It exhibits chiefly schistose clay and sandstone, with an occasi onal appearance of limestone, and sometimes basalt, principally in Pomona. From the Orkneys, our author hastens through Scotland by Wick, Berrydale, Dornoch, Tain, Cromarty. FortGeorge, Nairn, Forres, Elgin, Lossiemouth, Cullen, Portsoy, Banff, Aberdeen, Stonehaven, and Dundee, to the embouchure of the Forth.-In the former part of this tour the base of the mountains is a sandstone, but it is succeeded by an arenaceous breccia, in which are mixed fragments of red granite, quartz, and micaceous schistus. The summit is quartz, and probably, in other parts, granite. In the remainder of the journey, we meet with nothing peculiarly interesting which can for a mo ment detain us. On the whole, we are sorry to be obliged to repeat, that in the present volume we too glaringly perceive the arts of a professed book-maker. The account of Arran, the Shetland Islands, the chapters on peat and kelp, were transcribed while the former volume was still unsold; for we received it, when, in consequence of the advertisement, we inquired for the present work. This step is likely to be repeated in the tour of the islands still farther to the west; for no promise is made of a separate publication. We must therefore interpose this caution to purchasers, unless the author declare publicly what his intentions are; for a second imposition cannot be admitted. In the mean time we must add, that the errors in orthography and grammar are too striking to pass without the severest reprehension. If the author be himself uneducated, he should apply for assistance to somebody who can remedy his defects. In other respects we can commend him: he seems well acquainted with mineralogy, and with the best works on the subject: he has described faithfully what he saw; and his geological observations are just and accu · rate. ART. VII.-The Works, in Natural History, of the late Rev. Gilbert White, A. M. Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. Comprising the Natural History of Selborne; the Naturalist's Calendar; and miscellaneous Observations, extracted from his Papers. To which are added, a Calendar and Observations, by W. Markwick, Esq. 2 Vols. 8vo. 14s. Boards. White. 1802. WE noticed this respectable and intelligent author's Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne in our 67th volume, O. S. p. 35, and paid that tribute of applause which his diligence, his benevolence, and learning, so well merited. In these volumes that account is re-printed, or at least so much of it as relates to the Natural History, omitting the Antiquities. The plates which relate to the picturesque description, the buildings, or churches, are therefore unnecessary. We find only, as a frontispice to the first volume, the vignette in the title-page of the former work, much worn and very indistinct, with the different view of the mytilus crista galli, nearly in the same state. A coloured plate of the charadrius himantopus, a bird accidentally shot at Selborne, forms the frontispice to the second volume; and, illustrative of one of the miscellaneous observations, we find also a coloured plate of a supposed hybrid pheasant. Of the natural history of Selborne we need therefore say no more. Of the author himself, however—the unvaried tenor of whose blameless life scarcely presents a single incident-we shall transcribe a short account from the advertisement. Gilbert White was the eldest son of John White of Selborne, Esq. and of Ann the daughter of Thomas Holt, rector of Streatham in Surrey. He was born at Selborne on July 18, 1720; and received his school-education at Basingstoke, under the Rev. Thomas Warton, vicar of that place, and father of those two distinguished literary characters, Dr. Joseph Warton, master of Winchester school, and Mr. Thomas Warton, poetry-professor at Oxford. He was admitted at Oriel College, Oxford, in December 1739, and took his degree of bachelor of arts in June 1743. In March 1744 he was elected fellow of his college. He became master of arts in October 1746, and was admitted one of the senior proctors of the university in April 1752. Being of an unambitious temper, and strongly attached to the charms of rural scenery, he early fixed his residence in his native village, where he spent the greater part of his life in literary Occupations, and especially in the study of nature. This he followed with patient assiduity, and a mind ever open to the lessons of piety and benevolence which such a study is so well calculated to afford. Though several occasions offered of settling upon a college living, he could never persuade himself to quit the beloved spot, which was, indeed, a peculiarly happy situation for an observer. He was much esteemed by a select society of intelligent and worthy friends, to