I.' ? 



METEOROLOGY. 



[BTHSOIJOOIO RELATIOn. 



powerful instinct, by which they remove themselves 

 from one country to another at certain seasons, and so 

 escape the inconveniences or death which they would 

 otherwise have to suffer. In some birds, as the swallow, 

 this migratory instinct is most strongly manifested, even so 

 far as to cause them to forget their progeny, if it have 

 been hatched late in the summer season, and but just 

 previously to the usual time of their autumnal flight for 

 other region*. This instinct is not confined solely to 

 one order of birds, nor to any particular climate, at 

 least within the limits of the temperate and arctic zones, 

 but is almost universal. Amongst the Katatorei, some 

 of the auks, which are arctic birds, leave their native 

 regions, and visit our coasts going, as winter advances, 

 even so far south as Italy and Sicily : so do the puffins, 

 terns, teals, widgeons, pochards, wild swans and geese, 

 flamingoes, ire. Of the Orallatora, the crakes, snipes, 

 tatlers, spoonbills, storks, herons, cranes, &a, similarly 

 migrate; some of this order spending the winter in 

 Africa and South Asia, returning to the far north to 

 breed in spring. The Citrtures, ostriches, &o., possessing 

 wings of .but a rudimentary nature, are, like the quad- 

 rupeds, confined to one region throughout their lives ; 

 and their physical characters accord with this law of their 

 existence. Amongst the Rasores, some are migratory, 

 as the quails, &c. ; but, generally speaking, they remain in 

 their native country, having but little powers of flight. It 

 Lt from this order that man has selected, out of the class of 

 birds, those which are now domesticated ; amongst them 

 being the fowl tribe, pheasants, partridges, the peacock, 

 &C. The Columba, or doves, in this, as in most respects, 

 resemble the Itasorts : some, however, as the turtle-dove, 

 Culumlxi furfur, are migratory. In this order is included 

 the extinct dodo. The Scantorct, comprising the cuckoos, 

 woodpeckers, parrots, and toucans, have at least the 

 first-named bird migratory, aa is well known by its wel- 

 come visit to this country in early spring. Amongst the 

 Paesrru one of the largest orders of birds, including our 

 chief songsters the nightingale is another welcome 

 visitor to England, extending its passage to Sweden, 

 Denmark, and Russia, but rarely going so far north with 

 us as even the south of Scotland : the migration of the 

 swallow tribe is familiar to all. The Raptures, or birds 

 of prey, comprising the owls, eagles, falcons, &c. , like 

 the Curw'rora amongst the mammalia, confine them- 

 selves to their own specific centres, having a ready supply 

 of food generally at their command, and their clothing 

 being abundantly provided in the thick covering of fea- 

 thers which protect them in all seasons. 



We thus find, throughout each department of the vege- 

 table and animal creations, from the lowest lichen to 

 man himself, that the nature of climate is an essential 

 element of existence, being at all times either permissive 

 or exclusive in ite operation. This arises, primarily, 

 from the fact, that on the atmosphere depends the ex- 

 istence of all animate creation. Its chemical constitu- 

 tion is such, that plants and animals must equally breathe 

 it, availing themselves of one (oxygen), or perhaps the 

 other also (nitrogen), of its essential constituents. Its 

 apparently accidental addition (carbonic acid), however, 

 whilst deleterious to the animal, is of the utmost im- 

 portance to the vegetable j for as that breathes, it 

 assimilates to its organisation the carbon, and thus 

 increases gradually in bulk and height. The purely phy- 

 sical qualities of the atmosphere are of equal importance, 

 aud have as complete an influence on vitality ; for a 

 certain density, temperature, moisture, &c., must be 

 maintained, to carry on vegetable and animal growth ; 

 and the extent of this, with respect to the maturity of 

 each individual, depends conjointly on a proper adapta- 

 tion of both the chemical aud physical qualities of the 

 air to that purpose. Even descending from animated 

 existence to the mineral kingdom, we notice that mete- 

 orological phenomena act precisely as essential a part ; 

 and this is really prevenient to, and therefore prepara- 

 tory for, the subsequent processes of vegetation and 

 animaluatioD. The We and unfruitful rock is exposed. 

