The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-04 00:00:00

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THE SALE AT THE KNOWSLEY ATI p. - ,
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No more admission to Knowsley Aviary ca bi L i ,'-,---7., ',::.
procured until such time as it is or. 'view, named estl;(tess::.A ft.
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the 25th of September and five following days. 'f?
14V, ' -9 f.* -.71' W,/
The days of sale, and the particular lots for eac ,s4-3,7":9
day, we believe, are not :set quite complete, therefore - "
we can only give our readers a general idea of what
order of sale will be adopted. The catalogue occu-
pies fifty pages. The following is a summary of the
entire collection :—Total number of mamalia, 94
species, containing 345 individuals. Total numlser of
birds, exclusive of poultry, 318 species, containing
1,272 individuals. The total number of species is
1412, and of individuals 1,617 ; of which are Knows-
ley bred, 84 species, and 756 individuals.
The order of sale will be thus—Deer, antelopes
(exceedingly rare). Cattle, including Brahmin, Afri-
can, and Arab bulls, &c. The rare goats tad sheep
will follow. The llamas will then be sold. These
will be followed by the zebras, of which there are
seven. Some fine kangaroos will next be offered. Then
the rodents, lemurs, armadillos, &c,, will be sold. The
dogs will come next, of which there are some fine
blood-hounds. This will be the end of the sale of beasts.
The birds will then be sold, beginning with the vul-
tures. Of this class of birds will be found the
Egyptian, the King, the Arabian, the social, Kolbe's,
the slender-billed, and other specimens. The Fal-
conidse will then be sold, including many eagles.
There are the golden, the tawny, the vulturine, the
bold, the martial, the crowned, the harpy, the sea, the
fish, the short-tailed, and other eagles. Both the vul-
tures and the eagles arc the finest specimens of their
class which are to be tnet with. The owls are to be
sold after the eagles. Miscellaneous birds will follow,
such as the laughing kingfisher, blue robins, the rock
thrush, the cat bird, the bill bird, the piping crow, the
hunting crow, jays, crows, glossy thrushes, grakles,
and starlings. Then there will be weavers, bishop
birds, whidah birds, nutmeg or spice birds, cut-throat
sparrows, zebra birds, snow birds, diamond sparrows,
indigo birds, black-crested cardinals, Lapland bunt-
ing, black-billed hornbill, and toucans. When these
birds are disposed of, the parrot-room will be en-
tered, the contents of which will astonish from their
extent and splendour. The rooms, for there are a
series, contain the crested ground parrakeet, the vase
ground parrakeet, the masked parrot; the alexan-
drine, the ring-necked, the black-billed, the spaerow,
the orange winged, the gray breasted, the all green,
the yellow winged, the golden winged, the buff
fronted, the lace winged, and others of the same kind.
There will also be found a variety of macaws, in-
cluding the blue and yellow, the red and yellow, the
military, and the hyacinthine. There are a variety of
lories. The parrots embrace Buildings, red-bellied,
hawk-headed, ems zonian, diadem, &c. The Guinea
parrakeet, or love bird, will be found inthecollection
of the cockatoos, and also the roseate, the red-vented,
the rose-crested, the greater white-crested, the greater
and the lesser sulphur-crested, the citron-crested, the
blood-stained, and the long billed cockatoos.
The golden-winged woodpecker and the Senegal
lark-heel follow. Then a crowd of the rarest pigeons
and doves will be sold. Afterwards the piping and
other guans, and the different varieties of curassoros
will be sold. The brush turkey will be next offered.
The family phasianidw is numerous, embracing a
male Japan pheasant, the only living specimen in
Europe. There are also many other rare pheasants.
The tetraonidru and tinamidm families follow. The
ostriches, rheas, ernes, cassowary, and other gigantic
birds will then be sold. Cranes, herons, storks, the
ibis, and birds of a like character will succeed. The
species anatidec, including every sort of geese, swans,
ducks, teal, &c., will form a large item in the sale.
Galls, gannetts, and red-backed pelicans, conclude the
sale of birds. And, as a finish, a collection of tor-
toises and a selection of poultry will wind up the sale.
What the result of this sale may be we cannot
tell. The Knowsley aviary has a world-wide fame.
The title page of the catalogue terms it " The Me-
nagerie ande' Aviary at Knowsley, formed by the
late Earl of Derby, K.G., president of the
Zoological Society of London, August, 1851."
But what does that involve ? More than we
can tell. The founder of the Knowsley aviary
commenced his labours when comparatively a boy.
He devoted a long and an intelligent life to the
pursuit of natural history, and he succeeded in
forming a collection such as has never been equalled
by any private collection, or in any public institution.
The like of _Knowsley aviary was never seen before—
it is probable it will never be seen again. All will
deplore the scattering of this magnificent collection.
Into the question of its distribution we do not now
enter. It is probable that its founder did not expect
it to be distributed after his decease, as he expressed
his wish to a gentleman, about two years before his
death, that, after he was removed hence, the collection
would be of more general access and more instructive
than it could be in a private family. But, such as it
was, he made it. It occupied 100 acres of land, and
70 acres of water. Its first cost is unknown ; its re-
puted annual outlay exceeds ten thousand pounds.
The sale will bring purchasers from all civilized coun-
tries. We have reason to believe that the collection
will be scattered through all the European capitals.
But, whatever be its fate, we advise our readers, one
and all, to go to the aviary when it is on view. Such
a sight is nowhere else to be seen in the whole world,
and we believe it will be next to impossible tbat 2.11.•
1 other such collection can be got together.—Liverpool
Courier.

