entirely, after the first two days, on bullock's heart, quite fresh, minced as small as possible, and mixed with hempseed crushed as fine as I could get it in that compost the birds had the soft juicy meat of the insects as well as their wings, scales, &c., to assist them in their digestion, in the scaly husks of the hempseed. I can only add that they ate it with avidity, and did well upon it. When eating the meat by itself, they became too relaxed; and too great a portion of hempseed produced the contrary effect. The oriole delights in water, to bathe himself continually, when placed in the sun; and so desperate a fighter is he, that too males cannot be kept together in the same cage, as one must be killed before the conflict shall be finished. He is an acknowleged British bird, although very rarely to be met with. I have watched him with delight for hours, in the forests in France, and really think, taking into consideration his brilliant plumage, his beak, his matchless shape, his rich voice, and his saucy deportment when hunting for his food on the trees in company with his mate, that no other bird can be compared to him.

Amongst the rare specimens of acknowleged British birds and animals which I occasionally met with in my researches in the departments of the Aisne, the Côte-d'or, the Marne, the Haute Marne, the Haute Saône, and the Vosges, may be enumerated the following:-The buzzard (Falco buteo, Linn.), very common indeed; the kite (Falco milvus, Linn.), not very common; the osprey (Falco haliætus, Linn.), rare; nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes, Briss.); Bohemian chatterer (Bombicivora garrula, Tem.); roller (Coracyas garrula, Linn.); the great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor, Linn.); blue-throated warbler (Sylvia suesica, Lath); hoopooe (Upupa epops, Linn.), very common; bee-eater (Merops apiaster Linn.), rare; dotterell (Charadrius morinellus, Linn.), in the Côte-d'or common; ortolan (Emberiza hortulana, Linn.), common, and nests in the Côte-d'or; besides several others, too numerous to insert in these pages.

Amongst the scarcer wild animals acknowleged as belonging to England, which I found in the above-mentioned departments, we may enumerate the beech-marten, or, as the French call it, la fouine, tolerably common everywhere, whereas in England it has become very nearly extinct; the pine-marten, or marten-cat as it is called in England, rather rare; the wild cat, rare, but still a few are killed every winter in the forests in the Côte-d'or; foxes and badgers I need hardly say abound. Now with regard to there being more than one absolute variety of fox in either France or in England, much less species, I ever have been and still am a most determined sceptic-that is to say, as regards any properties in them that may determine them as distinct races. I firmly believe that the great long-legged hill-fox-and I have seen plenty of them in Aberdeenshire, when hunting with the late Lord Kintore-and the little cur-fox, found not only in that country, but all over England, are exactly the same species, and that it is possible that they may be first cousins, if even not nearer related. Long before the introduction of French foxes into England, I can well remember that the foxes killed by hounds were of various sizes and characters, even in the same covers; some were long-legged, which ran and looked like lurchers; others were designated by huntsmen as "nice little smart foxes;" some were exceedingly black about their chaps and pads, and frequently had a

寝

black list down their brushes, whilst others were as remarkable for the white on their throats and jaws, and for the light red-roan colour of their jackets. Yet some sportsmen will tell you that we have in England three distinct breeds of foxes-the greyhound fox, the cur fox, and the bulldog fox: I can only say upon this subject, that I cannot bring myself to believe it, but must maintain what I declared before, that there is but one family of vulpes canis in England, and that the difference of the size, colour, and apparent character, is merely the effects of their habits in hunting for their food, the nature of their food. or the climate in which they have been bred, even if that should affect them. I know that they have no repugnance to couple with each other, which I can prove, having seen foxes of different characters together repeatedly in the chiketing season, and, moreover, having noticed cubs of the same litter as different in colour and character one from the other as we often see chickens in a brood. I will allow that there is a vast difference between English and French foxes as to their colour and appearance, as well as in their stoutness and manner of running, but in nothing else. However, this has nothing to do with the subject of what I have declared to be my humble opinion-that we have but one family of foxes in England.

"The King of France, with twenty thousand men,
Marched up the hill-and then-marched down again."

