as it formed no part of their duty to attend to natural history. {Le Globe.) rngcnuity of a Beaver at Paris. — A beaver from the Rhine is now, or was latel}^ in the royal collection in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, which exhibited as much ingenuity as has ever been ascribed to the species in a wild state, and more than enough to silence the incredulity of sceptics respecting the beavers' dams, and their magazines of winter provisions. This beaver, for instance, we are informed by M. GeofFroi St. Hilaire, was, during the severe weather in winter, furnished with fresh twigs of trees, to give exercise to his propensity to gnawing, and with apples, &c., as a more nutritive food. One night there came on a snow storm, and the snow beat into his domicile in considerable quantity, till he found out a plan of shield- ing himself from the inconvenience. For this purpose, he cut his supply of twigs into proper lengths, to be wove in the basket fashion, between the bars of his cage; chopped his apples in pieces, to fill up the intervals between the twigs ; and, when even this did not appear sufficiently air- tight, or (if you will) storm-tight, he kneaded the snow into the intervals. By the morning it appeared that he had laboured hard all night, and had completed a very neat and ingenious barricado against the intrusion of the snow. {Athencsum, Nov. 19.) The Cuckoo. — The Continental naturalists have raised a controversy respecting the species of the common cuckoo, which is found to vary con- siderably in the colour of its plumage, one being thence called the red and another the grey cuckoo ; the former supposed to be the Cuculiis hepaticus of Latham, and the latter the C. canorus of Linnaeus. M. Payrandeau, however, states distinctly, on the authority of a series of specimens, as well as of repeated dissection, that both the male and female young of the Cii- culus canorus, before the first moult, have the same colour : that, after the first moult, the males have a deep olive ash colour, and the red spots have already begun to disappear; in the females, on the contrary, the red spots become brighter and larger : that, at the third moult, the red spots on the male disappear altogether, while in the female they continue to the most Vol. IL — No. 8. s 250 Natural History in Foreign Countries. advanced age, when it puts on the plumage of an old male, of which change M. Payrandeau possesses a specimen. M. Temminck, again, whose autho- rity is very high, regards the red cuckoo as the young of the grey cuckoo of one year old ; but Vieillot, the father of the French ornithologists, as well as Meyer, Jules, Delamothe, and Baillon of Abbeville, agree with M. Payrandeau. {Bulletin des Sciences.') Submergence of the Continents. — M. Constant Prevost has just published an interesting memoir on the geological question, whether our continents have been submerged oftener than once. He attempts to prove that there do not exist, under alluvial formations, any beds or strata which can be regarded as having formed the surface of an ancient continent, covered for a considerable time with land vegetables, and inhabited by land animals, before it was enveloped in marine deposits. The debris of vegetables and of land animals, sometimes found in vertical positions in sandstone, in diluvial strata, or in caverns, he supposes to be wholly accidental, and originating in the sea invading a country previously inhabited. He thence proceeds to explain the formation of the basins of London, Paris, and the Isle of Wight, according to the following series of epochs : — 1 . A deep tranquil sea deposited the two varieties of chalk which com- pose the bottom and the sides of the great tertiary basins. 2. Then, by the ocean becoming shallower, the great basin would be formed into a gulf, in which chalk-breccias and plastic clay would be deposited, and covered by the marine remains of the first coarse limestone. 5. The deposition was next interrupted by some commotion, which sen- sibly broke and displaced the strata. The basin then became a salt-water lake, traversed by copious streams of water, flowing alternately from the sea and from the continents, and producing a mixture, presenting the second coarse limestone, siliceous limestone, and gypsum. 4. A large volume of fresh water, charged with clay and marl, burst into the basin, still forming in the middle a deposit of marine bivalve shells, the basin becoming a lake of brackish water. 5. The lake now ceased to communicate with the ocean, the level of the waters going on to decrease, and the muddy deposits from the continental waters continuing. 6. The ocean burst in accidentally, whence beds of sand and the upper marine sandstone were deposited ; and, soon after, the basin being drained, continued only fresh water, of little depth. There was now much less influx of water ; animals and vegetables made their appearance, and mill- stone grit and fresh-water limestone were deposited. 7. The succession of these different epochs was terminated by the dilu- vian cataclysm. GERMANY. Natural History in Wurtemberg. — The Society denominated the Natur- historische Reiseverein (Natural History Travelling Society), " under the direction of the Landwirthschaftliche Verein, last year seht out two travel- lers, whose researches were highly successful : Fleischer, who made collec- tions of specimens of natural history in the environs of Smyrna; and Mijller, who was employed to examine the productions of Sardinia. The latter passed the winter at Cagliari, and will continue there this summer. Both ( ravellers have paid particular attention to botany, and have also col- lected a considerable number of insects, conchylia, &c. This year the So- ciety have provided for making mineralogical researches, and have sent out to Norway two other travellers ; one for botany, especially algology, mus- cology, and lichnology; the other for oryctognosy and geology. The former is Huber of Hamburg ; the latter, Kurr of Wurtemberg, an excellent mineralogist. It is intended that they should extend their researches as far as Lapland. Several friends of the Society at the Cape have under- Natural History in Foreign Countries. 251 taken to form an African Flora, and have already sent to Europe between 6,000 and 7,000 specimens." {For. Rev. and Cont. Misc. Jan. 1829.) Goats of Thibet. — The project of introducing the breed of goats of Cashmere into Germany, has not been very favourably entertained. One writer has pretended to show that the European goat, by a single cross, might be brought to yield the precious article for which so much money is sent into Asia. Another argues against the Asiatic animal, on the ground that a single sheep of a good breed will bring four times the profits of a goat of Thibet ; and a third, M. Schmidt, rejects their introduction into Germany, because France has anticipated that country in the manufacture of the merchandise in which their down is used. M. Schmidt makes the following observations on the fleece of these animals. Judging by their fleece, there are, he says, two sorts of goats ; one which may be called the race of Angora, with hair long and pendent ; the other, the goat of Thibet, with hair short and stiff. The former has no down ; the latter, on the con- trary, is covered, during winter, with a down which is more abundant and finer in those kept on the mountains. These two races, originally from Asia, have produced by their mixture, aided by the influence of climate, many varieties. On examining with attention the European goat, it will be found also that the long-haired ones have no down ; or, if they have any, it is in very small quantities along the vertebral column ; while of those which have short hair, there are to be found some which have a down spread over the entire carcass. This down grows almost to the length of hair in the spring ; then comes off, and appears on the surface, to which it gives a grey tint. By the mixture of these breeds a bastard race is formed, which have more or less down ; but it is observed that the offspring partook more of the nature of the dam than of the sire. The two principal import- ations of the goats of Asia into Germany are those of M. Wallner of Ge- neva, who procured them directly from Thibet ; and of M. Lowenherz, who received them from M. Terneaux ; so that the former are goats of Thibet, the latter Kirguises. The Emperor of Austria, the Kings of Bavaria and Wurtemberg, all the Archdukes, and some private individuals, have pro- cured goats of the former importation. They have been introduced into Saxony by M. de Buest, on his domain of Tossfell. {^Bulletin des Sciences Nattirelles.) Breeding of Leeches. — M. Mehrer of Maulbronn, by turning his atten- tion to the care of leeches, has succeeded in introducing the breed of those Mollusca into Wurtemberg, and in producing them in such quantities as to dispense with all importation from abroad. He received a premium of twenty ducats and a silver medal as a reward for his efforts. {Allgemeine Literatur Zeitung.) SWITZERLAND. A Society of Naturalists is formed here, for the purpose of exploring the more elevated regions of the Alps, which hitherto have been considered as inaccessible. M. Hugi, a leading member of the association, after surmount- ing last year some almost insuperable difficulties, succeeded in obtaining much valuable geological information in the same districts. {London Weekly Rev , April 4. 1829.) Natural History Societies. — There are no less than ten societies for natural history in Switzerland, as we learn from the speech of the president of the Society at Lausanne. HOLLAND AND THE NETHERLANDS. Fossil Bones in Brabant. — Mr. Charles Morrens has just published a pamphlet, entitled Revue Systematique des Nouvelles De'couvertes d'Ossemens S 2 252 Natural History in Foreign Countries. Fossiles faites dans le Brabant Meridional, with lithographic plates. This pamphlet contains facts and observations highly interesting to the history of geology. The researches and discoveries made by the author, prove that there formerly existed in this country not only animals hke those of the equinoctial regions, but also other species, such as still exist near the pole. The fossil bones discovered in several places belong to animals of the fol- lowing species : the badger, the elephant, hippo[)Otanuis, the whale, spar- rows, water-fowl, reptiles of various kinds, tortoises, lizards, toads, and various fishes. The quarries of St. Gilles, Milsbroek, Suventhem, Woluwe, and in the environs of Brussels, have furnished the greater part of those bones, which appear to be antediluvian. {Bidl. Univ.) RUSSIA. The Museum Alexandinnum, at Petersburg, is now completed, and open to the public. It contains a rich collection of natural curiosities and anato- mical preparations, together with a valuable library of modern books. {For. Rev., and Cant. Misc., July, 1828.) The Museum of Natural History at Abo, an extensive philosophical appa- ratus, and a library of more than 30,000 volumes, were burnt in the late dreadful conflagration. Mr. John Bowring has appealed to the literary and scientific world to contribute towards the reparation of this loss. He says, " the inhabitants of Finland are almost universally poor, but as universally deserving of instruction ; and of late many men have appeared among them who have done no inconsiderable service to sciences, philosophy, and the belles-lettres. So much have even the Finnish peasants been touched by the destruction of the Abo library, that in some places, where money is little known, they have subscribed the produce of their farms towards its restoration ; and among them the villagers of Wichtis sent fifty barrels of rye ; the university of Dorpal has contributed 394 scientific works, besides many philosophical instruments, and collections in natural history. One liberal Russian bookseller (M. Hartmann of Riga) has presented books to the value of 5357 silver rubles, or nearly 800/. sterling; his townsman, M. German, sent 193 volumes; Dr. Hasser, of Petersburgh, 995; and Pro- fessor Storch (whose works on political economy are so well known), 269. Many other useful and generous donations have been received ; and it is confidently trusted that examples so honourable will find many imitators in Britain. The publishers of the Foreign Review will most cheerfully assist in receiving and forwarding any works, instruments, &c., which may be liberally given to the Abo University Library." We have sent Vol. I. of this Magazine, and a few other volumes which were presented to us for the purpose of being reviewed. — Cond. Composition of Hailstones. — On analysing small stones enclosed in hail, which fell in the circle of Sterlitamak, in the government of Oneaburg, they were found to contain, in 100 parts of red oxide of iron, 70*00 of oxide of manganese, 7-50 alum, 3'75 silica, 7-50 sulphur, and waste 5*00. {Bulle- tin des Sciences Nat.) ASIA. ' Cochineal trans^jlanted to Java. — The success with which the cultivation of the nopal and the breeding of the insect which produces cochineal have been practised at Cadiz, and thence at Malta, is well known. A French apothecary is said to have made the experiment in Corsica, but on a very confined scale; and the King of the Netherlands, on information that the Isle of Java was well adapted for the cultivation of this important article of merchandise,determined on attempting the transplantation into that colony. As the exportation of the trees and of the insect is prohibited by the laws Natural History in Foreig7i Counties. 253 of Spain, some management was requisite to acquire the means of forming this new establishment. The following were those resorted to : — His Ma- " jesty sent to Cadiz, and there maintained, for nearly two years, one of his subjects, a very intelligent person, who introduced himself, and by degrees got initiated into the Garden of Acclimation of the Economic Society, where the breeding of this important insect is carried on. He so well ful- filled his commission (for which the instructions, it is said, were drawn up by his royal master himself), that he succeeded in procuring about one thousand nopals, all young and vigorous, besides a considerable number of insects ; and, moreover, carried on his plans so abl}'^, as to persuade the principal gardener of the garden of acclimation to enter for six years into the service of the King of the Netherlands, and to go to Batavia. Between eight and ten thousand Spanish dollars are said to have been the lure held out to him to desert his post. In the service of the Society he gained three shillings a day, paid in Spanish fashion, that is, half, at least, in arrear. A vessel of war was sent to bring away the precious cargo, which, being fur- tively and safely shipped, the gardener and the insects were on their voyage to Batavia before the least suspicion of what was going on was entertained by the Society. {Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles.) NORTH AMERICA. Diluvian Deposits. — Mr. Eaton has just published an interesting notice of the diluvian deposits in the state of New York, the canal of Lake Erie, &c. In the latter, the alluvial strata occupy two parallelograms; one of 480 miles in length by 20 in breadth, commencing 20 miles to the east of Con- necticut, and extending along the southern bank of Lake Erie ; and the other, 280 miles in length by 70 in breadth, commencing at Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, and running along the Hudson. It is also found in the western valleys at the foot of Catskill. There are also many beds of plastic clay in a deposit of clay marl, which is compared to the London clay ; but in no part does this plastic clay constitute a formation. Along the Erie canal, from Little Fall, a diluvian basin extends for 160 miles, having, it should appear, been filled with three preceding deposits; the last having been dismantled by torrents coming from Little Fall, and running towards the west, and the valleys thence formed have been filled with gravel, sand, clay, trees, fresh-water shells, &c. This diluvium is about 108 ft. in thick- ness. The wood, which is Canadian pine, is buried at a great depth. The chief shells are Helices, Uniones, and Limneae. All the plains, elevated and crowned with virgin forests, exhibit, under the vegetable stratum, a bed of fine earth. The antediluvian animal remains are scanty, and consist of Pa- chydermata. (Sillinian's Joicrnal, vol. xii. p. 117.) Anthracite. — In Rhode Island has been found a quantity of anthracite, with which Silliman has made comparative experiments, in reference to the anthracite of Pennsylvania. He found that it gives out an equal volume of in- flammable gas, and burns without difficulty in furnaces built with fire-proof bricks. It burns with a considerable red flame, and with a very intense heat. Its colour is steel-grey, and much resembles plumbagine. The sur- face is sometimes covered with a thin pellicle of this substance ; and small particles of genuine plumbagine are accidentally among the schists which company it. It sounds semi-metallic, and is somewhat of a slaty structure. {Silliman^s Journal.) Ancient Fish-banks near Lake Ontario. — All along the western rivers, and little lakes near the Lake Ontario, are small mounds and heaps of gra- vel of a conical form, erected by fish for the protection of their spawn : these fish-banks are found at the foot of the ridge, on the side towards the lake ; on the opposite side none have been discovered. The ridge between Genessee and Niagara runs in a direction from east to west, with a general S 3 25^ Natural Historij in Londoii. altitude of 30 ft. above the neighbouring land, and more than forty yards wide. Its elevation above the lake is about 160 ft., and its distance from the water, to which it descends by a gentle slope, is between six and ten miles, but at one place is not more than one. There is every reason to be- lieve that this remarkable ridge was the ancient boundary of the lake. {Bigbyy in Phil. Mag., N. S. v. 6.) SOUTH AMERICA. Changes in Animals. — All domestic mammiferous animals introduced into America have become more numerous than the indigenous animals. The hog multiplies very rapidly, and assumes much of the character of the wild boar. Cows did not at first thrive, but, in St. Domingo, only twenty-seven years after its discovery, 4000 in a herd was not uncommon, and some herds of 8000 are mentioned. In 1587, this island exported 35,444 hides, and New Grenada 64,350. Cows never thrive nor multiply where salt is want- ing either in the plants or the water. They give less milk in America, and do not give milk at all if the calves be taken from them. Among horses the colts have all the amble, as those in Europe have the trot : this is pro- bably a hereditary effect. Bright chestnut is the prevailing colour among the wild horses. The lambs which are not from vierinos, but the tana basta and burda of the Spaniards, at first are covered with wool, and when this is timely shorn, it grows again ; if the proper time is allowed to elapse, the wool falls off, and is succeeded by short, shining, close hair, like that of the goat in the same climate. Every animal, it would appear, like man, requires time to accustom itself to climate, (ili". Roulin, in Le Globe.) • Bees' Nests. — In the woods of Brazil is frequently found hanging from the branches the nest of a species of bee, formed of clay, and about 2 ft. in diameter. {Bulletin des Scieiices.) It is more probable that these nests belong to some species of wasp, many of which construct hanging nests. One sort of these is very common in the northern parts of Britain, though it is not often found south of Yorkshire. — J, R. Art. II. Natural History in London. The Zoological Society. — -The Report of Council read at the Anniversary Meeting, April 29. has just been published. By this it appears that the Society " is incorporated, and has become a chartered body under the name of the * The' Zoological Society of London.* " The date of the charter is March 7. 1829. The Council had held one meeting since, and a code of by-laws are in preparation. The Society are to hold meetings on the first Thursday of every month, in their house in Bruton Street. By the statement of accounts printed in this report, the finances seem to be flourishing. In the Museum in Bruton Street various improvements have taken place. " Additional cases have been erected, wherever space could be obtained, for the exhibition of the different collections ; and two persons have been in constant employment in preparing and setting up the more interesting specimens. An assistant has also lately been added, for the arrangement of the shells, insects, and the other smaller subjects of the collection ; and much care has been bestowed upon the various depart- ments of comparative anatomy. An instructive as well as an attractive series in every branch of zoology, but more particularly in the groups of mammalia, birds, and insects, has thus been arranged for inspection. A ca- talogue of the more important objects in the Museum has been published; Natural History in London. 255 and a more detailed list, accompanied with scientific notices of all the species, is in preparation. " The increase in the number of subjects in the collection during the last year has been considerable, and many of the additions have been of the utmost importance to science. The whole of these, with a few exceptions, have been presented by the friends of the Society. A detailed list of these donations, which are too numerous for insertion in this report, is laid upon the table; a reference to the contents of which will evince that the spirit of liberality, which laid the foundations of this already valuable collection, has not decreased. "A very extensive correspondence has been established with naturalists of foreign countries, and persons resident in distant parts, who are anxious to promote the objects of the Societ3^ Through these channels many valuable acquisitions have been already received ; and it is expected that much of novelty and interest will continually pour in to increase the attractions of the Museum and Menagery. " The Garden in the Regent's park is the principal source of attraction and of expense. The nature of the soil, which consists of a thick un- grateful clay, increases the cost of every work. The health of the animals requires that oak floors be raised above the surface of the ground ; and it is necessary to lay a thick substratum of dry material under every enclosure and every walk. These disadvantages are however amply counterbalanced by its immediate vicinity to the town. The Council have, notwithstanding the nature of the soil, endeavoured to give to thfe garden all the attractions which good cultivation and an abundance of flowers can afford : and they have to return their thanks for the very liberal supplies for this purpose which they have occasionally received from the Horticultural Society. The resort to the garden has far surpassed the most sanguine expectations of the Council; 112, 226 persons have visited it during the last year." Nothing can be more striking, and at the same time more gratifying, than the circumstance of the gardens being visited by such an immense number of persons. We hope this circumstance will, in time, lead to the whole of the Regent's Park l^eing arranged as a Zoological and Botanical Garden, and thrown open to all the public, rich and poor. A very small tax on each of the parishes composing the metropolis, regulated according to distance, population, &c., would suffice for this, and we are sure, would be most readily paid. We refer to what we have said on the subject of public gardens, in former Numbers of this publication and of the Gardener^s Magazine. In naming both the animals and plants in the gardens, we would suggest the use of small cast-iron frames, in which a card containing the name, natural order, native country, and any characteristic fact respecting the uses or history of each animal or plant should be placed with a glass over it, as in the botanic garden at Glasgow. (See Gard. Mag., vol. v. p. 344.) We consider the proper naming of the animals and plants as a matter of very great importance to the public. Something besides the mere name ought to be added to the card of every animal and of every plant, in order to excite interest and lead to farther research. It is not enough that a catalogue may be referred to, great numbers will look at the animal and the card, who will not have it in their power, or who will not take the trouble, to look at the catalogue; and one historical or descriptive fact, presented to the mind along with the view of the animal itself, is worth the reading of many others to a beginner, because it makes an impression never to be forgotten. We earnestly hope the Council will take this matter fully into consider- ation, in all its various bearings. The time may perhaps come when it will be found necessary to render Greenwich Park a similar Zoological and Botanical Garden, for the use of that part of the metropolis. The thing, like similar things on the Con- s 4 ^56 Natural History in London. tinent, will then be done by the public, to supply the wants of the public. In the mean time, the founders of the Zoological Society are entitled to the honour of having commenced this highly rational and humanising species of gratification in England. " The number of species and varieties now living of animals belonging to the Society is 194; of which 69 are quadrupeds, and 125 are birds. The whole amounting to 627 individuals, of which 152 are qiiadrupeds, and 475 are birds. They are at present generally in good health, order, and con- dition. Measures have been taken to add to them, especially by the ac- quisition of some of the larger and stronger quadrupeds ; and these will be brought forward and exhibited as speedily as dens and enclosures can be prepared for them. " The Council very reluctantly postponed to a late period the attempt to render the Society more directly and practically useful by experiments in breeding, and in the domestication of foreign animals. The establishment in the Regent's Park is obviously unfit for this purpose. Its limited space and great publicity operate strongly against the success of such attempts ; and the results have only been satisfactory with some species of aquatic fowls which were last year bred upon the lake. For these objects the Council have long seen the necessity of forming an establishment at such a distance from London as should insure sufficient quiet, and at the same time should be easily accessible: and they have with this view concluded a negotiation with Mr. Pallmer and the corporation of Kingston for the oc- cupation of a farm, consisting of a house with some convenient buildings, and about thirty-three acres of land, nine miles from Hyde Park Corner, in a beautiful situation under the wall of Richmond Park, with a very light soil peculiarly favourable for rearing birds, full of very abundant springs,^ and with some excellent ponds. "The application of the farm to the purposes and objects of the Society will be under the following heads : — First, in affording a convenient relief and assistance to the menagery in the park, by removing from it such quadrupeds and birds as may require a quiet place to bring forth and rear their young: also in receiving the duplicates of the collection which it may be expedient to keep in hand to replace those which are exhibited in the park, when necessary; and likewise to maintain such as want a more ex- tended range than the garden at present admits of, or which it is necessary to allow to remain at liberty. Second, the rearing various domesticated quadrupeds and birds, both of ornamental as well as useful varieties, with a view of having their kinds true and free from mixture ; or in effecting im- provements in the quality or properties of those which are used for the table; and likewise in domesticating subjects from our own or foreign countries, which have not hitherto been inmates of our poultry or farm yards. Third, the conducting experiments in all matters relating to breeding and points of animal physiology connected therewith, the range of which is very various and extensive. Many of these will require much time to be completed ; some may be brought to a conclusion within a year or two. It is remarkable that there have never been published any correctly recorded facts, on which the opinions at present entertained by physiologists on many of such matters can be supported. It is to be hoped that the Zoological Society may be the instrument of settling many questions of this description in a satisfactory manner. " In the objects of attention at the farm, the breeding and trying ex- periments with fish are of course included." The Linnean Society. — The library of Linnaeus and of the late President (mentioned p. S3.) has been brought from Norwich, and is now systematically arranged in the Society's house in Soho Square. The library of the Linnean Society may now be considered one of the first botanical libraries in the world; and its central situation in London, and the facilities afforded to the Vfatural History in London, 257 members and their friends in referring to the works it contains, will prove of real value to scientific and literary men, and must greatly increase the desire of belonging to this Society. May 25. At the anniversary dinner some very interesting speeches were delivered, especially by Mr. Duncan of St. John's College, Oxford, on the influence of the study of botany and natural history in general on human character and happiness. No study was so likely to guard young minds from falling into that train of thinking which led to superstition and fanati- cism, and by dividing those who ought to be as one brotherhood into sects and parties, produced enmity instead of love and friendship. We had the evidence of the present state of France and Germany, as contrasted with the present state of Spain*, to prove that science could break down a reli- gious despotism,; and of all sciences the fittest for this purpose, because the fittest for universal application, is the study of the objects of nature. Pro- fessor Henslow, we understand, took a similar view of the same subject at the commemoration dinner of Ray ; and it is highly gratifying to us to add that we have heard the same sentiments from various clergymen. It seems generally agreed on, in all countries, that the surest way of neutralising the exclusive spirit, generated by artificial religion or sectarian principles, is to study the religion of nature. Since these lines were in type, Mr. Dun- can favoured us with the substance of what he delivered, and his ex- cellent letter shall appear in next Number. June 2. Read. — A very interesting paper, by Mr. Yarrel, on the throats of birds. Geological Society. Feb. 6. — A paper was read, " On the discovery of a new species of Pterodactyle ; and also of the Faeces of the Ichthyosaurus ; and of a black substance resembling Sepia, or Indian Ink, in the Lias at Lyme Regis;" by the Rev. W. Buckland, D.D. F.R.S. Professor of Mine- ralogy and Geology in the University of Oxford. 