390 Wood's Ornithologists Text-Booh, 



below them. We could see no sign of any habitation, no gleam of light 

 from the shore to cheer us. In vain we strained our ears, for the plash 

 of the oar, or welcome sound of the human voice, or bark of some house- 

 hold dog, that might assure us we were not doomed to pass the night in the 

 lone wood. We began now to apprehend we had really lost the way. To 

 attempt returning through the deepening darkness of the forest in search of 

 any one to guide us, was quite out of the question ; the road being so ill de- 

 fined, that we should soon have been lost in the mazes of the woods. The 

 last sound of the waggon wheels had died away in the distance : to have 

 overtaken it would have been impossible. Bidding me remain quietly where 

 I was, my husband forced his way through the tangled underwood along 

 the bank, in hope of discovering some sign of the house we sought, which 

 we had every reason to suppose must be near, though probably hidden, by the 

 dense mass of trees, from our sight. As I sat in the wood in silence and 

 in darkness, my thoughts gradually wandered back across the Atlantic to my 

 dear mother and to my old home j and I thought what would have been 

 your feelings could you, at that moment, have beheld me as I sat on the 

 cold mossy stone in the profound stillness of that vast leafy wilderness ; 

 thousands of miles from all those holy ties of kindred and early associations, 

 that make home, in all countries, a hallowed spot. It was a moment to 

 press upon my mind the importance of the step I had taken, in voluntarily 

 sharing the lot of the emigrant,* in leaving the land of my birth, to which, 

 in all probability, I might never again return. Great as was the sacrifice, 

 even at that moment, strange as was my situation, I felt no painful regret 

 or fearful misgiving depress my mind. A holy and tranquil peace came 

 down upon me, soothing and softening my spirits into a calmness that 

 seemed as unruffled as was the bosom of the water that lay stretched out 

 before my feet. My reverie was broken by the light plash of a paddle ; and 

 a bright line of light showed a canoe dancing over the lake. In a few mi- 

 nutes, a well-known and friendly voice greeted me as the little bark was 

 moored among the cedars at my feet. My husband having gained a pro- 

 jecting angle of the shore, had discovered the welcome blaze of the wood 

 fire in the log-house, and, after some difficulty, had succeeded in rousing 

 the attention of its inhabitants. Our coming that day had long been given 

 up ; and our first call had been mistaken for the sound of the ox-bells in 

 the wood: this had caused the delay which had so embarrassed us." (p. 1 17.) 



— S. T. 



Wood, Neville : The Ornithologist's Text-Book ; being Re- 

 views of Ornithological Works; with an Appendix, con- 

 taining Discussions on various Topics of Interest. 12mo, 

 235 pages. London, J. W. Parker, West Strand, ]836. 



w The present volume will, we hope, and, indeed, anticipate, 

 .prove a useful guide to the [unproficient] ornithologist in the 

 choice of his books. That it is not so complete as might be 

 wished, especially as regards the less important [of the] works 

 of the Continental writers, we freely admit; but we think that 

 no British work of importance is omitted." 



The author has treated of the works in the order of time, 

 tis far as he has been able, consistently with treating of dif- 

 ferent editions together, and, in some instances, of different 

 works by the same author. He has begun with Willughby's 

 .Ornithology, published in 1 678. 



