lU 



Retrospective Criticism. 



infested with slugs, aiW liaving heard that lapwings were frequently em- 

 ployed for the purpose of destroying them, I obtained several young ones 

 from the neighbouring meadows where they bred, and, considering them 

 too young to provide for themselves, placed them in a chicken pen, in 

 order to feed them myself. The only thing they appeared to relish was 

 the common earthworm, which they took from the hand, and swallowed 

 greedily : but upon offering them slugs, they would not touch them. This 

 surprised me much, and in order to satisfy myself on this point, I gave them 

 one unexpectedly after a worm, which, directly they touched, they invariably 

 dropped, and shook their heads violently several times, as if even the taste 

 of it had greatly offended them. This I repeated frequently, but never 

 could prevail upon them to eat one either of the black or small white slug. 

 It never occurred to me to try beetles, but even the worms (or it might be 

 the confinement) did not seem to agree with them, as they gradually sick- 

 ened and died ; and having but one left, I turned it out into the garden, as 

 the only chance of saving its life, where it immediately provided for itself, 

 and lived till the winter, when, as is usually the case with all pets, it met 

 with an untimely death, by falling a victim to a cat. -^ I am. Sir, yours, &c. 

 J. B. Jan. 21. 1829. 



Engravings of Bird^. — I think it would be as well if your engraver, when- 

 ever he has occasion 28 

 to delineate any of 

 the British birds, were 

 to copy Bewick's fi- 

 gures. If he had 

 done so, he never 

 could have made out 

 such an unnatural fi- 

 gure of the water-rail 

 (Vol.1, p. 289.), which 

 is a perfect disgrace 

 to the work. Several 

 of the falcons, which 

 are delineated in the 

 aame number, are also 

 very indifferently exe- 

 cuted; the hen har- 

 rier, in particular, 

 is totally unlike any 

 hawk that ever was 

 seen in Great Britain 

 or Ireland. — J. G. 

 C. Ballitbref County 

 KUdarCjDec. 4. 1828. 



Our correspond- 

 ent, we regret to be 

 obliged to confess, is 

 perfectly right. We 

 were told the same 

 thing in Paris, but 

 hope to avoid such 

 imperfections in future. — Cond. 



Pentacrinus europcB^us and the Star Fish. — Sir, Amongst the list of new 

 publications in the Magazine of Natural History (Vol.1, p. 62.) is the title 

 of a memoir, I lately published, on Pentacrinus (pente five, from the pent- 

 angular stem of the genus, and krinon lily ; lily-like) europae'us (fig. 28.), 

 and which requires to be emended, for from the words " star fishy"* which 



