27. Petrels. The fulmar breeds in the isle of St. Kilda, and continues there the whole year except September and part of October. The shearwater visits the Isle of Man in April; breeds there; and, leaving it in August or the beginning of September, disperses over all parts of the Atlantic ocean. The stormfinch is seen at all distances from land, on the same vast watery tract; nor is ever found near the shore, except by some very rare accident, unless in the breeding season. Mr. Pennant found it on some little rocky isles on the north of Skye. It also breeds on St. Kilda. He also suspects that it nestles on the Blasquet Isles, off Kerry, and that it is the gourder of Mr. Smith.

28. Mergansers.-This whole genus is mentioned among the birds that fill the Lapland lakes during summer. Mr. Pennant has seen the young of the red-breasted in the north of Scotland: a few of these, and perhaps of the goosanders, may breed there.

29. Ducks. Of the numerous species that form this genus, we know of few that breed here: the swan and goose, the shield-duck, the eider-duck, a few shovellers, garganies, and teals, and a very small portion of the wild ducks.

The rest contribute to form that amazing multitude of waterfowl that annually repairs from most parts of Europe to the woods and lakes of Lapland, and other arctic regions, there to perform the functions of incubation and nutrition in full security. They and their young quit their retreat in September, and disperse themselves over Europe. With us they make their appearance the beginning of October; circulate first round our shores; and, when compelled by severe frost, betake themselves to our lakes and rivers. Of the web-footed fowl, there are some of hardier constitutions than others: these endure the ordinary winters of the more northern countries; but when the cold reigns there with more than common rigour, they repair for shelter to these kingdoms: this regulates the appearance of some of the diver kind, as also of the wild swans, the swallow-tailed shield-duck, and the different sorts of goosanders which then visit our coasts. Barentz found the barnacles with their nests in great numbers in Nova Zembla. (Collect. Voy. Dutch East India Company, Svo. 1703, p. 19.) Clusius, in his Exot. 368, also observes, that the Dutch discovered them on the rocks of that country, and in Waygait Straits. They, as well as the other species of wild geese, go very far north to breed, as appears from the histories of Greenland and Spitzbergen, by Egede

and Crantz. These birds seem to make Iceland a resting-place, as Horrebow observes: a few continue there to breed, but only visit that island in the spring, and after a short stay, retire still further north.

30. Corvorants.-The corvorant and shag breed on most of our high rocks; the gannet in some of the Scotch isles, and on the coast of Kerry; the two first continue on our shores the whole year. The gannet disperses itself all round the seas of Great Britain, in pursuit of the herring and pilchard, and even as far the as Tagus, to prey on the sardina.

But of the numerous species of fowl here enumerated, it may be observed how very few entrust themselves to us in the breeding season, and what a distant flight they make to perform the first great dictate of nature.

There seems to be scarcely any but what we have traced to Lapland, a country of lakes, rivers, swamps, and alps, covered with thick and gloomy forests, that afford shelter during summer to these fowls, which in winter disperse over the greatest part of Europe. In those arctic regions, by reason of the thickness of the woods,' the ground remains moist and penetrable to the woodcocks, and other slender-billed fowl; and for the web-footed birds, the waters afford larves innumerable of the tormenting gnat. The days there are long; and the beautiful meteorous nights indulge them with every opportunity of collecting so minute a food, whilst mankind is very sparingly scattered over that vast northern waste.

Why then should Linnæus, the great explorer of these rude deserts, be amazed at the myriads of water-fowl that migrated with him out of Lapland? which exceeded in multitude the army of Xerxes; covering for eight whole days and nights, the surface of the river Calix! His partial observation as a botanist, would confine their food to the vegetable kingdom, almost denied to the Lapland waters; inattentive to a more plenteous table of insect food, which the all-bountiful Creator had spread for them in the wilderness. It may be remarked, that the lakes of mountainous rocky countries in general, are destitute of plants: few or none are seen on those of Switzerland; and Linnæus makes the same observation in respect to those of Lapland, having during his whole tour, discovered only a single specimen of a lemma trisulca, or ivy-leaved duck's meat, Flora Lap. No. 470; a few of the scirpus lacustris, or bullrush, No. 18; the alopecurus geniculatus, or flote foxtail

grass, No. 38; and the ranunculus aquatilis, No. 234; which are all he enumerates in his Prolegomena to that excellent performance.

[Pantologia. Barrington. :

SECTION 1.

Orang-Outang.

Simia Troglodytes.-LINN.

