(viz. for diverfion's fake), and particularly obferving each and every one of thefe grafshoppers ftuck up fo regularly, and in their natural pofition as when on the ground, not one of them having its back downwards, I began to conjecture what might be the real intention which the bird had in this, and my determined opinion was, that this little bird-hawk, by inftinct, made ufe of this art, in order to decoy the fmaller birds, which feed on infects, and by these means have a fair opportunity of catching them. All this I communicated to my friends on my return home, and they were not lefs aftonished at what I had related to them, than I had been on discovering the fact. It being agreed that fome gentlemen of learning and obfervation fhould more minute ly examine into this matter, the proprietor of this farm, with another gentleman and myfelf, went this day out for the purpose; and viewing the grafshoppers on a number of these small trees (some of which we cut off, and took home), we return ed to the tenant, who not only himfelf but also his father and fifter gave us the best affurances, that they had, long fince, and from time to time, obferved this bird catching grafshoppers and sticking them up in the manner already related, and that fometimes they had obferved, in places where this fpecies of bird keeps, numbers of grafshoppers ftuck up on a thorn-bush in like man

ner.

The reverend Mr. V. Vleck is perfectly fatisfied that this bird-hawk is the Lanius Canadenfis (in Bartram), and has obligingly communicated the following account of this little bird-hawk to me: it is extracted from a German publication

printed at Goettingen, 1778, under the title of "Natural Hiftory for Children, by M. George Chriftian Paff," who after giving a description of the different fpecies of this bird, concludes thus: "Why is this bird of prey called the nine-killer? Becaufe it is said to have the habit of fticking beetles or other infects, and perhaps fometimes nine of them in fucceffion, upon thorns, that they may not escape until he has leifure to devour them all at once. And for the fame reason, it is fometimes called the thorn-fticker." Now by the above account, we see that it is known in Europe that this fame fpecies of birds actually does ftick up infects of different kinds on thorns, &c. but it is fuppofed they eat them immediately after being ftuck up. Here the cale is quite otherwife. They remain ftuck up, for we mu fuppofe these to have been stuck up at leaft fome weeks ago, and before the hard froft fet in. The very birds (as we fuppofe) that fuck them up are now on the fame ground, watch ing the smaller birds that come out to feed, and have been seen catching the latter but a few days ago. If it were true, that this little hawk had ftuck them up for himself, how long would he be feeding on one or two hundred grafshoppers? But if it be intended to feduce the fmaller birds to feed on these infects, in or der to have an opportunity of catching them, that number, or even one half, or lefs, may be a good bait all winter; and all of us, who have confidered thefe circunftances, are firmly of opinion, that these infects thus ftuck up, are to serve as a bait, &c. through the course of the winter.

Account of the Bat of the Mauritius. From the Vifcount de Vaux's Account of that land.

is about a foot in length, from its pofterior extremity to its beak, and its wings ftretch to about four feet; it has large canine teeth, confifting of four in the upper, and as many in the lower jaw. Its muzzle is black and fharp; its ears large and bare; its talons are hooked, large, and compreffed: it has no tail. Thefe bats are of different colours; fome of a bright red, others brown, and fome are almost black. They refemble the common bat in their interior conformation, the fhape of their wings, and the manner of spreading them when they fly. When these animals repofe, they cling to the tops of the highest trees, and hang with their heads downwards. At other times, they fix themselves upon animals, and even upon man himfelf. They feed indifferently on fruit, flesh, and infects. They are fo fond of the juice of the palm tree, that they fometimes intoxicate themselves with it, fo as to fall to the ground. Their horrid fhrieks are heard, during the night, in the forefts, at the distance of two miles, but they retire at the approach of day. No thing is fafe from the ravages of thefe deftructive creatures; they equally destroy the wild and domeftic birds, whenever they have an opportunity; and they will fometimes attack the human kind, by feizing and tearing the vilage. It is very probable, as M. de Buffon has obferved, that the ancients borrowed their ideas of harpies from thefe terrible animals. The Indians confider them as a palatable article of food, particularly in certain feafons of the year, when

they are full of fat: and even fome of the French people, both in this ifland and the isle of Bourbon, have brought themselves, in this particu lar, to follow the Indian example. The negroes, however, hold them in the greatest horror; and no confideration whatever could induce them to have any other concern with these noxious creatures, but to deftroy them; for which purpose they employ uncommon dexterity. It has often happened, that perfons have been attacked, while asleep, and bled to death by them, as they are powerful and fubtle bloodfuckers; fo that it is really dangerous to flumber in the open air, or to let them enter into a house during the night.