1 . This specimen of Pterodactyle was discovered, in December last, by Miss Mary Anning, and was found to belong to a new species of that extinct genus, hitherto recognised only in the lithographic Jura limestone of Sollenhofen, — which the author considers as nearly coeval with the English chalk. The head of this new species is wanting, but the rest of the skeleton, though dislocated, is nearly entire ; and the length of the claws so much exceeds that of the claws of the Pterodactylus longirostris and brevirostris, of which the only two known specimens are minutely described by Cuvier, as to show that it belongs to another species, for which the name of Pterodactylus macronyx is proposed. A drawing of this fossil by Mr. Clift accompanies the paper. The author had for some time past con- jectured, that certain small bones found in the lias at Lyme Regis, and referred to birds, belong rather to the genus Pterodactyle. This con- jecture is now verified. It was also suggested to him, in 1825, by Mr. J. S. Miller of Bristol, that the bones in the Stonesfield^slate, which have * It is a remarkable fact, that there are more universities, colleges, and schools in Spain, in proportion to the population than in any country in Europe. There is a school in every parish, and in every hamlet, as in Germany, Scotland, and Sweden, and yet all the lower class are in com- plete ignorance, and no farther advanced in the useful arts than they were five centuries ago. To what can this be owing ? To the total exclusion of useful science from the schools, and to a law by which no person is al- lowed to study at a college, who is not destined for the church, the law, or medicine. All that is gained at school in Spain is reading, writing, a little arithmetic, and the love of church and king. (See the Manual ^ Science and Literature, vol, i.) — Cond. ^BB Natural History in London. been usually considered as derived from birds, ought to be attributed to this extraordinary family of flying reptiles : Dr. Buckland is now in- clined to adopt this opinion, and is disposed to think still further, that the coleopterous insects, whose elytra occur in the Stonesfield slate, may have formed the food of those insectivorous Pterodactyles. He conceives also, that many of the bones from Tilgate Forest, hitherto referred to birds, may belong to this extinct family of anomalous reptiles : and, from its presence in these various locaUties, he infers that the genus Pterodactyle was in existence throughout the entire period of the deposition of the great Jura-limestone formation, from the lias to the chalk; expressing doubts as to the occurrence of any remains of birds before the commence- ment of the tertiary strata. 2. Fossil Fceces of the Ichthyosaurus. The author concludes, from an extensive series of specimens, that the fossils, locally called bezoar stones, that abound at Lyme, in the same beds of lias with the bones of Ichthyo- saurus, are the faeces of that animal. In variety of size and form they resemble elongated pebbles or kidney potatoes, varying generally from 2 to 4 in. in length, and from 1 to 2 in. in diameter; some few being larger, others much smaller : — their colour is dark grey ; their substance, like indurated clay, of a compact earthy texture, and their chemical analysis approaches to that of album graecum. Undigested bones and scales of fishes occur abundantly in these faecal masses. The scales are referable to the Dapedium politum, and other fish that occur in the lias ; the bones are those of fish and also of small Ichthyosauri. The interior of these bezoars is arranged in spiral folds ; their exterior also bears impressions received from the convolutions of the intestines of the living animals. In many of the entire skeletons of young Ichthyosauri, the bezoars are seen within the ribs and near the pelvis: these must probably have been included within the animal's body at the moment of his death. The author found, three years ago, a similar ball of faecal matter, in the collec- tion, of Mr. Mantell, from the strata of Tilgate Forest, which abound in bones of Ichthyosauri and other large reptiles; and he conjectures that these bezoars exist wherever the remains of Plesiosauri are abundant. o. Fossil Sepia. An indurated, black, animal substance, like that in the ink-bag of the cuttle-fish, occurs in the lias at Lyme Regis ; and a drawing made with this fossil pigment, three years ago, was pronounced by an eminent artist to have been tinted with sepia. It is nearly of the colour and consistence of jet, and very fragile, with a bright splintery fracture; its powder is brown, like that of the painter's sepia. It occurs in single masses, nearly of the shape and size of a small gall-bladder, broadest at the base and gradually contracted towards the neck; these are always surrounded by a thin nacreous case, brilliant as the most vivid lumachella. The nacre seems to have formed the lining of a fibrous, thin, shelly sub- stance, which, together with this nacreous lining, was prolonged into a hpllow cone, like that of a belemnite, beyond the neck of the ink-bag. Close to the neck of the ink-bag there is a series of circular transverse plates and narrow chambers, resembling the chambered alveolus within the cone of a belemnite ; but beyond the apex of this alveolus, no spathose body has been found. The author infers that the animal from which these fossil ink-bags are derived, was some unknown cephalopode, nearly allied in its internal structure to the inhabitant of the belemnite, the circular form of the septa showing that they cannot be referred to the molluscous inhabitant of any nautilus or cornu-ammonis. Feb. 6th. —A paper was read " On the Oolitic District of Bath," by William Lonsdale, Esq., of Bath-Easton. The tract described in this paper comprehends a space included between the lines passing, on the north, from Wycke, north west of Bath, through I NaUiral Historij in London, 259 Marshfield, Kingston St. Michael, and Lynham, to the Chalk-downs north of Calne and Cherhill ; and on the south and south-east, from the south of Radstock, through Frome and Westbury, to Devizes. The author refers to the works of Mr. Smith, and of Messrs. Conybeare, De la Beche, and Phillips, as the principal published authorities on the district ; and states his obligations for much valuable information to the Rev. B. Richardson of Farleigh, near Bath. Feb. 20. At the Annual General Meeting the Report of the Council on the finances, presents, and other matters, was read, and an address delivered by the President. The government have granted this Society apart- ments in Somerset House, which have been fitted up under the direction of Mr. Decimus Burton, well known for his skill and taste as an archi- tect, and who has declined receiving any pecuniary compensation. Mr. William Phillips, one of the authors of Geological Outlines of England and Wales, and Dr. Wollaston, author of an Elementary Introduction to Mine- ralogy and of various other works, and who has left lOOO/. to the Society, have died during the past year; and a considerable part of the speech is devoted to an account of their geological labours and merits, and of the regret of the Society at their loss. In adverting to the progress which geological research has made during the past year in this country, the President follows the descending order of the strata in our series ; and refers to the Tabular View of our Stratification, of which Mr. De la Beche has recently published a second edition, for one of the most convenient and succinct views of the present state of our know- ledge respecting them. " A complete account of the deposits which appear on the coast of Suf- folk, and other parts of the eastern shore of England, especially of that which has been denominated Crag, is still a desideratum of importance in the history of our strata. The publications of Mr. Robberds and Mr. R. C. Taylor have given some information of considerable value upon this tract : but a general account of it, combining the local phenomena with those of analogous deposits in other quarters, is still to be wished for; and from the connection of the facts which our eastern shores exhibit, with some of the great questions touching the true theory of the diluvial accumulations, an acquaintance with them is almost necessary to the removal of some of the numerous difficulties which still attend that subject. " Mr. Webster has announced a new work upon the Isle of Wight : in which, under the simple form of a guide to that most interesting island, he proposes to illustrate fully its topography and geology; particularly the relations of the strata immediately above the chalk. " The true order of the beds between the chalk and the oolitic series, which has been the subject of much recent enquiry and discussion, appears now to be generally recognised ; and considerable light has been thrown upon that remarkable group, united principally by zoological relations (for, raineralogically, its members are sufficiently distinct), which occurs between the lowest of the beds denominated green sand, and the oolite of Portland. The succession, though the beds are not continuous, has been shown to be uniform throughout England, from Norfolk southwards, and to be the same, in fact, with that long since enounced, though with much variation of nomenclature, by Mr. William Smith, in his Geological Maps of the English Counties. " A full and elaborate Catalogue of the Fossils of Sussex has been con- tributed by Mr. Mantell ; whose labours as a geologist, amidst the duties of an arduous profession, have long been so useful to the public, and so cre- ditable to himself. This valuable paper will be published in the next por- tion of our Transactions. Mr. Martin of Pulborough in Sussex, another member of the same profession, has published a detached Memoir, the developcmcnt of a Paper read here during the last session ; which, besides 260 Natural History in London, an account of the stratification in his own neighbourhood, contains much ingenious specuhition on the phenomena which seem to have attended the elevation of the tract beneath the chalk, within the denudation of Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, and Kent." The researches of Mr. Lonsdale on that important tract between Calne and Bath ; the work upon the coast of Yorkshire, by Mr. Phillips of the York Institution ; the various important memoirs by Professor Sedgwick, and by Mr. Murchison ; a variety of foreign publications ; the labours of Dr. Macculloch, Professor Henslow, Professor Jameson, John Taylor, F.R.S., and various other authors are next adverted to. " The labours of the Geological Society of Cornwall are continued : and a work, of which the first volume has been published by Mr. John Taylor, one of the principal miners in this country, promises considerable additions to a department of knowledge comparatively new to our scientific litera- ture, but intimately connected with our pursuits. This work is entitled Records of Mining ; and it proposes to embrace * reports and statements upon particular mines, and the produce of metals, in various districts ; no- tices on geological facts relating to mining ; discoveries of ores and mine- rals, and descriptions of existing processes connected with the treatment of ores, and the operations of smelting, or other modes of reduction ; with investigations of the methods of working now usually employed in different countries, and of projected improvements; and descriptions of machinery or implements destined to the service of the mines.' The editor justly adds, that many facts relating to these subjects continually present themselves to observation, all record of which is lost, for want of a proper depository ; and that not only is a quantity of valuable matter constantly occurring in the reports and statements upon our British mines, but that much more may be expected to reach us from those foreign countries in which Englislv capital is now employed. " In the foreign geology of Europe, we have the gratification of knowing that the examination of France, with a view to a general map of the strata, is steadily proceeding. " The proofs of the identity of the prevailing rocks, in the more distant parts of the world, are continually multiplied by the reception of authentic specimens; for which we have been of late indebted to the Admiralty, and to British officers in the Navy, and in the service of the East India Com- pany : and the donors of every such contribution, — even of the smallest specimen, the locality of which in a distant quarter is correctly ascertained, — will have the satisfaction of feeling that they bring us nearer to the ultimate solution of the interesting problems which are before us. " The Memoir of Dr. Richardson, read at one of our Meetings, and pub- lished in the Appendix to the account of Capt. Franklin's second journey, contains a most valuable series of observations, made under great disadvan- tages, during the advance and return of that memorable expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea ; in the course of which a space of about 5000 miles was for the first time surveyed and laid down, — the total distance travelled over by the party in America being not less than 14000 miles. The great similarity of the rocks, and of their structure and external features, to those of Europe ; the uniformity in composition of vast tracts of the country ; and the very large proportion of the surface occupied by water, espe- cially within a broad calcareous band, that intervenes between the Rocky Mountains and another primary tract which has nearly the same direction, are some of the more obvious general results that may be collected from the perusal of this important Memoir, a full abstract of which will be found in our Proceedings, And the whole is rendered still more interesting to us, by the liberality of the collectors, who have placed in the Museum of the Society a complete series of the specimens described and referred to by Dr. Richardson. Natural History i?t London. 261 " From Africa we are still without any communication from any of the settlements on its extensive coasts. " f am happy to say there is every day new reason to hope for the ex- tension of geological enquiry in India ; where the liberality of the Company in carrying on the magnificent trigonometrical survey has already laid the best foundation for such researches. A copy of the portion of the great map, which has been already published, has been presented to us by the Directors ; and there is every reason to suppose, that they are as much disposed to favour geology, as they have shown themselves to be to advance the pro- gress of astronomy and scientific topography. We owe, under this head, considerable obligation to the exertions of our own distinguished member Mr. Colebrooke, whose activity and varied information have enabled him to contribute so much to several departments of literature and science in connection with the East. " The Asiatic Society, also, has recently taken up the extension of geolo- gical enquiry with much interest and zeal ; and has opened an intercourse with India upon this subject, though Sir Alexander Johnstone, the chair- man of their committee of foreign correspondence, from which the best re- sults may be expected. The attention of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta has of late been particularly devoted to this department of natural science ; and we have, in the different settlements, several friends and fellows of this Society, who have shown their desire to promote our views. " The Society has received from the Admiralty, in the course of the pre- sent session, a small collection of specimens, from the site of the intended settlement in the vicinity of Swan River, on the west coast of Australia ; and Captain Stirling, before his departure from England, in the capacity of its governor, was good enough to place in my hands some brief notes re- lating to them, which I shall take an early opportunity of laying before the Society. From the zeal expressed by that distinguished officer, we may re- gard this contribution as an earnest of what may be expected hereafter from the colony under his superintendence : and having already received from the eastern shores of Australia enough to prove the resemblance of the rocks to ours, and even to point out the relative position and structure of the formations on some points of the coast, we may with reason expect the solution of some of the great questions respecting that region, which still are undetermined. It is remarkable, for example, that no traces have yet been descried of any active volcano along the whole circuit of those shores; although the latitudes nearer to the equator, and under nearly the same meridians, are the scenes of some of the most tremendous volcanic phenomena on record. The mode in which the waters condensed upon the vast continent of Australia are disposed of, — whether by evaporation from inland seas or lakes, or conducted to the ocean by rivers, whose exist- ence has hitherto escaped detection, is another great question connected in all probability with its geological structure. But there is no subject of greater interest to us, at present, than the fossil organised remains of that country ; a knowledge of which, especially the remains of animals, will be an addition of capital importance to our subject, and probably not less valu- able to the zoologist. The diluvium, therefore, respecting which we have at present no information whatever, is deserving of the greatest attention ; and since the existing races of Australian animals are so widely different from those of every other portion of the earth, the identity, on the one hand, of these animals with those occurring in a fossil state, would lead to some of the most important inferences ; while, on the other, the agreement of the fossil remains of Australia with the existing races of other regions, now disjoined from that country, would give new support to some of the most popular speculations of our day. With a view to these enquiries, scarcely any thing that can be collected by oiu* fellow-labourers in that quarter, will be without interest to their friends in Europe. 262 Natural History in London. " Mr. R. C. Taylor, one of our Fellows, has prepared a valuable list of the fossils hitherto discovered in the British strata [published in a former Number of this Magazine, p. 26.], drawn principally from the works and authority of Mr. Sowerby, to whose indefatigable exertions, in extending our acquaintance with the fossils of England, geology is under most essential obligation. " The Council has mentioned to you the late addition to the Museum, of a splendid series of casts of foss,il remains, presented by the Baron Cuvier, and doubly valuable from their connection with his own publications. These, in fact, are but continued proofs of the interest which that illustrious natu- ralist has always taken in the progress of this Society ; and few of us have ever visited the French capital, without partaking, in person, of his hospi- tality, and deriving advantage from his aid in our enquiries. When the state of knowledge which many of us can remember, is contrasted with what we know at present respecting fossil organised remains, — now that we have acquired the power of determining from a single bone, or even a fragment, almost the entire structure and relations of animals, whose races are no longer in existence ; and when we recollect that we owe to the same person the most complete history of fossil remains that has ever yet appeared, in richness of matter, in arrangement, and in style j and that all this is but a part of what one man has already performed ; we cannot be surprised at the eminence which he occupies in public opinion. The name of Cuvier is in fact identified with our subject ; for, unquestionabl}^ to no one now living is geology so much indebted as to him ; and he enjoys the enviable good fortune, not only of receiving from every side the tribute of admiration and gratitude arising from his works, but of witnessing himself the influence which they have shed, and are every day producing, on all the kindred departments of science, and in almost every quarter of the globe. " On the subject of fossil plants, we have heard, during the last session, a valuable paper ; and there are, at present, before the Society, several new specimens, which it is intended to figure and describe without delay. The number of such specimens, in detached private collections throughout this country, we know to be so great, that when the wish of the Council to assist in describing and publishing them is generally known, we shall proba- bly never want such a supply, as will enable us to connect with every future part of our Transactions some contribution to fossil botany. Great benefit will thus be produced, by circulating information at present locked up and unavailing ; and the specimens lent to the Society for illustration will be rendered doubly valuable to the proprietors themselves. " The botanical paper, in the last part of our Transactions, is that of 'Dr. Buckland on the C/ycadeoideae ; a new family of fossil plants, discovered in the Isle of Portland, and obtained most probably from a stratum imme- diately above the oolitic beds, which contains also lignite with the silicified trunks of dicotyledonous trees. " On the suggestion of Mr. Brown, these fossils have been considered as i)elonging to a family very nearly related to, but perhaps sufficiently distinct from, the recent Cycadeae : and the observations of this distinguished bo- tanist, with respect to the stem or caudex of this family, are illustrated by sections represented in the plates which accompany Dr. Buckland's paper. " The family of Cycadeae consists at present of two genera, Zamia and Cycas. In certain Zamiae, Mr. Brown states, there is one narrow vascular circle, divisible into radiating plates, and situated in the midst of the cellu- lar substance of which the stem is in a great part composed. In C'jcas re- voluta, a second circle is added externally, at a small distance from the first ; and in Cycas circinalis (according to the only section of this plant yet pub- lished) the circles are more numerous, — the outermost being still consider- ably removed from the circumference. l^atural History in London. 26^ " The fossil stems, which are the immediate subject of Dr. Buckland*s paper, like the recent Cycadeae, are not covered with true bark, but have a thick case, made up of the basis of decayed leaves, which externally form rhomboidal compartments, similar to those of the recent plants. The in- ternal structure in the fossils, so far as hitherto examined, resembles that of the Cycadeae, except in the more external position and greater breadth of the circle or circles visible in the section of the stem, a character where- by, Mr. Brown is of opinion, this fossil family approaches more nearly than the Cycadeae, to the ordinary structure of dicotyledonous woods ; and con- sequently may be considered as supplying, from the fossil world, a link which helps, in some degree, to connect the still distant structure of the cycadeae with that of the nearest existing family, the Coniferae.^ " M. Adolphe Brongniart's publications on the history of fossil vege- tables, though produced in another country, are too important to our en- quiries not to be mentioned here. Some fear, perhaps, may be entertained, that his data are not yet sufficiently extensive to form an adequate base for his deductions ; but there can be no question as to many of his inferences, nor respecting the impulse which the subject will receive from such an accumulation of facts as he has brought together. His views contrasting the climate of the globe at former periods and at the present time, and his division of the epochs of geological deposition, as deduced from the study of fossil plants, in comparison with those which mere geological en- quiry points out, are most ingenious. Even if regarded as no more than the conjectures of so acute and indefatigable an enquirer, these speculations would be well deserving of attention ; and, altogether, his works on fossil plants must be considered as constituting one of the most valuable contri- butions to this department of geology that has ever appeared." We are obliged to pass over various subjects of the greatest interest, in order to find room for an extract from the President's very interesting con- clusion : — " Such, Gentlemen, is a brief statement of the product of our labours during the past year, and of some of the objects which you may perhaps regard as still deserving your attention. If, on comparing our subject with some other departments of physical research, we lament that we cannot avail ourselves of such aid as mathematical science furnishes to the astro- nomer; if the phenomena we are occupied in observing be inferior in sub- limity to those presented by the heavenly bodies, and the laws we investi- gate less striqt than those which govern their motions, — still do our enquiries claim a very high place as an exercise of intellectual power. The geologist, like the astronomer, is called upon to trace the effects of forces, not only vast beyond conception in themselves, but acquiring almost infinite augmentation of effect, from the numberless ages during which they have been unremittingly exerted: and the problem, to explain the condition of the earth's surface at any moment of this career, is complicated as much, perhaps, as any other in physics, from the nature of the agents, of which change and irregularity appear to be essential characteristics. The degrad- ation of the surface by the atmosphere, the erosion of streams and torrents, the encroachments of the sea, the growth and decay of the organised beings that successively inhabit the globe, with all the chemical and mechanical changes going on around us, though constantly in operation, are for ever varying in their energies and effects. The great phenomena of volcanic agency, which seems as it were to constitute one of the vital powers of the earth, are from their very nature transitory and erratic. Viewed, never- theless, in relation to the vast periods of time during which phenomena of the same kind have been continually recurring, these very accidents and apparent irregularities acquire a sort of uniformity. They intimate the re- petition of results in future, resembling those which seem already to have occurred repeatedly in the history of the globe ; and that part of the Hut- 264 Natural History in London. tonian theory, where the progress of geological revokition has been com- pared to the cycles, in the movements of the heavenly bodies, — in which, after a long series of periodical deviations, the same order is certain to re- cur, — seems to acquire new probability from every step of our progress, and to be really no less just, in a philosophic view, than it is captivating to the imagination." The part of the Huttonian theory alluded to is as follows : — " The geological system of Dr. Hutton resembles, in many respects, that which appears to preside over the heavenly motions. In both, we perceive continual vicissitude and change j but confined within certain limits, and never departing far from a certain mean condition, which is such, that in the lapse of time the deviations from it on the one side must become just equal to the deviations from it on the other. In both, a provision is made for duration of unlimited extent ; and the lapse of time has no effect to wear out or destroy a machine constructed with so much wisdom." {Flay f air'' s Illustrations, § 387. note xx.) Ornithology of the Metropolis. — Sir, How little, at the present time, is known of the natural history of many birds, of the cuckoo, for example ; nay, how little of our own perennial warbler, the redbreast! It does not appear to be yet satisfactorily determined whether the male and female both sing, or whether the male only of this species sings. Till I brought the subject before the public, I am not aware that any one had controverted the opinion long since made public by the Hon. Daines Barrington, that female birds do not sing; whereas, we now find that female birds do many of them sing, and that some, perhaps, even sing while sitting upon their eggs. The advantage, therefore, of a periodical work like the Magazine of Natural History, is now manifest j for, if any misstatements be made, the means of their being publicly corrected is at hand. I have, in my Ornithologia, mentioned some of the birds to be found at large in London, a singular situation, it must be admitted, for them ; but in addition to those mentioned in my work, I wish now to give the following particulars concerning the ornithology of the metropolis. I heard the thrush (Turdus musicus) singing delightfully on a tree, in Berkeley Square, March 22. 