whom he paid occasional visits. Thus his days past [passed], tranquil and serene, with scarcely any other vicissitudes than those of the seasons, till they closed at a mature age on June 26, 1793.' Vol, i. P. vii. The next part of this collection is the Naturalist's Calendar, published separately, some time since, by Dr. Aikin. We do not recollect that it has occurred in our journal; and indeed it furnishes no particular subject of remark, as it contains only the æra of the appearance, &c. of different birds and flowers. This calendar is illustrated by the corresponding observations of Mr. Markwick, at Catsfield, near Battle, in Surry. The miscellaneous observations in natural history relate to birds, quadrupeds, insects and vermes, vegetables, and meteorology. They are light and pleasing, illustrated frequently by some judicious remarks from Mr. Markwick, by whom they were collected from Mr. White's papers. It would be invidious to point out a few errors of no great import; and we shall select for the reader's entertainment, perhaps for his instruction, an observation or two from each head. We shall first insert the following amusing effect of an instinctive affection of partridges for the preservation of their young; having premised that we observe in the last volume of the American Transactions, (which we are sorry has been accidentally overlooked, but which we mean to notice very soon) that Dr. Barton has attributed the fancied fascination of birds by serpents to the same cause. The effects are, indeed, apparently the same. us. 6 HEN PARTRIDGE. A hen partridge came out of a ditch, and ran along shivering with her wings and crying out as if wounded and unable to get from While the dam acted this distress, the boy who attended me saw her brood, that was small and unable to fly, run for shelter into an old fox-earth under the bank. So wonderful a power is instinct. • WHITE, It is not uncommon to see an old partridge feign itself wounded and run along on the ground fluttering and crying before either dog or man, to draw them away from its helpless unfledged young ones. I have seen it often, and once in particular I saw a remarkable instance of the old bird's solicitude to save its brood. As I was hunting a young pointer, the dog ran on a brood of very small partridges; the old bird cried, fluttered, and ran tumbling along just before the dog's nose till she had drawn him to a considerable distance, when she took wing and flew still farther off, but not out of the field: on this the dog returned to me, near which place the young ones lay concealed in the grass, which the old bird no sooner perceived than she flew back again to us, settled just before the dog's nose again, and by rolling and tumbling about drew off his attention from her young, and thus preserved her brood a second time. I have also seen, when a kite has been hovering over a covey of young par tridges, the old birds fly up at the bird of prey, screaming and fighting with all their might to preserve their brood.—MARKWICK,' Vol. ii. P. 170. What relates to the hybrid pheasant is more important. Hy brid birds are peculiarly rare; and Mr. Markwick's suggestion is well founded. A HYBRID PHEASANT. • Lord Stawell sent me from the great lodge in the Holt a curious bird for my inspection. It was found by the spaniels of one, of his keepers in a coppice, and shot on the wing. The shape, air, and habit of the bird, and the scarlet ring round the eyes, agreed well with the appearance of a cock pheasant; but then the head and neck, and breast and belly were of a glossy black; and though it weighed three pounds three ounces and a half, the weight of a large full-grown cock pheasant, yet there were no signs of any spurs on the legs, as is usual with all grown cock pheasants, who have long ones. The legs and feet were naked of feathers, and therefore it could be nothing of the grous kind. In the tail were no long bending feathers, such as cock pheasants usually have, and are characteristic of the sex. The tail was much shorter than the tail of a hen pheasant, and blunt and square at the end. The back, wing feathers, and tail, were all of a pale russet curiously streaked, somewhat like the upper parts of a hen partridge. I returned it with my verdict, that it was probably a spurious or hybrid hen bird, bred between a cock pheasant and some domestic fowl. When I came to talk with the keeper who brought it, he told me that some pea-hens had been known last summer to haunt the coppices and coverts where this mule was found. Mr. Elmer, of Farnham, the famous game painter, was employed to take an exact copy of this curious bird. N. B. It ought to be mentioned, that some good judges have imagined this bird to have been a stray grous or black-cock; it is however to be observed, that Mr. W. remarks, that its legs and feet were naked, whereas those of the grous are feathered to the toes. • WHITE. Mr. Latham observes that "pea-hens, after they have done laying, sometimes assume the plumage of the male bird," and has given a figure of the male-feathered pea-hen now to be seen in the Leverian Museum; and M. Salerne remarks, that "the hen pheasant, when she has done laying and sitting, will get the plumage of the male." May not this hybrid pheasant (as Mr. White calls it) be a bird of this kind? that is, an old hen pheasant which had just begun to assume the plumage of the cock.