Queties and Answer's, 557 



life into dead inert matter, and make even calcined clay, in the form of 

 plates and dishes, to dance a jig all about my feet. No, Sir, I cannot 

 believe that he works miracles, for I can perform nearly all his tricks my- 

 self, only not half so cleverly as Signor Blitz. 



Your reviewer says, " he can make neither head nor tail of my letter." 

 This may be more his fault than mine. Perhaps I got beyond his depth, 

 or out of his element ; but I was not beyond or out of mine. As a natu- 

 ralist, I have as good a right to exercise my imagination as the divine has 

 to exercise his faitky for the purpose of trying how far either will stretch. 

 I have not yet got farther than the Georgium Sidus, but all betwixt there 

 and here is within the grasp of my imagination. How far beyond this 

 faith might carry me, I cannot tell ; but the contemplation of such subjects 

 is truly pleasant, and of high importance. The new system of geology is 

 the taU of my letter. If, Sir, your Magazine of Natural History is to con- 

 tain nothing but disquisitions on ant-hills, wasps' nests, and species of pim- 

 pernel, and if such letters as mine are to be excluded, I must say, with your 

 reviewer, that you had better shut up your office and close your Magazine. 

 The natural history of man must be of more importance than the history 

 of either monkey or maggot, mammoth or magpie. 



My adventure with the snake had certainly nothing to do with the former 

 part of my letter; but there is much natural history of the snake there, 

 contained in few words : 1st, that the snake lives on toads ; 2d, that it 

 swallows them whole ; 3d, that it retreats on the approach of a human 

 being ; 4th, that it will take to water in case of danger, or to transport 

 itself from one side of a lake or river to another ; 5th, that the snake is 

 quite harmless. It can neither bite nor sting to hurt a man ; but this I 

 could never have believed had I not seen our shepherd frequently play 

 with them, and provoke them, and turn them into his naked bosom, let 

 them crawl round his body, and out at the sleeve of his shirt. Never- 

 theless, I would advise no one to try such experiments who does not know 

 the difference betwixt a snake and an adder. The snake, when first caught, 

 will generally discharge a white slimy liquid, which, if it fall on a tender 

 part of the skin, will cause a smarting redness, and even blisters, but no 

 other bad consequences. This may be occasioned by the food eaten by 

 the snake ; a toad, for instance. 



The toad is truly a venomous reptile, but its venom lies all in its skin, 

 in the protuberances on its back. When provoked or hurt, it will dis- 

 charge at these protuberances small particles of white poison : hence there 

 are few dogs that will worry a toad ; but a good dog will fasten upon any 

 thing. I have seen the mouths of dogs swelled fearfully from worrying 

 toads. There are neither toads in Ireland nor snakes to eat them ; neither 

 did I ever see a mole there : but whatever Janies Hogg may say in favour 

 of moles, I am of St. Patrick's opinion, that they are noxious vermin, and 

 ought to be extirpated the kingdom. 



Perhaps this letter also has " nothing to do with natural history, nor 

 the plan of your Magazine." If so, all I can say is, I am sorry for it. 

 Yours, truly, — Agronome, Feb. 1. 1831. 



Art. III. Queries and Jnstoers. 



Whirls of the Tumbler Pigeon. — I have never paid attention to the sin- 

 gular habit in this bird, enquired about by your Southampton subscriber, 

 (p. 473.) Buffon's opinion is obviously erroneous. Your correspondent 

 would do well to observe if this movement is common to both sexes, or only 

 practised, as I suspect, by the male. He should likewise ascertain whether 

 It is done at all seasons, or only at particular times, as, for instance, when 



