The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Our Garden Friends and Foes. By the Rev. J. G.
Wood. One vol., pp. 438. Routledge and Co.
Perhaps no volume ever appeared more oppor-
tunely than this guide to Oar Friends and Foes in
Garden and Greenhouse. It COMES forth in the very
midst of the discussions now rife in regard to Bird
Murder. It is the work of one known not only as
an eminent proficient, but also as a distinguished
and recognised authority in regard to the study of
Natural History. The rev, author is entitled already
to the very notable distinction among naturalists
of having done more in his time towards the popue
lerising of the science, towards the familiaris-
ing of his fellow-countrymen with a knowledge
of the fauna and flora of all climates, but more
particularly of the fauna and flora of the
United Kingdom, than any other individual that
could be mentioned. A yet more profound, be-
cause a far more practised and experienced natu-
ralist, might of course be recognised in the venerable
squire of Walton Hall, that good and gifted Charles
Waterton, who has long since taken his place
among the greatest masters of the twin studies of
zoology and ornithology. But while eminent him-
self as a cultivator of both those sciences, and
while adding to his wide and ripe, to his perpetually
widening and ripening, scholarship, bath as a zoolo-
gist and as ten ornithologist, an intimacy quite
as remarkable in its way with the other
branches or divisions of • Natural History,
with botany and entomology for example, we may
pretty confidently repeat in other and more emphatic
words, what we have just now remarked in regard
to the Rev. J. G. Wood's labours (of love) in popu-
larizing the study of Natural History, that in that
one respect he is at this moment quite unrivalled.
Upon the same familiar shelf where stands our well-
thumbed copy of the Rev. Gilbert White's Natural
History of Selborne, we have long had reason to
place side by side with that beloved book, the Rev.
J. G. Wood's "Common Objects of the Seashore."
Supplementing the great encyclopedic work of
Buffon, comes, we also remark, our author's
popular Natural History illustrated. Several
other volumes of a less comprehensive na-
ture he has besides that issued from the press :
and now—as the latest, and certainly also as the
most happily timed of all his productions in this
way—he gives us this very complete and welcome
manual. A manual, it will be found to be,
by the aid of which anyone mey readily
and infallibly distinguish between those creatures
swarming around us, whether bird or insect, in our
gardens, in our greenhouses, in the very bow-pots
in our windows, upon our plots of grass, and in our
boxes of mignionette ! Knowing at once, in regard
to each and all of them, how it is, they ought in
justice and in truth to be regarded and dealt
with, namely, whether as Friends or as Foes.
How essential some reliable guide in this direc-
tion, in drawing precisely this very distinc-
tion, has become, the very controversy already
referred to in regard to the Little Birds and
their Murderers, has within the last few weeks
tended signally and conclusively to demon •
I strate. And here, off-hand, in the very nick of
time, as it were, here, in these amusing and in-
structive pages by the Rev. J. G. Wood, we have
the very guide-book, wanted, placed in our hands.
It is the first book of the kind, we believe,
that has ever yet made its appearance. It is the
very first work, that is to say, in which the line of
division has been carefully and systematic ally drawn,
separating, henceforth, the good from the bad, our
friends and our foes, among the insect and bird
frequenters, or inhabitants, of our Gardens and
Greenhouses. Not only has this been done, as we
have said, carefully and systematically in the six-
and-twenty chapters into which this goodly volume
of 438 pages will be found subdivided, but—scat-
tered through the letter-press descriptions of the
birds and insects, and with these also a variety of
little animals as familiar to the English naturalist
as the lizard, the mole, the weazle, and the hedge-
