northern Africa. It visits our island, sometimes in considerable flocks, and their wild "hooping" note, when heard from a considerable elevation, as they make their way in the figure of a wedge, through "the cold thin atmosphere," is by no means unmusical. The ancient poets fabled the swan as uttering a mournfully musical prelude to its death. Perhaps this idea arose from their having heard the mingled voices of vast flocks of this species, as they winged their way to the rivers and lakes of Asia Minor.

These notes are produced by a peculiar conformation of the tube of the windpipe, which, before entering the chest, makes a long loop, which is received into a cavity hollowed out in the keel of the breastbone throughout its whole length.

The hooper will breed in captivity. Several specimens are living in the gardens of the Zoological Society.

The down and feathers of the hooper are very valuable, and consequently the bird is killed in great numbers, in Iceland, for the sake of these products, which are not only used by themselves for various purposes, but exchanged in barter. In August, when the

old birds have moulted their quill feathers, and are unable to fly, swan hunting commences. Many are ridden down by men mounted on small hardy horses, accustomed to swamps and bogs, which other horses would be unable to traverse; but most are killed by dogs, which are trained to seize them by the neck, and thus quickly despatch and secure them. Swan hunting in Iceland is a scene of bustle, animation, and excitement, and the more so as the interests of the natives are concerned in the success of this singular chase.

BEWICK'S SWAN, (Cygnus Bewickii-Yarrell,) a species first distinguished by Mr. Yarrell, is smaller than the hooper, and differs besides in the structure of the windpipe, the great loop of which not only passes into the keel of the breastbone, which it traverses, but also passes into a cavity of the flat portion of the breastbone itself, where before being reflected back it takes a considerable curve, and then returns upon the trough of the keel. The beak also exhibits some differences.

The cygnus Bewickii is a native of the high northern regions of Europe and America, and probably also of Asia. It is only during severe winters that flocks of this species visit

our island. According to Mr. Blackwall, the call note of Bewick's swan, while on the wing, is loud and clamorous.

Turning to North America, besides Bewick's swan, the hooper, according to most naturalists, exists in the northern districts. But the prince of Canino, in his "Birds of Europe and North America," regards the species usually considered as identical with the hooper to be distinct, and registers it as the cygnus Americanus of Sharpless. How far he is correct is yet a question. There is, however, a definite species, the trumpeter swan, (cygnus buccinator,) undoubtedly peculiar to North. America, and which is the common swan of the fur countries, whence its skins are imported in great numbers into England. It is the species that furnishes the principal part of the swan's down of commerce, and also swan quills.

The breeding places of the trumpeter swan are chiefly within the arctic circle, whence it migrates southwards on the approach of winter, preceding the flocks of wild geese. The fold of the windpipe in this species differs from that both of the hooper and Bewick's swan.

Of the black swan of Australia, and the

black-necked swan of Chili, we shall say nothing; indeed, our notice of the wild swans of the northern hemisphere is intended rather to give a list of the species allied more or less to the tame or mute swan, than to enter into the minutiae of their history.

Here, then, we may close our account of the birds legitimately coming under the head of domestic poultry. A few words may be permitted on another subject. We commenced the work with a reference to the early history of man, and endeavoured to show from several facts, and among others, from his availing himself, even at the outset of his career of labour, of the services of such animals as would assist him by their docility, strength, or intelligence, or supply him with food and clothing, that a savage condition is alien to his nature. This is emphatically declared by Scripture.

"God created man in his own image," and though that image is defaced, it is not obliterated; nor has he lost that "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth," with which the Creator invested him. This dominion consists not only in superiority, connected with the

possession of intellect, of reason, but arises also from the total difference as to the end and aim of his creation-his future destiny and condition. He is destined for immortality, he is gifted with reason-a knowledge of good and evil, and language in which to express his ideas, and worship the Giver of every good and perfect gift. When we contemplate man in this light, we cannot but see his position in creation; but he holds another position,-a position before his God who is his Creator, and will be his Judge. Is this position one of perfect innocence and holiness? No! Man fell from his first estate and lost that position, and the human race now stands before God, as guilty, as criminal, as condemned by the law, to break one tittle of which is to break the whole. Man is amenable to punishment; and is there means of escape? Yes, he can escape, for the door of mercy is not closed; nay, he is invited to flee for refuge from the wrath to come, and so plain is the path, that the wayfaring man cannot err therein. It is through the atonement made by our Lord Jesus Christ, who "bore our sins in his own body on the tree," when he in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, was crucified, offering