8^ B-etrospective Criticismt 



than a year a^o^ before my connexion with the^ Edinburgh Jonrnai of 

 Katural, and' (reogmphicat Science.' '^ot having sWen these Kotes in your 

 Journal, I inserted them with some alterations in the geographical collec- 

 tions of the Edinburgh Journal. As Mr. Cheek, not aware of these cir- 

 cumstances, has been indignant at a supposed plagiarism, 1 beg leave to 

 dlfer'this statement in explanation. The N'oles, as published in the Maga- 

 zine, contain the following orthographical errors, which I hope you will 

 apologise for to jour" readers, from its nothavifi^ been in your power tc? 

 send the author a proof for correction. j ,.',.•: v 1 • i. if 



' '!P_age 498. line 31., for " geognostic stra^uin*' tead '** geognostic ^struc- 

 ture;"' 1, 44-., for " superpositions" read "superposition." 501. 1. 36., for 

 "iilles" read " alia." 502, 1. 25., for " Lebau" read " Libau." 504. 1. 14., 

 fol- " Parhit" read " Parrot';" L 17., for " Deehen" read « Dechen." 

 isbo. 1. ^6., i'ck *' alegnatio'n " read " alienation.'* 506. 1. 9., for " Simoux " 

 read *^ Lin\oiix;" i.'27., for " Bougues",read " Bouguer." 507. 1. 12>, 

 for " Port' cle Bcnasque d'Or" reatl *' Port' de B^nastjue, d'Oo." .' I ara, 

 ^nl^dl—Wiilfrnn Ainsivorlh. 172. Jicgnd Street^ Bccembcr 6. 1830. 'Vf, 



^'^Tmlicail^ohhm c^l'Atumah. — Sir, Tn allusion to the controversy 

 B^t\veen*i™./OJ^t'.Vmlaire and t'uvier, respecting a general t}pical form- 

 :itfo*h''pf ail 'animal's, I'begtp'^rejnind you, that our own naturalist,^ MJr. 

 jR^acL'^^^y'^^so'^fty- coiiu'i the opinions of the former, as to consider' 



tlVat; tk^ 'riiodi^ications of a typical structure may be traced through liiime- 

 roii^voMi*^^ 'o'fT'er}^ t^iff^^^^^ but that he considers that nature 



h^s?4*dop'fe'd Vi^q clistihfct pl^ that the vertebrate and annulose animals 

 I'esi^fecf-iveiy'rebrese'n't tlie, perfection of each of these plans, .and that ^1 

 c^t^rkhh^iy niay be regaf U^ ^^iiti^e^m^k W^ke^tk^^ 1»; 



~;)^*![?.'W,\,^'^«2>^. 1830?'''^^. v'''^^*^'*-'^'^^^^ '"^■';'^ -* 



The Tw^)ishe7'.—%iry 19'^ving'o'bserved',' in' Vo. XV- of ^his Ma^zirie fqt 

 Septeip^er, the assertion, of yojir correspondent Mr. Jennings, that the 

 Kingfisher is never seen* in the vicinity of man's habitation, I beg that he 

 ffiay be informed, through' thfe' medium of your widely circulated work, that, 

 for the J^st nine years, and' perhaps more, I have noticed that a pair.of 

 kihgftshep have uniforml}' constructed their nests in a hole of a bank which 

 pfbjpcts' over a piece of water on ihy, premises, not above lOO yards froiti 

 the house! Oh the top of the bank is a sort of hermitage or summer-house, 

 which^ tholigh not certainly much frequented, is enough so to justify trie 

 f-eiiiai'k of J. R. (Vol. II. p. 457.) I could also observe, that any one wlib 

 fs acqiiaihted with the scenery on the banks of the Thames, from Oxford to 

 Ileading, and even up to near London, must know that he caianot walt'a 

 mile without seeirtg or hearing the kingfisher; and that although, in sorhe 

 places, it may be a (Solitary and shy bird, yet there it cannot be considered 

 as such.' These facts will, I hope, be sufficient to convince Mr. Jennings 

 that he is mistaken. If you can find a spare corner to insert this article, 

 you will greatly oblige, Sir, yours, &c. — An Observer ofXdture. Sept. 6. 18^6, 



Snalicf! taking the Wafer. — Sir, Ih corroboration of Mr. Murray's remarks 

 (Vol. III. p. 450.), I beg to say, that, being when a boy very often at Ken- 

 ton ttall, in this county, I haxefrecptentti/ seen the common snake take the 

 water, crossing £he moats which on all sides surround that old-fashione^ 

 mansion. They skinimed over the surface of the water, only occasionally 

 swimming under the surface, with the head above. As snakes are exceed- 

 ingly common iri that part of the county, I doubt not, many persons could 

 readily confirm the assertion beside myself. — JV, J. Clarke. Ea^t Bergholt^ 

 5?#2A^,'i^/.'^3. 1*83(3;'''''^^^:'^^^^ ■"''""' T' ' ' ' 



BmU formlwig their i\'(^'i'^5. — i- 1 siiall offei' a few remarks oti birds forsak- 

 ing their nests when their eggs are touched, as stated in yPur M:igazine. 

 (Vol. II, p. 1 13.) I have known years apo (when I was a lad,. and went to 

 school) instances, when a boy found a bird's nest, of his taking the eggs ; and 

 if not more than two' 'wei?6'l^id;%ubstitutti^gt^ snlsill rouiidish pebble;^. 



