KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



51 



and hallucination is compatible with the ex- 

 ercise of sound judgment and brilliant fancy, 

 Avith the faithful discharge of vast responsi- 

 bilities, and with the external characteristics 

 of perfect sanity. The calm, contemplative 

 mathematician and satirist, Pascal, rested 

 for years on the brink of an imaginary gulf ; 

 the adventurous warrior who hewed his way 

 to the throne of Sweden, was daunted and 

 diverted from his stern purpose by an appa- 

 rition in a red cloak ! Extreme cases are 

 recorded where men have been accompanied 

 by a skeleton, step by step of their course ; 

 where a gory head has crossed the gaze of 

 the impassioned orator ; where one horrible 

 thought recurring periodically has haunted 

 its victim to despair and death ; but instances 

 are constantly met with where individuals 

 carry into ordinary intercourse and active 

 life, tendencies to destroy children; grotesque 

 convictions that their frame is tenanted by 

 unclean beasts ; that they are infected by 

 foul diseases ; that their passions are acted 

 upon by the will of others ; and extravagant 

 fancies that the future is opened up to them, 

 that they enjoy communion with unseen 

 beings ; that they see, and hear, and deal 

 with objects hidden from common observa- 

 tion." 



We have dwelt upon these particulars, 

 with a view to shew how needful it is to 

 endeavor to preserve the mens sana in cor- 

 pore sano — not to tax the mind overmuch, 

 nor labor to accomplish more than our mental 

 powers can compass. " To be forewarned, is 

 to be forearmed." The motto of every pru- 

 dent man should be — " Ne quid nimis." 



Let us now close this truly interesting 

 inquiry, during the progress of which I have 

 received much encouragement from all quar- 

 ters. It is, I readily admit, " difficult " in 

 some cases, to draw a line, and say "where 

 instinct ceases and reason begins. But as 

 our argument has been throughout based on 

 a sound principle, which prevails by an 

 " universal law " — that none can set aside, 

 our triumph is, as far as it can be so, complete. 



The " talent " given to the brute, or irra- 

 tional creation, is always turned to good 

 account ; whereas the " talent " given to us, 

 the rational part of the community, is too 

 often neglected, and " hid away in a napkin." 

 Let us, however, conclude with " a moral " 

 that concerns us all, individually; — "To 

 whom much is given, of Mm will there be 



the MORE REQUIRED." 



The Snowdrop. 



KEVIEW OF BOOKS. 



The Snowdrop is the herald of the flowers, 

 Sent with its small white flag of truce, to plead 

 For its beleaguer' d brethren ; suppliantly 

 It prays stern Winter to withdraw his troops 

 Of winds and blustering storms. 



The Naturalist ; a Popular Monthly Maga- 

 zine of the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral 

 Kingdoms. January, 1852. 



We have already directed special atten- 

 tion to the varied and interesting contents 

 of the first ten numbers of this well-con- 

 ducted Periodical. The number for the 

 New Year gives evidence of increased energy 

 and vigor, and is replete with singular and 

 curious anecdotes having reference to birds 

 and animals. 



In No. 1 of the London Journal we 

 took occasion to expose Mr. Smee's error, in 

 asserting that the eyes of the Mole were 

 useless, and not made to give him sight. 

 We observe two other corroborations of our 

 remarks, in the Naturalist. We copy the 

 remarks of both writers on the subject, as it 

 is important to correct any mis-statement 

 that might go forth to the prejudice of 

 Nature's handiwork. The first letter is by 

 J. B. Davies, Esq., of Edinburgh, — the 

 second by H. K. Creed, Esq., of Christ's 

 College, Cambridge. 



The Mole. — With regard to Mr. Smee's as- 

 sertion, quoted in " The Naturalist " of Novem- 

 ber, by Mr. Hannaforcl, that the Mole is without 

 eyes, I have to state, from personal observation, 

 that it is incorrect. In the summer of last year, 

 accompanied by an artistic friend, I was scramb- 

 ling among the rocks to the north ofDuddingston 

 Loch here, in search of Asplenium septentrionale, 

 etc., when my companion announced the disco- 

 very of the hind quarters of some animal sticking 

 up from among a heap of loose rubbish ; it turned 

 out to be a Mole, which we captured, brought 

 home, and kept alive in my room for three days. 

 His temporary habitation was an old tea chest, 

 half-filled with earth, and fitted on the top with 

 glass, through which we could observe his habits. 

 A quantity of worms were mixed with the mould, 

 in order to afford a supply of food ; and if Mr. 

 Smee had seen him dart across the box after one 

 of his poor victims, I think he would not have 

 denied him the benefit of sight. I may further add, 

 that he evidently took notice of objects placed 

 in his path, before approaching close to them, and 

 rapidly dived beneath the earth when the hand 

 or any other obstacle w r as placed before him. As * 

 to there being no eyes, or " sockets in the skull 

 to receive eyeballs," I can only say that on the 

 dissection of our subject, with the assistance of a 

 medical friend, we were fully satisfied of the ex- 

 istence of both. I believe, however, that the 

 range of vision in the Mole is very limited ; for 

 he took no notice of us so long as we kept at the 

 outside of his box, but nibbled away at his repast 

 with great gusto. A fact which appeared to me 

 to be interesting, and which I had never seen 

 recorded, came under my observation at the 

 same time ; that is, that my prisoner positively 

 refused to take a bite, unless he had the worm 

 end way in his mouth. 



The Mole. — Having lately been carefully ex- 



