M‘GILLIVRAY'S HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS.

THE favourable reception of his former volumes has put 111r. M‘GILLIVRAY in high spirits, and he exults ovbr the concoctors of " ternary and quinary systems," and the " mere describers of skins." What is more important, he has continued his task with unabated vigour ; and the reputation of the work has procured him much as- sistance from observers of nature like himself, to several of wheal he is personally unknown.

This third volume completes the series of British Land Birds; and amongst the species whose generic character is enumerated in the titlepage, will be found many individuals to which much pope. lar interest is attached. For the lovers of mystery, there are owls; of sublimity, the eagle ; of aristocracy, falcons; the cuckoo may tempt the Cockney, who knows nothing of birds but what he has read in the poets ; the woodpecker and the kingfisher may attract the more recondite naturalist ; and the general lover of nature can accompany Mr. AVGILLIVRAY in his Practical Lessons on ()mitts). logy, taking lessons in shooting and anatomy, gazing on the various landscapes, under every variety of aspect amongst which his exc. sions C:1T ry him, and listening to the many incidents of a naturalist's career with which they are intermingled.

Having on two previous occasions when the work was before us described its arrangement and general character in some detail, we shall now content ourselves with gleaning a lbw extracts from its ample pages. Here is

A LANDSCAPE AND KINGYISIIERS.

The woods are resuming their greets mantle, and the little birds chanting their summer songs. From afar comes the murmur of the waterfall, swelling and dying away at intervals, as the air becomes still, or the warm breezes sweep along the birchen thickets, and ruffle the bosom of the pebble-paved pool, margined with alders and willows. On the flowery bank of the stream, beside his hole, the water-rat nibbles the tender blades; and on that round white stone in the rapid is perched the dipper, ever welcome to the sight, with his dusky mantle and snowy breast. Slimly along the mile blue sky sail the white fleecy clouds; as the lark, springing from the field, flutters in eestacy over his happy mate crouched upon her eggs under the shade of the long grass, assured that no ramiding urchin shall invade her sanctunry. But see, perched on the stump of a decayed willow jutting out from the hank, stands a kingfisher, still and silent and ever watchful. Let us creep it little nearer, that we may ob- serve him to more advantage. Be cautious, for he is shy, and seeks not the admiration which his beauty naturally excites. There he is, grasping the splint with his tiny red feet, his bright blue back glistening in the sunshine, i- bis ruddy breast reflected from thti pool bmvath, his long dagger 'hike bill pointed downwards, and his eye intent on She minnows that swarm among the roots of the old tree that project into the water from the crumbling bank. Ile stoops, opens his wings a little, shoots downwards, plunges headlong into the water, reappears in a moment, flutters, sweeps off in a curved line, wheels round, and returns to his post. The minnow ia his bill he beats against the decayed stamp until it is dead, then t s.iui up his head, swallows it, and re- sumes his ordinary posture, as if nothing had happened. Swarms of insects flutter and gambol around, lint he heeds them not. A painted butterfly at length emnes up, fluttering in its desultory flight ; and as it hovers over the hyacinths, unsuspicious of danger, the kingfisher springs from his perch, and pursues him, lint without success. There, swift as the barbed arrow, darting strMght fiwward on rapidly-moving pinions, gleams his male, who alights on a stone tar up the stream, fin' she has seen us, and is not desirous of our com- pany. He presently fldlows, and our watch being ended, we may saunter awhile along the grassy slopes, inhaling the fragrance of the primrose, and listening, to the joyous notes of the blackbird, that from the summit of you tall tree pours forth his soul in music. The follow ing picture of the autumnal gathering of swallows in Nil Lothin!i, previous to their departure for wanner climes, is from the pen a :Mr. IlErnuriN,—if we have read rightly, a flu-titer of Linton. But be he what he may, his contribution displays an ex- actness of observation, and a poetical spirit, with a touch of mclan- :1 (daily akin to the thlling year, not always exhibited in writers of high name.

THE OATH/MING or Tun SWALLOWS.

