70 Tht British Nahiralist. 



of boxwood when he cut it), which, together with certain 

 others of like manufacture, we do hope the author will omit 

 in the next edition, and give us, by way of make-weight, in 

 the room of them, that most necessary adjunct to every thing 

 in the shape of a book, an index ; the absence of which we 

 have sorely felt. Our readers will perceive that we think 

 but meanly of the ornamental parts of the British Naturalist, 

 It is but justice to add, however, that the cut of" Rook's Re- 

 tribution" is neat, tasteful, and characteristic. We cannot 

 help suspecting that this also may be a copy, though we do 

 not immediately recollect to have ever seen the original. 



One word more of complaint, and we have done. Of our 

 author's style no unfavourable judgment will have been formed 

 from the examples we have given. Sometimes he indulges 

 in tediously long-winded sentences, which put us absolutely out 

 of breath before we can get to the end of tliem ; and even then, 

 perhaps, their meaning is scarcely intelligible without a second 

 perusal. We refer, as an instance in point, to the opening 

 paragraph of part iii. (Summer) in vol. ii. The passage itself 

 is too long to extract, nor is it worth the trouble. Sometimes 

 we have to encounter a sentence equally obscure, in a different 

 way; e. g. 



" Thus, though a careful examination of those places, not with a view 

 to ascertain how the strata of the earth were originally made (of which, as 

 we have nothing very analogous to it going on, we can have very imperfect 

 notions), but, as to what part in its present form may depend upon causes 

 that we can understand, can give information, it will not give us dates." 

 (vol. ii. p. 287.) 



We do not like such expressions as " too singular for 

 being passed over," and " rather harsh and hard for being 

 eaten." (vol. i. p. 261. 304.) Sometimes, again, we meet 

 with an occasional Scotticism (our author, we presume, is a 

 Scotchman), such as " would " for " should," &c. (vol. ii. 

 p. 225.) ; and, now and then, with an example of false con- 

 cord : — 



" They do not attack any vegetable substance in those parts, except 

 the gum upon a wild cherry, or berries, and the former «re not very 

 numerous, and the bilberry^ the most abundant of the latter, are not 

 quite to their taste." Again : " Their slender bills^ slightly awl-shaped, 

 and having the top of the upper mandible a little curved downward at the 

 tip, does not adapt them for that operation." (vol. ii. p. 299. 323.) 



Of incomplete sentences, or rather series of w^ords in- 

 trenched between two full stops, which yet contain no propo- 

 sition, neither affirming nor denying any thing, many instances 

 might be pointed out ; let one, however, suffice : — 



" As it does not frequent gardens at the time when the cultivated cher- 