1828. I am quite sure of this fact, as I took care to see the bird. Jackdaws (Corvus ilibn^dula) frequent some of the church towers of London, particularly St. Michael's, Cornhill ; and it is said (for of the fact I am not myself cognisant) that the hawk (Falco T'innunculus) builds in some of the more elevated parts of St. Paul's Cathedral. Mr. Britton informs me that, in the winter, tomtits (Parus caeruleus) frequent his garden in Burton Street, Burton Crescent, to the number of four and six at a time. The redbreast (Sylvia Rub^cula) is also frequently seen in the same garden ; the chaffinch (i^ringilla cce'lebs) has also been observed there; and, last summer, the whitethroat (ilfotacilla Sylvia) poured its pleasing song in the same place. It is scarcely necessary to add, that pheasants and partridges are seen in the Regent's Park ; because these were, I presume, brought there by those having command in that region, and which, therefore, can scarcely be considered as the natural and volun- tary domicile of those birds. Another fact, not indeed relative to the birds of London, but to the redwing (Turdus iliacus) may, in concluding these notices, be mentioned; namely, that a friend of mine at Trowbridge, Wilts, on whose accuracy of observation I can rely, assures me this bird occasionally sings in this country before its departure in the spring. — James Jennings. London, April 7. 1829. Arrival of the Swallow. — I saw yesterday (Sunday), for the first time this year, two swallows flying from the east towards the west, about the height of the houses, over the water in the enclosed part of the Regent's Natural History in the Englis?i Comities, 261 Park : they seemed travelling, as I looked for some time, and did not see them return as they usually do when in search of their food. [We oh- served a flight of swallows the same day at Bayswater, as did Mr. Sweet at Fulham.] The Nightingale I have not yet heard, this season, in the Park ; though I heard it last year before the 20th of April. I am. Sir. &c. — R. G. Sussex Place J Regent's Park, April 27, 1829. Art. III. Natural History in the English Counties* Indigenous Floras of London and Plymouth compared. — Sir, The fol- lowing tables, illustrating the difference of climate between this neighbour- hood and that of London, were furnished, at my request, by my friend, Mr. Banks of Devonport, who unites to a profound acquaintance with our indigenous botany the greatest accuracy of observation. Hence, the greatest dependence may be placed upon the materials which he has furnished, and which I place at your disposal, as a hint which will, I hope, be followed up, in other places, by equally attentive observers. In this the means will be furnished of comparing the climate of different parts of our island even more accurately than by the most correct registers of meteorological ob- servations. I am. Sir, &c. — William Hamilton. 1 5. Oxford Place, Ply- mouth, March 1. 1829. A List of early-flowering Plants growing in the Vicinity of Plymouth, with their usual Period of beginning to flower there, compared with the Periods assigned for their flowering in the Vicinity of London in the last edition of the Hortus Kewensis : from the Observations of Mr. Gborgb Banks, Lecturer on Botany, &c., Devonport. Names. Dkphne Laur^ola Gal&nthus nivalis - /Tell^borus viridis Fragaria v^sca Z/Smium purpfireum Stellaria mfedia Ribes Grossulkria A'arcissus Pseudo-^arcissus Tussilago ii'arfara Draba v^rna -Buxus sempery'irens Fickria v^rna ^'rabis ThsiMana Cochlearia officinalis Primula vulgaris 0'*xalis Acetos^Ua riola hirta can^na palustris Potentilla fragarioides Ranunculus AederJiceus Prtinus spinbsa ^nembne nemorbsa insititia C^rasus . . - Primula elMior vferis - - - t/Mex europse'us f raxinus exc«51sior Barbar^a pras'cox vulgaris Pulmonkria ofBcinMis Trifblium subterrkneum Sherard«a arv^nsis Fedia olitbria Stellkria J?ol6stea Facclnium Myrtillus Vicinity of Plymouth. Vicinity of London. Flower. Fruit. Flower. January . January March January February February March January February March April May January . ^P"^ January . May June January _ May June" February . March April February . March April February _ March April February February March April February . April February . April February . April ^^y February February April ¥.^y February . April JJ^y Feb. March _ April May February - April May February March April June February May June February _ May June February May August ^■Ji-'^'-' - March April April March . April May March . April May March April April May March . April May March . April ^^y March _ April May March . April October March . May August March . May March _ May ' , March _ Summer March April . April June April - April June Vol. II. — No. 8. 9B6 Natural History m the English Counties. A List of Plants flowering late in the Season in the Vicinity of Plymouth, compared with the Periods assigned for their flowering near London in the last edition of the Hortus Kfwensis : from the Observations of Mr. George Banks, Lecturer on Botany, &c., Devonport. Names. Vicinity of Plymouth. Vicinity of London. Flower. Flower. Verdnica 5erpyllif61ia Plantligo mhjor Gerknium h^cidum iiesfeda Lut^ola Papaver Rhoe'as Cor6nopus Ru^llii Agrimbnia Eupatbria Verdnica agr^stis Lonicfcra Pericl^menum - ■Stitice Armaria Fiola tricolor Trifblium ripens Terbdna officinalis C6rnus sanguinea Conv61vulus arv^nsis Stachys arv^nsis l-'rfsimum cheiranthOldes AnagkWis arvdnsis Euphrasia officinalis Verdnica Aedersef blia Salvia rerbenkcea Gerknium Roberti^nww - Pol:fgonum, species omnes JBrica cindrea Spergula arvdnsis Chenopbdium murkle TTilaspi Btirsa pastbris Fragkria v^sca Zkmium purpiireum Z^chnis diolca August September September September September September October October October October October October October October October October October October October November November November, December November November November November December December December December May July May July May August June July June July June August June July May June May July May July May September May September June September June July June September July August July August July September July September April June April June April October April October June September July September August September March September April May May June May September Middlesex. Plants collected by the Rev, S. Palmer of Chigwell, Essex. The rather uncommon marked with a star (*). — Parietkria officinalis, -Antirrhinum Cymbalaria, walls, Highgate. ilfelampyrura prat^nse, copses, Highgate. Scutellaria galericulata and *minor, Turnham Green, marshes. — S.P. Sept. 1828. SUEREY. Plants collected by the Rev. S. Palmer of Chigwelly Essex. The rather uncommon marked with a star (*), the more rare with a cross (f). — t Impatiens Nolitangere J, River Wey, near Guildford, flowers in August. * Ferbascum iychnitis, * pulverul^ntum, * nigrum, and * virgatum, road- sides, between Guildford and Shalford, and on Shalford Common. * Ga- Mnthus nivalis. Stoke Park, Stoke, near Guildford, t Ornithogalura pyrenaicum. Send, near Ripley, flowers in April and May. f ^llsma Damasonium, flooded hollows on Shalford Common. * Chrysoplenium oppositifolium, between Shalford and St. Martha's Chapel, in moist copses. 5axifraga granulata, * Clinopodium vulgare, St. Catherine's Hill, near Guildford. * iathrae'a squamaria, in a field between Chantry Downs and Shalford Turnpike. Antirrhinum spurium, corn fields near the Telegraph, Guildford, f /satis tinctoria. This rare plant (the woad of the ancient Britons, from which they extracted a dye to stain their skins) grows on the chalk rubbish at the pits between Guildford and Shalford. * Geranium co- lumbinum, at Losely, near Guildford. * Convallaria maj^lis, copse near Worplesdon. *5utomus umbellatus, Thames, between Kew and Richmond. .ErJgeron acre, Kingston. — S. P. Sept. 1828. § Our favourite balsams are of this family. Natural History in the English Counties, 267 The Literary and Philosophical Institution of Chatham. — This institution was formed, a very short time since, by the spirited and commendable exertions of a ^e^^ gentlemen, who possessing varied knowledge themselves felt a proportionate zeal for its diffusion. The establishment is yet in its infancy; but if we may judge of its ultimate success by that which has at- tended its commencement, we may calculate that it will speedily rise into eminence, and excite an interest in the promotion of natural science, which cannot but be attended with the most happy results, as the beautiful county of Kent furnishes the first-rate advantages for the prosecution of this inter- esting branch of knowledge. The Committee have shown a most laudable zeal in the formation of a good library and in the establishment of a museum, which, under the present liberal management, bid fair to become extremely useful. A considerable collection of birds is already made. The illustration of mineralogy has not been less sedulously attended to ; and the very fine Herbarium of Staff-Surgeon Gulliver has been purchased by the Society, This latter collection is entirely indigenous, and is prepared and arranged in a very excellent manner, and I understand is particularly rich in the minuter plants of the order Cryptogamia, especially the i^ungi and Z/ichenes : its value is, moreover, materially enhanced by the immense labour which has been bestowed by that gentleman in determining and noting the synonyme of every author who has written on the subject. This is an im- portant feature of the collection, for every one knows, who has studied this iDranch of botany, how much difficulty and error have arisen in this enchant- ing science, by the custom of merely quoting synonymes from books, without an attentive examination of their accuracy, and hovv useful and pleasant it is to have an opportunity of access to the practical labours of those who have spent time and research in the record of their observations. I hope shortly to furnish you with some information on some points touching natural history. I am. Sir, &c. — Zeta. A White laarh was lately shot in this neighbourhood. — P. H. Kingston Rectory, near Canterbury, Nov. 22. 1828. k'mpelis garrula and {Jpiipa E'pops. — Sir, That lovely-plumaged bird, ^'mpelis gaWula (the Waxen Chatterer), and Z7pupa -E'pops (the Upoe), were frequently seen during the brumal months in various parts of Kent. The former generally appears in small flocks of from five to eight in num- ber, and is an occasional visitant even in the most northern parts of our island ; this being probably the first instance on record of its being found «o far south as the above-mentioned county. The latter is a timid, shy, and solitary bird, but by no means uncommon in severe winters. Little, however, as a correspondent has before remarked^ seems to be known of the natural history of these, or indeed of any of the northern feathered tribes which occasionally visit our coasts ; and an ornithologist who has enthusiasm, leisure, and ability for the undertaking, might reap many a rich harvest by a few years* residence on those inhospitable and barren shores, which " seem," says the animated Bewick, whose recent death all men of science must so deeply deplore, " as if they were set apart for the nations of the feathered race as their peculiar heritage, a possession which they have held coeval with creation." 1 am, Sir,&c. — Perceval Hunter. King- ^tone Rectory y near Canterbury, April, 18. 1829. Suffolk. Insects collected near Ipswich. — E'ndromis versicolor, Notodonta Frdo- pha, *Silpha quadrimaculata. Larva; of Paphia, A'tropo*, Zeuzera tp'sculi, Mgeria crabroniformis et apiformis. — K. Ipswich, Feb. 17. 1829. Moss Agate. — A very beautiful moss agate has recently been found at Aldborough, on the coast of Suffolk. Since it has been polished, its size is 5 in. long by 3 in., the greatest width, and about If in. thick; weight, T 2 26d . Natural History in the Efiglish Counties. 14 bz. Many good specimens of agate have been found on this coast, but this, of which the above is a brief description, is said to be by far the most valuable —R. C. T, Worcestershire. FlocJcs of Crossbills near Worcester. — Sir, Observing in the Magazine of Natural History an account, by a Worcester correspondent, of flocks of crossbills visiting Cothoridge, near Worcester, each spring and autumn, I am induced to send you the following account of the case from my own observation. In the autumn of 1821, being at Cothoridge, I was aroused early one morning by the information that a large flock of crossbills was feeding in a grove of firs near the house. After watching them for some time, with a gun I procured fifteen specimens, out of which only two were in full feather, the breasts and backs of the others being nearly bare. After this they used to visit the same spot pretty regularly twice a day. The males varied very much in colour, some being of a deeper red, and others inclining rather more to yellow, particularly on the tail coverts, and being a little mottled with yellow upon the breast and back. The Weymouth pine was their particular favourite ; indeed I scarcely ever observed them on any other tree, except the sentinel, ^ho regularly took his station on the top of a spruce fir, which happened to be the highest in the immediate neighbourhood of their haunt. Their note or call very much resembled the chirping of a chicken. They continued their visits (though the flock certainly gradually diminished) during great part of the winter ; and one pair remained long after the rest had left, being continually seen in February and the beginning of March, 1822. Crossbills, though occasional visitants there, had not been seen at Cothoridge for several years previous to the autumn of 1821, nor have they ever been seen there since that time. The lesser spotted woodpecker, which has been once or twice referred to in the Magazine of Natural History as very rare, is by no means an un- common bird at Cothoridge ; I have procured two or three specimens there and seen several others. I have also observed it in Whaddon Chase, Bucks, and in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire ; from the woods in which neighbour, hood, I last year procured a specimen of the middle-spotted woodpecker- I believe, a much scarcer bird, and also a pair of pied blackbirds (if they may be so called). Of the largest spotted woodpecker I procured two specimens at Cothoridge; I have also seen it in Warwickshire and in Whaddon Chase. A few days ago I preserved a fine specimen of the chatterer, which was killed in a garden near Knighton, Radnorshire. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — J, W, Ludlow, March 15. 1829. Warwickshire. The present Season strikes me as remarkably backward; but yet we have with us the redstart, blackcap, whitethroat, swallows, and martens. The first (the redstart) appeared April 7., which is rather early. Papilio rapae (or mfetra, as they now call it), i. e. the pale variety, appeared April 17.; on which day, also, my eyes and ears were gratified by the first sight and song of a swallow. This is to me a highly interesting period of the year : some fresh and pleasing appearance of nature is every day presenting itself. — W. T. B. April 25. 1829. Varieties of Plants found in Warwickshire. — To the list of plants varying with white flowers, by theRev.W.T.Bree (Vol. I. p. 392, 593.) may be added the following, which have been observed by myself: — Veronica agrestis, in a garden at Warwick. Fritillaria meleagris, in a meadow by the road-side, opposite to Wroxall Abbey. Zamium purpureum, in a garden at Warwick. Carduus acanthoides, on the top of the hill above the bank-croft, Hamp- ton Lucy. Natural History in the English Counties, 269 The following are additional stations of varieties included in Mr. Bree*s list : — Campanula rotundifolia, with a white flower, on the road-side be- tween Leek Wootton and Wootton Grange. Tiola odorata, with a white flower, in several places near Warwick. Tiola odorata, with a flesh- coloured flower, on an old wall facing LevenhuU Lane, Warwick. 5cllla nutans, with white flowers, in a grove, on the road-side between Norton Lindsey and Wolverton. Prunella vulgaris, with white flowers, in a lane leading from the turnpike-road at Guy's Cliff to the Woodloes. Polygala vulgaris, with white flowers, on the side of the road from Hampton on the Hill towards Norton Lindsey, a short distance beyond the cross. Polygala vulgaris, with flesh-coloured flowers, on a high bank 2i miles from War- wick, on the Birmingham road, &c. Achillea ilfiilefolium, with purplish red flowers, near Warwick. I have also observed a few varieties of plants, depending on other cir- cumstances than colour. Cynosurus cristatus, with a viviparous spike, by the side of the canal at Leamington Priors. Scabiosa arvensis, with all the leaves undivided, near Warwick. iVarcissus Pseudo-iN^arcissus, with full flowers, in a field near Wedgnock Park, towards Warwick. /Saxtfraga tri- dactylites with a branched stem, and opposite lanceolate stem leaves, on a tiled building, Warwick. Zythrum Salicaria, with ternate leaves and hexagonal stem, at Emscote Bridge. J?anunculus bulbosus, with full flowers, near Warwick. Cardamine hirsuta, with a zigzag stem, in several places near Warwick. Trifolium repens, with heads of leaves growing out of the flowers, at Warwick. Crepis tectorum, with a flat stem, and crowded panicle, with a broad, flat, terminal flower, near Warwick. Cnicus lanceo- latus, with a broad flat stem and a crested flower, 10 in. in circumference at Hampton on the Hill. A^colop^ndrium vulgare, with the frond lobed at the apex, and also with a deeply bipartite frond and incurved segments, in a ditch by the side of the footpath from Warwick to Hampton on the Hill, — W.G. Perry. Warwick, Nov. 7. 1828, Yorkshire. Flora of Rotherham. — Sir, I have been highly gratified by the notices, in your excellent Magazine, of new habitats of rare and beautiful plants ; and, as I have the happiness to reside in a district, than which few are more favourable for the study of indigenous botany, I venture to think thaf a similar list of our local Flora may not be unacceptable to the lovers of natural history. In this catalogue I shall only insert the rarer plants which have been actually gathered or observed, in a circuit of eight miles, by myself and my friend, the Rev.E. Wilson, jun., of Swanton ; otherwise, I might much extend it, by the addition of the numerous and interesting discoveries of our indefatigable and intelligent neighbour, Mr. Cooper, curator of Lord Milton's splendid oollection at Wentworth. JTippiiris vulgaris. Circas^a lutetiSna. Ferdnica ^nagallis. montina. Pinguicula vulgaris. Valeriana dioica. officinalis. Fedia olitbria, denta.ta. i^ris Pseudacorus. M^lica niitans. Glyc^ria rigida. M6ntia fontana. Dipsacus fullbnuvi. Scabibsa columbkria. Sher&rdia arvensis. Galium religibsum. A/oUtigo. Plantago mfedia. C6rnus sanguinea. Pariet^ria officinalis. Alchemilla vulgaris. Potamogfeton gramineum. crlspum. Mo^nchia erdcta. Jfyosbtis pal6stris. intermedia, iithosp^rmum arv^nse. Symphytum officinale. JS^chium vulgkre. Primula elation Hottbn/a palustris. iysimachia nembrum. ^nagallis cserilea. arvensis white var. Ctonv61vulus sfepium. Campanula patula. latifblia. glomerkta. Campanula hybrida. T 3 - rerb&scum 7Ti4psus. pulverul^ntum. ^yosc^amus niger. Erythrae^a Centadriura. Lonicfera Caprifblium, .Rhamnus cathdrticus. Frdngula. .Eu6nymus europas^us. r'inca minor. mkjor. Gentiawa Amar^Ua. Sanicula europae''a. Caucalis rfaucdides. ^uplefirum rotundifblium. Parnassia palustris. Narcissus biflbrus. Ornithugalum umbellJltum. Coavallaria maj^lis. Triglbchin palustre. Colchicum autumnMe. 270 Natural History in the English Counties. Chlbra perfolikta. facclniura Myrtillus. fltis IdjE^'a. Oxyc6ccus. Callhna vulgciris. White var. of ditto £;rlca Tetralix. cinerea. D&phne Laurdola. Polygonum ami^iibiun). Hydroplper. Bisturta. Pkris quadrifblia. Adoxa Moschatellina. P^rola minor. Sclcr&nthus &nnuus. Saponkria officinalis. Arenaria trin^rvis. *erpyllif&lia. Cerastium aqu&ticuro. iy thrum Salickria. Re&^Aa. Ititea. Prdnus Pkdus. Tormentilla rc^ptans. iVTiiphar liitea. Cactus Helianthemum. Aquilfegia vuIgJiris. ylnembne Pulsatilla. rhalictrum fl^vum. ^an6nculus Flimmula, //ederaceus. Ifelleborus viridis. A'^peta CatJiria. Ferbfena officinalis. Zamium amplexicaule. Galeopsis versicolor. Marriibium vulgare. Leon ".r us Card'iaca. Clinopbdium vulg^ire. Origanum vulg&re. ThJ^mus J'cynos. CaTamintha. .Antirrhinum £latlne. minus. Camelina safiva. Cardimine amsXra. Turritis glabra. Erbdium cicutkrium. Geranium lilcidum. columbinum. /"umflria capreolata. Genista anglica. claviculata, ^nth^Mis vulneraria. Ornithopus perpusillus. Astragalus hypoglottis. /fyp^rlcum montanum. Carduus niitans. MariknMS. B\dens tripartita. JBupat6rJM?w cann^binum. JFrigeron &cris. Tussilago Petasites. Solidkgo VirgaCirea. 7'nula dysenterica. Centaurea Scabibsa. O'rchis bifblia. pyramidalis, mbrio (white var.) ustulata. viridis. con6psea. OV'irys wuscifera. rtpifera. Ne6ttia spiralis. Lister« ovata. £pipactis latifblia. f/rtica 6rens. Sagittaria sagiltifblia. Potferium Sanguis6rba. Hydr6charis morsus r&nje. Ophiogl6ssum vulgktum. .Aspldnium Rhia. mur&ria. I am, Sir, &c. Dec. 6. 1828. Larret hangley. Brom^pton Academy^ near Rotherham, NORTHUMBEIILAND. Museum of Natural History in Newcastle upon Tyne. — When the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne was established, thirty- six years ago, the first article in the original scheme of its founders had for its object to investigate the two great natural products of this part of the country — coal and lead. This may, therefore, be considered as having laid the foundation of the museum of which we purpose giving here a brief de- scription. For while many of the papers read at the monthly meetings of the Society had immediate reference to these important subjects, a collection of geological and mineralogical specimens was very early begun. Books, like- wise, connected with natural history, were among the first purchases, when a library was afterwards made an appendage to the Society^ The specimens in mineralogy, eonchology, &c., with some coins, and a hortus siccus, which had formed the collection in the possession of the So- ciety, had become, in the course of time, greatly injured and dilapidated for want of suitable accommodations. Of these, two zoological specimens, which had found their way to the museum, may here be mentioned : one was the wombat, the other the duck-billed platypus of New South Wales, sent home, in 1800, by Governor Hunter himself. It is worthy of remark, likewise, that this was the first public notice given in Great Britain of these, at that time, nondescript animals. A project for erecting a new building, for the reception of the Society*s rapidly increasing library and other property, had long been entertained ; and in 1814, the preparatory measures were set on foot. In this project a museum had all along been included. It was not, howevei', till the year 1 822 that the necessary arrangements were completed, and apartments in the new building planned. By a fortunate coincidence, it happened about this very time that the collection which originally belonged to Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq., of Rycliffe, in the county of York, and which had subse- quently come into the possession of George Allan, Esq., of Blacknell Grange, in the county of Durham, was advertised for public sale. This cabinet, even as a nucleus for a more extended collection, but still more, for reasons to be presently noticed, it was most desirable to have deposited in Newcastle. But though no time was to be lost in the acquisition, the state of the Society's funds, which had been calculated to meet the ex- penses of a building only, presented a formidable difficulty. This, however. Natural History in the English Counties. 271 was soon got over, through the liberality of George Townshend Fox, Esq., of Westoe, near South Shields, who, with a degree of public spirit which deserves to be recorded, agreed to advance the purchase-money (400/.), allowing it also to remain in the Society's hands for two years, without in- terest, and the principal sum to be repaid at the convenience of the Society. The entire collection was accordingly transferred from the Grange to New- castle, and carefully preserved in rooms prepared for it, during the three years occupied in erecting the new edifice. The same interval was employed in examining the condition of all the specimens, and in repairing the inju- ries which damp and neglect, for twenty-two years, had unavoidably com- mitted. The apartment in the new building allotted to the museum is an octagon, 40 ft. long by 20 broad, and 16 ft. high, placed directly over the vestibule. The entrance to it is by two narrow winding staircases within the library hall, which also conduct to the gallery of the library. This part of the general arrangement is rather awkward ; but that ijs not its only nor its worst fault, for the situation has unluckily curtailed the dimen- sions of the room, and led to an apprehension that, if the additions which the museum is rapidly receiving continue progressive, as there is every rea- son to suppose they will, the space will be found too small. The room is lighted from above by large squares of ground glass, which throw a some- what sombre air over it ; but, upon the whole, the appearance is handsome enough. The collection, as originally formed by Mr. Tunstall, though it embraced all the other departments of nature, and some miscellaneous curiosities, was essentially an ornithological one, in the proportion of about eight parts British to three of foreign birds. In the present collection the birds are mounted in separate glass cases, arranged round the room into the great Linnean divisions ; but in consequence of the repairing and renewing of specimens, the final placing of the cases is not yet completed, and cannot be for some time to come. The imperfect mode of mounting known fifty years ago, and the dishevelment which carelessness and repeated removals from place to place have occasioned, render it necessary, whenever it can be done, to replace the older by more recent specimens. This work is in constant progress, and a considerable number of specimens, of birds espe- cially, as well as of other objects, in the highest preservation, are daily finding their way into the museum. One object which is steadily kept in view is, that the collection of the birds, at any rate, of the British islands, should be as complete as is to be met with any where throughout the empire. This we approve of, for many reasons ; but chiefly because it would seem to be highly appropriate that, in the native town of Bewick *, the votaries of this delightful branch of natural history shall have it in their power to see spe- cimens of all the British birds, in as perfect a state as they are to be seen any where else. The members of the Society feel that what gives a peculiar value to the birds in this museum is the interesting fact, that they include many of the identical specimens from which their own illustrious townsman drew his figures for the wood-cuts which embellish his unique and cele- brated work. It was his master-hand that originally traced out for them a celebrity only to perish when all that is perfect in design, and exquisitely * This truly amiable man, and, beyond all comparison, greatest genius Newcastle has ever produced, died on the 8th of November last, in the 76th year of his age. He continued to the last in the enjoyment of all his faculties ; his single-heartedness and enthusiasm not a jot abated, and his wonder-working pencil still engaged in tracing, with his wonted felicity and fidelity, those objects which had all his life afforded him such delight, and which have charmed, and must continue to charm, all those who have any relish for the pure and simple beauties of nature. T 4 272 Natural History in the Eftglish Counties, faithful and minute in execution, in the art of wood-cutting, shall have passed away and been forgotten. Tlie WyclifFe museum most probably never would have emerged from that obscurity which attaches to all pro- \'incial private cabinets, but for its singularly good fortune in furnishing pro- totypes for the graver of this " wondrous artist," as Pennant, in one of his letters, emphatically and most felicitously styles him. We have reason to know that it was the circumstance of its being thus intimately associated with the name and labours of this distinguished person, that mainly inter- ested many of the members of the Society in the purchase of the museum. The museum possesses several specimens of rare British birds. Of these we may notice the Red-breasted Goose ( J'nas ruficoUis Linn.) in very fine pre- servation ; the Spur-winged Goose (yi'nas gamb^nsis Linn. Gniel.