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the pilchard, to which the herring is much more nearly allied, and of which it has been, by many naturalists, considered as a mere variety. Pennant, however, in his Br: Zool: v. iii., p. 293, enters into details which induce him to conclude that they differ in some particulars very essentially." We shall close these our icthyological observations with the passage immediately following the above remarks on sprats. To enter at large into the very interesting topic, would lead us into a wild field of inquiry; added to which, we must candidly confess, that we have by no means sufficiently made up our minds to allow of any very positive or dogmatical assertion on so abstruse a subject; and we throw it out rather as a tub to scientific whales, a point for the consideration of other naturalists more competent than ourselves, to discuss a question which, in every department of animal vitality, from the mammalia to the infusoria, is more or less enveloped in obscurity. "Upon this occasion, I will communicate to you a particular which hath a long time perplexed me, and that is, whether all fish cast all their spawn at once: I mean in one year, or only part of it, retaining part for future partuses. That herrings cast all, I am confident, finding none in shotten herrings. It is a principle with me, that all animals have, from their very first formation, the eggs or seeds of all the young they shall ever: bring forth; for when they are once exhausted and spent, the animal becomes effete. Now a fish, at every birth, casting forth such an innumerable number of eggs, as are contained in her whole row, it seems strange there should remain seed eggs enough, let them be ever so small, as to suffice many years' births; and yet the whole mass of them together to be so little and inconsiderable, as not to be so much as taken notice of by any naturalist."

Having thus digested one course of fish, as a natural sequence, by way of remove, we beg leave to introduce a course of fowls for the entertainment of our readers. As a preface to which, we quote the following from Mr. Johnson to Mr. Ray, by way of hint to all dealers in the marvellous, upon the propriety of ascertaining how far their case is really founded on fact, before they venture to publish it to the world under the sanction of their own hand and seal. "Tis commonly reported with us, of the heron and bittour, (bittern,) that they have but one wide gut; and, therefore, they say, when they eat an eel, she presently goes through them, which the heron, in her flight, catches again and again; but when I opened them, I found the story false, for they had guts like other birds, for any thing I saw; therefore, I rather think the eel (if at all) makes her escape out of her feet."

Upon the singular convolution of the tracheas of certain

3

aquatic birds, particularly the duck and crane tribe, Mr. Ray's observations merit attention, in as much as we are not aware. that, in this very curious feature of comparative anatomy, modern science has made any very considerable* progress. So far, indeed, are we advanced, as to have discovered, that scarcely any two species of this class resemble each other in. the precise structure, convolution, and osseous protuberance of the larynx inferior; and, therefore, that an accurate knowledge is desirable as a means of ascertaining the precise species, as well as sex, and frequently the age, respecting which, at different periods, there often exists considerable perplexity; the osseous protuberance, we should observe, being invariablyconfined to the males, and, as the sagacious Ray surmised, is. still supposed to assist in giving variety and depth of tone to the cry of the bird. "I observed in this bird (the scoter anas nigra), and in some others of the sea ducks, which are much under water, that they want that vessel or ampulla, situate in the very angle of the divarication of the windpipe, which, for want of a better and fitter name, we are wont to call the labyrinth of the trachea; which, though being common also to the colymbi, which, of all birds, dive most, and continue longest under water, we may, very probably, from thence conclude, that the labyrinth doth not serve them for a reservatory of air, to enable them to continue the longer under water, as I sometimes conjectured, but for the intending or modulating of the voice, seeing, in the plash ducks, the females want it. But I am somewhat to seek about the use of this vessel, and I think it were worth the while to examine what sorts of birds have it, -what want it; and, in those sorts that have it, whether the males only, or, in some, the females also. I observed it in the mergus cirratus longiroster major, or the dun diver, and that very large, and extended by very strong bones; and yet I thought myself to have sufficient reason to judge that bird to be the femalet of the merganser; but I dare not be confident that it is a female, because of this labyrinth." In a letter from Mr. Dach to Mr. Ray, we find the same opinion expressed with respect to the widgeon and sheldin, another species of duck. "I have put up some hollow bones which

* Mr. Yarrel, of Bury Street, St. James's Street, has, indeed, devoted much time to this interesting part of comparative anatomy, and formed a valuable collection of specimens, highly meriting the attention of the scientific ornithologist. A paper has also been published in the Linnæan Transactions; and the reader will find a short article on the subject at the end of Montagu's Supp: Ornith.

