214 SPARROW-PUDDING NATURALISTS. 



its true form and colour, the beauty, grandeur, almighty wisdom, and 

 beneficence of the creation." 



But in effecting this revolution, some excesses have been committed, 

 and Natural History is at this moment so completely disorganized, 

 that some time will probably elapse before a proper advantage can be 

 taken of our recent discoveries. We want an important work, grave 

 in its character, uniform in its design, and embracing all modern dis- 

 coveries, to settle the public mind on the subject. The spirit of spe- 

 culation and individual action is going too far ; a being of stupendous 

 intellect is required to reduce our frittered and chaotic elements of 

 truth into order. It is true, that the stupid and tyrannical old dynasty 

 has been overthrown, but anarchy threatens to rise upon its ruins. 

 " The Animal Kingdom" is full of parties, each of which is partially 

 right, but enormously wrong. So much obstinacy and partizanship 

 exist, that to amalgamate the conflicting elements appears to be a 

 gigantic task. Every little circle of systematists has its idol, its au- 

 tocrat every village its Gilbert White ; Allesley, if our memory do 

 not deceive us, has its Rev. W. T. Bree. 



" Anent 1 ' this gentleman, the present paper was projected ; but we 

 have been unconsciously betrayed into " the general subject," which, 

 by the bye, we purpose discussing at the earliest opportunity more at 

 large, and in a more serious mode than that under the influence of 

 which we now write. Messrs. Macleay, Vigors, Bennett, Swainson, 

 Gray, Woods, Yarrell, Sowerby, Samouelle, Kirby, Mantell, Spence, 

 and Buckland, we know and respect the greater part of you ; but 

 we have a word or two to say, in a friendly mood, to each. Of course 

 we agree with all of you on one point, (and with many of you on 

 several,) namely, that the old lion, Buffon, is done up ; so completely 

 done up, in fact, that even Rennie, the popular writer, and august 

 Professor of Zoology at the King's College, ventures to kick him. 

 Poor devil ! Poor Count de Buffon ! 



But touching the Gilbert White of Allesley the Rev. W. T. Bree, 

 who is invariably spoken of as " the amiable naturalist" by all his 

 fellow- contributors to the Magazine of Natural History* : In the last 



* This publication is conducted by the talented veteran, Loudon, one of the 

 most useful literary and scientific men of the present age. Delightful lonhom- 

 mie is his peculiar characteristic. Those who, without knowing, talk to him, 

 fancy that he is a mighty pleasant and well-informed gentleman \ who has never 

 done any thing, and who has nothing to do. Such, however, is not the fact ; he has 

 produced some of the most valuable and important Encyclopedias published by 

 Longman and Co. ; he edits the Gardener's Magazine, as well as that of Natu- 

 ral History, and he has now in the course of publication an Encyclopedia of 

 Rural Architecture ; which in our opinion ranks amongst the most 'intelligent, 

 important, and practical works that ever issued from the press. Its numbers 

 have frequently been noticed in terms of high commendation in this Magazine 

 as they appeared ; but not content with this, we purpose devoting some pages to 

 a review of the entire production, as soon as it shall have been completed ; 

 feeling, as we do, that the time has gone by when mere literature formed the 

 staple commodity of periodical reviews. We are anxious to keep up with the 

 spirit of the age, to be useful as well as agreeable, to " bring out" those publi- 

 cations that aim at higher objects than the mere gratification of the present mo- 

 ment. Among these, Loudon's works occupy a conspicuous place. The Maga- 

 zine of Natural History ought to be present wherever a periodical is found. It 



