THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NAT! RALIST. 



Hadgraft of rjondon, Bng., was induced to 

 (•nine over to Toronto to do the Taxidermal 

 work, and then the Museum became quickly 

 filled up. At present il contains almost all 

 the liinls and many of the quadrupeds of 

 Canada, together with general collections ol 

 minerals, fossils, shells and plants, which have 

 been a source of benefit and pleasure not only 

 to the students attending the classes of Natural 

 History, but to their colleagues and the citizens 

 Of Toronto. We learn that there is no annual 

 grant given to further promote this necessary 

 branch of Education in Toronto University. 

 Yet since the last appropriation was made, a 

 large sum of money was expended for a foreign 

 collection of pictures for the Norman School 

 of Toronto. This certainly occured before 

 Confederation, but it may be otherwise now, 

 as we learn that some of the high Educational 

 institutions of Ontario are , self-supporting. 

 However the Museum of the Toronto Universi- 

 ty still requires many additions to be in order 

 for advanced classes in Natural Science. We 

 certainly have a love for Fine Arts, but if Can- 

 ada spends money for pictures intended for 

 educational purposes, it would be preferable 

 that it should be devoted to advance native 

 talent.— C. 



THE TRUTH. 



The American Field in a late issue, referring 

 to an article (Expose Them) which appeared 

 in our November number, states that it does 

 not believe what we said regarding the traps 

 laid on the sand bar in the Swanton Marshes. 

 We again repeat that two members of the Club 

 were detected picking up the traps : and when 

 discovered so doing, acknowledged that, they 

 were set for Black duck. It is not our wish to 

 publish the names of these pseudo sportsmen, 

 we will leave such matters to the Game-keepers 

 of the State. In conclusion we ask the sport- 



; Editor of the Field to be kind enough 

 when he again takes the liberty to use the 

 scissors to dissect our columns to give at least 



•dit to the journal from which he takes his 

 matter. — C. 



ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. 



W. A. S., Amler '. \ full-M 



ol tie- " Tin. Cawadian Natorai 

 i.<m. i -t " may he purchased by writin 

 Messrs. Dawson Bros., Montreal. There i- no 

 magazine, published in Canada, specially de- 

 voted t" Botany. 



(torresponbence. 



ROBIN vs. CROSSBILL. 



To the Editoroftht Canadian Sportsman artj 



Naturalist : — 



Sir, — Your correspondent " Teal." in a 

 communication which appears in the Novem- 

 ber number of the CANADIAN SPORTSMAN 



and Naturalist, affirms that I am evidently 

 astray in regard to the tradition of the Robin 

 picking a thorn out of Christ's head ;" and he 

 does me the kindness to suggest that perhaps 

 I "confound the Robin with the legend of 

 the Crossbill, from the German of Julius 

 Mosen, translated by rxmgfellow." I must 

 beg leave to repudiate •• Teal's " impeachment 

 with respect to my being " astraj ." a- well as 

 with regard to the charge of " confounding " 

 one bird with another. My authority for the 

 legend regarding the English Robin is the 

 Rev. E. Cobhftm Brewer 1. 1.. l>.ot Trinity Hall, 

 Cambridge, the compiler of the *• Dictionary of 

 Phrase and Fable/' as well as the author of 

 several scientific books; and I prefer adopting 

 his version of the legend to that translated 



from the German by Longfellow, pretty as the 

 stanzas are. And 1 ground my preference on 

 the following reason. The breast *<\' the 

 English Robin Erythaca nibecula, is always 

 red, whereas the Crossbills, according to 

 Wilson and the other Ornithologists, " are 

 subject to considerable changes v\' colour." 

 Indeed the German author. Dr. Bechstein, 

 asserts that Red {xtypflpoQ) Crossbills are only 

 one year old, and the greenish yellow ones are 



the adults." But, after all, the legend I quoted 



does not allude lo the same transaction as that 

 referred to by Mosen. tor the Robin was said to 

 have plucked a thorn from the crown worn by 

 the Saviour as Be traversed the Via Dolorosa 

 before He was nailed to the cross ; whereas the 

 Crossbill i8 said to have endeavoured to pluck 

 out one o\' the nails that pierced His ban. Is 

 and feet. This circumstance, however, only 