DINNER TO LORD SEYMOUR.
TOTNES, TUESDAY.—SOme time since Lord Sey-
mour purchased the Gate House, in the High-street
of this town, for 7001., and having' expended 3001.
more in alterations, he devoted it to the purposes of a
mechanics' institute, a library, and a reading-room;
newspapers of different shades of politics being ad-
mitted, and the advantages of the whole being open to
the inhabitants of Totnes, without distinction of sect
or party. In consequence of this it was determined
by a large number of the principal residents to give
his Lordship a dinner, and Mr. G. S. Cary—a magis-
trate of the county, a gentleman of ancient family,
one of the most influential constituents, and the inva-
riable proposer hitherto of the Noble Lora' on the
hustings—was invited to preside ; but feeling greatly
dissatisfied with the vote of Lord Seymour in favour
of the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, Mr. Cary felt bound
to decline.

The dinner was laid to-day in the new room of the
Gate House, and Captain Mitchell, R.N., occupied
the chair. About 120 sat down, fully three-fourths
of whom were Conservatives, and Mr. T. Bryett, the
agent of the Conservative party, was one of the vice-
chairmen.

After the usual loyal and complimentary toasts had
been given,
The CIIAIEMAN proposed the health of Lord Sey-
mour in complimentary terms, dwelling on the ser-
vice the Noble Lord had rendered Totnes, by res-
cuing the Mechanics' Institute from thywt
e decay which
had commenced and the destruction which thea threatened
before his Lordship's kind attention was directedr to
its encouragement and support.
The toast was loudly applauded.
Lord SEYMOUR, having first expressed his acknow-
ledgments, proceeded to assure the company that he
had taken great interest in the promotion of education
and the advancement of knowledge in Totnes; and
for this reason—no one could watch the present pro-
gress of society without seeing the necessity of
making every effort to keep pace with the general
advancement of the age. The rapid progress which
knowledge was making, and the greater intercourse
between men from distant parts, tended to increase
the mighty impetus which civilization had of late
years received, and those who lived not within the
sphere of the cepitels of the world, or of the great
marts of commeree, must still follow that progress by
reading books, by watching every opportunity, and
by using every exertion to qualify themselves to take
part in the race with their fellow-men.—(Cheers.) It
was prophesied in the, Book of Daniel, "Many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased ;"
and Lord Bacon, quoting that passage, observed that
the more men could communicate with each other,
the more knowledge would increase. Had be lived
eva er
tthh saidaw_n , the Prophe"
with all our
to the present day, to have seen our railroads and
conceived,
our steamers connecting distant parts with a ra-
pidity of intercourse impossible for him to have
Lord Bacon wouldhaoaurlsd probablyof
Ple '
of Daniel was about to be fulfilled. But if
we should
be blessed with another twenty-five se
bt hoe
broughtm o s tremi
no
tteo coolronsee rr s ofthe
connexion
experience, we could now justly estimate.--(Cheers.
He, however, regarded the benefits imate.—(Cheers. )
from the cheaper and more rapid now springing
by railroads and steam-boats system of travelling
a
con-
ferred since the invention of the
greater than any o
(Hear.) One effect of railroads the printing press.—
new branch of literature. Every
has been to give n; a
new and cheap publications,* station held out
so that he hoped soon to
see the stsndard work
of
the
Country,
u 4. s . penetrate the remotest parts
within the reach of All.
aprice
which would bring the m
For it must always be
membered that literature it r. d
e- .
was of no party—that 3
not attach itself to one her—that all
books ought to be fairlyside
read,
andorth alle a
newspapers to
be looked at that did not attack good morals or inter-
fere • with the social tendencies of life. Whilst per-
sonal controversy might lead to angry disputations
the study of literature was free altogether from that
grave objection. Books might combat cherished
opinions without giving offence, and might rivet ate
tt ntion when striking at the root of the most stubborn
prejudices. As the world advanced we mast advance
with it, and as knowledge increased we must increase
our knowledge,
fully assured, from past experi
ence, that we should thereby
ould thereby promote our physical
well as our moral well. being.—(Cheers.) The Nobl e ~
' Lord concluded by giving " The Health of the - 01.
Chairman.
Captain MucHELL responded, and proposed "Pros
perity to the town of Totnes." Then followed othe
toasts, and the company did not separate until a late
hour. All political questions were scrupulously
avoided, and the utmost unanimity
prevailed.