+Montagu considers them to be decidedly distinct in species.

are annexed to the windpipe of each male; for in females I can find none. The difference of shape of these bones, doubtless, causes their different tones. If you steep one of the sheldin's windpipes in warm water, to make it lax, you may observe the pretty motion to be found in the middle protuberance, and pick out a little philosophy from it."

The scoter, above-mentioned by Ray, (or macreuse, as he also calls it) had been sent him by Dr. Robinson, with the. following remark. "This Parisian bird (very famous of late) may be no unwelcome subject, it being in Lent, and upon maigre days, the greatest dainty of convents. I have been told by several of the most learned priests beyond sea, that the macreuse was as much a fish as the barnacle, (and, indeed, I am of the same opinion ;) that the blood was the same in every quality with that of fishes, as also the fat, which (as they falsely affirm) will not fix, dry, or grow hard, but always remains in an oily consistence. Upon these and other reasons, the Sorbonists have ranked the macreuse in the classis of fishes." Mr. Ray, however, does not seem quite satisfied with this exposition, for he remarks in his answer, "Why those of the Church of Rome should allow this bird to be eaten in Lent, and upon other fasting days, more than others of this kind, I see no reason;" it having a more " delicate and well tasted flesh," he observes, than many others which live only, or chiefly, by preying on fish, the flesh of such being of a more "rank, ferine, and piscose taste." Perhaps Mr Ray, unwittingly, in the innocence of his heart, hit upon the real reason, every member (layman or ecclesiastic) of the Roman Catholic Church, from the Pope to the pauper, we are confident, preferring a well-tasted, delicate wild-duck to one of an "ancient and fishlike smell," and, in taste, " rank, ferine, and piscose." However, our recollection of Madame de Campan's Memoirs fortunately enables us to set this doubtful point at rest; and, for the information of all tender-minded Catholics, we hasten to communicate the decisive and important opinion of a bishop of their own church, as given to la Princesse Victoire, daughter of Louis XV., who (malheureusement pour elle)" n'étoit point insensible à la bonne chère, mais elle avait les scrupules les plus réligieux sur les plats qu'elle pouvait manger au temps de pénitence. Je la vis (says Madame de Campan) un jour-très tourmenteé de ses doutes, sur un oiseau d'eau, (no doubt a macreuse) qu'on lui servait souvent pendant la carême. Il s'agissait de décider irrevocablement si cet oiseau était maigre ou gras. Elle consulta un évêque, qui se trouvait à son diner: le prélat prit aussitôt le son de voix positif, l'attitude grave d'un juge en dernier ressort-Il repondit à la princesse, qu'il avait été décidé, qu'en un doute, après

