that of the theory of his art-should be unceasingly studied. This work of De Quincy, so admirably translated by Kent, is a valuable acquisition to his means; it is full of profound thoughts and prac tical observations.

On the Natural History and Classification of Birds. By William Swainson, Esq., A.C.G. Vol. I., 12mo., London: Longman & Co. 1836.

We have often heard it contested, with some show of plausibility on each side, whether the labours of the field or the closet-naturalist were the more important of the two. Now, it appears to us, the question is one of no importance, as it must be obvious to those who are disposed to view the matter impartially, that, whatever may be the respective powers of the mind requisite for each department, both are alike essential to the advancement of the science. That the two may be advantageously united in the same individual is, moreover, satisfactorily proved by the original observations on the habits of the feathered race which the author of the present treatise has occasionally introduced; one or two of which we shall extract as specimens. His scientific knowledge and acumen are too well known to require any comment from us. We shall now proceed from these generalities to a brief notice of the contents of this book, which forms the eighty-third volume of Lardner's Cyclopædia.

The first chapter contains some general observations on birds-on the peculiarities of the class-its relation to reptiles and quadrupeds -and its primary divisions. The following remarks are so excellent, and the subject of them has been so frequently misunderstood, that we shall extract them for the benefit of our readers.

"The first, or pre-eminent type, is termed the Insessorial, or typical, because it corresponds to the order Insessores, the most perfect in this class. We use the term perfect, on this and all other occasions, not as implying that other groups-when compared to such as are thus termed are imperfectly formed, but indicative only of a higher or more complicated organization. Nothing that the Universal Creator has made can, by any possibility, be imperfect, in the usual meaning of the word; because, as one of His attributes is perfection, it of course follows that all His works are equally so; that is, they are most beautifully and most completely formed for the station in the scale of nature they are intended to fill, and for performing the functions belonging to their particular organization. But while this truth is apparent to all who wish to know it, there cannot be a doubt that some animals have their instincts more developed, and their forms more highly organized than others. A bee is a more perfect animal than a butterfly, and this latter than an oyster. Why? Because, although each, ‘after its kind,' is perfection, yet a wonderful degree of instinct has been given to the first, great beauty of form to the second, and both have been denied to the third, which, moreover, is barely capable of voluntary motion.”—p. 8.

The next three chapters are devoted to an explanation of the external anatomy of birds. Although this subject has been treated of in the works of almost every preceding ornithologist, we never

tive works, a vast mound of earth-the keep of the ancient Norman castle on the south side of the cathedral-has been entirely taken away; and some Roman antiquities were found, in 1833, at or near its base: viz., an urn or jug of red earth with a handle; coins of Vespasian, Caligula, Nero, Tiberius, Adrian, Antoninus Pius, &c.; and in a field near Upper Deal was discovered another Roman urn, containing twenty copper coins of Carausius."

"The real extent of the ancient castle cannot now be ascertained, but the lofty mound, called the keep, and its ditches, &c., occupied an area of between three and four acres. The apex of the keep mound measured more than eighty feet above the high-water mark of the Severn, which flowed close to its western base."

In addition to the above-mentioned discoveries of remains at the Castle-hill, I have to observe that a workman some time ago brought me a small fragment, which, from its weight, he fancied was gold. He stated that he dug it out of the gravel, near the centre of the bottom of the above hill, during its demolition. I submitted this substance to an experienced Chemist, who, upon analization, found it to be exactly the same in quality as what is called 'patent yellow," the mode of making which is set forth in Mr. Gray's work on Pharmacology. Now, if the Castle-hill really was thrown up by the Romans, and the workman's above account was true, it may reasonably be inferred that the paint in question was of Roman manufacture; but it has been surmised that the above hill, or the greater part of it, was made of the earth which was excavated upon the laying of the foundations and crypt of the cathedral.

With respect to that splendid and probably ancient British tumulus, called Cruckbarrow-hill, which is situated between two and three miles eastward of Worcester, it is very likely that the Romans used it as a watch or signal station, in the line of the Old Hills and Malvern Hill, on the south-west, and of the Storage, Suckley, Ankerdine, Berrow, Woodbury, and Abberley Hills on the west and north-west. This hill is of an oval shape, and measures 512 yards round within the ring fence at the base, and about 180 yards round the crown. I take it this was partly a natural hill, and that it had a tail lying eastward, which was pared down to

That part of the Suckley chain, called the Round Hill in Alfrick, has a very tumulus-like appearance: the whole of the above range is rather minutely described in my pamphlet On certain curious Indentations in the Old Red Sandstone of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, &c. &c., published in 1835.

gether with any other excrescences, and the materials placed upon the head. There is gravel at the apex: this I lately saw where a hole had been dug. It is very probable that this mound was formerly called Cruck-burrow hill, the word burrow being of Saxon derivation, and meaning a place fenced or fortified. If, however, it really is a barrow, I presume that it is the largest in the kingdom. As the Berrow Hill is of a very oval shape, it is more than probable that its sides were also pared down by the aborigines of our island; for there are lines of intrenchment round it near the top, in the same manner as at Wood-bury Hill.

Under all the circumstances detailed in this and my previous paper, I submit that doubts can no longer exist of there having been either Roman camps, stations, or forts at Worcester, Powick, and Kempsey, and probably also at various other places in this beautiful county.

Catherine Villa, Near Worcester,
Feb. 1, 1836.

