PREFACE.

In the course of the publication of the present Volume, we have complied with the general request of our correspondents, and brought out the Magazine of Natural History monthly, at a reduced price. This will enable us to give a more ready insertion to the articles of our contributors, and, we trust, will prompt them to continue and to increase their communications.

In taking a general survey of the progress of Natural History during the past year, it is gratifying to observe the establishment of Natural History Societies, one after another, in many parts of the country. The British Association has given a grand stimulus to natural history pursuits; and the personal intercourse, among naturalists, to which it has led, cannot fail to be highly favourable to science, and to good feeling among scientific men. By this means, also, the great object of science, viz., that of reducing it to practice, and rendering it available for the purposes of domestic and general improvement, is likely to be more immediately effected, than by the single influence of the press. The Natural History Societies of York, Newcastle upon Tyne, Worcester, Bristol, Belfast, and various other places, and the Entomological Society of London, are in a flourishing condition, and some of them have begun to publish volumes of their Transactions. Not only are new periodicals, devoted wholly or partly to natural history, being established in the metropolis, but also in the provinces. Among these deserve more especially to be mentioned, the Entomological Magazine of London, and the Analyst of Worcester.

The Continent of Europe, and more especially France and Germany, may be considered as having been long in advance of Britain in natural history pursuits. In the United States of America Natural History Societies are on the increase, and, what redounds much to the honour of a new country, The American Journal of Science (Silliman's) has been some years established, and continues to be respectably supported. There are societies in India which

embrace natural history, in common with agriculture and gardening; and a magazine has been commenced in Australia, in which natural history forms a prominent feature.

So congenial are natural history pursuits to the human mind, and so much do they tend to the progress of civilisation, to increased domestic comfort, to peace between nations, and to human happiness, that to us it appears that it would be treason to nature to assert that this state of things will not be progressive, and will not go on increasing, till the condition of mankind every-where is improved to an extent of which we can at present form no idea.

The more frequent appearance of this Magazine, as well as the considerable addition to the quantity of matter which will be given in the course of the year, demands corresponding exertions on the part of its Editor and Conductor; but our readers and contributors may safely rely on these being made. In conclusion, we cordially thank our contributors for their past assistance, and earnestly invite them to continue to add to the common stock of knowledge through the medium of our pages.

Bayswater, Nov. 10. 1834.

J. C. L.

CORRECTIONS.

In p. 78. line 4. from the bottom, for "Apo-
crinites" read "Apiocrinites."

In p. 137. line 29. for "Witton" read" Wilton."
In p. 158. line 20. for "him" read " it."
In p. 161. line 10. from the bottom, for "they
were" read "it was."

In p. 161. line 11. for " octanfrácti" read "oct-
anfracta."

In p. 176. lines 3. and 14. from the bottom, for "Lindegret " read " Lindegren."

In p. 180. affix the b to figure 36.

In p. 191. line 11. place inverted commas after the word "plants": in line 17. for "Rel. ham's" read " Relhan's."

In p. 228. last line but one, for "His loss" read
"The loss of him": in the last line, for
"allowed" read "had allowed."

In p. 232. line 19. from the bottom, for " 'p. 233" |
read "
p. 231,"

In p. 246, line 6. from the bottom, for " speaks'
read " speak.

In p. 251. line 6. from the bottom, for "1833"
read" 1832."

In p. 260. line 10. from the bottom. for "Va-
néssa, Antiopa" read " Vanessa Antìopa.”
In p. 262. line 20. for "1133" read" 1833"
In p. 269. line 28. the treatise on ants referred to
as in the Spectator, is in the Guardian, Nos.
156, 157.

In p. 347. note +, line 7. from the bottom, for
field flycatcher " read "pied flycatcher."
In p. 369. line 5. from the bottom, for "
sites" read" epiphytes."

para

In p. 378. the antenna in fig. 49. a should have been shown broader at the tip than in any other part.

In p. 382. lines 3, and 4. obliterate "subsequently raised to 1s. 6d. each."

In p. 383. line 10. to "appertain" add "to plants."

In p. 429. line 22. for "grub" read " grubs."
In p. 448. line 6. from the bottom, for "reaches
to A" read "reaches to B."

In p. 454. line 30. for "Nov. 18." read "Nov.
16.;
" in line 35. for "could be" read "could
not be."

In p. 492. lines 12. and 13. from the bottom, for
"Halichondra" read "Halichondria: " the
word is from chalis, flint, and chondros, car-
tilage; the cartilaginous skeleton of the crea-
ture is strengthened by siliceous spicula.
In p. 506. the first word, for "rabbits" read
"rabbit."

Thoughts in relation to the Questions on the

Mode of Origin of Song in Birds (III. 145.

447.; IV. 420.; VII. 245. 484.). By W. H. H.

567

Facts on Humming. Birds, their Food, the Man-

ner in which they take it, and on their Habits;

with Directions for preserving the Eggs of

Humming Birds, and the Forms of the Bodies

of Spiders, and Pupa and Larvæ of Insects.

By the late Rev. Lansdown Guilding, B. A.

F.L.S. &c.

- 569

The Accumulation of all possible Information

respecting the Habits of the Rock Birds of

Britain, by the Cooperative Agency of Natu

ralists residing near Headlands on the Coasts,

suggested. By J. D. Salmon, Esq.

