4-96 Retrospective Criticism. 



Art. VIII. Retrospective Criticism. 



Food of the Lapwing. — Under Art. Zoology, p. 374., on the mis- 

 takes of instinct in animals, it is said that " the lapwing, when it cannot 

 find a sufficiency of slugs, pats the ground with its feet, to bring forth 

 earthworms." That the lapwing devours slugs is enough to propitiate the 

 farmers in favour of the bird, however averse they maybe from the land they 

 frequent. I have often tried to discover what the food of these birds was, 

 but never could be satisfied on this point. Within the last month I de- 

 sired a gamekeeper (Nash, gamekeeper to G. Farley, Esq., Crowle House, 

 Worcestershire) to shoot a couple, out of hundreds which frequented a 

 field of fallow then sowing with wheat. I saw them opened. The gizzard 

 contained small stones, and morsels of green vegetable matter. The vessel 

 which the gamekeeper called the trail, was charged with a thick mucus, in 

 which were small stones, pieces of the Elytra of small beetles, and seeds of 

 some species of Polygonum ; but no slugs (though the field swarmed with 

 them), earthworms, wheat (of eating which the birds were accused by 

 the bailiff), nor any other matter which could be distinguished. 



I have often observed that the lapwing finds some part of its food a little 

 way below the surface of the ground, as the moist sides of the furrows are 

 ftill of perforations made with their bills. At the same time, I have noticed 

 very little hills of fine earth, resembling those of the little ground bee, 

 thrown up out of round cavities or cells, each of which contains the larva 

 of some insect of the beetle tribe, as they are in colour like those of the 

 ladybird, but in shape and size very like the Lepisma sacchaiina. These 

 larva, I suspected, might be the prey of the lapwing ; but this I never could 

 determine. — M. 



Foi-eiffn Migratory Bi7-ds. (p. 516.) — On the notice respecting the introduc- 

 tion of foreign or migratory songbirds, J. R. seems to doubt whether redbreasts 

 would take to strange eggs, because, he says, " they readily forsake their 

 own, if touched." J. R. ought to have known, that, though redbreasts, as 

 well as other birds, will forsake their eggs and nests, if disturbed in the 

 early part of the season, or while they are laying, they seldom do so after 

 they have begun to sit. Mr. Anderson only stated facts. — M. 



J. R., in reply to these remarks, professes his ignorance of the circum- 

 stance that birds seldom forsake their nests after beginning to sit, and is 

 certain of many particular facts authorising a contrary opinion. Many birds 

 will forsake their young, much more their eggs, of which the domestic pigeon 

 is a well-known example. 



Biography of J. Templeton, Esq. (p. 403.) — Sir, The biography of the 

 late Mr. Templeton, which has been commenced in the last Number of the 

 Magazine of Natural History was not written by me. This I stated to you 

 before, a circumstance, which, in consequence,! suppose, of the manuscript 

 coming through my hands, had been overlooked. It is the composition of 

 the Rev. Thos.D. Hincks, M.R.I. A., and Principal of the Classical Depart- 

 ment of the Belfast Institution. Mr. Hincks was, when he read the paper. 

 President of the Belfast Natural History Society, but on account of a mul- 

 tiplicity of engagements, he resigned that office, and I was elected to it. 

 The very interesting account of our late excellent naturalist, has been given 

 hy Mr. Hincks in such a way as might be looked for from one of his long 

 acknowledged talents and extensive erudition, and is much superior to any 

 thing I could have produced on the subject. I therefore request that you 

 will publish this note in your next, and alter the heading of the article in 

 your continuations of Mr. Templeton's life. By so doing, you will much 

 oblige your constant wellwisher. — Jas. L. Dnimmond. Belfast^ Dec. 6. 

 ^828. 