\ by no means in such high condition, having been rescued from the dunghill by the exertions of H. Mewburn, Esq., St. Germains, Cornwall, who has contri- buted several valuable articles to the collection ; the Cock of the Wood (Tetrao urogallus Linn.), a specimen ascertained to have been shot in this country, and now, consequently, almost unique, if not entirely so. Among the more recent acquisitions it can boast of some water-birds, particularly of the gull, tern, and diver tribes, into any description of which, or of the foreign birds, we shall not enter at present. But in what was the WyclifFe, and is now the Newcastle, museum, the class of birds did not wholly supersede every other. A few specimens of the mammalia are preserved in it, but none of first-rate importance, with the exception of the two animals from New South Wales, already pointed out. A somewhat similar account may be given of the amphibia, fishes, insects, vegetables, and minerals. A few antiquities, seals, and miscellaneous curio- sities are also to be found in it ; but these do not fall within our province. The recent acquisitions in all the departments of zoology have been very considerable ; and we may observe, in general, that the desiderata in all, as far as concerns the British productions, are rapidly filling up. The British shells are already nearly complete. Great additions have been made to the list of insects, both indigenous and foreign, chiefly the latter. The collection is already rich, and the most active means are using for rendering it perfect in the two great natural products of the district, coal and lead ; so that future geologists will not have to search about the land for the most perfect series of exemplifications of these two important substances, but will find them, where they should be found, in Newcastle itself. Indeed, in Newcastle and its neighbourhood, natural history would appear to have always been a favourite pursuit. It is daily becoming more so ; for besides its own Bewick, that part of the country can boast of one of the most accomplished ornithologists of the day, in the person of J. P. Selby, of Twizell House, in the county of Northumberland, whose Illustrations of British Ornithology are already recognised as an original standard work. W. C. Trevelyan, Esq , of Wallington, in the same county, devotes to science that fortune and leisure which too many of his compeers waste in idleness and dissipation. He is favourably known by his contributions to natural history, and by his ardour in its pursuit. He possesses a valuable colleetion, rich in conchology and mineralogy. The Hon. H. T. Liddell, of Eslington, M.P. for the county of Northumberland, has a small but select cabinet of rare birds, all in the best state of preservation. There are a great many other private collections, which, though of minor consequence, are very creditable to the individual owners, and manifest a very commendable zeal in the prosecution of an amusing and most instructive study. From the foregoing sketch, short though it be, it will appear that, in the north of England, a taste for the science of nature is cultivated with ar- dour and success, and promises to be as rapidly and generally diffused there fts it is now becoming in many other parts of the kingdom. Natural History in the English Counties. 273 Lancashire. Land andFresh-ivater Shells in the Neighbourhood of Preston. — Sir, As you think a list of the species of land and fresh-water shells found in this" neighbourhood may be interesting to some of your readers, I will endeavour to furnish it. I have thought it better to make as complete a list of the British land and fresh-water species as I am able *, distinguishing such as occur in this vicinity by an asterisk. Any of your readers following the same pursuits, and desirous of becom- ing possessed of species found here, will, at the same time, be thus fur- nished with a list of those wanting, any one of which would be acceptable fo the Preston collectors, and several of which are, doubtless, common in many places within the range of your useful Magazine. Tracheli'poda. 'i^eritacea. Neritina fluvi&tilis. Peristdmata. Paludlna vivipara. * impilra. * similis Zool. Journ. * aciita Zool. Journ. * Valvkta piscinalis. cristkta Fleming. LymncBana. Lymnse^a stagnalis. * fragilis Fleming. detrita Fleming. * palustris. * auricularia. * ovkta. glutinbsa Drap. * pdregra. * Idtea Fleming. * leuc6stoma. *imnuta. scaturiginum Zool. J. * Phj^sa fontinalis. 41ba Zool. Journ. fluviatilis (Bulla fluv. Turt.) * Aypnbrum, subopaca. Plan6rbis c(5rneus. * marginktus Drap. carinatus. * spir6rbis. * v6rtex. * cont6rtus. *hispidus. * Planitidus (Nautilus lacfis- tris Turt. &c.) * complanktus Drap. * imbricatus. MOLLUSCA. Colimacea. Cycl6stoma ^legans. truncatulum. * Auricula minima. * Succinea amphibia, * Achatina acicula. Btilimus aciitus. montknus. tuberculatus Zool. Jour. * Aordekceus. * lubricus. lineatus Zool. Journ. * Clausilia bidens Drap. ventricdsa Drap. plic&tula. solida ? Drap, * rugbsa. p4rvula Zool. Journ. Ptipa Av^na. * fr&gilis. * britdnnica (Turbo tr\- dens of authors). * umbilickta. * wiuscbrum. ^uglica Wood's sup. * antirertigo Drap. * pygmse'^a Drap. * vertigo Drap. * ed^ntula Drap. obt&sa Fleming. Carocdlla lapiclda. alb^Ua. ^legans, Htlix pomktia, * asp^rsa. * arbustbrum. * nemoralis. * hortensis. sylvatica ? * f6sca Pennant. piskna. variabilis, ericetbrum. Carthusianella ? obvoluta ? . * cellkria. * nitida. * rufescens Donovan, &c. * hispida. * sericea Drap. * rotundkta. strikta. * rr6chilus Fleming. * crystallina Drap. rupestris Drap. scarburg^nsis^^aw. * aculeata Drap. * pulch^lla. pygmae^a Drap. Gastero'poda. Ldmacidna. * Vitrlna pelliicida. Testacella haliotidea." MangM Bowdich. *Zimax cinfereus. * agr^stis. Calyptraciana. * A'ncylus lacustris. * fluvidtilis. Conchi'fera Bxmusculo^sa. Naida. * A'nodon c^gneus. * anatinus. iTnio elongJltus. rostratus pictbrum, batkvus. Conchucea fluviatllia. C^clas rivicola. * c6rnea. * lac6stris. * obFiqua. * fontinalis. I remain, &c. — Joseph Kenyon. Preston^ Oct. 4. 1828. Manchester Museum. — The following is a notice of some rare British birds in the Museum of the Society for the Promotion of Natural History established in Manchester : — Honei/ Buzzard (Falco apivorus). — This rare species of falcon was killed in Staffordshire. The sex was not ascertained, but is probably either a fe- male, or a young male in immature plumage. Rough-legged Buzzard (Falco jLagopus). — It is well known that '^some species of the falcon tribe, particularly the buzzards and harriers, are rea- k * The following obscure species of Turton are not included, viz. Turba bidens. Helix rhombea, H. variegata, H. disjuncta, H. terebra, Mytilus stagnalis, M. dentatus, M. avonensis. 27^4 Natural History in the English Counties, dily taken in baited steel-traps placed near their haunts, and in this man- ner the bird here introduced to notice was captured in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Cinereous Shrike (Lanius excubitor). — J. Moore, Esq. of Sale Hall, Che- shire, shot this bird in the neighbourhood in which he resides. Golden Oriole (Oriolus Galbula). — This bird, which is a female, was shot by Mr. James Hall, of Manchester, in the month of July, 1811, in Gorton Fields, near Manchester. Rose-coloured Pastor (Pastor roseus). — The sex of this specimen, which was shot many years ago, near the Crescent, in Salford, Lancashire, was not ascertained by dissection, and the plumage, perhaps, scarcely affords a suffi- cient criterion for determining it with certainty. ' Bohemian Wax-wing (Bombycivora garrula). — This beautiful specimen, which, on dissection, proved to be a female, was shot at HuUand Ward, in Derbyshire, on the 15th of January, 1829. Its food was found to have consisted chiefly of the fruit of the wild rose, which it had swallowed en- tire. Bohemian Wax-wings have been unusually abundant this winter four having been killed near Derby, and several in the vicinity of Middleton in Lancashire, and Leeds in Yorkshire, in the month of January last. About the same period, some of the northern and midland counties of England were visited by large flocks of Siskins and Snow Buntings. Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa luctuosa). — The Pied Flycatcher has been regarded by several distinguished ornithologists as indigenous to England, while others have considered it as an occasional visitor merely : this latter opinion, however, must be abandoned, as I know that it breeds annually in the woods in the vicinity of Ullswater. The prevalence of the idea, that this species does not migrate, may be attributed principally to the assertion of Montagu, that it " rarely, if ever, makes its appearance in the southern parts of the island" (see the Supplement to the Ornithological Dictionary) ; but Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear, in their Catalogue of the Norfolk and Suffolk Birds, published in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, vol. xv. part 1 ., state that they have " seen a specimen of this bird, which was killed near Cromer ; " that " two others were caught by Mr. Downes, in his gar- den at Gunton, in Suffolk ; and a fourth was shot at Keswick, near Nor- wich." Mr. Selby also, in his lllusti^ations of British Ornithology, informs us that he has seen specimens from Dorsetshire. Montagu's observation, therefore, loses much of its force ; indeed, from the general habits of the bird, and the nature of its food, there can scarcely be a doubt that it with- draws from this country in autumn. The specimen in the Manchester col- lection is a male, and was procured on the 3d of June, 1828, in the woods on the western bank of Windermere. Mr. Sweet (Vol.L p. 100.) expresses a desire to possess a living male Pied Flycatcher, and entertains the hope, that persons who have opportunities of supplying this desideratum in his aviary, will lend their assistance towards accomplishing his object. If I resided in a district where this species breeds, I should be happy to use my best endeavours to meet his wishes in this matter ; and, as it is, should I be able to obtain a bird or nest, it shall cer- tainly be forwarded to him. The eggs and young of the Pied Flycatcher might be procured, without difficulty, in the neighbourhood of Ullswater, if Mr. Sweet has any acquaintance in that part of Cumberland, who has a knowledge of the bird. Fresh-laid eggs, carefully packed in wool, as Mr. Sweet suggests, might be sent to him, without the least inconvenience, from almost any part of the kingdom, and if placed under the Spotted Flycatcher, or indeed any of the sylvan warblers, I doubt not, would be incubated, and there is every reason to believe that the young, when extricated from the shell, would be nourished by the foster parents. Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra). — There are several specimens of this species in the museum, both males and females, adults and young. They were shot Natural History in the English Counties. 275 at Park Hall, near Heyfield, Derbyshire. Crossbills, on their arrival in this country, sometimes seem to apprehend little danger from man, and will suffer themselves to be approached very near without manifesting the least alarm. In the month of August, 1810, a small flock of these birds fre- quented the plantations in Crumpsall, and on one occasion I fired three shots in quick succession, and killed an individual each time in a small spruce fir, without appearing to disturb their companions which were feeding in the same tree, nor did they ultimately take flight till I shook the fir violently for the purpose of dislodging the birds I had shot, from the branches on which they had fallen. The high condition of these birds proved that their disregard of man and fire-arms was not occasioned by hunger. Tree Spai^row (i^ringilla montana). — This bird was captured at Chat Moss, in Lancashire, and was kept alive for some time in an aviary at Ard- wick, near Manchester, the proprietor of which presented it to the Society. Olivaceous Gallinule (Gallinula pusilla). — Mr. James Hall took this rare bird alive, in a drain in Ardwick meadows, near Manchester, in the autumn of 1807. Gi-eat Snipe (4sparagus officinalis. Coast near Llanfadog. Henslow. Sps. jyincus trigliimis. On Cwm Idwal. 280 Natural History in North WaleL Oxyria reniformis. On the same mountain. ^lisma natans. In the river between the Llanberis Lakes. — A. ranun- culoides var. repens. By the sides of lakes in Anglesea and near Bangor. W.W. Sps. CBnothera biennis. Near Swansea. Bicheno. Sps. 5axffraga stellaris. On rocks by the road-side near Lake Ogwan, and on the mountains. Not rare. — ^S". nivalis. On the Peak of Snowden. W.W. — S. oppositifolia. On Cwm Idwal near Twll Du. — S. caespitosa. Three varieties, at least, of this very changeable plant occur in North Wales. Near Twll Du its common appearance is that of the Lady's Cushion of the gardens ; but in this state it has not been figured in the Eng. BoL, though S. hirta, t. 2291. of that woi'k, comes nearest to it. The segments of the leaves are narrow, and it is but slightly hairy. Under this appearance it is S. caespitosa of the Swedish botanists. On Cwm Idwal near Twll Du it is plentiful. S. caespitosa var. greenlandica, Eng. Bot. t. 794., the dwarf broad-leaved variety is met with occasionally on the same mountain ; and S. palmata, Eng, Bot. t. 455., S. decipiens, Sternberg, t. 23., the large broad- leaved variety grows on the Peak of Snowden. The two latter are described in Sniiith's English Flora as S. caespitosa a. and /3. — S. tridactylites. On walls near Beaumaris and the Little Orms Head. Dianthus deltoides. On rocks near Diganwy. Silene nutans. On rocks above Llandudno and on the Little Orms Head. — S. acaulis var. flore r^bro et flore albo. On Cwm Idwal. Arenaria vima. On Cwm Idwal, the Little Orms Head, and at Llan- dudno. Cotyledon umbilicus. On rocks and stonewalls near Bangor, Llan- dudno, Carnarvon, and Beaumaris. *Sedum dasyphyllum. At present indigenous on stone walls near Con- way church, though probably the outcast of a garden. — S, anglicum. On rocks about Bangor, Llandudno, &c. — -S. Forsteriamwi. On Cwm Idwal, but more abundant on the limestone rocks of the Little Orms Head. Cer6,stium semidecandrum. On the coast near Beaumaris and Llan- dudno. — C. tetrandrum. In the same localities. — C. latifolium. On Clogwyn Du ; also on the Peak of Snowden. W.W. Sps. jSpergula subulata. "On hedge banks near the Menai Bridge, Carnarvon- shire. Cotoneaster vulgaris. Hooker in Fioj^a Londinensis. On three ledges of the limestone rocks above the village of Llandudno. First added to the British Flora by W. Wilson, Esq. Pjrus J'ria. On the same rocks. ^Spirae^a Filipendula. Same place. Rosa rubella. On the banks of the Menai, near Bangor. W.W. — R. ^pinosissima /3. Ciphiana. In Llandudno Bay. — R. villosa. Near Llan- beris. — R. Forsteri. In the grounds at Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor ; also near Llandudno. — 22. Sherardi. At Park Pool, Anglesea. W.W. An elegant rose, and very unlike any other species which ever came under my observation. iJubus nitidus. Near Beaumaris. Potentllla v^rna. In fields near the Little Orms Head, and on rocks at Llandudno. G'laucium luteum. On the coast near Conway, and below the Orms Heads. Papaver hybridum. Near Llandudno. — P. cambricum. By the river near Llanberis, and by the Ogwan near Dolawar slate quarries. The favourite situation of this rare plant is on sand banks left by the winter tor- rents in the beds of alpine rivers. > Cistus marifolius. On the rocks above Llandudno ; abundant. — • C. He- Mnthemum. On the same rocks, &c. &c. — C. guttatus. On Holyhead Mountain, Anglesea. W.W. Sps. Natural History in North Wales. ^fe:, Aquilegia vulgaris. In the woods of Plas Newydd, Anglesea, on rOcks by the Menai, and in the grounds at Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor* Thalictrum minus. On Cwm Idwal, and near Llandudno. Ranunculus parviflorus. On stone fences near Bangor Feiry. Trollius etiropae\is. In meadows by the river Ogwan, and near the Llanberis Lakes; abundant. Zamium amplexicaule. Near Beaumaris. ^ Thymus ^'cinos. On the rocks above Llandudno. — T» Calamintha, la the same place. Scrophularia vernalis. In the lane near Gloddaeth. Orobanche major. Among furze near Bangor. — 0. minor. On the ruins of Diganwy Castle. W.W. HutchCnsia petrae^a. On rocks and stone fences above Llandudno. Not rare. iepidium hirtum. Near Bangor. Teesdalm nudicaulis. By the road side on Penmanmaur. Mr. Roberts of Bangor. Sps, Crambe marltima. On rocks and the sea-beach at the Orms Heads and in Llandudno Bay. jSinapis tenuifolia. On the walls of Chester. Cheiranthus Chelri. On the ruined castles of Conway, Beaumaris, and Carnarvon. yl'rabis Mspida. On Clogwyn Ddu'r Arddu, Snowden. W.W. Sps. -— A. hirsuta. On stone walls near Beaumaris, and on rocks at Llandudno. ^rassica oleracea. On rocks at the Little Orms Head. Geranium liicidum. On walls near the Little Orms Head. — G. pusil- lum. On the coast at Beaumaris. — G. sanguinetim. About Llandudno, and on the coast between it and Conway. Ji^umaria capreolata var. flore albo. In hedges near the Little Orms Head. This variety I never observed in the North of England, where the plant is to be met with in every hedge; but I have specimens of it gathered at Naples. ricia sylvatica. In woods near Beaumaris. Hippocrepis comosa. On the rocks above Llandudno. TVifolium ornithopodioides. On Beaumaris Green, and on the sea-coast a little to the north of the town. — T. sufFocatam. On Beaumaris Green ; abundant. — T. striatum. On the coast near Beaumaris and near Diganwy. Medicago maculata. Near the ruins of Gogarth on the Great Orms Head. i/ieracium alpinum. On Glydyr Vor. W.W. — H. sylvaticum. On Chester walls. -Hypochae'ris maculata. On rocks above Llandudno. J?pipactis latifolia, /3. Sm. Eng. Fl. Near Llandudno and Gloddaeth. W.W. — E. ensifolia. In the wooded bank opposite the inn at Dolbadarn near Llanberis. Carex limosa. Near Llanfechell, Anglesea. W.W. Sps. — f. dfstans. Near the Menai Bridge, Anglesea. — C. bin^rvis. In the same place. fililix Russelliowa. About Bangor. — S. arg^ntea. On the coast towards the north of Anglesea. W.W. — S. Smithiana. Near Beaumaris. Rhodiola rosea. On rocks on Cwm Idwal, near Twll Du. Juniperus alpina. On Glydyr Vor. Probably only a variety of J, communis. Chiira gracilis. In Llyn Idwal. — C. aspera, Greville's Cryptogamic Flora. Near Holyhead, Anglesea. W.W. Sps. Woodsia ilv^n«is. Upon Glydyr Vor near Lyn-y-Cwm. Cyathea regia. On Snowden, in a cave where copper is selected, also near Twll Du on Cwm Idwal. W.W. Sps. Vol. 11. — No. 8. u 282 Natural History in Scotland, Pteris crfspa. In the Pass of Llanberis, and near the Lake Ogwan. Isoetes lacustris. In Llyn-y-Cwm, Lake Ogwan, and the Llanbem Lakes. Diphyscium foliosum ; Gymndstomum aestivum ; Anictangkim ciliatum ; AndrsB^a alpina ; Encalypta ciliata ; Weism acuta ; Trichostomum ellip- ticum ; T. aciculare ; Dicraniim flexuosum a and y. — D. adiantoides. On Cwm Idwal. — D, polyphyllura. Near Nant Frangon. Orthotrichum diaphJinura. On walls near Bangor Cathedral. — O. Hutchinsia. Near Nant Frangon. W.W. Tortula tortuosa. Near Lake Ogwan and Nant Frangon. JBartrami« Hallferi. In the Pass of Llanberis. Pterogonium filifiSrme, Neckera crlspa, N. curtip^ndula, ^Typnum ruf^s- eens, H. dimorphum. On Cwm Idwal. — H. piliferum. In the Pass of Llanberis. — H. commutatum. In Anglesea. J5ryum Zierii. On Cwm Idwal. Jungermanma trichophylla, J. j'uniperina, J. emarginjlta, J. nemorosa, alpine var. On Cwm Idwal. — J. pumila. Near Bangor. W.W. — J» concinn£lta. On Carnedd, Llewelyn, and Snowden, W.W. ; on Cwm Idwal, and in the Pass of Llanberis. — J, inflata. Anglesea. W.W. — J.Taylori. Cwm Idwal. — J. polyanthos. Near Bangor, Abber, and Llanberis. W.W. J. jfrichomanes, J. stipulacea. Near Llanberis. W.W. — J. barbata. In Anglesea, near Bangor and Llanberis. W.W. J. platyphylla ? Izevigata. Near Abber. W.W. — J. cilikris. In Anglesea. W.W. — J. Hutehinsi<:p. In Llanberis Pass. W.W. Lecidea CEd^ri. L. silacea. On rocks near Llanberis. — L. vesicularis. On rocks above Llandudno. Lecanora gdlida. On rocks in Llanberis Pass. — L. crassa. On rocks above Llandudno. Parmelia aquila. On rocks on the coast of Anglesea. Gyrophora proboscidea. In Llanberis Pass. Urceolaria Acharii, Stereocaulon fragile, S. coralloides, Cornicul^ria pubescens. On rocks and stones in Llanberis Pass. Endocarpon Web^n'. On stones in Lake Ogwan. Collema nigrum. On slate rocks at Nant Frangon. — Collema Idcerum. Among moss on the ruins of an old tower near Beaumaris. Your most obedient servant, Nat. John Winch. Newcastle upon Tyne, Feb. 1 8. Art. V. Natural History in Scotland, Rare Birds shot in Dumfries-shire. — The following rare birds, of the natural family 5colopacidae, have been killed in Dumfries-shire during. the last winter. The first, Phalaropus platyrhinchus, is of rare occurrence in Great Britain, and the distribution even very limited in every part of the world. The others are more frequently found, particularly in fenny coun- tries, and upon the English shores. In the present district they are met with once or twice in a season, either in very stormy winters, or occasion* ally in spring and autumn, when passing to or from their breeding quarters. Phalaropus platyrhinchus (Grey Phalarope) was shot on the shore of the Solway Firth at Preistside, parish of Ruthwell. The specimen had nearly attained its perfect winter plumage, retaining only a few black and reddish markings. Totanus ochropus (Green Sandpiper) was shot at the foot of Skein Water, a small stream running into the Annan, where a pair have frequented for some years, and, with the last, is in the possession of John D. Murray, Esq., Murray thwaite, Dumfries-shire. It is the first time that authenticated specimens of these hirdii have lie^n killed in this district, — Calendar of Nature. 283 Tolanus 6^16ttis (Green Shank). A pair of these birds were shot on the Annan, about two miles below Jardine Hall : they frequented' also the adjoining lochs of Lochmaben ; and, when disturbed, immediately passed over, always nearly by the same route, to the quieter haunt, flying very liigh, and incessantly uttering the shrill piping whistle. They are now in the collection of Sir W. Jardine, Bart. — W, J. May 21, 1829. Art. yj. Calendar of Nature, Scotland. Diagram, showing the Motion of the Mercury in the Barometer and Ther- mometer, and the Dew Point obtained by the Differential Thermometer, or the mean of each, for each ten days in April and May; also the Depth of Rain in the Pluviometer, and the Quantity of Moisture evaporated from the Evaporating Gauge, for the same periods; as extracted from the 7 5 6o 60 u Eain Gauge, and Index of Thesrmon^eter and Barometer. II r- SO W as I 'l — ' Ji ft H jy 77^::. r ! m t j ■ i fV i oeoeaoo === ooooeot o ^^m, s ■ ^S t ^^i j V o i o o t m S " ^ n 28 ~P1 ■ B ^ — -^ ^■=4 L^eoooooo ^^H— ^ ^H s ? ^B i ^ 30 i \ % 10 so SO 10 20 s § ^ ^ ^ i- •s o Ap ril. * ApriJ. May. \ May. . l-l . u 2 284 Calendar of Nature, Register kept at Annat Gardens, Perthshire, N. lat. 56° 23^', above th« level of the sea 172 ft., and 15 miles distant from the coast, by the mean of daily observations, at 10 o*clock morning and 10 o'clock evening. The shaded part of the columns, representing the evaporating gauge, sliows the water remaining unevaporated at the end of every ten days, when the gauge was again filled to the brim ; the open space from the top con-* sequently shows the depth evaporated each period. The rain-gauge was emptied at the end of every ten days, and the shaded part of the column shows the depth of the fall of rain. The dotted line t shows the mean temperature ; the line marked d shows the mean point of deposition, or the temperature at which part of the moisture held in solution in the atmo- sphere throughout the day began to fall in the shape of rain or dew ; the double line b shows the mean height of the mercurial column in the baro- meter in inches and tenths. As lines representing the monthly meanj produce confusion, they are not inserted, and will appear in figures in the Calendar of Nature. Diagram, showing at one view the Mean Temperature for April and May, from A.D. 1822. 76 "S -m^ May. '. ■■ 1 3 ^ L.. i»o 40 A (f J... , ■ ?, 1 1 April. ] ( -, S 1 ^ "^ I « 1 By this it will be seen that the mean temperature in April of the present year is lower than in any of the seven years immediately preceding. The dotted lines show the mean temperature for April and May in each year ; a shows the mean for April ; and we the mean for May for the eight years succeeding 1822 inclusive. The temperature for April this year is some- thing more than 3°, while that for May is rather more than a° above the ordinary average. The fall of rain for the two months is only 3 in. 45 decimal parts, or about l|in. less than on any of the two former seasons during the same period. The coldest day was on the 2d of April ; mean temperature of that day, 36-5°,* extreme cold, 31*5°; wind,N. The warm- est day for the two months was the 23d of May : mean temperature of that day, 56°; extreme heat, 62°; wind, W. The mercury in the baro- meter was highest on the 26th of May; height, 30 in.; wind, E. : and lowest on the 15th of April; height, 2825 in.; wind, W. There were loud gales of north-easterly winds on the 2d and 29th of April, and north- westerly winds on the 4th of May, Calendar of Nalure. 28-5 Calendar of Nature for the Carse of Oowrie, Perthshire. April, — The mean temperature for this month was only 42*8°, or about 3° below the ordinary average temperature for that month. From the low temperature of the three months immediately preceding (see p. 204.), it may easily be inferred that at the end of April vegetation was unusually late. Cold north and north-easterly winds prevailed for the most part of the month, with the exception of only 6 days, from the 14th to the 20th, on which days the wind was westerly. The Erythronium d6ns canis (Dog's- tooth Violet) opened its flowers on the 1st, the Pulmonaria paniculata on the 3d. The sea-mew appeared on ploughed fields in the Low Carse on the 8th. Gooseberries were in leaf on the 8th, 27 days later than last season. The Soldan^lla alpina and Draba aizoides, two alpine plants, were in flower in Annat garden on the 12th. Wildgeese had taken their departure by the 14th ; it is remarked that they never leave the Carse till they have tasted the young braird of beans. Daffodils were in flower on the 14th, 26 days later than last season. The larch tree, which usually shows its foliage between the 1st and 5th of April, did not appear green before the 25d. Green-gage plums were in flower on walls on the 29th, 23 days later than last season. Oats that were sown in Annat park on the Sth, gave a braird on the 28th, or 20 days later. Mean temperature of that period, 44°. The atmosphere was cloudy 20 days, and clear 10 days. Mai/. — At the beginning of this month vegetation was about 23 days in ar^ear. The mean temperature for the month was 51*5°, which is more than half a degree above the ordinary average. The wind was north and westerly 14 days, and north and easterly 17 days. There were 9 days in which the atmosphere was clouded, and 22 of clear sunshine ; which, to- gether with the limited fall of rain, will account for the rapid progress vegetation made towards the latter end of the month. The sloethorn was in flower on the 3d. Barley sown at Annat park on the 17th of April brairded on the 2d of May, a period of 14 days : mean temperature of that period, 43'3°. Swallows appeared on the 3d ; but, as insects were scarce, some were found dead near the coast. The cuckoo was heard on the 6th : we never hear that bird nowadays in April in this quarter. The horse- chestnut came in leaf with the appearance of the swallows, and the wood anemone came in flower at the approach of the cuckoo. Crows were fledged on the 9th, 5 days later than last season. Barley sown on the 1st brairded on the 10th inclusive, a period of lO days: mean temperature of that period, 47*7°. The maple was in leaf on the llth; the summer snowdrop and Tris pumila in flower on the llth ; the beech and lime were in leaf on the 13th ; and figs, on walls, in leaf on the 14th. At this period, vegetation was only 6 days behind what it was at the same period last season. An exception appeared in the lilac, which did not unfold its blos- soms till the 24th, about 12 days later than last season. The Virginian an4 Rose strawberries, too, seem to haVe been retarded longer than other plants in unfolding their blossoms, which did not appear before the 17th. Barley brairded on the 18th which had been sown on the 9th, a period of 9 days: mean temperature of that period, 51*1°. Turnips brairded on the 18th which had been sown on the 13th, a period of 5 days : mean temperature of that period, 53-1°. The walnut came in leaf on the 24th. Red-streak apples w^e in flower on the 26th, and the JVarcissus on the 36th. So that vegetation is at this time within two days* march of last season at the end of May ; a proof that a late spring is no sure indication of a late harvest. — A. G. Annat Gardens, June 1. 1829. 1 286 Hints fm- Itnpfovemenf$, Art. VII. Microscopic Amusementf as a Means of educating the Feelings, \ Mr. Carpenter, in Gill^s Repository, vol. iv. p. 336., speaking of the fine displays of anatomy and wonderful construction of insects, creature* so much " despised, and which are, indeed, but too often made the subject of wanton sport by many persons, who amuse their children by passing a pin through the bottom of their abdomen, in order to excite pain and long suffering in the insect, and thus making them spin, as they ignorantly term it," has the following most humane and benevolent observations : — " Many of these cruel sports might undoubtedly be effectually checked, if the teachers of schools were occasionally to exhibit to their pupils, under the microscope, the various parts of an insect with which they are familiar ; and, by interesting lectures of instruction, to point out the uses to which those parts are applied by the insect, for its preservation and comfort ; and that, when they are deprived of them, or they are even injured, a degree of suffering takes place in the creature, which the children at present seem to be wholly uninformed of. I certainly think that, if the above-mentioned useful lessons were inculcated, they would afford a check to those cruel propensities in many children, which they at present indulge in, for want of being better instructed." We think this a most excellent idea, and have little doubt that its adoption in schools and families would have the intended effect. We earnestly be- seech such of our readers as are patronesses or patrons of girls' or boys* schools to purchase, and give or lend to the mistress or master, a common microscope of any power that can be afforded, from 5s. to l/. Directions •for its use will be sent along with it ; and the mistress or master may first instruct two or three monitors in its use, and then grant permission to ex- amine objects with the aid of a monitor, as a reward for merit, and as a gratification during a part of the hours of recreation, and on holidays. Vestries might do worse than purchase a microscope for parochial schools; and, in rich parishes, a seven-guinea microscope might be purchased, which would show the active molecules of Mr. Brown, Dr. Drummond, and others, which we have seen, or think we have seen, through such a mi- croscope. If a microscope would be a good thing in a school, it would evidently be most valuable in a private family ; and we should say at once, that whoever can afford to keep a governess or tutor, ought to afford also to have a seven-guinea microscope. In our next Number, we shall com- mence a series of papers, exemplifying the use of different kinds of micro- scopes, with a view to the prosecution of this excellent idea of Mr. Carpenter. Art. Vltl. Hints for Improvements, A Natural History Society. — Sir, In looking at the prosperity and high attainments made in this country, in perfecting all kinds of machinery, we are led to consider what is the cause, and what has placed knowledge on this head in so much more an advanced state than on many others, and in this I allude to the study of natural history. It may be answered, because it has not the means for remunerating the toil and labour used in acquiring it. This may be true and yet not be all. In zoology and entomo- logy, the correct information of the commonest, as well as the rarest, of their parts will be best obtained by those who make it their endeavour to collect specimens. Now, the persons who do so arc generally those of no Hints for Improvements. 