hog—the author supplies his reader (in reference to
each creature as it runs, flies, or creeps upon the
page to be mentioned) with effectual and always
very simple directions for the encouraging of the
Friends, and the extermination of the Foes of our
Gardens, our Flowers, and our Fruit. How essen-
tial these directions and these stores of information
upon such homely matters, have become, may only
too readily, we 'might add only toe painfully,
be illustrated. Take the little titmouse, for ex-
ample, and observe in the first place how it is re-
garded (and treated), and in the next place how
It ought to be regarded (and treated). Vulgarly
it is looked upon as a very pest to the
orchard. Flitting hither and thither among the
branches of a fruit tree, observed there to be snap-
ping off the tender buds and twigs, nibbling at
them when snapped off, and then scattering them
wilfully away upon the ground below, as if in very
wantonness of destruction, it is at once looked upon
by any ignorant person watching its proceedings
as one of the worst foes of the gardener anywhere
to be found in the whole range of ornithology.
The truth being all the while that the little tit-
mouse is just exactly the reverse, is one of the very
best of all the feathered friends of that same
grumbling gardener ! The titmouse keeping down
by its proceedings above described those swarms of
insects that unless destroyed by some such effectual
means must as Mr. Wood expresses it (in no way
with over emphasis) "devastate our crops:and wither
up our flowers." The singular delusion prevalent
in regard to that wonderful little insect called
absurdly the Earwig (that name being simply a
corruption of Earwing, from the exquisite wing of
the insect resembling when spread open fan-wise the
outline of the human ear), the extraordinary delu-
sion prevalent in regard to the Earwig, prevalent
not only in England but far and wide in most of the
countries of Continental Europe, namely, that it can
creep into the ear, penetrate to the brain, and drive
its wretched victim through unutterable agonies
into a delirium of madness—this preposterous
and ridiculous delusion in regard to the earwig
seems of itself to indicate how much information of
precisely the kind contained in this bock of Mr.
Wood's is really required even among our educated
population. As demonstrative of the prevalence of
this idle fancy in regard to the earwig not only in
this country but abroad, it is only necessary to re-
call to mind the fact that while it is designated
(from the verbal corruption above mentioned) an
Earwig in England, in France it is called Perce-
oreille, in Germany 011ren-wurm, and in Sweden
Ohren-wetel. Profusely sprinkled through the work,
aiding the writer considerably even in the instance
of his most vivid descriptions, are upwards of two
hundred illustrations by T. W. Wood. by Smith, and
by Coleman, many of them, particularly all those
presenting to us the effigies of the larval as well
as of the perfect forms of the insects men-
tioned in the work, being of ths actual size
of life ! Whenever the professional gardener
or the amateur florist may henceforth be in
any doubt whatever as to a discrimination
between his Garden Friends and Foes—with this
goodly book at hand, his doubts may be at once and
quite conclusively dissipated. The caterpillar, the
slug, the snail, the woodlouse, the millipede, the
grub, the earthworm : here he may learn how best to
be rid of them. Frog and newt, gnat and spider,
cabbage-fly and rose-hopper, wasp and glow worm
—our author will tell him here, promptly and
pleasantly, by a very few words, and often by an
entertaining anecdote, how each of them ought to
be regarded. Bullfinch and goldfinch, thrush and
blackbird, wren and starling, owl and robin, sparrow
and chaffinch—he tells all about them, the good
and the bad quite dispassionately. To the lady in
her conservatory, to the market gardener among
his vegetables, to the farmer in his orchard, to the
suburban florist among his dahlias and carnations,
Mr. Wood's charming volume will prove at all times
and seasons as ivelenene es flowers in May cy apples
in October.