-

"Grim-visaged war hath smoothed" rough Chobham's wilds with boots of patent polish, hoof of "barbed steed," and store of youthful chivalry-mid mud, tempests, and cloud-torrents seeking to be-"wetteruns"-(sic for veterans, somebody without the fear of "ours" before his nose). No longer doth the matutinal Post pour forth its May-Fair epic-unheard now its "arma virumque cano" London hath ceased to play at soldiers. So is it with the Solent→→→ anent its sleight of sailors and of steam.......

"So also, with heroic France,

Land of the fiddle and the dance,

And Prussia, sculking from the brunt,
And Austria-in a lack of blunt.""

སའི་

Spithead "spits fire" no more. Europe maritime is "peaceful slumbering on the occan"-hard off the Dardanelles- and thereby hangs a tail!"

Once upon a time, there was a great Eastern merchant, whose name was Turkey. And it came to pass that a hungry and rapacious Northern freebooter, whose name was Russia, cast his eyes on his goods and chattels, and did covet them sorely. Being a strong villain, and wholly surrendered to his wicked ways, he broke into Turkey's house, and swore he would not stir a step without payment of a rich ransom. Turkey called upon his friends to help him. "This thief," he said, "has already stolen my Danubian property; and although I offered to let him go with what he had got, the devil (Mahomet, forgive me!) an inch will he move without something else. Now neighbours England, France, Prussia, and Austria, won't you stand by a friend thus robbed by a ruffian without common cut-throat conscience? He came to rob me; and I propose paying his travelling expenses. No; he must have a bonus!" Here was a hard case, or the bowels of justice must be made of railway sleepers. What do you think the mouth-piece of these political Shylocks made answer with?.. "If Turkey could minister to himself in this matter of burglary and spoiling, there would be no question as to how he might act. But it is notorious that his strength is incompetent to the task. So we will speak with this Russia-reason with him-and if persuasion should avail-why, so much the better for Turkeybut he must defer to the counsels of those mediating powers who have charged themselves with the office of doing for him as best they can what he cannot do for himself...

"Which is as much as who should say

The law 'twixt man and man

Is, he may take, who has the way,
And he may keep-who can.'"

See how poor Pity weeps!..

"Antonia! where's my pocket-handkerchief ?''

One has'nt the heart to tell her that as soon as the practice in such cases is settled-if Russia gets off Scott-free-a powerful person has intimated his intention of doing with our quaint, quiet little neighbour Belgium, as Turkey is done by. Our own time will, of course, come by-and-bye. Meantime, we'll leave off our d-nable faces, together with the case of tail diplomatic, for one more gracious to our amour propre...

With September the season of British yachting terminates absolutely, and the occasion for reviewing it arrives. Much deep interest -would it might not be written!-much concern, attaches to such a process in connexion with the whole of our sporting-as a national institution. The revolution of progress has already effected great change, and threatens more. River-rowing is all but chased out of sight of London by steam. It has been as warningly as truly said, the calling at every pier by steamboats has sounded the knell of the waterman's pleasant pastime-while amateur matches have become of the things that were between Westminster and Putney. A Thames Yacht Club-in reference to the aquatic sports of the great metropolitan river must soon, if it is not so now, be out of practical date. The screw is destined utterly to abolish the use of canvas, in relation to navigation-as a principle. How long will the yachtsman

find philosophy to contemplate the craft of his pride and munificence toiling in vain in the wake of the collier? Road-work is obsolete. Who would venture on a "drag"-when men-milliners may breakfast in Bond-street, go to the Leger, and get back to Bond-street to sup with their shopmates the same evening? Yachting, as a gentle amusement, will with us long prevail. This kingdom is more naturally suited to it-to say nothing of the national identification with all that is naval-than any other in Europe; and England is wealthy-therefore fitted for that which is costly, as all amateur marine institutions are. But if that which is has any inference for that which shall be -racing will not be its aim and end. So surely as vessels built only to sail for speed wholly irrespective of comfort-much less of enjoyment-are to monopolize place in pleasure sailing clubs-so surely would their tenure of popularity be a brief one. The inducement-in shape the most formidable-a challenge-has been triedand found wanting. We have beaten everything in the legitimate form and trim of a yacht that has been-or can be brought to compete with the English craft of that class-and that's enough. We don't want to make a trade or a profession of it. No good result can come of turning a design for summer social reunion clean from its purpose-much annoyance, if not worse, unquestionably would. I read with such a feeling a statement recently put forth that one of the bright particular stars, of this year's Solent plate-The Juliawas modelled from a pilot boat, called "The Alarm," belonging to George Greenham, of Sea View, Isle of Wight. Now, what might be the object of a fabrication like-not the graceful Julia, but the graceless trumped-up story-here essayed? I was on board herwhen on the slips in Ratsey's yard; and that clever, clear-headed artist gave me a very different and far more credible version of the origin of her lines. But then it may be worth while to damage the eclat of the British builder-for speed. In all else his perfection is past peradventure.