287 great abilities, ytt having a taste for the pursuit, which the proht arising from it enhances. This profit is derived by supplying those who desire to pos- sess, without the trouble of collecting, as well as those whose study ia directed to the theoretical and physiological part. Hence we see the majority of books, published for the extension of these studies, are in error in many parts, for the want of that information which only th© practical pursuit of them can give. Thus, those who publish apply for guid- ance to those who collect; but the pecuniary advantage they derive from secrecy on this point, leads them to give wrong dates and circumstances. Many instances oecur of the public being wrongly informed, from theses causes, by publishers of works on natural history. I would, therefore, propose something that would obviate this, and make a more public acquaintance with what may be the desiderata, to those who pursue it, of natural history, viz. the habits and places of their specimens. My ideas are, that a fund should be established by those who are desirous to join in a theory of this sort, by subscription ; a society formed, who should be at liberty, in the same way as the Royal Society, to offer money or medals as a reward for the best information respecting any subject that might be proposed by the society, due care being taken that such was- truly authenticated. Such a course would operate materially on those who only look to pecuniary advantage; as in addition to the reward would be a self-satisfaction, that what they had discovered would be duly attributed to them, and made known as such, which their present want of ability to communicate properly their ideas precludes. A simple medal would induce these people to give information, when the offer of four or five times its value has been unable to accomplish it, because it would enable them to show they had done something for the pursuit they had embraced. Persons publishing would give more satisfaction, and would get rid of an idea that has some hold now, viz. that book-making, and not science, is the inducement. In furtherance of the plan I have proposed, I am quite ready to contribute to the promotion of it by my subscription. I remain. Sir, yours, &c. — K. Ipswich, Feb. 17. 1829. Songs of Birds. — A very pleasant letter in the Magazine of Natural His-, tory (Vol. I. p. 414), on the subject of American song-birds, suggested to me an idea, that letters on English birds, written in the same lively strain, would be interesting. Many persons, who are highly interested in all the operations of nature, are at a loss to distinguish the songs, cries, flights, &c., of birds ; the more, as many vary at different seasons of the year. I think, if a familiar account of the haunts, habits, sounds, &c., of such birds as are more commonly seen in any particular season, were given in the Magazine preceding it, it would be both interesting and useful. I have not a sufficient practical acquaintance with the feathered tribe, to do jusr tice to such a thing myself, or I would send you a specimen of what I mean ; it should be done by a person familiar with their notes and flights, not by one who must put " salt upon the tails of the birds" to examine their colours and forms, before he could tell you how they ought to fly and sing. I find that comparatively few persons are aware of the vocal powers of that very familiar bird, the robin: 1 have frequently heard this bird sing in a manner to do honour to its connection with the nightingale ; when it has been disputed, whether or not it could be the robin. I would at any time silence the finished song of the chaffinch, in three distinct parts, to listen to the mellow notes of my warm-hearted friend, robin. I doubt, even, if there be any bird I would prefer but the nightingale itself: I hesitate as to the black-cap. I wish, however, some one would introduce them to us more familiarly, and make us acquainted with their several claims and merits. — i'. JT. Feb. 1 \^29* . U 4 ^S Queries and Answers. Baron de Humboldt. — 1 have frequently heard it regretted that no Eng- Ksh translation has yet been announced of many of the works of this illus- trious traveller and natural philosopher, such as his Tableaux de la Nature, Mecueii d^ Observations de Zoologies On the Geographical Distribution of Plants, On Isothermal Lines, and other detached essays and memoirs of a popular character. Considering the lofty situation this incomparable author occupies on the hill of science, it is surprising this has not been already done ; and should the respectable publishers of the Personal Natrative, &c., not be engaged in accomplishing it, I hope some competent person will take the hint, and immediately set about conferring so signal- a benefit upon the English reader, from which he may safely calculate upon an ample remu- neration for his labours. — J. E, B. The Court near Wrexham^ Feb. 4. 1829. Art. IX. Queries and Anders, Skulls of Brutes. — Your correspondent C. (p. 209.) asks if the skulls of brutes are in two tables in the manner of those of the human race. It is not clear, whether by brutes he means all animals except man, or the Lin- nean order of Jf^iluee ; however, in either case he will find the information he wants in Cuvier*s eighth lecture on Comparative Anatomy, where he will ftlso find what he does not seem aware of, viz. that the skulls of men are formed of eight instead of two plates, Yours, &c. — Thos, Thompson, Hull, Sept. 9. 1828. 2 he Owl feeding on Fish. — The Rev. W. T. Bree has narrated the circum- stance of the common brown owl's feeding on fish (Vol.1, p. 179), confessing his ignorance of the methods by which the bird is enabled to take its prey. I am as ignorant of the subject as the reverend gentleman, but I humbly suggest the probability of there being a luminous appearance in the eyes of the owl, by which the fish are enticed within the reach of its beak or claws. Fishing by torch-light is practised in some countries : it is likely that it could have derived its origin from a consideration of this kind. — J. S. Thur- garton, Norfolk, April 17. 1829. Bearing of Pheasants. — The following observations are for the use of your Correspondent from the Isle of Wight (.Vol. I. p. 500.). Pheasants may be easily reared, if they are fed on boiled eggs till they are able to eat small wheat, when a heap of gravel should be deposited in their coops. It is usual to give them the larvae of ants, but they should never have more of them at one time than they would be likely to find in the fields. I should recommend the larvae of the black ant, because I think that the larvae of the red ant sometimes prove fatal. I once supplied a very healthy brood of pheasants with a hearty meal of them, and in less than an hour some of the Wrds were dead. If I am right in classing cause and effect, this is a singular fact. I accounted for it by supposing that the peculiar acid which is so pre- dominant in the perfect insect, may be equally potest ia the larvae and as- fatal.- Jrf. The Crojf;, noticed by P. H. (p. 101 .), was evidently the Royston, or Hooded^ Crow (C'orvus Comix Linn.), which is a peculiar species that comes over to us from the north of Europe at the approach of winter, about the same time with the woodcock and other birds of passage, is seen generally in pairs, and near to the sea coast, and leaves us again in the spring. — J. C. The Crow alluded to in p. loi. is the Hooded, or Royston, Crow, common in the Isle of Thanet and parts of East Kent, C'orvus Cornix of Linnseus. — Anon. Bishopsbourne, Kent, March 26. \S29. , Scolopax Sabin'i (in answer to A. C. R., p. 207.) — There is a very good representation and description of the *i'c6lopax Sabini in the second volume Qtieries mid Answers. 28^ of Bewick's British Birds, p. 416., last edition. I am, Sir, Ac. — Perceval Hunter. May 6. 1829. The Black-headed Bunting. — Do you call the Black-headed Bunting a Blackcap ? as we have no migratory bird in this neighbourhood but it which deserves the name. What is called the blackcap here is the largest titmouse, which stays the winter with us, and in summer is so injurious to the crops of peas, that 1 have known them sometimes eat them all, not leav- ing a single pod for any one else. — T. G. Clithero. April 17. 1829. Stoiu'chat and Wheatear. — What is the difference between the stourchat and the wheatear? The same bird is called by both names here. lam. Sir, &c. — Id. Swperfcetation of a Pheasant's Egg. — I had a pheasant's nest last year, on one of my fences, containing eleven eggs. In due time ten birds escaped from the shell and one egg proved barren. In one of the shells, out of which a bird had evidently gone, was a thick film, extending entirely across the middle, in the direction of the conjugate diameter, and dividing the egg into two ca- vities. Beyond the^film, when broken, was discovered another egg, of a glo- bular form, having a very hard shell, and containing, as usual, white and yolk. My brother still retains it in his collection. Is this an instance of what medical men call superfGetation?— /. S. Thiirgarton, Norfolk, Aprii 17. 1828. Winter Quarters of Frogs. — In reply to the query on the winter quarters of frogs (p. 103.), it must be recollected, that on the breaking up of the ice at the end of winter, or in the early part of spring, in these climates, vast numbers of full-grown frogs make their way to the surface of the water in the ponds and ditches which they inhabit, and there congregate, with their heads out of the water, making such a gurgling noise as often to attract, the attention of idle boys, whom I have often seen contending with each other in the numbers they could knock on the head with their missiles ; a circum- stance which probably suggested the fable of the Frogs and the Boys, and which our young friends will, we hope, bear in mind, when they contem- plate this annual display of joy in these harmless creatures on the return of genial spring ; and recollect what the old frog said, viz. " Although this may appear fine sport to you, remember it is death to us.'* As, then, the frogs re- appear in spring, it k evident that they do not die at the beginning of winter; and the general belief is, apparently not without foundation, that they lie dormant amongst the weeds at the bottom of the water, or buried under thie soft mud ; the reason for which may probably be found in the abstraction of food during the winter season : as they can neither obtain food nor get to the surface to respire, these functions, as in all hybernating animals, become suspended, and the animal, as in a profound sleep, remains quite uncon- scious of its existence. — J. C. Gelatinous Mass like the Remains of & Frog. — In reference to the remarks about frogs in p. 103., permit me to say, that the gelatinous mass your cor-f respondent refers to, is not unlikely that commonly called " Shot-star," and occasionally met with in fenny countries and meadows. I have nqt doubt but it proceeds from frogs having been swallowed by sea-fowl, and ejected again from the stomach ; the gelatinous substance is, in all proba- bility, the omduct of the frog, which expands by the temperature of the stomach, and is the principal cause of its being voided shortly after having been swallowed. Thus the oviduct of the frog, if placed in a tumbler of water, about blood heat, expands to very many times its original volume. As to showers of frogs, an officer of high rank in India informs me that he has not unfrequently seen, after a shower, the roof of his tent covered with minute frogs, and sufficiently lively too ; may not powerful evapor- ation be also a source of their transport into the air, or the tube of the water-spout inhale them which the nimbus diffuses jmd scatters?— » J, Murray/. 290 Queries and Answers* Mole Cricket {Gr^llus gryllotdlpa) {^g. 77.)» (in answer to Mr. Robert Jones). — These cu- rious hemipterous "77 insects are oftener heard than seen; as they only come abroad in the night, and then, as raay be seen by their paths, but a little way from their dwelling place. They live, breed, and constantly inhabit the sides of ditches and drains, in boggy grounds. Here they form numerous tunnels about 6 or 8 in. under the surface, for which their two foremost feet are well adapted, being remarkably strong, and shaped like the large claws of a lobster. They are an ugly and hostile-looking insect, though perfectly harmless; 1^ in. in length, of a dirty brown colour, and entirely covered with close short down, which serves to form an envelope of hair, and defend them from the contact of water while immersed. Their chirp or call, which appears to be produced by the vibration of their shells, is a deep- toned jar, performed in their recesses, and has caused them to be called the Churr-worm ; a name very significant of their call. — J. M, Chelsea, Harvest Bug (A'cariis autumnalis Shaw). — Passing some days in Glouces- tershire, with my family, in the early part of September last, we were daily annoyed by the appearance of small vesicles, chiefly on the neck, arms, and legs. These vesicles seemed to be filled with a semi-transparent fluid, were surrounded with more or less of redness, and attended by very troublesome itching, especially if irritated by rubbing. Our friend (a medical man) assured us it was caused by the harvest bug, which he de- scribed as an insect of very minute size, and of a bright red colour. It may be remarked, that we invariably found fresh vesicles making their appearance after walking in a neighbouring plantation. If you or any of your readers could throw any light upon the natural history of this troublesome little in- sect, it would oblige yours, &c. — G. B. K. Birmingham^ Nov. 14. 1828. The Sea Spider filluded to in p. 21 1., and which, by being exhibited under the title of a tarantula sea spider, has no doubt extracted some money from the pockets of John Bull, cannot be regarded in any other light than as one of those gross impositions upon the public, which are occasionally offered to the credulous and ignorant in all countries, but more particularly our own. Your Magazine, and the increasing taste for natural history, will gradually diminish the number of such experiments, by causing them to be detected and exposed in the first instance. Enough of the descrip* tion of this new cheat is given by M. C. G., to enable a zoologist to deter- mine it to be no other than a species of cuttle fish, probably ^Sepia offici- nalis, disguised by the removal of its suckers, by the addition of a " spiral tongue half a yard in length, armed with a pair of forceps at the end ! and that of a very large spinner out of which the exhibiter had taken a web 1" The bone in the species above indicated terminates posteriorly, but within the exterior tunic, in a short spinous point, so that it would appear that this also had been exaggerated by some addition. It will readily occur to those acquainted with these animals, that the possessor of this treasure has either wilfully or ignorantly mistaken the position of the mouth, which, as de- scribed by M. C. G., is the opening of the sub-abdominal pouch, the place of the real mouth being within the centre of the arms which crown the head of the animal. — T. J. May 21. 1829. Remarkable Spider. — Sir, I beg leave to send you the following account of a remarkable spider, which I took some time ago, I believe about the end Qitcries and Answers, !29l of summer, on a furze bush. His abdomen exceeded in size a wren's egg, was of an extremely bright yellow, and marked with brown something in the shape of the marks on a diadem spider (^rauea diadbma). {fig. 78.) After I had returned home, delighted 78 with my prize, I put him into a work- box made of fine wire gauze, together with large specimens of the before- mentioned species, many of whom he devoured. He was of great strength, and had very long sharp jaws, but I had not the curiosity to find out whether they were venomous ; his legs were long, and after his committing these murders I was obliged to remove him into a mouse cage, and subsequently into a box. I fed him daily on flies, and allowed him to walk about after being fed. Notwithstanding all my care, however, he gradually lost colour, grew thinner, and in about a month he died. I, being ignorant at that time how to preserve spiders, ran him through with a pin after the manner of other insects, and placed him in my cabinet, where he now remains, but shrivelled to half size, and retaining hardly any thing of his former beauty. Position of the eyes thus, : : : : If any of your correspondents can tell me, through the medium of your Magazine, to what species it belongs, and likewise a simple and easy method of preserving spiders that have much colour, I should feel myself much obliged. — C.Lambe. May 6. l?,29. Spiders on Chestnut Timber. — In Wood's Letters of an Architect (vol. i. p. 60.), it is stated that all the timbers in the cathedral of Rheims " are said to be of chestnut, and the proof is, that no spiders are found upon it." What is meant by this ? Will spiders not live on chestnut timber ? — John Brown. Wester oft, near Huntingdon, April, 1829. The Zeuzha aefscidi (Vol. I. p. 66.) has been supposed to feed only on elms ; the specimen I have was taken from an ash. The moth lays its eggs on the body of the tree during July or August ; the larvae, on exclusion from the egg, feed at first on the bark of the tree, penetrating the solid wood shortly after. I am not certain as to the length of time they feed, but I have reason to believe it is not until the second summer the perfect insect is excluded. My ideas for this I give : the egg is not hatched before August, and the larva from it becomes torpid by November, and as it cannot in this short time be full grown, it commences feeding the following spring, and per- fects itself during the summer. Before winter it spins a web across the orifice in the tree, and remains in this state until a month and a few days previous to its appearance as a perfect insect, when it assumes the chrysalis form. Its extrication from the tree is perfectly easy. In the chrysalis state every seg- ment of the body has a row of sharp short spines, which enables it to shift itself along the passage it has made by the motion of its body, the spines acting as levers against the sides of the hole. By these means it soon reaches the entrance from the exterior of the tree, which takes place a few hours before the developement of the per- fect insect. The drawing {fig.79.) is of the natural size ; my specimen, being a female, is large. It is furnished with powerful jaws, and has a hard brown shield on the top of the first segment of the body, within which it can entirely withdraw its head. The last segment of the body is furnished with a similar hard shield. The drawing of the wood is the full size. Another larva, found at the same time, had been the cause of its own destruction, the tree on 292 Queries and A/iswers, which it was feeding being so nearly divided, that the upper part had fallen and crushed the caterpillar, a, the respiratory organs. I shall be happy to furnish you with a drawing of the chrysalis, when it enters that form, should this be sufficiently interesting. I am. Sir, &c. — D. G. Kerridge. Ipswich^ March 3. 1829. 7%e Hessian Fly. — Sir, At Vol. I. p. 227., I observe some notice taken of the Hessian fly, and I send this in hopes that you will insert it in an early Number, where it may meet the eye of the reverend author, who will, I trust, favour us with his remarks on the nature and mode of propagation of a fly which has this year destroyed about one third of late sown wheat all over this country. As soon as the ear of wheat was fully developed, and before the flower was expanded, a small yellow or sulphur-coloured caterpillar, about one eighth of an inch in length, and thick in proportion, had taken its abode in numbers where the young milky grain was forming, which they completely devoured ; and the infested grains never showed the stamina, nor did the anthers expand. In about twelve days they became torpid, and in six days more they were transformed into small black flies, not half the size of those figured by Mr. Kirby. On calm evenings these flies appeared in myriads on the outside of the ear, but always sheltered themselves from the sun*s rays amongst the husks ; they existed about two weeks in the fly state and then disappeared, but have, in all likelihood, left the rudiments of a future gene- ration. This is the second year that the same destructive insect has proved hurtful to the wheat crops in this country. It will be obliging if Mr. Kirby, or any of your scientific correspondents, will, through the medium of your Magazine, inform us where they think the eggs are likely to be deposited. Can it be in the downy end of the grain of wheat ? Is it likely that these eggs will continue in the future plant, till the ear is again protruded, and then come into life, or how are we to account for their existence at that late period of the season, without appearing earlier ? When once its his-, tory is properly known (which in the present instance can only be disco- vered by analogy), means may be judiciously employed for its extermination. I am. Sir, yours, &c. — A. G. Perthshire^ Sept A 828. The Turnip Fly. — In Cunningham's work on New South Wales, it is stated that the turnip fly has been introduced into that country by means of turnip seed. Was it introduced in the e^g or larva state ? If either egg or larva be found among the seed, can they be destroyed by immersion in prepared fluid ? As this is a question of the greatest importance to the agriculturist, it is to be hoped that some of your correspondents will give it a careful consideration. — J. S. Thurgarton, Norfolk^ April 17. 1829. LymncB'a ovata. {fig. 80. a.) — From the specimen in my collection, I should consider this shell distinct from the H. piitris, or pere- gra of authors, and certainly not the Helix piitris of Dr. Tur- ton. This variety (of H. piitris) may be that which I have found in tolerable abundance in the neighbourhood of Don- caster, and which very much resembles the Lymnae'a ovata of some authors ; but this last (L. ovata) is not described in his Conchological Dictionary. The) terminal volutions are much more covered by the body than those in the shell figured in the Magazine of Natural History (Vol. I. p. 425. g). The line of separation is not quite so oblique ; the outer lip is somewhat compressed at the margin, and it is attached nearer to the upper part of the body, where it is rather flattened; it is more tumid than the peregra, and slightly striate longitudinally; and, like the H. stagnalis, has a few flattened spaces, as if pieces had been chipped off*. My largest specimen is somewhat more that six tenths of an inch in length, and about four tenths in breadth. Having met only with two specimens in this spot, I consider it more rare than L. piitris, Queries and A?js'wers. 293 which is very common here. Lymnae'a frAgiiis Mag, Nat. Hist. (vol. i. p. 425. a) corresponds with mine ; but, as I found them at Malmaison, near Paris, could Lamarck have been ignorant of its habitat, and refer his speci- men to Dr. Leach's ? Turbo wmscorum (Pupa 7»usc6rum) is much con- fused, as justly remarked by Mr. Kenyon. I have several specimens marked by different conchologists, and not two alike ; it would be desirable to re- present all the varieties for the sake of comparison. P. wzuscorum, P. chrysalis, and P. sexdentatus of Turton, are however found in the same locality in this island, if I understand them as described in his Gonchological Dictionary. Is not Voluta ringens of Turton the young of Voluta refl^xa ? These are both found here together in inlets of the sea. Turbo j'unlperi {fig. 80. h\ mentioned by authors as rare, is found in great abundance on the oolitic hills of Gloucestershire, under dry tufts of grass ; and, like most toothed shells, have the back of the outer lip visibly marked by white opaque lines. — F. C. L. Guernsey^ April 20, 1829. The curious Worm. — In answer to your correspondent W. W. (p. 105.), I beg to say that his curious worm is a species of i^ilaria, which inhabits the intestines of the larger beetles, but is occasionally to be found in ditches ^ or in moist earth. See Kirby and Spence's Entomology, vol. iv. p. 229. I have taken this worm, from 3 to 4 in. in length, from the bowels of the Carabus hortdnsis and C. madidus of Marsham ; and I have found the same in wells, and once, like your correspondent, on the ground. — G. I. Dr. Martins' s Discoveries. — I am anxious for a detail of the discoveries of Dr. Martins. I have no doubt but there are discoveries yet to be made on the structure of plants, that will some day make the knowledge of the present day appear like child's play. — E. K. Feb. 7. 1829. A Cedar and a Species of Wild Basil. — In Ashantee {Bowdich^s Mission, p. 175.) there is a cedar, the leaves of which exude a considerable quantity of liquid salt, which crystallises during the day. There is, also, in Chile, a species of wild basil, which is every morning covered with saline globules, resembling dew, which the natives use as salt. {Bticke's Beauties of Nature.) Can any of your readers inform me of the systematic names of these trees? — P. S. March 1829. Starwort. — The plant described by Graham, in his British Georgics, under the name of Starwort, which your Berwick 81 correspondent (Vol.1, p. 299.) cannot identify, is ma- nifestly the Pingufcula vulgaris (/^. 81.), very com- mon in upland marshes and in peat soil. — J. B. The ancient Mallow. — Sir, in answer to the cour- teous objections of your correspondent G. M. (p. 118.), permit me to observe that one is already refuted by himself, since he admits that we cannot positively identify the ancient mallow, which was expressly my own assertion; observing, at the time, that many other plants were in the same predicament. He says, " there is at least as much reason to believe that the Malva, of Horace, is the same as the mallow with us, as there is that it should be any other plant." I will allow that there is much more reason to believe it our mallow; but supposing that no doubt remained, not only of the mallow of Horace being a malvaceous plant, but of its actual inclusion in the genus ilfalva, still the plant would not be identified, the species being so numerous. It would be more difficult, perhaps, to determine whether the mallow^of Horace be the same with that of the Old Testament, than whether it be ours. If mallow be derived from the Latin, it expresses those emollient qualities for which the Roman mallow was noted; if we trace it to the Hebrew, the name expresses saltness, for which neither the Roman nor 29* Queries mid Answers. the modern mallow is remarkable, but which is very observable in many of the y4trfplices, to which, according to Bochart, some suppose the scriptural mallow to belong. It might, perhaps, have been more judicious to speak of the ancient mal- low as an esculent in frequent use, than as an important one ; yet I can scarcely admit that it is incorrect. I would willingly abide by the decision of those wandering tribes who were reduced to the necessity of plucking mallows from the bushes ; or of the Romans, who appear to have rated the mallow much as we do the lettuce, as a cool and agreeable vegetable. Evelyn says it was taken by the poets for all salads in general. " Pytha- goras," continues he, " held malvce folium sanctissimum^ and we find Epi- menides in Plato, at his mallow and asphodel ; andy indeed, it was of old the first dish at table. The Romans had it also in AeYicuSy malvcB salubres corpori,— approved by Galen and Dioscorides ;— namely, the garden mallow, by others the wild, but I think both proper for the pot rather than sallet," Your correspondent observes that Sir J. E. Smith expressly states that the malvaceous plants are not esculent; but a moment's reflection will show him that if he takes this in its strictest sense, as including a// the plants of that order, it argues rather against than in favour of Horace's mallow being the same as our own, since, whether important or otherwise, the Roman mallow was undoubtedly an esculent. Some of this order, how- ever, are eaten ; the Jffibiscus escul^ntus for instance, which, according to Martyn, affords a rich dish (the pods being boiled with butter), eaten only in private families. Evelyn says that the " arborescent holy hocks " are " by some recommended and eaten with oil and vinegar, and by others with butter." He includes the curled mallow in his Acetaria. ^ ^ . It is understood that the Chinese use some kind of mallow in their food ; and " Prosper Alpinus informs us that a tree of the mallow kind is eaten by the Egyptians." * — E. K. LathrcB^a squamdria. — This curious plant is not uncommon near Rich- mond, and is found in the thickest parts of the woods, generally at the roots of the hazel. I never saw it growing truly parasitically but once, and thiat was on the roots of an ash tree by the side of the river Swale, from which I have seen fine specimens gathered : it even flowered once after the tree had been cut down, and the root torn up ; but died in the winter. It was not in any way different from other specimens gathered in this neighbourhood, and was, in my opinion, truly parasitical. — L. E. 0. Richmond, Yorkshire, March 4. 