80 NOTES— ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



that he had always loved birds, and knew full well their different songs 

 — but that he now took them, more by way of amusement and recreation than 

 from necessity. Also, that both himself and his wife had got a tolerable 

 independence. I asked him if he had heard the nightingale this season, and he 

 told me, ' Yes, on the 2ist April, for the first time.' We now parted from our 

 friend, as he said he was going to repose for about two hours before his dinner, as 

 he was getting old, and felt rather tired. On looking around, we perceived a 

 stone on which was marked ' Loughton Parish.' We struck again through the 

 forest, retracing our steps. Hereabouts, old ' Fino ' made an awkward leap of 

 it. He was after the rabbits and springing over a hedge, without having 

 sufficiently calculated his leap, or looking before he leaped. He leaped, and fell, 

 nose foremost, into a soft bog. He was very wroth, but a pond being near at 

 hand, he soon washed his proboscis and forgot all about it. At length we 

 found ourselves an point de depart ; and being half-an-hour earlier than the time 

 appointed, we turned down a sweetly pretty lane to the right. Here on a sunny 

 bank, ' Pino ' found another kind of sport, in the shape of some little fawn- 

 colored mice, which, however, I could not allow him to hunt or annoy. We 

 again turned back, and reached the ' Bald-Face Stag,' precisely at the hour 

 appointed — very hot, rather tired, very thirsty, and with an appetit de Ion p. We 

 were shown into a snug little room, and 'Fino ' soon curled himself round in a 

 corner, dreaming of his glorious sport with the rabbits. Whilst dinner was 

 getting readv, we recollected that we had seen atalanta, rhamni, persiearior, 

 tilice, verbasci, menthastri ', urticce, po/ychloros, bncephala ; that we had 

 taken rhizolitha, and obtained some interesting larvae, and our beetle-bottle 

 contained Cicindela ca/npestris, Scarabcens eremita, Aphodius ga gates, and 

 many others, as well as a quantity of water-beetles. After a while, dinner was 

 announced. Just fancy, Mr. Editor, a beautiful knuckle of veal, done to a nicety, 

 some delicious spring pork, tender brocoli, Guinness's best, and Charrington's 

 super-extra, just to relish a capital cheese. Then, an adjournment to a neat little 

 alcove in the garden, where we enjoyed a fine Havannah, and some brilliant 

 sherry ; old ' Fino,' in the meanwhile, snoring at our feet, having first disposed 

 of the residue ol the veal and pork. Jolly were we all — and merry. At a quarter 

 past four o'clock we started on our return home, arriving at a quarter past 

 seven. An early supper and a sound sleep, saw us next morning in tip-top 

 spirits.— Bombvx Atlas, Tottenham, May 13th, 1853." 



Rustic Criticism of Geologic Theory. — Sir Archibald 

 Geikie tells the story in his Scottish Reminiscences, recently pub- 

 lished. " I was quite sure you had been in our neighbourhood," 



a friend said to him : — 



" ' I met the old farmer of G ,' who had a strange tale to tell me. * Dod ! 



Mr. Caithcart,' he began, 'Iran across the queerest body the ither day. As I 

 was coram' by the head o' the cleugh I thocht I heard a wheen tinkers quarrelin', 

 but when I lookit doon there was jist ae wee stout man. Whiles he was chappin' 

 the rocks wi' a hammer; whiles he was writin' in a book, whiles fechtin' wi' th e 

 thorns, and miscair' them lor a' that was bad. When he cam' up frae the burn, 

 him and me had a long confab. Dod! he tcll't me a" aboot the stanes, and hoo 

 they showed that Scotland was ance like Greenland, smoored in ice. A vary 

 enterteenin body, Mr. Caithcart, but— an awful awfu' leear.' " 