,
t- eitv
Tait
. 4
in Taro

HER MAJESTY.

BALMORAL, Sept. 30.
The Queen went out in the morning with Princess
Louise.

The Princess Louis of Hesse and Princess Helena
rode on horseback.

Her Majesty, accompanied by the Princess of
Wales, Princess Louis of Hesse, Prince Arthur, and
Prince Leopold, drove and walked in the afternoon,

Royal Visits to Edinburgh.
EDINBURGH, Thursday Morning.

This morning the Crown Prince and Princess of
Prussia, with their family and suite, arrived at the
Waverley citation hero en route to Balmoral, by the
night express from London. The public were not
generally admitted to the platform. Their Royal
Highnesses were received by the Lord Provost and
Magistrates, Lard Charles Fitzroy, the Prussian
Consul, and several of the railway officials. They
Proceeded to the Douglas's Hotel, St. Andrew-
square, where apartments have been engaged for the
royal party. A considerable number of people
assembled in the streets leading from the station to
the hotel.

Thursday Evening.

The Crown Prince and Princess visited Edin-
burgh Castle in the forenoon and Holyrood in the
afternoon, passing through the principal streets and
round the Queen's drive. They leave to-morrow
(Friday) for Balmoral at 9 a.m. on a visit to her
Majesty.
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived from
Balmoral at a quarter to 7, and were welcomed at
the station by the Princess Royal and the Crown
Prince. The Lord Provost, Magistrates, Sheriff,
and General Chmmanding being also on the plat-
form. The royal party drove in the same carriage
to the Douglas Hotel.
To-day the Town Council will present an address
to the Prince and Princess of Wales in Holyrood,
and the Edinburgh ladies' gift will be presented to
the Princess. The ceremony, in accordance with the
express desire of their Royal Higl.nesses, will bo
strictly private.
Their departure is not fixed.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and the Princess Mary, attended by Lady Geraldine
Somerset and Colonel Home Purves, are expected to leave
Rumpenheim on Monday next for London, on their route
to Cambridge Cottage, Kew.

The Emperor of Austria is still at Ischl, where he
intends remaining for about a week longer. His Majesty
lately several times went out chamois hunting on the neigh-
bouring mountains.
VISIT OF PRINCE NAPOLEON TO WINDSOR..--.
His Imperial Highness Prince Napoleon visited Windsor
yesterday. The prince inspected the private apartments of
the castle, and also St. George's Chapel. His imperial
highness afterwards visited the royal gardens and Frog-
more grounds, and inspected the mausoleum and royal
farm.

The Prince and Princess Cronbetzkos and family
have arrived at Claridge's Hotel, from the Isle of Wight.
The Prince and Princess Guilino and suite have
left the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Paris, on their
way to home.

His Grand Ducal and her Imperial Highness the
Princess William of Badon have left Claridge's Hotel for

Germany.

The Duke and Duchess of Wellington have
arrived at Brighton.

The Earl and Countess of Hardwieke and Lady
Agneta Yorke leave Sidney Lodge, near Southampton, on
Monday next for town, and a iew days afterwards will go
to Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire.

Lord and Lady Lyndhurst arrived at their resi-
dence in George-street, Hanover-square, from Tunbridgo
Wells, on Wednesday Met.

Lord and Lady Proby have arrived at their
residence, Halkin-street West, from the Continent.

•
Lord and Lady Llanover have a large party still
at Llanover. Amongst the present guests are Lord St.:at-
ford de lLedcliffo and Miss Canning, Lady Blantyre and the
Misses Stuart, Lady Catherine and Miss Allen, Lord
Taunton and Miss Labouchere, Mr. and the Hon. Mrs.
Herbert, of Llanarth, Lord and Lady Wensleydale, Mr,
Roc hall, Mr. Dillon, &o.
Viscountess Stormont gave birth to a son on
Monday last, at Scone Palace, Perthshire.
Count and Countess Bonde of Bjorn° left 16
Grafton-street, on Thursday last, en route by Dover and
Calais, for the Palace of HOrningsholrn, Sweden.

General Le Comte and Madame Schensteine and
family have returned to the Brunswick Hotel, Jennyn.
street, from Scotland.

Sit- F. Uraham Moon, Bart., and Lady Moon,
have left Portman-square for their marine residence at
Brighton.

Lady Francis and Miss Gordon have returned to
town from Sir Alexander Bannerman's seat in Aberdeen-

shire.

DEATH OF LORD SINCLAIR.—The Right Hon.
Charles Lord Sinclair died on Wednesday last at Pilmuir,
near Torquay, at the advanced age of 95, having been born
at Edinburgh in 1763.

PROFESSOR WILSON (Christopher North) and
ALLAN RAMSAY are each to have a statue in the Prince's-
street Gardens, Edinburgh, where workmen are already
preparing sites for the two memorials.