1829. Blackdown Fossils sent to us by J. R.-— The following names of genera and species of fossil shells, from Blackdown, Devonshire, figured in Mineral Conchologt/ or elsewhere, have been supplied by Mr. Sowerby ; — Venus plana, Mineral Conchology, tab. 20; Turbo rotundatus, 453; Venu5 /aba, 567; Ammon2^e5 varicosus, 451; Turritella granulata, 565; Turbo concinnus, 433; Cdrdium U\\\anim, 14; Cardium proboscldeum, 156; Cucullae'a oblonga, 286 ; Cucullae'a glabra, 67 ; CucuUae'a costellata, 447 ; Cucullae^a carinata, 207 ; Cucullae'a punctata, n. s. ; Venui' caperata, 518; Pectunculus umbonatus, 472; Trigonia aliformis, 215; ikfy tikis ed^ntulus, 439; Inod^ramus concdntricus, 305; Nucula impr^ssa, 475; Gryphae'a conica ; Corbula elegans, 572 ; Corbula gigantea, 209 ; Natica canrena, Parkinson, t. 6. f. 2. ; Isocardia cuneata; Isocardia sp.?; (Solen Sanguinolaria ; ^uccinum sp. ? On the Blackdown Fossils, hy R. C. Taylor, Esq. — The quarries of Blacks down have long been known to furnish the best whetstones, and the most beautiful fossils, perhaps in all England. Whatever may be the merits of the former, the latter come more especially and properly under our notice. From this locality have been furnished more than 1 50 species of fossil Tes- * Martyn's Millei*'s Gardener's Dictionary. Queries and Anstvers, ^95^ tacea, and it is distinguished no less by the profusion of these remains, than by the variety of their species, and the beauty of their preservation. Its site is upon the western extremity of the green sand formation, where it is prolonged or protruded considerably beyond its general hne of escarpment, and forms extensive out-lying masses ; amongst which the elevated table- land of Blackdown is conspicuous. The fine state of preservation of the fossils of this district is owing to the subtitution of chalcedony for the calcareous matter of the shells ; by which singular process all the delicacy and characters of the ori- ginal are preserved, in a much less destructible material j nothing being requisite to complete the copy but colour. Those with which we have been favoured by our correspon- dent belong to the following ge- nera: Turrit^lla, A'rca, Cucullae'a, Trigonia, Cardium, Pectunculus, V^nu5, Corbula, Chama, Inoc^ramus, and Ammomtes, with an Echinite. They are the most prevailing of the green sand fossils. As it forms part of our plan to illustrate the geology of our island by catalogues and sketches of the most characteristic forms in the re- spective formations, it will perhaps be advisable to postpone the draw- -^ ings of the Blackdown fossils, until they can be more appropriately intro- duced in the course of our geological articles. Meanwhile, we figure one of those bodies (^g. 82.) which are conjectured by our correspondent to be fruit, but which, in fact, are zoophytes, originally bearing the name of Tulip -<41cy6nia, and now placed under the genus Siphonia. Some interesting illustrative figures of this zoophyte may be seen in Geol. Trans., vol. ii. Mr. Parkinson describes it as a fossil animal, with a polymorphous body supported by a stem proceeding from a fusiform or ramose root-like pe- dicle ; the original substance spongious, and pierced by a bundle of tubes derived from the pedicle, passing through the stem, then ramifying and ter- minating on the surface of the body, With the other fossils from Blackdown are obscure spongiform spherical bodies, which must have existed in great abundance at the same time with the Testacea. There are some other varieties of zoophytes, and numerous shells, besides those now furnished, which occur in this rich depository of organic remains. Contributions like these are highly estimated ; they enlarge our acquaint- ance with the products of diiFerent districts, and will, moreover, much faci- litate the object we have in view of furnishing an outline of English geology, derived, as much as possible, from original sources. We cannot expect collectors to contribute specimens of rarity or of value, but there are districts where they are so readily attainable, that the geolo- gical student would often find it preferable to furnish originals, as in the present instance, than the drawings with which we have been favoured. — R. a T, The Packet of Fossils sent by Samuel Tyssen, Esq., of Narborough Hall, Norfolk, are, with one or two exceptions, casts of chalk fossils in flint, and have apparently been collected from the surface of the soil, or from the loose 2'96 Queries and Answers. assemblage of disturl>ed and shattered flints which covers, in a great measure, the entire superficial area of the chalk formation of this country. The shells consist chiefly of Inoc^rami, of the species before figured and described at page 69. in Volume I. of this work (fig. 39 and 40.). They often occur in groups, and a single flint may be seen marked with the distorted casts and impressions of a numerous assemblage of these Testacea, without any visible traces of their shells remaining. Thus, in one of Mr. Tyssen's specimens, we perceive sixteen or' eighteen Inoc^rami. These surround the cast of an Echinus, iS'patangus (c(5r marinum), also distorted. Another flint exhibits the cast of a single tubercle of a mammillated echinite, of the genus Cidaris. Similar detached impressions are common on fragments of flint, but entire siliceous specimens of the Cidaris are less abundant, particularly in Norfolk. There is also a small plicated Terre- brdtula of a species rather abundant in chalk. — ii. C. T. The species from the chalk itself are as follows : — Radiata : C6nu- lus albogal^rus Mantel, t. 17.; Galerites ? Lamarck ; Conulus (Galerites) Rotula Brong. Acepha- lous Mollusca: Inoc^ramus inter- m^ius, n. s. {fig. 85. a) Mm. Con. t. 440., and its hinge {b) ; Gryphae'a globosa Min. Con. t. 392.; Terre- bratula carnea Min. Con. t. 15. one of the same cast in flint ; Terre- brdtula obliqua Min. Con. t. 277. — J.D.C.S. Minute Objects on Flints. — Some time about last midsummer, walking on the Precinct Meadows, I was struck with the appearance of the flints and other hard sub- stances being partially covered with a white powder, particularly in the crevices. I found this powder fixed, and, on further examin- ation with a lens, that they must be either minute plants of the order Cryptogamia, or the nidi of insects. I also found them on the high ground on the opposite side of the river. The annexed sketch {fig. 84.) is from 84 a flint In my possession, which shall be forwarded if requested. The objects appear to be in the same state as when I first brought them home. The portion of the flint is one tenth of an inch in length, and the sketch is magnified thirty times. The disks of the objects are finely radiated, and two of them {a b) are globular. An explanation will much oblige. Sir, yours, &c. — Samuel Woodward. Diana Square , Norwich y Aprils. 1829. I have ever considered these to be the eggs of a red J'carus, which always accompanies them, as far as I have observed, J, D. C. S. Queries and Answers, 297 Limestone frovi Coral Bocks. — It is well known that the Bermudas, or Somers Isles, are surrounded by innumerable coral rocks. On examining the limestone of which these islands are principally composed, I am inclined to think it has been formed by the coral being raised above the surface of the sea (for the coral insect works no higher) by some convulsion. In sup- port of this, I have observed many appearances of decomposing coral in the limestone, although it generally resembles the oolite or roestone of Port- land, &c., but with larger grains. Besides this, I have now by me some shells of the Miirex and Trochus genera taken from this rock, the former with the colour as perfect as if recently brought from the sea shore. In this same stratum I also noticed the bones of a whale, on the east side of Ireland's Island (one of the Bermudas). The limestone of Barbadoes bears similar marks of coral, and seems, in common with that of Bermuda and other parts, to be nothing more than the coral rock and coral sand raised from the sea. — W. H., R.N. Yeovil, April 22. 1829. A Fossil like a broken Nut. — Some time since, in making a col- lection of fossils from the inferior oolite in this neighbourhood, I found a specimen having all the appearance of a broken nut {Jig. 85.) with the kernel quite perfect. From its habitat (being amidst a great variety of shells), I conclude it must be a marine production, but what it is I should much wish to know. It is true, the same quarry whence it was taken contains a great deal of petrified wood, but its presence is almost as great an enigma to me as the nut itself. — Id. The blue Colour of the Sea. — Sir, I remember once to have noticed the last ray of the setting sun, on a fine calm evening at sea, which was of a bright emerald green. I believe the fact is noticed by Lord Byron, in some of his works. Does not this prove the blue colour of the sea, in the same way that the green appearance sometimes observable on each side of the setting sun may be accounted for by knowing that his golden rays intervene between us and the colour of the blue sky beyond? — Id. A Corn Spring. — Sir, My attention has lately been called to a corn spring in this parish. L mean a spring which is supposed to indicate, by its flowing, a rise in the price of corn. Such, I believe, have been noticed in many other places ; in particular, one other of a similar kind I have heard of in the neighbourhood of Atherstone in this county. The Dudley's spring (for such is the name by which the one here is known) has long been held in estimation among the lower orders for foretelling, as they believe, the dearness of corn ; and many old people, I am told, have been in the habit of watching its operations, and placing much faith in them. The spring, I should state, is a land spring, which occasionally oozing out of a low boggy corner of a field, flows with a considerable rill down the ditch which sepa- rates this parish from the adjoining parish of Corley. It is often quite dry, flowing periodically only, and at long and uncertain intervals. My personal knowledge of this phenomenon is only of very recent date, as I have never visited the actual spot till this summer, when the spring was flowing ; I can, therefore, only speak from report of the people in its more immediate vici- nity. From them I learn that the spring commenced flowing about the middle of May last, after having been dry for about two years. On the last occasion of its flowing, more than two years since, they acknowledge that the spring did not maintain its prophetic character, as no rise in the price of corn ensued. The most remarkable circumstance relating to this spring (if true, as I am informed) is, that its operations do not appear to depend on the seasons, but that it is often known to flow in a very dry season, and again to be dry in a very wet one. This account, however, is hardly credible, as there can be little doubt, I think, that the flowing of the spring must depend, if not directly, remotely at least, on the quantity of rain that falls ; Vol. II. — No. 8. x ^g Retrospective Criticism. an opinion which derives much confirmation from the circumstance of the spring having ceased to flow during the last two years of unusual drought, and breaking out again in May of the present year, after the copious and heavy rains which fell in the spring. White, in his History of Selborne^ speaking of the wet autumn and winter of 1 773, says that " the land springs, which we call lavatits, break out much on the downs of Sussex, Hampshire, and Wiltshire. The country people say, when the lavants rise corn will always be dear ; meaning that when the earth is so glutted with water as to send forth springs on the downs and uplands, that the corn vales must be drowned : and so it has proved for these ten or eleven years past. For land springs have never obtained more since the memory of man than during that period ; nor has there been known a greater scarcity of all sorts of grain, considering the great improvements of modern husbandry.*' (See Let. 19. to Hon. D. Harrington.) It is an acknowledged fact, that a dry season is most favourable to the produce of corn in this country, to say no- thing of the getting in of the harvest. There are several old proverbs to this effect, such as, " Drought never bred dearth in England : '* and, " When the sand doth feed the clay (which is in a wet summer), England, woe and well-a-day ! But when the clay doth feed the sand (which is in a dry summer), Then it is well with England." {Ray's Proverbs, ) Now, this being the case, and the flowing of the land springs depending, as it should seem it certainly must do, on the quantity of rain that falls, it is easy to perceive how these corn springs, as they are called, came to have attributed to them a character for foretelling a dearness of corn. It would be worth while, however, to watch their operations more minutely ; and it is in the hope that some intelligent persons, who have the opportunity, may be induced to do so, that I have now called your attention to the subject. The Dudley's spring is still flowing (Sept. 13.) as copiously as when I visited the spot two months ago. Yours, &c. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory y Sept. 20. 1828. Laudanum, a species of dew. — Laudanum is procured in a curious man- ner, in some parts of the fsle of Cyprus. It is a species of dew, which falls during the evening and night upon plants resembling sage, the flowers of which are like those of the eglantine. Before the sun rises, flocks of goats are driven into the field, and the laudanum fastens on their beards, whence it is taken. It is of a viscous nature, and, collected in this manner, is purer than that which adheres to the plants; because these plants are subject to being covered with dust during the day. {Ruche's Beauties of Nature.) Can any of your readers explain this ? — R. S. March^ 1829. Art. X. Retrospective Criticism. Accentuation of Names. — Sir, I never take up your Magazine of Natural History, but its multifarious contents bring before my mind the imaginary picture of Horace, "undique collatis membris." * I say this with reference only to the sources of your information : the consummation of the poet's supposition, " ut nee pes nee caput uni reddatur formae," -f will by no means attach to your work; for I am persuaded that it will hereafter * " Members collected from all parts." f " That neither foot nor head can be referred to the same form." Retrospective Criticism. 29^ exhibit a picture of truth in due symmetry and proper proportion. There are a few great artists ah*eady employed about the head, more about the body, and a still greater number about the limbs. I, too, would have a share in so goodly a work, but I am an artist of the humblest class. I can offer only the ** great toe of the assembly,'' and if that be not in proportion, I beseech you to reject it and suffer it not to deform your picture. You have made the penultimate syllables of the words Chrysomela and Cicindela long : and Ainsworth, quoting from Pliny, has done the same. The poet. Gray, has adopted a different accentuation, as you will perceive by the subjoined lines, which are a portion of his verses commemorative of the Linnean Orders and Genera: — " Chrysomela inflexa loricae stringitur or^. Maxilla exserta est oculoque Cicindela grandi.'* Gray was a classical scholar, and would not, I conceive, accentuate a word without sufficient authority. But where is his authority in the present instance? In the whole nomenclature of entomology, no words are more va- riously pronounced than these two now before us : and I must confess that, if Chrysomela be the correct accentuation, I am utterly unable to discover any thing in its derivation applicable to the insect to which it is assigned. In page 160. you have written elytra, and in page 425. Elytra. I presume that, prosodically, it may be either elytra or elytra ; but in no case can it be elytra. Gray has written elytra. I prefer your former pronunciation, because it is, to my ear, more euphonic. In one case I find prodromus ; in another, through inadvertence I sup- pose, prodromus. I do not make these remarks, Sir, from any fastidious feeling, but for the purpose of information ; and, more particularly, to show the necessity of annexing to the end of each volume of your work a correct accentuation of the terms therein employed. I am. Sir, &c. — J. S. Thurgarton^ Norfolk, April 17. 1829. [Our correspondent's other communications are inserted in their proper places.] Errata. — Page 107. line 16. from the top,/or " the fossils (^^5. 25. and ^6.\" read " the fossils (/g5. 24. and 25.)." Page 162. line 9. for "fifty," read " forty." Page 169. line 22, for " annona," read " ananna. " Ascent of the Aerial Spider. — Sir, Mr. Blackwall's letter in your Ma- gazine (p. 116.) leaves this question exactly as it was. It is true he is pleased to deal in invective and complaint ; but this has nothing to do with the case. Your correspondent need not be told that the council of no scientific society hold themselves responsible for the papers that may appear in their published Transactions ; the entire onus rests on the indi- vidual authors of the respective papers ; nay, more, as in the case of the Royal and Horticultural Societies and others, an express printed notice to that effect is prefixed to each volume. An author may gain sufficient credit with the council of any society, to warrant the publication of his sentiments or opinions, however erroneous they may be ultimately found to be. On such promulgation, these published opinions become public property, and they may be sifted and tried before that tribunal. If Mr. Blackwall finds himself unable to contest the question single-handed, I cannot concede to him the right of calling into his aid the coup de main of the council of the Linnean Society, the individual members of which I highly respect, and feel assured they will not be so unwise as to wage an indiscreet war against any one contending for the principles of truth. The opinions sustained in that paper are the opinions, surely, of Mr. Blackwall, and not of the coun- cil of the Linnean Society, or, if otherwise, how could Mr. Blackwall lend his name to a paper which did not belong to him. I shall not yield in my respect for the Linnean Society to him or any one, and am only surprised, X 2 fSGO Retros2iective Criticism, ■he should wish to shield his paper behind a screen, when he alone is re- sponsible for the acts of his own offspring. Mr. Blackwall assures us, he was unacquainted with Gay Lussac's ac- count of the ascent of the soap bubble, and we have a right to believe his statement ; the principle, though he confesses it, has not novelty to recom- - mend it ; he applies it to the ascent of the spider, exactly as that eminent philosopher applied it to the soap bubble, and I must really leave Mr. Blackwall to manage the tackling of his composition of forces, as best he may. To me at leasts it seems sadly complicated and confused. Mr. Blackwall seems really to consider my observations as almost per- sonal against himself; but I can assure him that this is not even possible, since I never even met with his name previously to seeing it in the TranS' actions of the Linnean Society ^ in a paper on the ascent of the spider which purports to bear his name. Because I did not mention the temperature within and without, ergo I had not taken it, and had not ascertained the direction of the current. Now, Mr. Blackwall may have, if he presses for it, all the benefit that may arise from his illogical conclusion. It seems that Mr. Blackwall did not mean to canvass the electrical aip- titude o^ the mr as to its positive or negative relations; but only that the aeronautic spider is not particularly select in the quantity or intensity that may abound. As Mr. Blackwall is very sensitive about his name being introduced into a question which has, or ought to have, truth for its aim and object, he should have been a little more cautious in rejecting the opinions of those who have investigated the subject with as much care as himself; and I must confess that, in that very memoir, I can perceive but little courtesy ex- hibited toward his fellow-labourers in the delightful field of natural history, and in the case of those who have canvassed the subject. I have " committed" my opinions to the same test which must be ap- plied in the case of his asserted facts; by that standard of appeal we must both submit to be judged, and receive our acquittal or condemnation accordingly, and it is needless for either him or me to endeavour to fly off at a_tangent. I merely repeat that my experiments have been numerous and diversified, and all those who know me will concede to me the merit of an indefatigable, laborious, and careful experimenter ; and when that volume is reprinted I shall be able to adduce a multitude of facts more. Last autumn I let go an aeronautic spider, together with some thistle^ down, simultaneously from the same spot in the open air. They moved in exactly contrary directions ! I must leave the phenomenon with Mr. Blackwall, to be adjusted by the " laws of compound forces." I, however, did not ascertain the temperature. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. — J. Murray, The Lump attached to the Throat of the Hare. (Vol. I. p. 216.) — Sir, In confirmation of the opinion which I was led to form in my communication to you respecting the hare, that the lump attached to its throat was most pro- bably caused by a diseased state of some of the glands, and was not an original deformity from its birth, I had the good fortune to meet with the following parallel case in one of the feathered tribe, a common hen (Phasianus Gallus), and as it appears to be a novel circumstance, and may assist the mind in forming a just conclusion as to the cause of that singular appearance, I hope I may secure for the following description of it, a place in the next Num- ber of your Magazine : — Happening to find the hen just as she was dying, and perceiving that she was expiring from suffocation,! felt curious to ascer- tain the immediate cause by which her breathing was affected ; and my curiosity was not a little increased by the person who had the charge of her informing me, in answer to my queries, that she had a large lump in her craw. This lump I at first supposed to have been occasioned by swallowing some- Retrospective Critzdstn, 301 thing which she could not digest,and that it had probably brought on swelling and inflammation; but on dissecting her, and cutting through the outer skin of the throat, I was much surprised to find that though the lump occupied the usual situation of the craw, it was in no way connected with it or the oesophagus, but was entirely confined to the trachea which it quite encom- passed, and which it had, by the portion of it intervening between it and the neck, forced out of its natural situation. The lump, which was com- posed of cellular substance, like the one* on the hare, was quite round, about six inches in circumference, and presented no appearance of inflam- mation ; it encircled the trachea immediately above its entrance under the breast bone. From its great size, and from its being retained in a fixed position by the windpipe, it had forced the craw quite to one side of the neck, and so entirely occupied the space allotted by nature to that necessary organ, that it could hold but a very small portion of food. The lump was, in every respect, similar to tiie one on the hare; except that from the upright position of the neck, and from its entirely surrounding the trachea, it was retained by it in a fixed position, and by that means prevented from becom- ing pendulous by its own weight as with the hare. The pressure, occa- sioned by the lump and its confined position, caused her death by producing strangulation of the trachea. It is, however, I think, probable, that it would soon have ulcerated, as I found an effusion of viscid brown matter nearly in the centre of it. As the hen presented no unusual appearance until lately, and as she was an old one, I think it cannot have arisen from an original malformation ; it must, therefore, have been caused by some dis- ease, and as there was not the slightest appearance of inflammation, or that callosity which is, I believe, always attendant upon cancer, and as the lump on her and the hare so exactly correspond with the description and position of what is termed goitre in the human species, I am very much disposed to consider them similar. As I am not aware of this disease having ever been ascertained in the brute species, I feel some distrust in coming to this con- clusion; but should it be correct, it might throw some light on that disease, and would, I think, satifactorily disprove the vulgar idea that it is caused by drinking snow water. Trusting, therefore, that the consideration of this subject, though it may appear trivial to many of your readers, will not be found unworthy of the attention of some who are more competent than myself to give an opinion on the subject, I remain, &c. — John V. Stewart. Ards House, Dunfanaghy, SejJt. 29. 1828. The Pygmy Bison. — Had you inserted my article en the Pygmy Bison four months ago, you might have saved many individuals the mortification of being humbugged by another attempt of the same individual to appro- priate some of their cash to his own use, by such unfair means as the exhibition of his Tarantula, or Sea Spider. — V. May 23. 1829. Birds presented to the Hull Literary and Philosophical Society. — Your informant (Vol.1, p. 289.) has committed an error in describing the birds I lately presented to the Society. They were not a male and female Rallus aquaticus, but S'turnus Cinclus (or, as 1 conceive it should be, " cinctus/* though all the authors I have consulted write Cfnclus, which is a word of which I can make nothing). The Rallus aquaticus, of which you have given us an excellent engraving, was two or three years ago presented to the Institution by my nephew, Mr. B. B. Thompson, who shot it in this neighbourhood. 1 wish you would give us a good likeness of Sturnus Cinclus, for I do not know of one ; Bewick's specimen, though incorrect, is the best I have seen. I do not believe the story of its walking on the bottom of the beds of rivers, though doubtless it dives with ease. The authors who mention this seem to have followed each other ; and the whole appears to rest upon the testimony of Mr. Herbert, who wrote the letter on ■ the subject which M. Buffon has inserted in his work on birds. »S'turnus X 3 802 Retrospective Criticism. dnclus, though a shy bird, is to be found by streams on the moors of the north of England ; and if you could induce any who have an opportunity to favour yoti with observations on its habits, so as either to confirm or con- tradict this supposed habit of walking on the bottom of streams, I think it would be useful. — Thomas Thompson. Hully Sept. 9. 1828. The Solitary Snipe. — The beak of the solitary snipe (fig. 34. p. 147.) is made as long as that of the woodcock and common snipe, if not longer,, whereas it is invariably shorter. Having seen many hundreds of those birds abroad, I have almost always found their beaks to be about [the dimensions destroyed by the wafer] of an inch shorter than those of the woodcock or common snipe. — Your constant Reader. June 5. 1829. Mountain Cock. — Has not J. M. made some confusion (Vol. I. p. 296.) in speaking of the birds which, at a particular season, form the im- mediate objects of the sportsman's attention. He mentions moorcock, ptarmigan, heathcock, and mountain-cock. If we except the Capucaila, or wood-grouse (Tetrao Urogallus), which, I believe, has long been extinct in this island, I am not aware that there are more than three other indi- genous species of grouse, viz. the blackgame, or heathcock {T.Titnx); the red-game, or moorcock (T. scoticus), and the ptarmigan {T. iagopus). It is not apparent, therefore, to what species the name of mountain-cock applies. Should it not be entirely omitted? — B. Coventry, Sept. 5. 