AMATEUR NATURALISTS. 017 



science. Every one of them is a jealous mistress to be won only by 

 constant attention. What does Dr. Buckland know of entomology ? 

 Could he give such unanswerable proofs of the existence of a Deity, 

 from the physiology of insects as Samouelle or Kirby ? from that 

 of the molluscous animals as Sowerby ? from that of birds as Swain- 

 son or Yarrell? from human anatomy as Bell? from natural 

 chemistry as Faraday ? from botany as Brown ? But, in geology, 

 Buckland is a giant and it is fit that he should " stick to his wax." 

 A young gentleman was one day making some awkward attempts on 

 the Thames to skate. The spectators tittered ; and a foolish friend, 

 hoping to put them to the blush, remarked, " It is true that he does 

 not shine as a skater; but nobody can beat him as a swimmer." 

 ' Then," said some one, " let him break the ice and swim.'' Had 

 one person presumed to have written the projected grand Bridg- 

 water Treatise, while floundering among FISH, or grovelling with 

 the REPTILES, it would prove of no availf or his friends to assert that he 

 was a great astronomer, or learned in the causes of capillary attraction. 



We admit that the Bridgewater Treatises, according to the present 

 arrangement, may display many instances of the same conclusions 

 being drawn from different arguments. But what of that ? The in- 

 stances, at least, will be correct or at least so far correct as not to 

 be beneath the highest level of human knowledge, which they could 

 not possibly be, had they all been presented to us by one hand. 



The first of the Bridgwater Treatises, entitled " Astronomy and 

 General Physics considered with reference to Natural Theology, by 

 the Rev. William Whewell, M. A. Fellow and Tutor of Trinity 

 College, Cambridge," appeared some weeks ago ; and cotemporarily 

 with it, came out a work, by the Rev. Henry Fergus, of Dumferline, 

 " The Testimony of Nature and Revelation to the Being, Perfections 

 and Government of God." From his title, it will be seen, that the 

 author has evidently aimed at the production of the book contem- 

 plated by the Earl of Bridgwater of performing that in one volume, 

 for which eight have been deemed necessary by the late President of 

 the Royal Academy, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop 

 of London adding too, the Testimony of Revelation to that of Na- 

 ture. His intentions were doubtless excellent, and his abilities are 

 apparently of a high order. But he has attempted a task, which no 

 man living could execute : it is not extraordinary, therefore, that in 

 some sections of his work, he should fail; he has done so, particu- 

 larly where he ventures to skim the surface of Natural History. He 

 does not pretend to go deep into the subject ; but even on the froth 

 he is strangely out of his element. 



There are many persons who consider themselves qualified to write 

 about Natural History, because they have read Pliny, Buffon, and 

 some of the trashy zoological publications of the day. They consti- 

 tute a class they are the Amateur Naturalists. Last month we bat- 

 tered the head of 'one of them the Field Book phenomenon in such 

 a manner, that he will never be able to hold it up again. But Mr. 

 Fergus is a different character; he deserves to be treated as a gentle- 

 man ; and we shall only go so far with him, as to point out the dan- 



M. Til. No. 90. 4 B 



