MISCELLANY. 
Ill 
most abundant, as well as most interesting, of the Norwegian birds,—noted for 
its sly punning habits here, its altered demeanour there is the more remarkable. 
It is upon the most familiar terms with the inhabitants, picking close about the 
doors, and sometimes walking inside their houses. It abounds in the town of 
Drontheim, making its nest upon the churches and warehouses. We saw as 
many as a dozen of them at one time seated upon the grave-stones in the church¬ 
yard. Few farm-houses are without several of them breeding under the eaves, 
their nests supported by the spout. In some trees close to houses, their nests 
were several feet in depth, the accumulation of years of undisturbed and quiet 
possession.” 
Besides affording us an example of the effect of human treatment in developing 
the instincts of birds, there is a second application of this passage to Phrenology. 
It will be observed that the writer of the passage alludes to the u sly cunning 
habits ” of the Magpie in this country, and then, by way of contrast, makes a 
statement in proof of less timidity being manifested in Norway, without the 
slightest mention of any habit evincing less shyness or cunning. It is obvious 
rom this confounding of two very different feelings—-cunning and timidity (Se¬ 
cretiveness and Cautiousness)—that a good ornithologist, accustomed to observe 
the habits of birds, will blunder in his explanation of them, unless in possession of 
some analytical key to the mental faculties, such as is afforded by Phrenology 
£and by it alone.—E d. Nai.~\. We are surprised it should not at once have 
occurred to Mr. Hewitson, that the domestic animal, of all others, most habi¬ 
tually the inmate of our houses, is also the most sly and cunning of our tamed 
animals: we mean the Cat. We are disposed to believe that the slyness or 
cunning of the Magpie aids the bird in appreciating the amount of danger, and 
thus indirectly renders it venturesome where it is safe to venture. The Magpie 
is an observant bird; and its habits, which are usually denominated cunning or 
sly, appear to spring from the feeling of Secretiveness combined with intellectual 
observation—-Individuality or Eventuality.— Phrenological Journal , Dec., 1838, 
No. liv., Vol. XI., p. 67—8. 
Sayings and Doings of Skaters. —At this frigid season,-—when we trust all 
■such of our readers as are not incapacitated by sickness or other misfortunes—< 
amongst which we shall class want of leisure —are enjoying the sports of the 
ice, we shall be excused for introducing a few observations on that active 
species of animal known as the skater. A thorough-bred skater is the 
most miserable creature imaginable in a u black frost,” or during the inflic¬ 
tion of a week's fall of snow; insomuch that none but the initiated would 
believe that the being now crawling, at Tortoise-pace, through the white 
mantle overspreading the earth far and wide, could by any possibility quicken 
his progression. And, probably, no more he could to-day. But on the mor¬ 
row the thermometer sinks to 14°; then behold him, all activity, on the 