-MARKWICK.'. Vol. ii. P. 171. Once more. HEN HARRIER. A neighbouring gentleman sprung a pheasant in a wheat stubble, and shot at it; when, notwithstanding the report of the gun, it was immediately pursued by the blue hawk, known by the name of the hen-harrier, but escaped into some covert. He then sprung a second, and a third, in the same field, that got away in the same manner; the hawk hovering round him all the while that he was beating the field, conscious no doubt of the game that lurked in the stubble. Hence we may conclude that this bird of prey was rendered very daring and bold by hunger, and that hawks cannot always seize their game when they please. We may farther observe, that they cannot pounce their quarry on the ground where it might be able to make a stout resistance, since so large a fowl as a pheasant could not but be visible to the piercing eye of a hawk, when hovering over the field. Hence that propensity of cowring and squatting till they are almost trod on, which no doubt was intended as a mode of security: though long rendered destructive to the whole race of gallina by the inven tion of nets and guns.-WHITE. Of the great boldness and rapacity of birds of prey when urged on by hunger, I have seen several instances; particularly, when shooting in the winter in company with two friends, a woodcock flew across us closely pursued by a small hawk; we all three fired at the woodcock instead of the hawk, which, notwithstanding the report of three guns close by it, continued its pursuit of the woodcock, struck it down, and carried it off, as we afterwards discovered, At another time, when partridge-shooting with a friend, we saw a ring-tail hawk rise out of a pit with some large bird in its claws; though at a great distance, we both fired and obliged it to drop its prey, which proved to be one of the partridges which we were in pursuit of; and lastly, in an evening, I shot at and plainly saw that I had wounded a partridge, but it being late was obliged to go home without finding it again. The next morning I walked round my land without any gun, but a favourite old spaniel followed my heels. When I came near the field where I had wounded the bird the evening before, I heard the partridges call, and seeming to be much disturbed. On my approaching the bar-way, they all rose, some on my right and some on my left hand; and just before and over my head, I perceived, (though indistinctly from the extreme velocity of their motion) two birds fly directly against each other, when instantly, to my great astonishment, down dropped a partridge at my feet; the dog immediately seized it, and on examination I found the blood flow very fast from a fresh wound in the head, but there was some dry clotted blood on its wings and side; whence I concluded that a hawk had singled out my wounded bird as the object of his prey, and had struck it down the instant that my approach had obliged the birds to rise on the wing; but the space between the hedges was so small, and the motion of the birds so instantaneous and quick, that I could not distinctly observe the operation.-MARKWICK.' Vol. ii, P. 180. Many other amusing passages might be adduced; but our extracts have been sufficiently copious on this part of the volume. Mr. White seems inclined to believe in the torpid state of many birds, and at least of a part of the swallow-race, during winter; in which opinion Mr. Markwick appears to join, but adds some circumstances which would at least prevent a hasty judgement, In fact, the subject is hitherto far from approaching a decision. Were the supposed birds of passage torpid in winter, their haunts would certainly have been sometimes discovered; and that migration is not uncommon among birds, we know from the wintering of many of them among us, which, on the approach of a more genial season, return to their accustomed haunts. The observations on quadrupeds are of little importance: those on insects are more new and valuable. We shall select the account of the ICHNEUMON FLY. I saw lately a small ichneumon fly attack a spider much larger than itself on a grass walk. When the spider made any resistance, the ichneumon applied her tail to him, and stung him with great ves |