Itetrospective Criticism. 483 



in the ear on the 22d of June was cut ripe on the last day of the month, a 

 period of 70 days : mean temperature of that period 56'6°. 



The weather continued moist during the first 10 days of September, and 

 the atmosphere mostly cloudy; from that period the atmosphere was 

 clearer, and brisk gales of wind were frequent, and much of the crops were 

 got in, in good condition ; with the exception of beans, the ground was 

 clear by the 28th in the Low Carse. In September there were 15 days 

 of brilliant sunshine, 7 days of partial sunshine, and 8 days cloudy. The 

 tiger lily came in flower on the 1st; ripe figs were pulled on the 2d; 

 Spanish broom flowered on the 4th ; Moorpark apricots ripening only on 

 one side. Green-gage plums were ripe on the 17th, white Beurre pears on 

 the 29th. Elruge nectarines not yet ripe. The sportsmen find the game 

 scarce. Few young partridges have been hatched, and the skeletons of 

 several dams have been found in the nest by the reapers. Hares are not so 

 plenty as usual ; the young are still feeble. Swallows have disappeared, 

 and the sea-mews appear in myriads on ploughed fields. Few wildgeese 

 have as yet reached their winter quarters in the Low Carse. — Sept. 30. 



Art. IV. Retrospective Criticism. 



JErrata. — Page 502. line 15. for " Capucaila" read " Capercaile," the 

 common name of the mountain cock. Retrospective critics should be free 

 from errors, and (to use a common proverb) " ought to sweep before their 

 •own doors." — B. C. 



Page 275. line 27. for " A^ca A'lce" read " AlcaA^lle;" and after 

 "species" add « of Petrel." 



The Water-Shrew. — Sir, The description given by Mr. Dovaston of the 

 water-shrew (p. 219.), will, I think, lead to some interesting facts in the 

 natural history of British shrews. I am inclined to think that the animal there 

 described differs from the Sorex fodiens, given by Stark as a synonyme of 

 the /Sorex Daubentonii of Geoffi'oy, and what the author supposes it to be. 

 The characters of the former are black above, and cinereous or ash colour 

 beneath, ears and eyes very small, its length is nearly 6 in., snout long and 

 small, it burrows near water, and, according to Berkenhout (Sj/nopsis of the 

 Nat. Hist, of G}'eat Britain^ 1789), inhabits Lincolnshire. Now I have seen 

 (though I have not yet been able to procure a specimen) a water-shrew that 

 very nearly answered this description, in the moors of Lanarkshire, which 

 correspond very nearly, in physical characters, with the fens of Lincolnshire. 

 But the 56rex Daubentonfi, Le Greber (digger) of Pallas and of Vicq 

 d'Azyr, besides the character of its ear being provided with three small 

 valves, capable of shutting it entirely, which would have presented to the 

 eye of Mr. Dovaston the appearance of being buried in the fur, has the 

 toes of the feet bordered with stiff hairs, the tail square-shaped, a little 

 shorter than the body, the fur blackish above and white below ; it sleeps 

 during the day, and hunts in the evening and morning ; its length is only 

 o in. The animal seen by Mr. Dovaston answers this description ; according 

 to this gentleman, the belly and throat were of the purest silver white, 

 distinguishing it from the S. 6'ollurio, the ears were almost buried in fur, 

 length about 3 in,, tail shorter, being not quite 2 in., the claws fringed with 

 very fine bristles; it was never seen till near sunset, once only at noon. 

 Pennant describes the S. fodiens, which, in its length, and in the presence of a 

 dusky spot near the tail, would approximate to this species. The error will be 

 traced, I suspect, to the fact of two distinct species having been confounded; 

 and if this were the case, this little animal would be the representative of the 

 true musaraigne d^eau of the French writers, first noticed by Pallas, and since 

 admitted into systems by the name of ^orex Daubentonii, with which the 

 5orex fodiens would not be connected as synonymous, but left apart, as a 

 well-marked and distinct British species. Yours, &c. — William Ainsworth. 

 U. Gardener's Crescent, Edinburgh, Sept. 1829. 