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avoir fait cuire l'oiseau, il fallait le piquer sur un plat d'argent très-froid: que si le jus de l'animal se figeait dans l'espèce d'un quart d'heure, l'animal était réputé gras: que si le jus restait en huile on pouvait le manger en tout temps sans inquietude!' Madame Victoire fit faire aussitôt l'épreuve, le jus ne figea point; ce fut une joie pour la princesse, qui aimait beaucoup cette espèce de gibier."* We congratulate the members of the Catholic Church on the accommodating transubstantiatory powers she possesses, in thus administering to the palates of the faithful in the hour of utmost need, and, by an orthodox figment, converting flesh into fish by a process so. satisfactory, so philosophically as well as religiously correct, as this sanctioned by episcopal authority. We shrewdly suspect, indeed, that this transmutatory power is not strictly and invariably confined to birds; and that many a maigre" dish is so contrived as to contain, within the limits of its penitential merits, "the quintessence of partridge, and quail, and venison, and pheasant, and plum pudding, and custard.”+ In fact, we have, ourselves, a very vivid recollection of an ample supply of animals, to all external appearance" fine lively turtles," collected as part of the piscatory fasting stores for the use of a large convent in Andalusia. But to return to our ornithology, from this digression on fasting.-It is natural to suppose, that so important a subject as migration would have occupied much attention, and appeared repeatedly in a volume like the present, but, to our surprise, we have met with but one passage alluding to it, in a letter from Mr. Johnson to Mr. Ray. "And now 'tis in my thoughts, I would entreat you, at your best leisure, to let me know if you can tell any thing certain concerning the birds of passage, whither they go, when they leave us? If it be granted that the swallow kind, and such small birds, do hide themselves in rocks and trees, yet storks, Poland geese, and birds of great size, cannot possibly do so. The moon is too far a journey, and a new world in the South temperate zone, methinks, they can hardly reach, seeing wild geese from Ireland, and woodcocks from Norway, come often so tired to us and yet, how they should 'scape the eyes of so many diligent inquirers, both by sea and land, especially since our increase of trade and navigation, is to me a matter of no less difficulty."

Upon this we would remark, that it is common infirmity with human nature to cast a double portion of mystery over whatever is already in any degree unintelligible or mysterious. The ignotum pro magnifico has, and ever will, as long as

*“Mem. par Madame Campan, vol. i., p. 16.” “Tale of a Tub."

the world endures, exercise a sort of magical influence over even the sobered minds, particularly in the dawn of knowledge. We are not, therefore, surprised that a rational man, like Mr.. Johnson, should send his swallows, and other small birds, to hybernate in holes of trees and clefts of rocks; or even throw out a hint at the moon in his migratory theory. In justice, indeed, to Mr. Johnson, it is but fair to add, that this idea of a dormant state, for summer birds, during winter, appears to have been a very generally received notion. Thus, in "Christ's Victory and Triumph," a poem by Giles Fletcher, published 1610, it is said, that at

"Th' engladden'd spring

"The waking swallow broke her half-year's sleep."

But, for our own parts, we are free to confess, that we have never had a moment's difficulty or doubt upon the subject; migration, as far as relates to its practicability even in the most extreme cases, appearing perfectly feasible even to the lowest and most inactive tenant of the air, and briefly for the following reasons. First of all, because the structure of birds is peculiarly adapted for flight, their bones, feathers, and pulmonary formation all tending to give the frame a considerable degree of levity. In addition to which, the mechanical and muscular powers of the wings are of the most extraordinary application. Secondly, that, owing to these compound causes, their flight is infinitely more rapid than we are aware of. The fleetest race-horse on record was capable of going for a short distance at the rate of a mile per minute; and yet what is this to the motion of a swallow, or even to many of the short-winged, heavy-bodied, duck tribe; for instance, the golden eye (anas clangula), which makes the air whistle, as it darts through it with incredible velocity. The flight of the Eider duck, again, which is in appearance remarkably heavy and awkward, and by no means remarkable for its swiftness,* is known, by repeated observations, to be ninety miles an hour. And Montagu, an ornithologist on whom the greatest dependence can be placed, estimates the rapidity with which a hawk, and many other birds, occasionally fly, as not less than at the rate of 150 miles an hour, and that 100 miles is certainly, not beyond a fair computation for migratory continuance.. When galloping over downs at full speed, who has not, indeed, observed the ease and facility with which swallows have not. only kept pace, but wheeled round and round, now before,

"Major Cartwright's experiments on the Coast of Labrador." +"Montagu Supp, Ornith, under title Falco Peregrinus."