Still, as "Jack" cannot relish his quid with the flag struck,

"We'll put about, and try another tack

With Rule Britannia-killed some seasons back."

The encounter in which the Island Queen was so signally defeated by the Columbian champion needs not be here re-represented. She has been playing at galleys, when there comes a rover-swoop!-and she strikes...

A couple of Lancashire "up-and-down" fighters met in duello. It ended as such meetings are wont-to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. As they broke up, and were wending their ways home, one of the combatants was met by a friend, who, sympathizing in the gladiator's dilapidated figure-head, said,

"Bill! why, thee's lost best part of thee nose!"

"Aye, aye," replied Bill"that's all right. I've got t'other chap's ears in my pocket."...

There's no doubt such a pitched pleasure-battle afloat never before graced yacht annals. The America did give it us--not only licking the dons, but laughing at them to boot...

"Delighted, sir," observes Bull, bending gracefully to the vic

torious skipper (Yankee, aside: "I don't believe mortal man, unless a Philadelphia nigger, could make such a bow"); and beg to congratulate you on the exploits of your flying schooner."

"That's just it," rejoins Jonathan. "Knowd we should fix their flint, and put the leake into them Cowes coves this hitch-rael complete."...

"Do you indicate me," commented the New Englander to his compatriots, when he joined them, "when I says that the gent, he was as savage as a bear before breakfast? Didn't I put his Ebenezer up? He looked battle, murder, and sudden death. Ab,' says Iby way to butter his bitters- New York's pretty considerable middlin'-it beats the bugs. There aint its beat to be found nowhere, though I say it as shouldn't say it. That city fairly takes the shine off creation; it's actilly equal to cash!' You ought to have seed him-he was ready to bile over. So I was off, like a blowed-out candle."

Some L.L.D., A. Double-S., in philanthropic philosophy, bequeathed posterity the genial maxim," When you're down, down with you" so the arrival of the Sverige in these insular waters was nothing to be astonished at. What the Doodles had done, should not the Swedes do? Not a bit of it. "She" (something new-blow the old wind-dodge!—that'll do)-" she was badly masted-quite a mistake. Give her straight-standing sticks, and she'll lay-to sixteen knots an hour."...It wasn't true, of course; but then, like Mr. Pindar's chin-cutlery, she was "made to sell"-remember, if you apply the verb actively, it's not my fault. So the spirit of enterprise entered into her; and behold, it did not prosper ! Mr. Cockney, you weren't born yesterday, as everybody knows; but history teaches us that "foreigners"- that's peoples of other countries had their eye-teeth sharpened before yours were through the gums. I'm speaking proverbially, from the book of world-wisdom. Well, what next? The plot thickens.

In the spring of 1853, sailing circles, on the gossip-circle system, had it that a pair of direct descendants of the renowned Flying Dutchman-not of the winner of the great stakes in '49, but of the hypothetical lugger so called-were duly bound for the land of the golden fleece. Anon they moored upon her shores. The Aurora Borealis-another fair Scandinavian-with better "sticks," but upon worse terms than those of her predecessor, created quite a sensationof admiration and detestation, according to circumstances; and the Sylvie, from beyond the Atlantic; and the calves of the parent Bull taught the sires what their sons conceived to be the ideal (certainly not beau) of a sloop. I confess my inability to solve the object of the Swedish mission: it may be frolic, it may be fame-even fortune that is to say, pounds, shillings, and pence-a grand total. The Sverige was a joint-stock venture; and so, I believe, was the Aurora of the northern lights. At all events, both arks had one Noah, whose name was Beckman. A fidus Neptunus of mine, who dwells not many degrees clear of the Medina, tells me, "there are better sailors on the surface of the sea"-and beneath it, more's the pity! This means, no doubt, more than the mere words represent: the reader-quiz says, quid (?) In my Cowes yarn, the fate of the