ANTONIO'S LOVE SONG; OR, DON QUIXOTE'S
REVERIE.*

"As a madman fancies every one mad but himself, a patient with vertigo that every object is going round, so man, in the pertinacity of ignorance, transforms truth into error, by a blind supposition that truth is with him only."+

THOU flower of chivalry! incomparable man! I see thee sitting elbow to elbow with thy incomparable Squire; thy tarnished mail, with more rust on it than dishonour, brushing against the rough hose of thy antithesis-that emptier of wine-skins and flesh-potsSancho the first and the last-the Sir John of his class. I see thee; the inverted trough giving repose to the finest Caballero in La Mancha and all Spain to boot, side by side, "cheek by jowl" with

• See vol. i.

The Would-Be; old copy, p. 57.

VOL. VI.-NO. XIX.

E

saw it turned to such account, or made to bear so admirably on the natural classification of birds. The whole of Mr. Swainson's pages evidently bear the stamp of originality, and the observations contained in this section of his book should be attentively perused by the student. Indeed, such is the novelty of the light that our author has shed on this topic, that even the most experienced ornithologist will be considerably benefitted by a knowledge of them, and will feel surprised that the external anatomy of birds had not before been investigated with the attention it deserves. The following quotation from one of the chapters on this subject will give our readers a favourable idea of Mr. Swainson's observations on the habits of birds.

“A greal deal has been written, and now rendered familiar to every one by our cheap compilations, on the powers of sight in the Falconine tribes; but those of the Swallow seem to have been quite overlooked. It is, nevertheless, difficult to say which is the most astounding, the far-sightedness of the former, or the instantaneous and complicated discernment of the latter. The Swallow is proverbially the swiftest flier in the feathered creation; and yet, in the full career of its course, it is entirely intent upon quite another object than that of flight. While darting through the air at the rate of three miles a minute, it is looking on the right hand and on the left, sideways, upwards, and downwards, for its food. The insects it preys upon are often exceedingly minute-sometimes flying above or below the level of the Swallow's flight; and yet they are seen, captured, and swallowed, without any diminution of the prodigious rate at which the bird is flying; nay, more, any one who attentively watches the Swallow skimming over a meadow in summer will perceive that it will capture two, or even three, insects in such quick succession as to convince us the bird must have had them in his eye, to use a colloquial expression, all at once, and that the whole are caught and swallowed in as many moments. The faculty of vision, in short, in these birds is fully as much developed as in the Falcons, although in a very different way; the one being long and the other quick-sighted, and both to a degree perfectly unexampled in the animal creation."-p. 46.

The next topic discussed is the song of birds; our limits will not permit an analysis of this section, but we may mention that we think the cause assigned by our author for giving such a peculiarity of voice to birds is the real one.

Proceeding onwards, we find a general survey of the nidification of birds, which Mr. Swainson, as usual, turns to good account as regards classification; but we marvel greatly that the interesting subject of oology should have been so completely overlooked. In many cases the eggs form a good index to the natural affinities of birds, as has been observed by Linneus, Lewin, Hewitson, and others; though implicit reliance cannot, of course, be placed on such a basis. Whilst on the subject of nests, it may be as well to correct our author's notion that the Fieldfare Thrush does not breed in companies, which has been proved to be the case by the observations of Mr. Hewitson.

Part II. is devoted to the bibliography, nomenclature, and preservation of birds, a chapter being occupied with each of these heads.

In the first the reader is informed which are the most valu

able works treating of the birds of various countries, with critical remarks on each. Nuttall's work on North American birds is stated not to be procurable in Britain. We have, however, found no difficulty in obtaining it through the usual channels, and can safely recommend it to the notice of those who are unwilling to purchase more costly books. The treatise on nomenclature contains many sound remarks and rules, especially on naming natural objects after individuals; but the observations on English nomenclature form, in our opinion, the weakest point of the volume. The arguments brought forth in opposition to reforms in vernacular names will, probably, prevent many from adopting such alterations; and, therefore, for the benefit of those who are disposed to rely implicitly on the authority of a great name, we propose, in our next number, to devote an article to the refutation of our author's views. In the chapter on the preservation of birds, the new method of arranging the skins in drawers, instead of setting them up in glass cases, is advocated. The whole of the author's extensive collection is thus arranged; and, having ourselves examined his cabinets, we can answer for the expediency of the plan.

The third and last part contains an elucidation of the two first orders of birds, Raptores and Insessores, the classification being the quinary system, so successfully advocated by many of our first zoologists.

The whole volume is written in the lucid and masterly style ever observable in the works of Mr. Swainson; it is both scientific and popular; it forms by far the best introduction to general Ornithology with which we are acquainted; and if the student of the feathered tribes fails to possess himself of the present Treatise, the loss will be greater to himself than to any one else.

Civilization; or a Brief Analysis of the Natural Laws that regulate the Numbers and Condition of Mankind. By the Hon. A. H. Moreton, M. P. pp. 216, 8vo. London. 1836.

MR. MORETON introduces his Brief Analysis with the observations, that there is a broad line of demarcation between mankind and the rest of the animal kingdom, in the substitution of reason for instinct. Man requires a long and careful education to enable him even to exist; while, in their natural state, it does nothing for the inferior creatures, which are endowed by Nature with all the faculties required for their subsistence. Brutes, as soon as they have acquired sufficient strength, begin to seek their food in the same manner as the rest of their species. the experience of a hundred generations adds not to their knowledge. The original helplessness of man, as an individual, with his subsequent acquired superiority, and his original weakness as a race, with his subsequent knowledge and power, distinguish him from the "beasts that perish:" from age to age, and from year to year, he continues acquiring fresh knowledge, fresh enjoyments, and fresh power.