1828. Rallus aqudticus. — One complaint more, and I have done. In your figure of Rallus aquaticus (Vol. I. p. 289.), the bill is made straight at the apex, whereas it should have been slightly curved downwards. The bird also is in too erect a posture, and the figure entirely fails of expressing the character of the bird so admirably represented by Bewick. — Id. Certain little Moths. — In the Magazine of Natural History (Vol. I. p. 295.), speaking of the appearance of certain little moths, the larvae of which had been so destructive to the leaves of plants, J. M. says, " they prove to be the Phalae'na Pyralis of Linnaeus." I am at a loss to know what insect is meant by this. Pyralis is not the specific name of any Lin- nean species, but is employed by that naturalist to distinguish a family or subdivision of his genus Phalae'na, under which he placed about eighteen species in his Systema Natures : it is now adopted as a regular generic name for that particular family of moths. From J. M.'s account of the insects in question, I should suppose that they could not even belong to the genus Pyralis at all, but rather to that of Tortrix or TYnea. — Id. Tarsus of Chlanius vestitus, — Sir, Having met with a curious formation in the tarsus of a specimen of Chlanius vestitus, I send you the following account of it : — By the accompanying figure {Jig. 86.) you will see that the fourth joint of the tarsus, instead of being straight, is bent, 86 and has a projection from one side of the base, upon which is fixed what appears to be a supernumerary joint of a very different shape from the other joint, and having a depression in the middle, as if for the articulation of a terminal joint. This supernumerary joint was perfectly visible when the insect was in a fresh state. All the other legs of this insect were formed in the usual manner. The tarsus thus affected is the intermediate one on the left side. To some the noticing of so minute a fact as the above may appear ridiculous ; but it must be considered that insects having a horny covering to their bodies, and casting their skin many times before coming to perfection, are less likely to be deformed than most other animals. I therefore consider a variation so great as the above worthy of obsei*vation. I remain, Sir, &c. — Cacale. Camhridge, April \Q. 1829. Zoological Researches. — In noticing the first number of my Zoological Researches and Illustrations, p. 51., of your Second Volume, the manner in which your critique is worded seems likely to deprive me of the merit of Retrospective Criticism, SOS the discovery I was fortunate enough to make of the metamorphosis in the Crustacea : thus you state that I " had the satisfaction of witnessing the metamorphosis j^rs^ described by the Dutch naturalist Slabber;" now if you will take the trouble of reperusing my first Memoir, p. 8, and of inspecting Slabber's two figures copied into my first plate (fig. 1. a and 1. b,) you will readily perceive that, allowing Slabber to have seen what he describes, it is, at most, a change from one form of a natatory crustaceous animal into another natatory form wholly unknown, except to Slabber himself, and is hence a change which could never authorise an idea of the Dec^poda undergoing metamorphosis. As you may observe, I doubt altogether that Slabber witnessed my change, and shall shortly show what his fig. 1. b really is, this constituting one of the many discoveries I have more lately made. I should probably have published this in my next Number, but that I have a still more interesting memoir on the Cirripedes prepared for it, which will develope mysteries still more unexpected and important than the dis- covery of the metamorphosis in the Decapodous Macroura. — J. V. Thom- son, ilfrt^ 21. 1829. A singular Nidus. — I possess one of the same singular species of nidus as that mentioned by your correspondent (p. 104.). I, however, doubt its belonging to an aquatic insect, as mine was found by a friend (a botanist) in a hedge in a lane, and is attached to a small twig of the blackthorn. I have never met with it myself, although I am in the constant habit of exploring the countrj', at every season of the year, for insects and shells. — Charles Blomen. Teignmouth, Devonshi7'e, Aprils 1829. Bulimiis acutus and Helix virgata (fig. 40. p. 150.) were not distinguished in a part of our impression; the cut is therefore repeated (^g.S 7.); the snail ^^-z (Helix virgata) being marked^, and the "^^^^^ Bulimus a. '^C British Land and Fresh-water Shells. — Sir, I will thank you to make the following alterations in my paper on British Shells (Vol. I. p. 424.) : — After the observations on Lymnae^a fragilis add, " Is this shell the imma- ture L. stagnalis, or a variety of it? I have specimens of a Lymnae'a sent to me as the L. stagnalis, agreeing with Montagu's figure 7. plate 16., which is referred to as a representation of L. fragilis. I find little difference in the descriptions and figures, except in size." After those on Helix fusca add, " The Helix subruf^scens of Fleming is only the young of this species, according to the observations of W. Bean, Esq., of Scarborough." After those on H. carthusianella add, " The specimens labelled H. car- thusianella in the Manchester Museum, however, are much less than either Draparnaud's figure or our English shell." After those on H. ruf^scens add, " Since writing the above, I have observed in the Manchester Museum this shell designated as the Helix cornea. I believe the label is in the handwriting of W. Svyainson, Esq., but may have possibly been subsequently misplaced ; for certainly our Eng- lish shell differs very materially fiom the H. cornea of Draparnaud, to whose figure Lamarck refers." Yours, &c. — Joseph Kenyon. Spinning Slugs (p. 69.)- — It is long since this supposed species of slug has been described. On very many occasions have I observed the descent of the common grey and common green-bellied slug from trees and bushes, but without ever having reason to suspect that there was a distinct species, having the property of spinning a web. The fact is, that any small snail, in good health, can let itself down from almost any height to the ground,, by the tenacity of the slime exuded retromissively from the pores of the belly. The same muscular motion of the belly, exerted on givmg X 4 Si04 lietrbspedive Criticism. motion to this footless animal on the ground (and by which their slow and uniform progress is made), is also exercised in the air ; adding thereby to the length of the suspending line till they reach the ground. Their descent in this manner is an accident, not a purpose, and the doubts of your valuable correspondent respecting them are, therefore, perfectly just and rational. — M. The Fruit of the Artocarpus integrif alia. -^ In the Magazine of Natural History (Vol. 1. p. 274.), quoting from the Botanical Magazine for July, it is stated that the fruit of the entire-leaved bread-fruit (Artocarpus integrifolia) is a pod or pericarp. Having seen and eaten the fruit in its native counti*y, I rather suspect there is some error here. If the pine-apple (Bromeha), or the cones of the Scotch pine, can be called a pod, then the Botanical Maga- zine is correct. I very well remember having, in partaking of it, begun at the base, and pulling off, one after another, the subdivisions of the fruit. Each of these divisions contains a seed the size and shape of an almond, enclosed in a thin shell or membrane. The membrane is covered with a soft yel- lowish pulp, which is the eatable part. The centre of this aggregated, fruit is occupied by a prolonged receptacle, to which all the subdivisions are fixed in the manner of a strobile, and the interstices are filled up by the eatable pulp. I never saw the seeds eaten in India ; but I have no doubt they may be used like chestnuts. — J. M. iyitilldiia tessellata. — Your correspondent D. S. announces (Vol.1. p. 289.) that he saw " Fritillkria tessellata very abundant in some meadows near Harleston, Norfolk." I do notfind any species of Fritillaria in bota- nical works under that name, a name certainly not inapplicable to F. me- leagris, which, I believe, is the only species indigenous to this country, and which is well represented by the plate annexed to p. 289., under the name of F. tessellata. F. weleagris is a rare, or at least a very local, plant, but it occurs plentifully near Oxford both with purple and with white flowers, particularly in the meadows near Ifley, in Christ-Church Meadow, and most abundantly in Magdalen Meadow. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory. Our correspondent D. S. has adopted the name of R. A. Salisbury, in Gray's Natural Arrangement of British Plants. — Cond. The Weather, the Winds, and falling Stars. — I am happy to find occa- sional remarks on meteorology in your Magazine. It is a study yet in its infancy, but, I doubt not, will, in common with the many branches of natural history your publication embraces, be greatly perfected by a col- lection of facts and observations. I know very little of the theory of this science, but I believe the direction of the wind, and, consequently, the weather, both with us as well as in the southern hemisphere, depend on the degree of heat between the tropics. With respect to judging of the weather, 1 know no better criterion than that which our Saviour has given us : " When it is evening ye say it will be fair weather, for the sky is red ; and, in the morning, it will be foul weather to-day, for the sky is red and louring." Doubtless, this has been noticed by almost every one, as well as the two other observations, that the livid appearance of the sun's rays bears witness to the moist state of the atmosphere, and that if it sets in dense clouds which reach below the horizon, these clouds will assuredly come up with a westerly wind on the morrow, accompanied by rain. As to any indication of the direction the wind may assume, from the appearance of the higher clouds, I think many mistakes have arisen from not making suf- ficient allowance for the different currents of air in the atmosphere. I have no doubt but the direction of the current might be ascertained by these clouds ; but this same current may never reach us at all below. I am apt, however, to draw an inference quite the contrary to Mr. J. Rennie (see his Observations on the Modification of Clouds called Wind Reels, Vol. I. p. 454.), for I have noticed the direction of the wind to lie commonly at right angles with the greatest diameter of the cloud ; and this is borne out Biography : — John Templeton, Esq, 305 by the fact, that the clouds which arise successively in gales of wind, bring- ing with them heavy squalls and slight rain, assume a line which is at right angles with the wind. Neither do I allow the correctness of his remark, p. 456. (although it does not affect his argument in attempting to prove the influence of terrestrial magnetism), that " if the wind were the sole agent in determining their forms and positions, they ought always to stream in the direction^of its current, as we see is uniformly the case in the analogous instance of smoke." This is doubtless the case when any vapour issues from an aperture, like smoke from a chimney ; but it soon begins to assume the contrary form, and, when finally detached from its source, it takes a position with respect to the wind like the clouds before mentioned, as maybe observed in the distance, after a steamer has passed, leaving a dark volume behind her. There are two other observations I have made, which I would men- tion, although not immediately connected with the preceding remarks. The first is, that the meteors commonly called falling stars are so much lower between the tropics than with us, that I have frequently known them to pass close to the masts of a vessel, and, bursting with a noise like the firing of a pistol, emit a number of brilliant blue sparks. The second is, that in long calms at sea, which sometimes, in certain latitudes, are of several weeks' duration, the clouds appear heaped one on the other, like mountains of snow, all round the horizon ; whilst, in the zenith, the clear blue sky is as unsullied by a cloud as the watery mirror below is by a wave. I remember once a bucket was thrown into the sea, and so per- fect was the calm that, during three days, we were not separated from it a stone's cast ; and actually, the third day, it struck against the very part of the ship whence it was thrown. — W. H.^ R. iV. Yeovil^ April 22, 1829. Art. XI. Biography, Memoir of the late John Templeton, Esq., forming part of the Anniversary Address delivered on the 24th of May, 1827, to the Belfast Natural History Society, by the Rev. Thomas D. Hincks, M.R.I.A. &c., Presi-. dent of that Society. Communicated by Dr. Drummond. {Concluded from Vol. I. p. 406.) In the year 1802, Mr. Templeton sent a new rose, which he had dis- covered in 1795 or 1796, in the neighbourhood of Belfast, and after- wards found in other parts of the north, to the Dublin Society, which he named ^osa hibernica, but which was by many called the Templeton rose. This Society had offered a reward of 5 guineas for the discovery of new native plants, limiting the whole sum to 20 guineas. Mr. Tem- pleton was of course adjudged this small sum, which has from some mistake been called 50/., and spoken of as a liberal premium, by Sir J. E. Smith, in different publications where he had occasion to mention it. A similar prize was obtained by Dr. Scott, Professor of Botany to Trinity College, Dublin, and by Dr. Wade, Professor of Botany to the Dublin Society, for some new mosses; but, either from the fluctuation attendant on the proceedings of a body constituted like the Dublin Society, or from a supposition that the end of offering the reward was sufficiently attained by directing the attention of botanists to discovery, the premium was dropped after 1803. Had it been continued, Mr. Templeton would have had an opportunity of again claiming it, not only for the Orobanche rubra which he first discovered on Cave Hill in 1 805, and which has since been found on basaltic rocks in other parts of the country and in Scotland, 506 Biograj^hy : — Jo/m Templetony Esq. but also for a number of cryptogamic plants, which he communicated to such friends as were engaged in botanical pursuits. His application for the premium for his rose, opened a correspondence with General Vallancey, one of the vice-presidents, and for many years the most active manager of the Dublin Society. In the published letter, after the description of the rose, there are some remarks on specimens of wood he had sent to the General, particularly the locust tree of North America, and the chestnut. In other letters he gave the General accounts of antiquities in the north, especially of the Giant's Ring, which he measured for him. Of Gen. Vallancey Mr. Templeton appears to have had a high opinion ; and the intercourse I had with the General during many years, and the kind attention I expe- rienced from him, whilst acting for the Cork Institution, enable me to say that this opinion was well founded. Those who only knew the General as an antiquary, were apt to ridicule what they regarded as extravagant in his opinions ; but whatever errors any may suppose him to have fallen into on this subject, he was a well-informed and amiable man, anxious to promote the advancement of knowledge, and politely attentive, at the Society, to every person engaged in the pursuit of it. In 1 804, Dawson Turner, Esq., of Yarmouth, published MtLscologice Hib^r- nicee Spicilegiwn, in which he acknowledges his obligations to Mr. Temple- ton, in conjunction with Drs. Scott and Stokes. Of the former, Mr. Turner says that he has investigated the north of Ireland with indefatigable labour (labore improbo inclagavit), characterising it as a country mountainous and rich in the productions of nature. He also intimated, that from Mr. Temple- ton a Flora Hibernica was to be expected. In the same year, Dr.Wade pub- lished his PldntcB raribres in Hib&nia inv^ntce; and in the preface, speaking of a Flora Hibernica, observes : " I am well aware that there are some genu- ine and valuable materials for such a Flora in the hands of a gentleman in the northern part of this kingdom, — a person every way qualified from indus- try, information, and acuteness, for such an undertaking ; and it is much to be lamented he does not gratify the botanical world with the result of his researches." This work he sent to Mr. Templeton, as a mark of " respect for his botanical abilities and private worth." I do not find, however, that an intimacy ever took place between these gentlemen, though nothing is so apt to lead to friendly intercourse as a real attachment to the same pur- suits. Several botanists, about this time, urged Mr. Templeton to prose- cute the work alluded to ; and from a letter to Mr. Brown, before men- tioned, then quartered with his regiment at Derby, it appears that he seriously engaged in it ; but his diffidence, and his desire of rendering the work perfect, still delayed the publication. It may here be mentioned, that Mr. Templeton was a frequent contributor to the English Botany published by Sir J. E. Smith and Mr. Sowerby, to the Fud published by Mr. Dawson Turner, to the Conferva of Mr. Dillwyn, and to the Musco- IRfgia of his friends Drs. Hooker and Taylor. He also furnished many re- marks on the cultivation of plants to Professor Martyn, for his folio edition of Miller's Dictionary^ and to the Rev. Messrs. Dubourdieu and Sampson for their County Reports, though much was admitted in these which his better judgment would have disapproved, and which was afterwards the subject of severe but just censure. To English Botany he sent, besides thei^osa hibernica and Orobanche rubra, FunariaTempletonia, Conferva par- adoxa, and Jungermannia gracillima, original discoveries of his own; and twenty other plants found in Ireland, all cryptogamic except the Ew^hovhia hibernica. But Mr. Templeton did not confine his attention to botany. Skilled, like Linnaeus, in the various departments of natural history, his comprehensive mind planned, what he was peculiarly well qualified to exe- cute, a general natural history of Ireland. His preparations for this work were considerable, and he continued to labour at it to the last, being with- held from publication by his desire to render it complete. Though Biography : — John TempUlon^ Esq. 307 ixeveF instructed in the art of drawing, he acquired such skill in represent- ing tlie various objects he saw, that his delineations are remarkable for their fidelity ; and his anxiety to impart knowledge made him particularly attentive to whatever would tend to illustrate the subject. He has left behind him lists, in each department, of the native productions which came within his knowledge, with references and original remarks, and often illustrated by drawings made by himself from the object, which he often gratified his friends, and even strangers, with liberty to examine. It will naturally be expected that some of these should be more full than others. Ornithology was, I believe, the first object to which Mr. Templeton paid attention, and whilst no department has been neglected, this is peculiarly rich and interesting. The author of an address to the managers of our Belfast Institution, on the cultivation of natural history, after speaking of Mr. Templeton as a botanist, adds : " As none of the branches of natural history has escaped his penetrating research, much of the natural history of our island has re- ceived elucidation from his pen ; and very many of its natural productions have been beautifully delineated by his spirited and able pencil. His labours would form a most valuable present to the public." His reason for drawing so many figures was, the having observed so few correctly given in published works. Natural science will, indeed, sustain a heavy loss, should these accumu- lations of his genius and industry be withheld from the public ; but his son may be reasonably expected to accomplish his father's design ; and though these valuable remains will want that finish which, had life been spared, the author was himself so well qualified to give, yet they were so much ad^ vanced, that there seems no objection to their publication. As this, how- ever, will be attended with heavy expense, it may be hoped that those who respected the author while living, as well as those who are interested in the pursuit of natural history, will give it all the countenance in their power, and that the publication will take place as early as possible. When, in 1808, the Belfast Magazine was undertaken, Mr. Templeton supplied it with two monthly articles, entitled, the Naturalist's Report, and the Me- teorological Report, nearly as long as the work was continued, besides occa- sional articles. The object of the former appears to have been, to notice such circumstances as woidd serve to denote changes of weather, &c., for the use of the husbandman and the gardener. In the introduction, after pointing out the modes which the ancients had of foretelling changes in weather, he proceeds thus : " But the celebrated Linnaeus was the first who endeavoured to establish a calendar for the husbandman and the gardener, independent of astronomical signs, which, in our northern and variable climate, seldom prognosticate the changes of the weather with such cer- tainty as might be expected. As plants, however, vegetate according to the temperature which prevails, and flowers blow in a regular and never varying order, we have certain means, which can never fail, for directing us when to begin and leave off the various operations in husbandry and gar- dening. Should we, therefore, find, after a few years' experience, that the best crops were uniformly produced when we sowed or planted at the time a particular tree or plant flowered, we have ever a sure guide, independent of astronomical revolutions, and can direct others to pursue the same plan in whatever country they are |)laced. Thus if we have found, that, on sowing peas or other seed when the gooseberry flowered, they were ready for gathering when the corn-marigold flowered, we are pretty sure that each succeeding year the same uniformity will prevail, and by a little atten- tion, the times of gathering other crops will soon be known ; a matter of considerable importance to all who wish to enjoy the products of their garden in succession. Advantages nearly similar may be derived from at- tention to the migration of birds. These never fail to bring us the earliest 308 Biograjphy ; — John Templeton^ Esq, intelligence of whatever changes in the weather we are to expect. When the woodcock, fieldfare, and other winter birds of passage, appear un- usually soon, and in uncommon numbers, we have every reason to expect a severe winter; and when wildgeese and swans pass to the southward, we know that the season, being severe, and the waters frozen northward, a change of the wind towards that quarter will be accompanied by similar weather. We should accordingly provide ourselves with shelter, food, and suitable raiment J and the attentive gardener, protection for his tender plants. But when the swift appears, let him turn out the inhabitants of his green-house. By attention to insects, independently of receiving notice of an approaching plenty or scarcity of fish, we may often guard against their destructive effects. Thus may man, by the study of nature, gain new powers, triumph over obstacles which present themselves on every side, and, by means placed by the Deity within his reach, acquire foreknowledge." Such a report, continued, as it was, for many years, must afford valuable data; and 1 cannot but think that the collection of them in a separate publication, with such addition as his papers would supply, would be very useful. In the introduction to the meteorological report, he notices what has been done, and especially the tables compiled by our late estimable countryman, Richard Kirwan, Esq., by which the temperature may be calcu- lated for agricultural or horticultural purposes ; but observes, " that the husbandman is yet at a loss to know what dependence should be placed on the flitting clouds, whether his hay, when exposed to dry, will meet the long wished-for sunshine." Hoping that at some future day a genius will arise, who will arrange and give to the world a system which shall tend to remove that uncertainty, " we will endeavour," he says, " to present a series of well authenticated observations, which may assist him to complete so desirable an undertaking." Mr. Templeton was admirably fitted for sup- plying such articles as have been mentioned, because his eyes were always open, and his observation ever keen. Nothing curious escaped his atten- tion; and his journal, regularly kept and preserved from the year 1806 to his last illness, contains a great variety of information, which would supply an interesting work of the same nature as that of Mr. White of Sel- borne, whom, in some respects, he much resembled. Ever ready to commu- nicate what he knew, he supplied the late Mr. Wakefield with many anec- dotes respecting the instinct of animals, and those cases in which they appear to have powers superior to instinct, and there are probably many others occurring in these books. In a cursory perusal of one of them, I met one respecting a gander, which he observed searching for and raising carrots. The gander removed the earth around the root with his bill, which, on becoming clotted with earth, he shook until cleared; and when he had bared the root sufficiently to get a firm hold of it with his bill, he then, with sometimes considerable exertion, pulled it entirely out. I may here, perhaps, recall to your notice some lines of my friend, the Rev. Dr. Drummond, in his poem on the Giants* Causeway. Speaking of the instinct which directs the eel and the salmon, he adds, — " Unfold it, then, O Templeton, whose view Has roved creation's peopled regions through ; Thou, who canst speak of all the flowers of spring, Of fish of every fin, and birds of every wing ; Tell, for thou know'st, how Nature has assigned Their times and senses to each tribe and kind ; And how her laws direct, propel, control. So wondrous wise, th' instinctive power of soul. Mr. Templeton was not a great traveller, but he was well acquainted with Ulster. During the time he spent with Lord Clanbrassil, at Bryaas- I Biography : — John Templeton^ Esq. 309 ford, he explored the Mourne Mountains, which he afterwards visited witli his friends, Dr. Stokes, Fellow of Dublin College, and Mr. J, T. Mackay, the able superintendant of the Dublin College Botanic Garden, whose en- thusiasm in the pursuit of botanical knowledge made him a great favourite with our deceased friend. He went frequently to the Giants* Causeway, and has left very interesting details of, at leastj two of his excursions to it, which would together perhaps give a more satisfactory account of the coast of Antrim than has yet been laid before the public. He also went over most of Ulster, and as far west as Sligo. He examined the interesting re- gions of the Wicklow mountains and valleys, but was never in the west or south of Ireland, though he often projected expeditions to both. He made a short tour through some interesting parts of Scotland, in company with the late General M'Kinnon, to whom he was much attached, but does not appear to have made any dicovery in that country. Like Linnaeus in general knowledge and in enthusiastic attachment to science, Mr. Tem- pleton differed much from him in one respect ; for whilst the great Swedish naturalist was remarkable for vain and ostentatious display, he was very modest and unassuming, so that no person who chanced to meet him would ever have suspected that he was distinguished for knowledge; till, in course of time, his communicative disposition would have discovered the treasures of his mind. The high estimation in which he was held by other eminent botanists is evident from the manner in which they speak of him. By SirJ.E, Smith, Pres. Lin. Soc, of which Mr. Templeton was an associate, he is frequently mentioned, and is spoken of as a most acute and observing botanist. Other instances have been already quoted, and the letters in his correspondence would supply more. In addition to the naturalists already mentioned, he corresponded with the Rev. Dr. Fleming, author of a valuable work on the Philosophy of Zoology ; Dr. Berger, the mineralo- gist, Drs. Ogilby and Kennedy, two young physicians, who promised to render important services to natural history had their lives been spared; Dr. Barker, the Professor of Chemistry in Dublin College, and many others. I have already pointed out Mr. Templeton as deserving of imitation by naturalists on account of his humanity and tenderness ; I would also direct your attention to his candour, and his anxiety to do justice to the claims of others. Whilst no one was more alive to the pleasure of discovery, he disdained to rob any man of his due praise. He took delight in speaking of the acquisitions made by others, and was always ready to communicate his own. He was also free from the faults, which Cowper has so well exposed, of attributing events to second causes, without referring to the Great First Cause. Many instances of this occur in his writings. Thus, in one of the Naturalist's Reports, he says, " To mortal man it is not given to lift the veil which conceals the mysteries of nature, and even after the most careful in- vestigation, he beholds, but in part only, that economy which governs the whole. Our winter birds of passage begin now to leave us, to revisit the northern regions, and amidst the wilds of Lapland, Nova Zembla, and the innumerable lakes within the arctic circle, to enjoy that peace and security denied them in the more populous countries of the south. But by what peculiar sensations they are enabled to hold their unerring course through the pathless air, amidst darkness and storms, the human mind has not been able to conceive, and man is led to look with humility * From nature up to nature's God.' " In another report, after noticing a number of striking circumstances, he con- cludes thus : " Such and so various are the phenomena of the creation, that we are led to exclaim, * Great is our God, and great is his power; and his wisdom is unsearchable !' " SIO Obituary : — Mr. George Caley. Reflections of this kind are found in his manuscripts, and in this he de- serves our imitation. I shall mention only one other trait in his character, — an anxious desire to promote the diffusion of knowledge. He was an early member, though not one of the first, of the Belfast Society for promoting Knowledge. This was founded in the year 1 788, and he was admitted in the year 1792, from which time he continued ever anxious for the pros- perity