3020 Notices of New Books. 



master of the Advice, of his enterprising character and energetic dis- 

 position . I offered my services, and a few days afterwards 



sailed with Mr. Penney, from whom, during the whole voyage, I met 

 with unremitting kindness and attention." — Preface, p. v. 



Thus writes Mr. Goodsir, explaining, in a brief but lucid manner, 

 the object and origin of the voyage : on such a subject the author 

 need not express the hope " that the feelings will be taken into con- 

 sideration, which led one brother to search for another ; nay, for 

 many brothers ; for surely every one of our fellow-countrymen will 

 welcome back as brothers each and all of the long missing ones." 

 It is impossible that any one should fail to participate in, and fully to 

 appreciate, the author's feelings and motives in undertaking such a 

 voyage : every one must admit them to have been most natural, most 

 unselfish, and most noble : but two matters connected with the voy- 

 age, do not seem equally clear or equally capable of satisfactory ex- 

 planation. First, we would ask, what did the author expect to learn 

 on board a whaler, that neither deviated, nor was authorized to de- 

 viate, from her usual course ? and, Secondly, why does the author 

 publicly record a want of success, which was an essential and integral 

 part of the expedition, and was as certain and inevitable when he 

 sailed from Stromness on the 17th of March, 1849, as when he landed 

 at Aberdeen, quoting the illustrious B. Simmons, on a day at present 

 unrecorded. 



We cannot for a moment imagine that Mr. Goodsir supposes he is 

 making any additions to our knowledge of the whale fishery : he has 

 read Beale and Scoresby, and must know that this is not the case : 

 he must, indeed, be imbued with an inordinate love of authorcraft to 

 have made this adventure on the world of literature. But we cannot 

 help thinking, and know not why we should refrain from saying, that 

 he has mistaken his vocation. 



The following passages are selected as most likely to interest the 

 readers of the * Zoologist.' We should have rejoiced to have found 

 others equally quotable ; for after all there is no way so fair towards 

 an author as allowing him to speak for himself. 



The Fulmar. " The fulmar of the north, except in size, may well 

 be likened to the albatross of the south. Their habits and peculiari- 

 ties are always the same. They are strong and graceful on the wing, 

 flying almost in the teeth of the strongest gale, without any seeming 

 movement of their beautifully rounded pinions : now swooping along 

 in the troughs of the sea, now skimming on the snowy crests. They 

 arc almost constantly on the wing, night and day, never alighting on 



