FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
159 
anythiog, from those of quina. Especially he adverts to the 
muriate of cinchonia, which he describes as a most elegant 
and inexpensive salt/^ and obtainable through the usual com¬ 
mercial channels. 
Value of Field Birds. —The Acclimatisation Society 
of New Zealand are doing all in their power to promote the 
introduction_, into that colony, of English field birds. Should 
their efforts prove successful, they will secure to these 
islands an incalculable amount of good by destroying the 
myriads of insects wdiich now enjoy an undisturbed existence 
upon the growing crops of the farmers. 
And yet in this country societies are formed for their extir¬ 
pation, and poisonous substances sold for the same purpose. 
How short-sighted, and opposed to all history as to the great 
good and little evil caused by them, and to Nature. Most 
heartily do we concur with the following condemnation of 
this bird-murder : 
Of all the ignorant practices which have prevailed since 
the days of witch-ducking, this bird-destruction is the most 
thoroughly senseless, unmanly, and despicable, however much 
the perpetrators may attempt to qualify the proceeding by 
their complaints that the birds have picked up a few seeds. 
It is hoped that in time those who are not even convinced 
will be ashamed, and that we may never hear again of such 
stupid practices as poisoning and shooting down entire fami¬ 
lies of birds who were engaged from ^ early morn till dewy 
eve' in clearing the fields and gardens of insects and grubs. 
The ravages of the real pests have ignorantly been laid to the 
birds, and orders have thereupon been issued to have them 
destroyed, the expense being frequently charged upon the 
church-rate of the parish. Of late years, as the parish ex¬ 
penditure has been more rigidly supervised, the advocates of 
bird-extermination have been compelled to make other ar¬ 
rangements. Accordingly they have banded together, armed 
themselves with guns—not to learn bayonet drill and pre¬ 
pare to defend their country, but to let fly at defenceless 
little birds; and so arose those discreditable, unmanly con¬ 
federacies called ^ Sparrow Clubs.^ 
Linimentum Belladonna, Pharm. Brit.—-The follow¬ 
ing is stated by the editor of the Chemical News, as the 
formula for this now celebrated preparation :—Belladonna 
root, in powder, 16 ounces; alcohol, sufficient to make l6 
ounces of concentrated tincture; to each pint of W'hich 
1 ounce of camphor is to be added. 