of that society. He was also one of the earliest friends and steady supporters of the Belfast Academical Institution, being appointed a visitor by the act of incorporation. He was the proposer of the liberal grant made by the proprietors of the Linen Hall to establish lectures on chemistry and mechanics ; and when lately the Mechanics' Institute was commenced, being prevented by illness from attending, he sent his thoughts on the subject in writing, and was most solicitous for the success of the measure. Of our own Society, though from bad health unable to attend our meetings, he was a zealous advocate, and received much gratification from the thought that the branch of science to which he had so ardently devoted himself, was cultivated in his own native town, and that he left behind him those who would value his labours. May his example animate your ex- ertions, and may the name of Templeton be ever remembered with respect by the members of this Society ! And, that our young members may be familiar with it, and led to enquire about him, I would suggest the appro- priation of such a sum annually, as our limited income will admit, for the encouragement of exertion in Natural History, to be called the Temple- tonian prize or medal, according to the plan you may adopt, if the sug- gestion be approved of. Such prizes are often useful in inciting the youth- ful mind to exertion, and such encouragement of natural history may lead the young to avail themselves more than they have yet done of the oppor- tunities afforded them for the cultivation of it. Art. XII. Obituary,. Died, on the 23d of May, at Bayswater, aged 59, Mr. George Caley. This very remarkable person was born and educated in Craven, in Yorkshire, in an humble station of life ; and seems to have contracted an early predilec- tion for natural history, by coming in contact with those excellent practical botanists who do so much honour to their calling in the town of Manches- ter. His attention was first directed to indigenous plants, and few persons were better acquainted with them. His father's business, which was that of a small farmer and horse-dealer, frequently called him into remoter parts of the country, and gave him a large acquaintance with English localities. No person who has not conversed with some one belonging to the Man- chester school of botanists, can have any conception of the ardour and de- votedness with which the discovery and cultivation of the rarer species is pursued : they live in a little world of their own^ are remarkable for their sobriety and industry, and derive many advantages from that sectarian spirit which, separating the few upon some distinct ground from the many, obliges them to uphold each other, and magnifies the importance of the object that associates them. Every hill and plain within a day's walk (and that none of the shortest) of Manchester has been examined by them with micro- scopical diligence ; and Mr. Caley, the subject of this brief memoir, was not the person to sink the temperature of their zeal in a subject which wholly engrossed him ; and, if he received from them some increase of ardour in the first instance, it cannot be doubted but that he transmitted it to them, in return, with redoubled intensity. His pursuits soon brought him ac- Obituary : — Mr. George Caley; Sll quainted with Dr. Hull and Dr. Withering; and the works of these botanists frequently make mention of him. What was the link of his acquaintance with that munificent patron of science, Sir Joseph Banks, does not appear ; but, about the year 1800, he was sent out by him as a collector to New South Wales, and supported there for ten years at his expense. We have heard that he fairly got his appointment by dint of importunity ; but knowing as we do the excessive modesty of the man, we can only ac- count for this by the habitual intensity with which he regarded his object, which sank all the intermediate steps as unimportant so that he could but attain to the grand one. Certainly, no man was better adapted for such an undertaking : he possessed a robust constitution, was a stranger to silken ease, and had the power of endurance and of suffering privation to a great degree. He knew how to conciliate the natives by an easy and jocular familiarity, and afforded, at all times, to his companions, a fine example of" perseverance. We have heard him say, his spirits never yielded when he had to lead a party through the woods, though they had frequently done so when he was led b}' others; but these were only his physical qualifications. He had acquired practically an extensive knowledge of plants ; and, although but slenderly educated, had made himself sufficiently master of Latin to enable him to make use of such books as were put into his hands. His power of observation was unusually strong, and he seized hold, as if by instinct, of the peculiarities of every thing. He made great accessions to botany and zoology during his residence in this remote quarter of the globe, and was an extremely good preserver of specimens. It was his good for- tune to be in the country when Mr. Brown and Mr. Bauer visited it ; and the former gentleman, by whom he was highly esteemed, has done honour to his intelligence, b}^ naming after him a fine orchideous genus, Calea««. He calls him ** botanicus peritus et accuratus." * He was brought home as an evidence on behalf of Governor Bligh, loading himself with a great store of specimens of plants, and a fine collection of the birds and quadrupeds of New Holland, which was purchased by the Linnean Society. Some account is given of part of it in the 15th volume of the Linnean Transactions, where Mr. Caley's merits are attested in every page. Having some claims to settle with the Treasury, on account of his expenses home, it was on this occasion, we believe, that, upon being tendered his expenses to return, he utterly astonished the clerks, who seem not to have been familiar with such instances of ingenuous honesty, by refusing to accept the money, saying it was not his intention to return, and he could not think of taking what was not his due; he asked, however, something which he conceived was his due, but this was refused. After remaining at home for a few years, he was sent out by the goveFn- ment as the successor of Dr. Anderson, in the superintendence of the bota- nical garden at St. Vincent's. Here his quick sense of honour would not permit him to continue to incur expenses which he considered unnecessary, and he reduced the establishment so as to save the Treasury some hundreds a year. He involved himself, too, in some litigation to recover a piece of ground which belonged to the garden, in which he succeeded. Poor Caley, however, got no thanks in the island, nor at home, for his unnecessary fi- delity ; but, after residing there for about eleven years, the establishment was wholly broken up, and he returned to England. For some years past, he resided in seclusion at Bayswater, supported by the scanty pittance he had saved while at St. Vincent's ; and, although his income scarcely exceeded that of a day-labourer, he contrived to pick up several hundred volumes at a cheap rate, chiefly of botanical works and voyages, which would have done credit to more ample means. Indeed, the buying of books almost * " A skilful and accurate botanist." 3rl#- Obituary : — Mr. George Caley. amounted to a passion ; and it is quite surprising how a man with his slen- der means could amass such a library, and yet discharge every debt he had in the world: indeed, reading now became his only solace. The accounts of voyages and travels enabled him to fight his own battles over again ; and he could always, he used to say, identify himself with his hero in his di- lemmas. He knew what it was to be hungered and athirst, to be drenched and to be naked, and to spend day after day face to face with death. Yet, after all, it was the mode of life he delighted in ; and, if he had had his will, he would have returned to be a child of the woods again. Though a matter-of-fact man, he was not without imagination, as his modes of ex- pression would often testify. His residence in the West Indies had mate- rially impaired his constitution; and he attributed the complaint which was the cause of his death to an accident he had sustained there. It was a long time before his friends could induce him to call in medical assistance ; and he had, perhaps, relied too much on his own judgment in treating a disease which baffled the skill of his very friendly physician. For six long months he suifered under most excruciating pain, yet he bore it with exemplary for- titude ; and, instead of seeking relief by dilating upon his own unhappy con- dition, he took every opportunity to turn to topics in which he knew his friendly visitors took a deep interest with himself; and absolutely, while bedridden, and unable to move himself, set about to correct the errors re- specting certain English plants. It may be worth while to record one of them as a memento of this extraordinary person. In one of his walks around Ingleborough, he had gathered in abundance a JYieracium entirely new to him. He showed it to Dr. Withering, who knew nothing of it, and it was agreed to refer it to Mr. Dickson. It was pronounced, very hesitatingly, by " Jemmy," as this lynx-eyed botanist was called among his familiars, to be H. villosum, and it was so published in the 3d edition of Dr. Withering ; yet Mr. Caley stated that Dickson had very slender ground for his opinion ; and that he was wrong, was shown by the plant turning out to be something else in the following season. As far, there- fore, as Withering is concerned, ^ieracium villosum must be excluded from the British Flora. Although he cheated pain by these little diversions, his strength gradually failed. He felt, and often repeated, that he knew he should die ; and he requested the writer of this to assist him in arranging his little worldly affairs. His first desire was to provide for one who had faithfully attended upon him in his sickness ; and his second was to repair, all he could, the injury he thought he had done to a poor bird which he had caught in the woods of New Holland, and had deprived of liberty for twenty years. He therefore charges certain persons, who were to be benefited by his pro- perty, with the care of his cockatoo. He then bequeaths his freedom to a negro he possessed in the West Indies ; and lastly, gives the residue to his nearest relations.* These are slight traits of character, but they mark a nobleness of mind which will for ever distinguish the possessor from the common herd of mankind. If poor Caley had had only the pocket of a beg- gar, he would have acted with the honour of a prince. His strength now declined daily, and this declension was succeeded by an abatement of his pain ; until at length he was unable to converse, and death came as a welcome messenger to release him from life. He lies buried in the burial-ground belonging to St. George's, Hanover Square, near Connaught Place, with another New Holland traveller, Captain Flinders. — (£/• * He had been married in 1816; but his wife was dead, and he left no children. THE MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. SEPTEMBER, 1829. Art. I. Some Account of the Life, Genius^ and Personal Habits of the late Thomas Betuick, the celebrated Artist and Engraver on Wood. By his Friend John F. M. Dovaston, Esq. A.M., of Westfelton, near Shrewsbury. " The social, friendly, honest man, Whoe'er he be, 'Tis he fulfils great Nature's plan. And none but he." Burns. Sir, The brief and desultory remarks I am about to incor- porate amid the congenial pages of your Magazine of Natural History, arise from a fond and fertile memory of much con- versation, and a long and frequent correspondence, with my excellent and beloyed friend. Thomas Bewick, the celebrated xylographer and illustrator of nature, was born at Cherry- burne, in the parish of Ovingham, Northumberland, August 12. 1753. His father, John Bewick, was a collier at Mickley Bank ; and Thomas, with his brothers, was early immured in that subterranean, laborious, and loathsome employment. I haye heard him say that the remotest recollection of his power- ful and tenacious memory was that of lying for hours on his side between dismal strata of coal, by a glimmering and dirty candle, plying the pick with his little hands; those hands afterwards destined to elevate the arts, illustrate nature, and promulgate her truths, to the delight and instruction of the moral and intellectual world. He was, however, occasionally sent to school, to the Rev. Christopher Gregson, minister of Ovingham ; where, he says, he was treated with considerable severity, but (as he added, with his constant good-humour, and in his athletic dialect) " I sairly desarved it, for I ware a muckle wild young dog." He always spoke with the deepest gratitude of his master, and, before his death, had the satis- Vol. IL — No. 9. y 314 Life, Genius, and Personal Habits of Bewick. faction of engraving his portrait, which, with those of some of his friends, will hereafter embellish a somewhat voluminous memoir of himself, which he amused his latter years in faith- fully and copiously composing. He was frequently sent out among the braes of Tyneside to cut birch rods ; and on one of these occasions, being ordered to cut one for himself, he Jugged into the school the most ponderous birch bough he could cut, entirely divested of its twigs. In these truant hours of sunshine, he would loiter along the river banks, watching the sand-martens, hovering like butterflies about the precipitous promontories, or the spreckled trout sporting among the flies that streaked the dimpling waters beneath ; and in these delicious moments, Nature was busy depositing in his fine and fertile mind those seeds that have since pro- duced such a plenitude of rich blossoms and wholesome fruits to the healthy appetite of taste. His first tendency to draw- ing was noticed by his chalking the floors and grave-stones with all manner of fantastic figures, and by sketching the out- line of any known character of the village, dogs, or horses, which were instantly recognised as faithful portraits. The halfpence he got were always laid out in chalk or coarse pen- cils ; with which, when taken to church, he scrawled over the ledges of the bench with ludicrous caricatures of the parson, clerk, and the more prominent of the congregation. These boards are now in the possession of the Duke of Northum- berland, by whom they were replaced ; and when his chalk was exhausted, he resorted to a pin or a nail as a substitute. In his Memoir, of which I have heard him read a large, thick, closely-written quarto, he relates, with playful spirit, many anecdotes of his juvenile frolics. The church of Ovingham, like most others, in the peaceful simplicity and good-will of our ancestors, ere aristocratic pride had encroached on cha- rity, was not parted into proud pews, but set out in plain and parallel benches, like those of the friendly Quakers, where rich and poor sat, clean and kindly, side by side, in honest and inostentatious gratitude to their common Creator. During service-time, which was tediously wearisome to the active mind of young Bewick, it was one of his tricks to crawl under these benches, and tickle the feet and neat ancles of the young women. One, a more ticklish and winsome lass, on being so handled, jumped up, exclaiming loudly to the parson, " Oh ! Sir, guide (punish) Thomas Bewick :" upon which she got the young wag tickled with a smart flogging. This lass, whose name was Elliot, he afterwards married. In consequence of this propensity to drawing, some liberal people, of whom, he says, there are many in Newcastle, got him bound apprentice Life2i5> Oznie. In the English translation of our bible it is translated osprey. {Lev,,ii\. 13.) Parkhurst says, "What- ever bird was intended, I think it was so named from p on^ strength, and n^2 nie, moaning." (See h\s Heh, Lex, on n>2Ty.) Bate calls it the whining kite. nwn Dae, supposed to be our glede, from its sailing manner of flying; it is called vulture. [Lev,, xi. 14.) rr>M Aie, Parkhurst supposes this to mean a vulture, and that it has been named aie, from its cry. [Heb, Lex, at n>M.) It is called kite in the English Bible. [Lev., xi. 14.) y\'S> Oreb, the raven, from the glossy black colour of its feathers, said to be a mixture of darkness and splendour. any oreb, the evening, a mixture of light and darkness, from a-iy oreb, to mingle. n22?' ni Beth ione, translated the owl. {Lev.,ii\, 16.) Park- hurst seems to think it means the ostrich, from their loud cry- ing to each other ; from n23>> r\i beth ione, daughter of the response. Donn Tehemesh, translated the night hawk. {Lev., xi. 16.) Parkhurst considers it a species of owl described by Hassel- quist {Travels, p. 196.); from Don hemesh, violence, rapine, outrage. rjntt) Sehep, translated the cuckoo. {Lev.,yii, 16.) In an old translation, printed at London in 1599, it is called the sea- mew, a very lean bird, with which Parkhurst seems to agree, from the noun r]n« sehep, a wasting consumption. V3 Nets, a hawk, from ns2 netse, to shoot forth ; its mode of flying. ;di3 Ciish, the little owl {Lev,, xi. 17.); from hiding itself in the daytime ; from hdd kese, to conceal. 'fiD SeleJc, the cormorant. {Lev.,'Si\, 17.) Parkhurst says, " the cataract or plungeon ;" the lxx, xara^axx)}? Jca- taralctes, from i^«, to cast down. When the bird sees in the water the fish on which it preys, it flies to a considerable height, collects its wings close to its sides, and darts down like an arrow on its prey. {Heb, Lex,, 'j'?©.) r]i«2> Inesup, the great owl. {Lev,,y^u 17.) Parkhurst thinks it should be the bittern. {Heb, Lex,, r|ttJ3.) Hed Snow of the Arctic Regions, ^1 T nottj:n Tenesmet, the swan/ [Le^.^yii. 18.) Parkhurst thinks the goose is meant, from its hissing when provoked; from Dtt)3 nesem, to breathe. {Qiiery, Do the Jews reckon the goose an unclean bird?) X2r\^ Rehem, translated the gier eagle {Lev.,^\. 18.), from i cm reliem^ to love tenderly ; supposed to be some bird remark- able for its attachment to its young. r\'v'ox\ Heshide^ also a term expressive of kind attachment, . the stork. [Lev., xi. 19.) The m^on hcshide is a bird of pas- sage. n>iyiQ n^T Q^Qtt5i r}Tr)V{ dj (gemheshidebesemimidoemuodie), .. the stork also in the heavens knoweth her appointed time ; (Ji D^iuna T\rx:ir\ heside berusim bite. Sup- posed to have got her Hebrew name from the affection the - stork has for its young, and, what is rather uncommon, for the attachment the young bear to the old, whom it is said they carry on their backs during their migrations. The old, being unfit to fly, are said to be thus borne to their destination, , when the feeble are laid in the nest and fed by the young. (Parkhurst's Heb. Lex, at m^on.) In Parkhursf s Hebrew Lexicon, Doctor Scott's opinions respecting the Kath (n^p) of the ancient Hebrews are well supported. {Mag, of Nat, Hist., vol. ii. p. 137.) From what is stated above, it will appear that the Kath is not the only bird of Palestine, about the modern name of which much uncertainty prevails.* Arch. Gorrie. Annat Gardens, May 26. 1829. Art. III. On the Red Snotv of the Arctic Regions, By Thomas Nicholson, Esq. Sir. The cause of truth, and the remarks of your correspondent A on the red snow of the arctic regions (Vol. I. p. 306.), have induced me to trouble you with a few observations on this subject. In the summer of 1821, I had an opportunity of ex- amining this substance, which has excited so much interest amongst naturalists, in its native situation, and I am only sur- prised that those gentlemen who first discovered it should have had any doubt as to the nature of its origin. On the 24th July, whilst our ship was beset with ice near Bushman's Island, I made a journey, accompanied by two other * In expressing the Hebrew nouns by Roman characters, it will be ob- served that no attention is paid to the Masoretic points. , S22 Red Snow of the Arctic Regions. gentlemen, to Sowallick Point, in quest of the meteoric iron, which we understood was to be found in this quarter. We were disappointed in the object of our visit, but our mortification on this account was somewhat lessened by meeting, for the first time, with the crimson snow, which was described by Captain Ross. Sowallick Point is formed by the projection of a small hill from the high mountainous coast which bounds Prince Re- gent's Bay. The summit of this hill is covered with huge masses of granite that have been precipitated at various periods from the cliffs above, whilst the side, which forms a gentle de- clivity towards the bay, was covered with crimson snow. It was evident, at first view, that this colour was imparted to the snow by a substance lying on its surface. This substance lay scattered here and there in small masses, bearing some re- semblance to powdered cochineal, surrounded by a lighter shade, which was produced by the colouring matter being partly dissolved and diffused by the deliquescent snow. Dur- ing this examination, our hats and upper garments were observed to be daubed with a substance of a similar red colour, and a moment's reflection convinced us that this was the excrement of the Little Auk (A'lca minor), myriads of which were continually flying over our heads, having their nests among the loose masses of granite, which I have before de- scribed as covering the ridge of this little hill. A ready ex- planation of the origin of the red snow was now presented to us, and not a doubt remained in the mind of any that this was the correct one. The snow on the mountains of higher ele- vation than the nests of these birds was perfectly white, and a ravine at a short distance, which was filled with snow from top to bottom, but which afforded no hiding-place for these birds to form their nests, presented a uniformly white appearance- On the 2d of August I landed on Cape York, and procured a bottleful of red snow, and collected some of the dung of the Little Auks from the stones among which they had their nests; and my intention was to have submitted both to the examination of some eminent naturalist. But on my arrival in England, a hasty summons to this country dissolved the red snow from my memory, and all recollections of the arctic regions were lost among the new scenes which opened to my view under a tropical sun. That there does exist a genus of plants of the order A'\g3d, that occasionally may impart their colour to snow and other substances, I would not have the hardihood to deny ; but that the red snow of the arctic regions owes its colour to this cause I have some reason to doubt. Deference to the opinion of On the Wheat Fly. 323 many learned men forbids my speaking positively on this sub- ject, but I cannot agree with your correspondent, that " there can be no doubt that the colouring matter of the famous red snow, brought from the arctic regions by Captain Ross and Captain Parry is a true vegetable." There is still a doubt, and until this doubt is removed, I would suggest that the tri- vial name of the Protococcus nivalis should be changed to that first adopted by Agardh, namely, Protococcus kermesinus. I have seen nothing in any work that I have had access to that could subvert the opinion that I have now advanced. If I recollect aright, Wollaston declared that during combustion it emitted the odour of burnt animal substances. The micro- scopic observations of Bauer and Agardh prove nothing since those of Brown have been made known ; and indeed Professor Agardh concludes his Memoir on the subject with a doubt, whether, after all, the colouring matter of the red snow may not be of animal nature; whilst your correspondent mentions that Nees Von Esenbeck was inclined to think that the minute red globules were the vegetable state of bodies that had gone through a prior animal existence. The specimen examined by Dr. Greville was procured from the Island of Lismore, and, of course, may be quite a different thing. I shall conclude by hoping that if any of your readers should ever make £^ voyage to Baffin's Bay, that he will not fail to procure a portion of the red snow, and of the dung of the Little Auks, or Cockroaches (as they are called by our Greenland seamen), for further examination. I am, Sir, &c. Antigua, May 28. 1829. Thos. Nicholson. I Art. IV. On ike Wheat Fly. By Mr. Archibald Gorrie, C.M.H.S., &c. Sir, In September, 1828, I submitted to your readers a query concerning the wheat fly, which appeared in the Magazine of Natural History (Vol. II. p. 292). At that time I did not know that a yellow fly had deposited the eggs within the glume, which became maggots. Observing numbers of black flies on the ears of wheat, I believed they had been the produce of the caterpillar; and, as will appear by my query, I supposed they deposited their eggs about the grain. I have this season, however, observed the yellow fly (described by the Rev. W. Kirby in Vol. I. p. 227.) deposit its eggs in the wheat ear, and, what is remarkable, in the ear of the Triticum repens, 324? On Vessels made of the Papyrus. and in that of no other grass. The fly has not known that mo- dern botanists no longer ranged the couch grass amongst the wheat tribe, but, hke myself, it is most attached to the Linnean names and system. The black fly deposits its eggs in the larvae 'whe7i it can get at them ,• but a tithe of them are not touched in this way. The maggots have all left the ears, and are now in the ground, about half an inch deep, where they will likely pass the winter in a pupa state. It is, there- fore, to their destruction in their winter quarters, and not to that of the eggs about the grain, as I formerly supposed, that attention should be directed. In this quarter they have de- stroyed from 3 to 5 bolls per acre. I am. Sir, &c. Archibald Gorrie. Annat Gardens, Errol, Perthshire, August 1. 1829. lRT. On Vessels made of the Papyrus. By John Hogg, Esq. M.A. F.L.S., &c. Sir, ^ It must always be an agreeable and ^interesting subject, to prove that very ancient customs are still in use among the same people of the world, as nothing can tend more to eluci- date their history, and to explain difficult and obscure passages in authors who have written on those countries and on their inhabitants. In tracing coincidences of this sort, I have been induced to make the following hasty observations, extracted from ancient and modern authorities, in order show that vessels have, from the earliest times, been formed of the papyrus, and that they are at present in use in Egypt and Abyssinia. The papyrus, paper reed, or Egyptian reed, the Cyperus Papyrus of Linnaeus, or Papyrus antiquorum of Sprengel, is a plant so well known, that it will be superfluous to add here any detailed account of it. It is the HaTrupoj of Theophrastus (lib. iv. cap. 9.) and Dioscorides (lib. i. cap. 116.)? the Papy* rus of Pliny : it is called ^u^Xog by Herodotus, Strabo, &c. ; and Biblus by some Latin authors. In Scripture, Rush, and Bulrush; in Hebrew, Goma; in Arabia, JEl-babir j and, in Egypt, El'berdi, are its different appellations. We find mention of ships, and boats or canoes, being made of the Papyrus in Exodus, Job, Isaiah, Herodotus, Theophrastus, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Lucan, Pliny, and On Vessels made of the Papyrus, ^.3^5 Plutarch, among the ancient writers ; and by some modern authors, as Shaw, Bruce, &c. Let us first consider what the earlier writers observe on these vessels. Theophrastus says that, in Egypt, " they make boats of the papyrus, and weave both sails and ropes of the bark." * Pliny states the same ; " of the papyrus itself they make sail- ing vessels ; and of its bark, sails and cables." f Again, he mentions " papyrine ships and equipments of the Nile" (papy- raceis navibus, armamentisque Nili. lib. vi.c.22.) ; and, in another place, he speaks more distinctly of their Egyptian origin, as, *,* ships were first invented from papyrus in the Nile in Egypt." :t Also, according to Plutarch : — " Isis, having heard of it, sought about for the fragments (of Osiris), and sailed through the midst of marshes, in a ship {baris) made of the paper reed. From whence it is, that they who sail in boats of the papyrus do not receive any harm from crocodiles, which either fear or honour them for the sake of the goddess." § But Herodotus has given a good account of the ships of burthen, called ba- ris {fig, 88.), which were commonlyused on the Nile ; and he thus describes the ancient Egyptian method of build- ing them : — " Cut- ting planks from the thorn tree (most probably the Mi- mosa nilotica Lin,), about two cubits large, they place them together in the form of bricks, build- ing the vessel after this manner : they bind these planks of two cubits around thick and long stakes ; when they have thus put them together, they place benches upon them: they never make use of carved ribs ; but they fill up the joints on * nXoTa TTOiovaiv k^ avTOV, Kai Ik Trig ftitkov lorta re TrXkowtri, .. . ,Kai oxoivia re, (Lib. iv. cap. 9.) t Ex ipsa quidem papyro navigia texunt, et e libro vela . . . . ac funes. {Hist. Nat., lib. xiii. cap. 11.) t Naves primum repertas in iEgypto in Nilo ex papyro. (Lib. vii. cap.56.) § Trfv ^k "lv Kpo- KoSeiKcovy ri (potovfisviov, rj aetofikvujv did Tr)v Oeov. {De Idde et Osiridej p. 558.) 326 Oil Vessels made of the Papyrus. the inside with papyrus. They make one rudder, which passes through the keel ; and they have a mast formed of the thorn tree, and sails of the paper reed." * Of our modern travellers in Africa, Bruce observes : " Pliny says that the whole plant together was used for making boats, a piece of the acacia tree being put in the bottom to serve as a keel ; to which plants were joined, being first sewed together, then gathered up at stem and stern, and the ends of the plant tied fast there ; and this is the only boat they still have in Abyssinia." (Travels, vol. v. p. 6.) Also, Belzoni describes a curious boat which he hired on the Lake M