68 Short Communications. 



framework, probably designed for placing parcels upon, stood 

 beside tbe kerb-stone, opposite one side of the Elephant and 

 Castle Inn, in fact, between the pavement and the road. On the 

 inner face of one of the upright posts of this framework there 

 was fastened a sheet of copper, exceeding in size an octavo page. 

 On this were inscribed " in good set terms,'' an elegy to one 

 ?% JjUlpb* , a\i ^#h#f {celebrity, who in the days of his life had 

 been a distinguished member of the Elephant and Castle esta- 

 blishment. A stander-by, I remember, in reply to my enquiries, 

 told me several instances of Ralph's sagacity, and, among the 

 rest, that from Ralph's intimacy with the coach-drivers, who 

 were in habitual ply to and from that inn, he would, and this 

 not rarely, take short jaunts out on the coach top with them, 

 until he met some other coach, whose driver he also knew, 

 ^g^giirheob^e^il^rJi^Qititm^lwl^n ftftl^w^ujff Sftfirijge 



Xb^®n&^mfym.TTv&>f&dS m bsv^do Jmy/'iaa 3th -mod 

 .The Instinctive. Properties of Animals never completely obli- 

 a/^fc^^ ^fl^4§#f^ iflsjancje, 



&Mkm&k hh&th&p&teop&fy oj}{ ^c#r$fotie^iflg J^ proje^^at 

 9^tern»twaJrdi^si^k>P jS^-ftftouj- most doraesj^^e^jar^nialg, 

 however subdued by long habit and constant intercourse, will 

 evince itself at times under the most unaccountable circum- 

 stances.. Lgidtaqrn 72 yis/Il .^sq yl\ mh \ mjiidmazzB vliob 

 A friend of mine, who keeps a number of gold and silver 

 pheasants, kept in the same yard with his breeding birds a 

 thorough-bred pointer, which ran among them for two years 

 loose, both day and night, without ever having ruffled a 

 feather; yet, during one night last month, he killed every bird 

 in the yard (upwards of SO) ; and, what is more singular, did 

 not eat one, but carried each to a distance, some to above a 

 quarter of a mile ; burying them in separate places, which 

 wasuonly discovered by the fresh turned earth and loose 

 rfeaitriftirfc 2^^fif4rt)s»i^JW yours, 8c<^h n( J. ) ,.}Varzvick, ln f^r t ^/ 

 Zoological Gardens^ March 15. 183^ f {) aiotsd Jmsttuo? 970m 



The elegant Cowper has prettily adverted to the persistency 

 of instinctive emotions, in his poems of " The Faithful Bird " 

 and " On a Spaniel, called Beau, killing a young Bird," and 

 in " Beau's reply^'-^,,©.^ I BUgUfIIJ *iq,, il ^918 AM pi 



The Robin's Confidence in Man. — Sir, Poets from time 

 immemorial have sung the praise of the robin redbreast, 

 alike " the friend of man, and sacred to his household gods." 

 But still, as prose matters of fact are often acceptable corro- 

 borations of poetical theories, I shall make no apology for 

 offering the following instance for insertion in some spare 

 corner of your interesting Magazine. Early in March, in 

 the library of a gentleman's house, in one of our northern 