WHAT GOETHE DID FOR " HAMLET."-71.t is im-
pressed upon us that nobody understood " Hamlet"
until Goethe expounded its meaning. What, then (asks a
critic in the Times), was the wonderful discovery which
Goethe made ? He discovered that Hamlet is an irresolute
character, and that, having a great deal to do, he does it
not 1 What an enormous mouse 1 We are to suppose that
nobody ever saw this mouse before. It is a huge discovery
to tell us that Hamlet is slow to act, and that Laertes in
contrast to him is swift to act. We take all this for granted
—it lies on the surface; and English critics, not troubling
themselves with such a palpable truism, advanced to the
further question—ls Hamlet mad or half mad ? Is that
irresolution of his the result of a sound cr of an unsound
mind. When Goethe's truism is thus forced upon us as a
great discovery, we find ourselves in the position of a man
who cannot answer a very simple question about something
which he knows perfectly well. He may know every nook
and corner of his house, and yet be unable to tell offhand.
how many rooms there are in it. The house agent is supe-
rior to us in this kind of knowledge, and can tell the exact
number of rooms without hesitation. It is this house agent
sort of superiority that the German critics display. It is
the same sort of superiority as dumb-sounded 111. Jourdain
when he discovered that, without knowing it, he had been
talking prose all his life.

CRUIKSIIANK'S DISCOVERY ABOUT GHOSTS—
anticipated by Partridge in Fielding's " Toni
Jonesl''—As Hotspur himself must admit that any num-
ber of spirits may now be summoned from the vasty deep,
by favour of Mr. Dircks, C.E., and Professor Pepper, the
question (says the London Review) How to dress your
ghost ? becomes a matter of pressing importance. We
pamphlet by
gbyhol‘r.
slts,
tGore
ioersgetheartutihke-
ghosts ought never to be dressed at all, since there cannot
necatsmutosintgberi
be ghosts of clothes. A chapter in " Tom Jones" may
slahtnenlyk2nwothicoedobaj
be consulted with advantage. Fielding makes his hero
take dear simple old Partridge to see Garrick in " Hamlet?'
" What man is that in the strange dress ?" asks Partridge.
Tom Jones answers, "That is the ghost." To which
Partridge replies with a smile, " Persuade me to that, sir,
if you can. Though I can't say I ever actually saw a ghost
in my life, yet I am certain I should know one, if I saw
him, better than that comes to. No, no, sir, ghosts don't
appear in such dresses as that, neither." This mistake, the,
novelist adds, caused much laughter in the neighbourhood.
of Partridge. But was not Partridge right? The ghost.
purported to come from the nether world—the suit of com-
plete steel in which he was clad Partridge know must at
that moment be in the royal armoury of Denmark. There
had been a divorce between the royal Dane and his coat of
mail. The ghost of a king, Partridge could imagine--the,
ghost of a helmet and corslet, he could not so easily realise-
" No, no, sir, ghosts don't appear in such dresses as that,
neither."

A WORD FOR OUR SMALL BIRDS.—It is no
argument for destroying the birds that they do not
rid us of the worse enemy. We know, by abundant evi-
dence,that the small birds which most frequent our gardens
and dwellings do dispose of an infinite number of cater-
pillars, grubs, flies, and worms in feeding their young as
well as themselves. That there is still more than they can
dispose of is no wonder, considering the destruction of birds
which has been going on now, faster and faster, more and
more spitefully, for years past. it should be remembered
that the insect increasb goes on at an accelerated rate alter
the natural check is once impaired. The escaped prey of
one pair of finches or sparrows or robins, will not only
grow up to spoil half-a-dozen vegetables, but will bring
forth a progeny
which will ruin scores of plants, and leave
enough heirs to run through the property of hundreds
more. While, therefore, I have wireworms, slugs, haw)
of mischievous moths, iu my garden,
I shall let the
birds try what they can de with the mischief which I cer-
tainly cannot manage in any clumsy human method,—'
0)1(0 a Meth.