I 853.] 



NOTICES OF BOOKS, <fcc. 



19 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Red-breasted Thrush. 



To the Editor of the Canadian Journal. 



Sir, — In tlie Journal for June, your correspondent, Mr. R. Whitwell, 

 writes under the head " Kara Avis" concerning a well known migrat- 

 ing bird ("Robin Red-breast?") which was noticed by that, gentleman 

 to remain in this country throughout "the winter of 1851 and 1852." 

 It must, certainly, hare been a rare bird to remaiu behind the rest of 

 its species, in a latitude where the mercury is often seen to fall "ten 

 or twenty degrees below zero," where " the frigidity of the atmosphere 

 had so thickened his blood and benumbed his frame, that he could 

 not maintain his proper roosting position." 



This " last Robin of Summer," must have had cause to remain 

 with us during winter. The observer of this phenomenon writes 

 without a pause to reason ; however, lie states that it is " very rare 

 and uucommou. if not without a parallel," to see a bird of this species 

 remain with us during winter. Might it not have been winged in 

 the summer of 1851? — consequently, it would be a fruitless attempt 

 for a wounded bird to migrate with its companions. 



There are two species of this Thrush which migrate annually to 

 Canada and the neighbouring colonies. Of one species, the male and 

 female have red breasts, while the plumage of the other variety is 

 dark, with very little red — but the latter are rare. Gosse, the author 

 of the Canadian Naturalist, says: " I perceive no resemblance between 

 him and our English Robin, except in the single circumstance of his 

 having a red-breast. 



I have devoted much attention to the natural habits of this bird 

 which in Canada is vulgarly named a Robin, — in Newfoundland a 

 Blackbird. It is, properly speaking, a species of the family Tukdits— - 

 Red-breasted Thrush ( Tardus Migratorius) In many ways it resem- 

 ble the English Blackbird ( Tardus Merula) in habits and architec- 

 ture. Since I begun to make observations on this branch of nature, 

 in 1843, I have never seen a single bird of this species in the woods 

 north of Toronto, later than the month of November. I fed one from 

 the nest in 1846, which is still alive and healthy, and as far as I can 

 judge, the variation of climate have taken little effect on its system- 

 being kept in an equal temperature throughout the year; it sings in 

 winter as well as summer. 



Yours, <tc, 



Toronto, August 1st, 1853. 



WM. COUPER. 



Notices of Books. 



Bohn's Scientific Library. — The following numbers of that excel- 

 lent series entitled Bohn's Scientific Library, have lately come under 

 our notice, viz.: of the Bridgewater treatises, the volumes by Chalmers, 

 Kidd and WhewelL Bacon's "Novum Organum," Oersted's "Soul in 

 Nature," and Schomo's " Earth, Plauets and Man," together with 

 Kobell's "Sketches from the Mineral Kingdom." It is scarcely ne- 

 cessary to remaik that all these works are published in Mr. Bohn's 

 usual good style, but it may be well to allude to the fact that in the 

 point of cheapness, they rival the publications of our American neigh- 

 bours. Our English publishers are now very rightly endeavouring 

 to issue standard valuable works at such a price as may pla?e them 

 within the reach, of almost all classes of the community, while, at the 

 same time there will be nothing to object to on the score of execution. 

 In evidence of the success attending these effects, we may mention 

 that we have lately purchased an Euglish edition of a copyright work 

 at a lower price than that demanded for a slightly inferior American 

 reprint. 



It will be scarcely necessary to do more than allude to the re-issue 



of the "Bridgewater Treatises," the elegant work of Dr. Chalmers ou 

 " The adaptation of External Causes to the moral and intellectual con- 

 stitution of Man," the profouud treatise of Whewell on "Astronomy 

 and General Physics," and the interesting and instructive volume by 

 Kidd, on "The adaption of Internal Nature to the physical condition 

 of man," a kind of programme to the whole series of discourses relating 

 to natural science — are all so well known and so thoroughly apprecia- 

 ted, that we need do no more than recommend the compendious 

 form in which they have now been reproduced before us. 



Bacon's Novum Organum is a work which, although of olden date, 

 yet most worthily holds its place among the most valuable adjuncts to 

 a student's library, and is equally deserving of the serious attention of 

 the teacher and the philosopher. 



Oersted's "Soul in Nature," is a work having somewhat the same 

 objects as Hunt's " Pauthea " and "Poetry of Science," and consists 

 of a series of conversations between imaginary characters, on various 

 points of art and science, interspersed with several of the author's 

 speeches on various occasions. We candidly confess that we prefer the 

 elegant and at the same time sufficieutly profound works of our own 

 countryman, to the abstract metaphysical disquisitions of the Dauisli 

 philosopher, the high character of whose productions is in our mind 

 considerably diminished by the colloquial form of most of the articles. 



As an express of the German metaphysical school, and as the work 

 of one of the most eminent philosophers of Europe, who from the low- 

 est station raised himself by mere force of genins, to the highest posir 

 tion in science, — the "Soul in Nature," is well deserving of attention. 



Schomo's work appeared some twelve years ago in the German 

 translation from the Danish, under the title of Naturschilderungen, or 

 Delineations of Nature, and attracted at the time, considerable atten- 

 tion. Some of the most interesting chapters are on Italian Malaria, 

 Etna, Mountain Rambles in North and South, the various plants most 

 useful to man, as for instance, the Bread fruit tree, the Cotton Plant, 

 Flax, Coffee, Tea, etc., ifcc. The whole work is written in a pleasing 



' 1 o 



style, and is well worthy of being placed beside Humboldt's " Aspects 

 of Nature." 



The second half of this volume contains a series of excellent lectures 

 by Von Kobell, on "precious stones," "ordinary stones," "precious 

 metals," and " ordinary metals," the several treatises are quite of a 

 popular character, but at the same time contain a vast amount of very 

 curious and valuable information, with regard to the history of many 

 of the precious stones and metals, and with respect to mineralogy and 

 geology generally. 



We consider this to be one of the best selected volumes of the " Scien- 

 tific Library." 



The Angi.o American - Magazine, — Published by Thomas Maclear, 

 Toronto, August, 1853. — The history of the War of 1812, is continued 

 in the August number of this admirable periodical, with the same live- 

 liness aud perspicuity which distinguished former chapters. The 

 successive descriptions of Canadian cities, will furnish wheu completed , 

 the best tourists guide through Canada, that can be placed in tha 

 hands of the emigrant. 



The Canadian Agriculturist, — William HcDougall, Toronto, Aug., 

 1853. — The Reports of the Discussions which take place at various 

 meetings of Farmers' Clubs, and Agricultural Societies, aud which now 

 constantly appear in the Agriculturist, contain a large amount of infor- 

 mation respecting the condition of husbandry in different neighbour- 

 hoods, and cannot fail to furnish many valuable hints, derived from 

 observations and experience, to reading as well as to listening prac- 

 tical Farmers. We are glad to see that Mr. Kirk wood's mission to the 

 United Kingdom, is likely to be productive of much good in various 

 ways. We join in the request of the Agriculturist, that readers will 

 notice that a Grand Provincial Exhibitton will be held in Montreal on 

 the 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th September, under the auspices of the 