Or these singular animals, the species which has most excited the

attention of mankind is the orang-outang; or, as it is sometimes called, the satyr, great ape, or man of the woods. It is a native of the warmer parts of Africa and India, as well as of some of the Indian islands, where it resides principally in woods, and is supposed to feed, like most others of this genus, on fruits. The orangoutang appears to admit of considerable variety in point of colour, size, and proportions; and there is reason to believe, that, in reality, there may be two or three kinds, which, though nearly approximated as to general similitude, are yet specifically distinct. The specimens imported into Europe have rarely exceeded the height of two or three feet, and were supposed to be young animals; but it is said that the full-grown ones are, at least, six-feet in height. The general colour seems to be dusky or brown; in some ferruginous or reddish brown, and in others coal-back, with the skin itself white. The face is bare; the ears, hands, and feet nearly similar to the human, and the whole appearance such as to exhibit the most striking approximation to the human figure. The likeness, however, is only a general one, and the structure of the hands and feet, when examined with anatomical exactness, seems to prove, in the opinion of those most capable of judging with accuracy on the subject, that the animal was principally designed by

nature for the quadrupedal manner of walking, and not for an upright posture, which is only occasionally assumed, and which, in those exhibited to the public, is, perhaps, rather owing to instruction than truly natural. The Count de Buffon, indeed, makes it one of the distinctive characters of the real or proper apes (among which the orang-outang is the chief), to walk erect on two legs only; and it must be granted, that these animals support an upright position much more easily and readily than most other quadrupeds, and may probably be very often seen in this attitude even in a state

of nature.

The manners of the orang-outang, when in captivity, are gentle, and perfectly void of that disgusting ferocity so conspicuous in some of the larger baboons and monkies. The orang-outang is mild and docile, and may be taught to perform, with dexterity, a variety of actions in domestic life. Thus it has been seen sitting at table, and, in its manner of feeding and general behaviour, to imitate the company in which it was placed: to pour out tea, and drink it without awkwardness or constraint; to prepare its bed with exactness, and compose itself to sleep in a proper manner. Such are the actions recorded of one which was exhibited in London, in the year 1738; and the Count de Buffon relates nearly similar particulars of that which he saw at Paris. Dr. Tyson, who, about the close of the last century, gave a very exact description of a young orang-outang, then exhibited in the metropolis, assures us, that, in many of its actions, it seemed to display a very high degree of sagacity, and was of a disposition uncommonly gentle; "the most gentle and loving creature that could be. Those that he knew a ship-board he would come and embrace with the greatest tenderness, opening their bosoms, and clasping his hands about them; and, as I was informed, though there were monkies aboard, yet it was observed he would never associate with them, and, as if nothing akin to them, would always avoid their company."

But however docile and gentle when taken young, and instructed in its behaviour, it is said to be possessed of great ferocity in its native state, and is considered as a dangerous animal, capable of readily overpowering the strongest man. Its swiftness is equal to its strength, and for this reason it is but rarely to be obtained in its full-grown state; the young alone being taken.

[Shaw.

SECTION II.

Preacher Monkey.

Simia Beelzebub.-LINN.

THE size of this animal is that of a fox; with black shining eyes, short round ears, and round beard: hair on the body shining black, long, yet so close that the animal appears quite smooth; feet and end of the tail brown; tail very long, and always twisted at the end.

Singular as the name preacher, applied to a species of monkeys, may appear, their history is no less so; and were it not supported by good authority, it would seem quite fabulous. Several other authors corroborate the evidence of Marcgraave, a writer of the first authority, and a most able naturalist, who resided long in the Brazils, where these creatures abound. He speaks from his own knowledge, and tells us, that morning and evening they assemble in the woods; that one mounts on a higher branch, while the rest seat themselves beneath; that when he perceives them all seated, he begins, as if it were to harangue, and sets up so loud and sharp a howl that a person at a distance would think a hundred joined in the cry; the rest, however, keep the most profound silence, till he stops and gives a signal with his hand; then, in an instant the whole assembly join in chorus, till he commands silence by another signal, which they obey. in a moment; then the orator resumes his discourse, and finishes his address, and the assembly breaks up. Their clamour is the most disagreeable and tremendous that can be conceived; this faculty proceeds from the peculiar conformation of a hollow and hard bone placed in the throat, and called the throat bone, or os hyoides. These monkeys are very fierce, quite untameable, and bite dreadfully; though not carnivorous, they excite terror by their frightful voice and ferocious aspect. The female is of the same colour with the male, and differs from him only in being smaller; the females carry their young on their back, and leap with them from branch to branch, and from tree to tree; the young embrace, with their hands and arms, the body of the mother, and remain firmly fixed as long as she is in motion; when she wants to suckle, she takes the young in her paws and presents the breast to it, like a human wet nurse. There is no method of obtaining the young one,