 year after year, to the disintegrating power of air and 

 moisture j its surface slowly crumbles into dust, and its 



chemical constituents are gradually eliminated ; a spore 

 of moss falls on to that surface, vegetates, and decays, 

 and a small amount of "mould" is thus formed ; a stray 

 seed, dropped perhaps by a bird in its flight, alights 

 thereon, germinates, and produces seeds, which falling 

 on the rock, bring forth more, and, gradually, the nakr.l 

 surface becomes coated with verdure ; birds aud animals 

 feed on tlu's produce ; and, lastly, man claims the ground 

 as his heritage. Such a sketch is no flight of scientific 

 romance it is simply a history of every part of the 

 globe that now boars a vital appearance. Indeed, by 

 such means alone, have nearly the whole of the islands 

 of the Pacific been converted from coral beds to abodes 

 of civilised humanity ; their surface, now teeming with 

 every necessity and comfort of life, having onoe been a 

 bare rock, changed, iu the lapse of ages, by operations 

 which have just been so incompletely described. In 

 many parts of our own country this process may be 

 watched from year to year ; and in the experience of 

 most of us, there may be remembered spots which, once 

 hard and unfruitful, now reward the labours of the 

 husbandman with abundant, and frequently overflowing 

 harvests. 



MKTEOROLOaY, AND ITS ETHNOLOGIC REIAT1ONS. In 



the preceding article we have incidentally referred to 

 the influence of climate on mankind, iu respect to the 

 varieties of our species ; and without entering deeply into 

 Ethnology (which will form the subject of a separate 

 section in the second volume), we shall here draw atten- 

 tion to a few circumstances well worthy of notice ; and 

 that may, in part, serve as an introduction to the section 

 referred to. 



A little reflection reminds us that our world is 

 peopled with a vast variety of human beings, whose 

 differences are at once physical, mental, and moral. 

 These three qualities of our race almost always vary 

 simultaneously ; in fact, there is evidently an established 

 law which governs moral and mental development, in 

 connection with that of the body. In the same tribes 

 of any nation, the difference of the sexea is due, not so 

 much to an original mental and moral cast, as to the 

 difference of physical organisation. It hence follows, 

 that whatever influence acts on the body, reacts on the 

 sentient principle ; and, by a repetition of action, a per- 

 manent habit is created, which at last becomes a distinctive 

 feature of the individual of the tribe, and, consequently, 

 of that variety of the human species to which it belongs. 

 With the broad causes, and their specific effects, we 

 cannot hero deal, but must confine ourselves entirely to 

 such as arise from the action of climate, as of heat, 

 moisture, <tc., and the ordinary food that the climate 

 in which the individual resides, affords for his sus- 

 tenance. 



Commencing with the northern regions, we find the 

 Esquimaux aud Laplanders, inhabitants of the arctic 

 zones, generally speaking, to be of exceedingly small 

 stature, and ordinarily deficient of mental and moral cul- 

 ture. They mostly lead a travelling life, obtaining their 

 food by the chase ; some of it, as the seal, etc., being of 

 the coarsest kiud : the habitations, with the Esquimaux, 

 are generally snow-burrows. For a lengthened period 

 of the year they live in darkness, owing to the long night 

 which the absence of the sun occasions during winter ; 

 aud hence their climate cute them off from most asso- 

 ciations of the beautiful in nature, which, to more 

 favoured people in the south, are sources of education, 

 and refinement of mind and taste. The entire duties of 

 their existence seem, in fact, to be comprised in two 

 branches one, of seeking their food ; and the other, of 

 eating it. Frequently, owing to the depth of snow, sup- 

 ply fails them, and thus another misfortune is added to 

 the peculiarities of their condition, by the nature of 

 the climate in which they constantly lire. 



To those dwelling in the temperate zones, it may 

 seem impossible to picture a more forlorn state than that 

 possessed by such people. Yet they seem to find an 

 existence not only tolerable, but even have enjoyments, 

 which are certainly peculiar to themselves. Habit and 

 nature have go far acclimatised them, that they rarely, 



