The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-17 00:00:00

IMPORTANT FRENCH DESPATCH.

The following circular of M. Drouyn de Lhuys
to French diplomatic agents is the latest state paper
laid upon the table of the French Senate :

Paris, March 1, 1863.
When the present troubles broke out in Poland
they had merely the character of an act of resistance
to a measure of internal administration adopted
under abnormal conditions. The uneasy state in
which the country bad long been no doubt aug-
mented the gravity of the crisis. It was, neverthe-
less, purely local before the signature of the con-
vention between Prussia and Russia. But when
it became the object of an international act, the
question changed its nature, and the cabinets were
called upon to appreciate these arrangements.
We were speedily made aware of the views
of the British Cabinet by the speeches of the
Queen's Ministers in Parliament, and a com-
munication from the Court of Austria, regarding
her attitude in Gallicia, led us to think that the
sentiments of that Power were not widely different
from our own. It appeared to us, however, that an
understanding was desirable before taking any offi-
cial step in regard to the Prussian Government.
We were persuaded that observations which the

three cabinets might agree in thinking it right
and useful to make separately at Berlin, would
be more right and more useful still if made simul-
taneously in similar terms ; that an opinion pre-
sented in that form would be of more authority, and
that, moreover, the very necessity of giving a
common expressior, to the ideas of the three parties
would be a guarantee for moderation and im-
partiality. The Government of her Britannic Ma-
jesty has,not adhered to the step which we were
disposed to take. Austria,on her part,while adopting
1 our view, has not thought herself justified in offici-

ally blaming a convention with which she had from
the first declined solidarity. In this state of things
the Government of the Emperor kas no further re-
sult to give to the proposition which supposes an
agreement. However, we have reasons to hope
that the effect produced by the signing of the con-
♦ention of st. Petersburg will net be
entirely
lost, and that the two contracting Courts will duly
appreciate the unanimity of the observations
which these arrangements have occasioned. For our
part we shall continue to follow these events with
the degree of interest which they are calculated to
inspire. Our duties in this respect concur with
those of the other great powers placed in the same
position as ourselves. The efforts which we have
made to subordinate any proceedings of the cabinets
to previous concert, testifies moreover to the senti-
ments which we feel in an affair which involves on
our part neither private policy nor isolated action..
(Signed) DRottyN DE LIIUYS.

BIRDS AS DESTROYERS or INSECTS.—A distin-
guished naturalist, M. Florent Prevost, conceived
the idea that it would be a matter of great interest to collect,
at different periods of the year, the stomach of every descrip-
tion of bird he was enabled to procure, to examine and pre-
serve its contents The collection, commenced thirty-five
years since, has now reached a considerable f,ize. The
stomachs, opened and dried, together with their contents,
are fixed on cardboard, upon which are inscribed, besides the
named the species of the bird, the indication of the locality
and the date of its death, together with the names of the
animals or plants which have been recognised as forming
part of the contents of its stomach. It results from these
researches that birds are in general far more useful than
hurtful to the agriculturist, and that the mischief done at
certain periods by the granivorous species is largely com-
pensated by the consumption of insects they effect at other
periods.—. Medical Tom.