About the second week of September, the second brood and the parents join them, They now roost exclusively on trees; which they usually quit at sunrise, Oil resin t to some sunny roof, where the livelong day is spent in luxu- rious idleness, singing, and satisfying the calls of hunger. StM)Ct 1111iS the leaf- less hough of an old tree is selected fir this purpose. Every morning parties of various numbers leave the main thick, and betake themselves to corn-tields in the neighbourhood of farm-buildings. Here they almost invariably choose the chimney of the steam-engine as the centre of their frolics. At a ON vs hole party rise on vu hug, twittering and singing in chorus. After a short excursion, they return, most of them perching on the top, and the rest on the side of' the walls; the whole forming a scene on which I ans never tired of look- ing. But if you would contemplate this mysterious gathering its the true spirit of the season, take a solitary ramble along the border of the wood that skirts the meadow : the few wild flowers a hich still linger II ruler the shade of the tall hedge-row have a forlorn sweetness and beauty, the fields are checkered with gold and green, the tints of the foliage are gorgeous beyond description, all things speak of maturity and subsequent decay : there is an exhilirating keen- ness in the air, and yet the sober stillness of an autumnal day sheds a gentle sadliess ever the scene, which even the distant song of the reapers and the gambuls of the swallows hovering over the pool, and ilerching ots the old oak, fail to dispel. The spirit, of melancholy sighs through the gay foliage, sits m impressive silence on the motionless curtain a thin gray clouds, mut broods over the landscape, from which stern winter will soon sweep every object that charms the eye. Warned by the lengthening shadows and the increasing chill- ness of the air, the swallows join their companions, with, whom they frolic for some time previous to retiring to the trees. When the morning has at last come, whets they must bid a long farewell to their native land, they seldom, as is their wont, divide into parties, but fly alt' in a body for the green meadows of merry England, there to linger for a few weeks longer, before they filially depart for the evergreen borders of Africa. On the morning of the 24th of September last, a flock passed over our reapers, casting no looks behind on the rural homesteads, which they once held so dear, but rushing onwards in an un.- deviating course, and maintaining a sullen silence. I marked their flight until they blended with the blue ether, and thought of the bright days which WCIS gone and the storms which were soon to come.

The effect of the close observation of nature of BAcos's followers, is to dissipate many extraordinary tales, especially where they take a metaphorical form ; qualities being fancifully ascribed to creatures

because, from their bearing or appearance, it seemed that they ought to have them. All such are unsparingly exposed by Mr. M`GILIJYRAV ; especially the notion of the eagle's power of flight, capacity of gazing on the sun, and power of vision. Even the the " on

bird" is lowered,—unless the opening pic- ture be held a true character of princes and nobles.

TI1E TOUR OF TIIE GOLDEN EAGLE.

See bow the sunshine brightens the yellow tint of his head and neck, until it shines almost like gold! There he stands nearly erect, with his toil de-

pressed, his large wings half raised by his side, his neck stretched out. and his eye glistening as he glances around. Like other robbers of the desert, lie has a noble aspect, an imperative mien! a look of proud defiance ; but his nobility has a dash of clownishness, and his fitleonship a vulturine tinge. Still he is a noble bird, powerful independent, proud, and ferocious, regardless of the weal or wo of others, and intent solely on the gratification ot his own appetites;

without honour, bold against the defenceless, but ever without generosity, ready to sneak from danger. Such is his nobility, about which nten have so raved. Suddenly he raises his wings, for he has heard the whistle of the shep- herd in the corry, and, bending forward, he springs into the air. Oh that this pencil of mine were a musket charged with buck-shot ! Hardly do those

vigo- rous flaps serve at first to prevent his descent ; but now, curving upwards, hut glides majestically along. As he passes the corner of that buttressed and battlemented crag, forth rush two ravens from their nest, croaking fiercely. 'While one dies above him, the other steals beneath ; and they essay to strike him, but dare not, for they have an instinctive knowledge of the power of his grasp.; and, after following him a little way, they return to their home, vainly

. exulting in the thought ot having driven him from their neighbourhood. Bent on a far journey, he advances in a direct course, flapping his great wings at regular intervals, then shootin. along without seeming to move them. In

ten minutes he has progressed miles, although he is in no haste, and now disappears behind the shoulder of the hill. But we may follow him in imagination ; for his habits being well known to us, we may be allowed the ornithological licence of tracing them in continuance. Homeward-hound, his own wants satisfied, he knows that his young must be supplied with food.

Over the moors he sweeps, at the height of two or three hundred feet, bend- ing his course to either side, his wings wide-spread, his neck and feet retracted, now beating the air, and again sailing smoothly along. Suddenly he stops, poises himself for a moment, stoops, but recovers himself without reaching the ground. The object of his regards, a gulden plover, which he had spied on her nest, has eluded him, and he cares not to pursue it. Now he ascends a little, wheels in short curves, presently rushes down headlong, assumes the horizontal position when close to the ground, prevents his being dashed against it by ex- panding his wings and tail, thrusts forth his talons, and graspiug a poor terrified ptarmigan that sat cowering among the grey lichens, squeezes it to death, raises his bead exultingly, emits a clear shrill cry, and springing from the ground pursues his journey. In passing a tall cliff that overhangs a small lake, he is assailed hi y a fierce

peregrine falcon, which darts and plunges at him, as if determined to deprive him of his booty, or drive hint headlong to the ground. This proves a more dangerous foe than the raven, and the eagle screams, yelps, and throws himself into postures of defence; but at length, the hawk, seeing the tyrant is not bent on plundering his nest, leaves him to pursue his course unmolested. Over woods and green fields and scattered hamlets speeds the eagle ; and now he enters the long valley of the Dee, near the tipper end of which is dimly seen through the thin gray mist the rock of his rest. About a mile from it he meets his mate, who has been abroad on a similar errand, and is returning with a white hare in her talons. They congratulate each other with loud- yelping cries, which rouse the drowsy shepherd on the strati' below, who, mindfid of the lambs carried off in spring-time, sends after them his malediction. Now they reach their nest, anti are greeted by their young with loud clamour.