- 573

On the Habits and Note of the Grey Wagtail,

and on the Note of the Spring Wagtail. By

T. G., of Clitheroe, Lancashire

577

Notes on Luminous Insects, chiefly of the West

Indies; on Luminous Meteors; on Ignes

Fatui; on the Luminousness of the Sea; and

on the Powers possessed by the Races of

Lizards, of voluntarily changing their Colour:

with other Information on the Habits of

Lizards. By the late Rev. Lansdown Guild-

ing, B. A. F.L.S. &c.

- 579

Observations on some of the Diseases in Poultry.

By J. M. Coby, Esq., Member of the Royal

College of Surgeons in London, of the Provin-

cial Medical and Surgical Association, of the

Medical and Philosophical Society of London,

&c.

- 630

Information on the Habits of a Species of Capri-

múlgus (or of some closely allied Genus) which

inhabits the Neighbourhood of Lima. By

Mr. Andrew Mathews, A.L.S., Travelling

Collector of Natural Productions in South

America

- 633

Reasons in support of an Opinion advanced that

the Mackerel is not a Migratory Species of

Fish. By O.

- 637

BOTANY.

GEOLOGY.

- 27

$2

A Description of a Fossil Vegetable of the

Family Fucoides in the Transition Rocks of

North America, and some Considerations in

Geology connected with it. By R. C. Taylor,

Esq.

Remarks and Illustrations on the Decay of the

Stems of succulent Plants. By Frederick

C. Lukis, Esq.

A Notice of some important Geological Dis.

coveries at Billesdon Coplow, Leicestershire;

with Observations on the Nature of their

Relation to the modern System of Geology.

38

Volcanoes. By W. M. Higgins, Esq. F.G.S.,

By Joseph Holdsworth, Esq.

Lecturer on Natural Philosophy to Guy's

Hospital

431

A Notice of some of the Contents of the Fresh-

water Formation at Copford, near Colchester,

Essex. By J. Brown, Esq.

- 436

588

Enquiries on the Causes of the Colour of the

Water of the Rhine; by J. R.: with Re-

marks, in Contribution to an Answer; by

On the Cause of Volcanic Action; a Reply to

the Rev. W. B. Clarke, A. M. F.G.S 438

Professor Higgins's Review, in p. 434, 435., of

Dr. Daubeny's Theory. By Dr. Daubeny,

King's Professor of Botany and Chemistry in

the University of Oxford

Some Account of the Salt of the Mountain of

Gern, at Cardona, in Catalonia, Spain; with

some Facts indicative of the little Esteem

entertained by Spaniards for Naturalists. By

Facts and Considerations on the Strata of Mont

W. Perceval Hunter, Esq.

- 640

Blanc; and on some Instances of Twisted

Strata observable in Switzerland; by J. R.:

with Remarks thereon, by the Rev. W. B.

Clarke, A. M. F.G.S. &c.

. 644

METEOROLOGY.

Some Observations on a very interesting Aurora

Borealis, witnessed at Hull on the Evening

and Night of October 12. 1833. By George

H. Fielding, Esq. M.R.C.S.L., Member of

the British Association for the Advancement

of Science, Treasurer and Hon. Curator of

Comparative Anatomy to the Hull Literary

and Philosophical Society, &c. &c.

- 50

A Statement of the Quantity of Rain which
has fallen at High Wycombe, Bucks, during
the last Ten Winters, with Remarks. By
James G. Tatem, Esq.
- 259
Data towards determining the Decrease of
Temperature in Connection with Elevation
above the Sea Level in Britain. By H. C.
Watson, Esq. F.L.S.
443
Facts and Arguments in relation to the Causes
of a singular Appearance of a Rainbow, of
an unusual Appearance of the Sky, of Mirage,
of Dew, and of Hoar-Frost. By a Subscriber

On the Altitude of the Habitats of Plants in
Cumberland, with Localities of the rarer
Mountain Species. By Mr. Hewett Watson 20

A brief Notice of several Species of Epiphyl

lous Fungi which have been observed in the

Neighbourhood of Oxford, and have not been

hitherto generally known to occur in Britain.

By Mr. William Baxter, A.L.S., Curator of

the Botanic Garden at Oxford

- 24

A Description of a Mode, practised by M.

Klotzsch, of drying Specimens of Fungi for

preservation in Herbariums. By William

Christy, jun. Esq. F.L.S. &c. &c.

131

On the supposed generic Distinction of Ra-

núnculus Ficària of Linné, By Charles C

Babington, M. A. F. L.S. &c.

375

Information on the Habitat of Carex heleonás-

tes Ehrhart in Switzerland, and on the Cir-

cumstances connected with the Discovery and

Identification of this Species; with like In.

formation on the Carex Gaudiniana Hoppe. Short Communications

By J. P. Brown, Esq., Thun, Canton of Berne,

Switzerland

-

499

608. 656

Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately | Literary Notices 96. 192. 288. 384. 479. 544.

published, with some Notice of those con-

sidered the most interesting to British Natur.

alists - 83. 185. 284. 381, 476. 543. 603. 655

15 64.

37. Digestive organs of the freshwater
muscle (A'nodon cygneus)

58. Digestive organs of the Teredo navàlis 223

39. Three figures of the Testacéllus scùtu- 60. Spongia subèria Montagu

418 70. A view of the Aiguille de Servoz, and

490

of the position of the strata of which

it is constituted