Miscellanies. 1 63 



legs of the birds, I would denominate them Vadatoies, a much near- 

 er approach to the English name, waders ; and in order to maintain 

 the same number of classes as used by Linnaeus, which are reduced 

 to five by Mr. Vigors, I would suggest the combining of all the birds 

 whose feet are formed for climbing into one class, to which the name 

 of Scansores, or climbers, might be applied, and would consist of 

 the parrots, toucans, woodpeckers, he. birds which cannot well be 

 ranked with any of the other classes. The table of classes would 

 then be; — 1. Raptores or snatchers, 2. Perticatores, or perchers, 

 3. Natatores, or swimmers, 4. Vadatores, or waders, 5. Rasores, 

 or scratchers, 6. Scansores, or climbers. — Juvenis. — Idem. 

 Edmonton, Oct. 9, 1S30. 



4. Touchwood. — The wood which forms this substance has un- 

 dergone, in the progress of decay, a remarkable change. Its solid 

 texture has disappeared ; it is light and friable ; it easily takes 

 fire, and is consequently used for tinder. When once kindled it 

 burns for hours, until the whole is consumed without ever bursting 

 into flame, and however small the part to which the spark of fire has 

 been communicated ; and, what is still more remarkable, the whole 

 mass of wood, even when not ignited, gives a bright light in the dark 

 equal in intensity, and similar in color, to that given out by phospho- 

 rus. On examining a piece of it, it contained neither phosphorus 

 nor nitre. It is now pretty well ascertained that the glow worm, and 

 other insects of the kind, do not produce their light by means of 

 phosphorus. The writer finds no information in the books respecting 

 touchwood. — Idem. 



5. Habits of the crocodile. — A remarkable peculiarity in the pul- 

 monic structure and functions of this animal is described by Geoff- 

 KOY Saint-Hilaire, in the lectures, delivered by him at the Garden 

 of Plants in 1828, on the natural history of mammiferous animals. 

 It is thus described by a correspondent in Loudon's Magazine of Nat- 

 ural History. 



The crocodile, although furnished with a lung more perfect than 

 that of any other reptile, is litde excited by the use of that organ. 

 On the land, where it breathes by the lungs only, it is timid, and has 

 no confidence in itself, seizes its prey at unawares or by stratagem, 

 provides previously for seciuity in case of resistance, and on any 

 alarm hastens to throw itself into the water. Here it is quite another 

 animal ; its energy is extreme ; its swimming rapid ; and, rash even 

 to excess, there is no enemy which it fears openly to attack, and 



