Retrospective Criticism, 299- 



excellent review of the British Naturalist. By means of its gizzard this 

 bird can triturate shells, and elytra of beetles and their hard bodies. I once 

 saw a cook-maid take out of the gizzard of one a shell-snail whole (i/elix 

 nemoralis), and its gut was full of the bodies of T'ipula pectinicornis 

 (Harry long-legs). — ./. F. M. Dovastoji. January 8. 1832. 



The Water Rail (Edllus aqudticus^ p. 68.). — In reference to its food, I 

 must say I have found its crop filled with the seeds of bog plants. — T. K, 

 Dublin, Feb. 7. 1832. 



Turtle Doves. — J. M.'s remarks on turtle doves (p. 82, 83.) are genuine 

 and judicious. We have turtle doves here in abundance, in their season, 

 and the people call them Wrekin doves, ignorantly imagining that they 

 come from, and retire to, that mountain. — J. F. M. Dovaston. IVestfelton, 

 near Shrewsburi/, January 8. 1832. 



Food of the Chaffinch (Vringilla Spiza Ren.). — There must be some 

 mistake in the statement (Vol. IV. p. 417.) that the chaffinch is, " during 

 summer, entirely insectivorous ; " for though I believe it feeds its young 

 almost wholly on insects, the old birds uniformly prefer vegetable food. In 

 the early summer they accordingly look out for the more early seeds, such 

 as those of Draba verna, groundsel, chickweed, and the speedwells, and 

 even eat the leaves and young shoots when they cannot procure seeds. 

 Their being prolific breeders, and requu'ing, of course, an extensive supply 

 of insects for their young, may have led to the mistake. I once reared a 

 young chaffinch from the nest, and previous to its first moult it eagerly 

 devoured flies and other insects ; but afterwards, though it retained the 

 habit of snapping at every fly that came near it, and even of killing 

 them, it always dropped them in the cage. I never ot3served it, indeed, after 

 this period to swallow any insect. — J. Rennie. Lee, Kent, Jan. 7. 1832. 



The chaffinch is execrated by most gardeners, and not without cause. 

 In early spring it does ruinous injury to his hopeful crops of sprouting 

 seeds of radishes, of hawthorn, and of other plants. This does not invali- 

 date Mr. Main's remark above cited, that the chaffinch is " entirely insecti- 

 vorous in summer;" it is not, however, entirely so in autumn ; then it 

 vindicates most diligently, and pertinaciously too, and to an expensive 

 extent, its claim to a share of the crops of ripening seeds of radish, cab- 

 bage, and other plants; especially those in the natural order Cruciferae. — 

 J.D. 



Since these remarks were written, A. R. Y. has presented the reader 

 (p. 65.) with a confirmation of this accusation, and also exhibited several 

 instances of benefit conferred on man by the chaffinch. — J. D. 



The Term Midge as applied to a Species of Fish. — Sir, In Couch's 

 very excellent and interesting paper on the Fishes of Cornwall (p. 13.) I 

 would decidedly object to the term Midge ; for, as this term has been 

 previously applied to an insect, the Culicoides punctata of Latreille, its 

 application also to a fish tends to confusion. Yours, &c. — J, Rennie* 

 Lee, Kent, January 7. 1832. 



Mr. Couch seems to have anticipated, but still has not met, this objec- 

 tion. He remarks (see p. 16.), " I find also the word midge used for a gnat 

 in Hawkins's edition of Walton^ s Angler, partii. p. 104." See also p. 290. 



Use formerly made of the common Viper. — Sir, From the remarks made by 

 your valuable correspondent W.T. Bree (Vol. IV. p. 472.), on the use made 

 of the common viper, I am induced to send you the following, copied verbatim 

 from an old London Dispensatory, by William Salmon, Professor of Physick. 

 1702: — " Yipera (echis, Greek; shephijjhon, Heb.), the Viper. — It is a 

 serpent that brings forth alive, exceeding other serpents in venom ; sleeping 

 all winter under the earth, or in rocks. Schroder saith, he opened a great 

 serpent in Finland, which had living young within it ; but I rather believe 

 him to be mistaken, and that it might be an overgrown viper of a strange 

 colour ; for, to our knowledge, serpents lay eggs, and we opened two which 