Account of the principal Rivers of Devonshire. From Skrime's Account of the Rivers of Great Bri

tuin.

confiderable rivers in the weft of England, rifing in the northern point of the district of Stratton, in Cornwall, (not far from the fource of the Torrige, which flows to the northern fea by Biddeford,) and dividing for a long distance Cornwall from Devonshire. The Tamar's courfe is moftly fouthward, with fome little variations, to the vicinage of Launcefton; it then inclines fomewhat to the east till its junction takes place, firft with the Lyd from its cataract, wooded dell, and rocky bridge of Lydford, and then with the Tavy from Tavistock; after which that great æftuary is formed, which, defcending to the fouth in feveral bold fweeps from Salt-Ash, inclofes the dock of Plymouth, and

THE Tamar is one of the moft

after

afterwards co-operates with the Plym to create that large body of water, which conftitutes. PlymouthSound, thus communicating with the fea.

The Tamar abounds in fine features, and excels in a majestic outline, occafionally attended with rocks, woods, and the ufual appendages of romantic beauty. Launcefton, the county-town of Cornwall, occupies a fine eminence on the weft, above its steep banks, (which are thickly fringed with wood,) remarkable for the lofty mount which forms the keep of its caftle, and divided from Newport by the little river Atterry. Some what above, the. Werrington defcends to the Tamar from the northweft, flowing through the duke of Northumberland's pleasant park of Werring.on. On the Cornifi fide, a little below Tavistock, Culteal, a curious old feat of Lord Edgecumbe, exhibits the wild beauties of the Tamar in great perfection, and contrafts delightfully his ornamented and extended territory of Mount Edgecumbe. The Tavy, from Ta viftock in the north-eaft, foon after wards joins the Tamar, (which is ftill farther increafed by the Lynher, from Callington, and the Tidi, from St. Germans on the Cornish fide,) and increafing in importance, as the tide more and more influences it, foon becomes crowded with vessels, and ftretches out in broad curving branches, which interfect the country on each fide. At length, its receding fhores form the winding bafin of Plymouth Harbour, between the new town created by its dock, and the Cornish borough of Salt-Afh, prefenting an aflemblage of objects in 'its fplendid exhibition of that grand repofitory of the British navy,

which is difficult to be described, and no where to be matched.

The Plym here adds its tributary waters to the Tamar, rifing on the weft fide of Dartmoor, and inclining to the fouth-welt till it forms a large bafin beneath the old town of Plymouth, and the fine woods and plantations furrounding Salterham, the feat of lord Boringdon. Here is conftituted a commodious haven for numerous merchant-veffels which come to Plymouth, separated from the greater bay filled by the men of war in the Tamar. The conflux of these two branches with the fea prodnces that noble road for shipping called the Sound of Plymouth, be tween Cornwall and Devonshire, opening to the fouth-eaft in front of that diftant rock in the English channel, on which the famous light-house of Eddiftone has at laft been fuccefsfully conftructed, after various failures. The high grounds extending from the promontory of the Ram's Head defend this expanfe of water from the weft, above which Maker Tower exalts itself, whence fignals are hoisted relating to vessels appearing in the channel. The enchanting groves, lawns, and plantations of Mount Edgecumbe, clothe the fides of this noble eminence with the utmoft grandeur and beauty with which nature and art can be attended, and the choicest evergreens flourish here almost sponta nioufly, with a degree of verdure which is indefcribable. Thus is formed a terreftial paradife in the midft of the bufieft naval difplay, which commands moft happily the grand objects of the town, dock, garrifon, and hofpitals of Plymouth, and Stonehoufe, with the bafins of the Tamar and the Plym crowded with fhipping, and the greater bay

of

of Plymouth Sound, varied with alternate ftriking views over fea and land.

The Yealnie, Erme, and Aven, are three inconfiderable rivers, rifing in Dartinoor, and reaching the fea in the fouthern projection of the Devonshire coaft. The pleafant fpot and inn of Ivy-bridge, on the great western road to Plymouth, are found on the banks of the Erme, which is there a mountain torrent. The courfe of all these rivers is fouthward, a little inclined to the weft, and each has a confiderable æftuary.

The Dart originates in the moun tainous region of Dartmoor, defcending firft fouthward, and then inclining confiderably to the eaft, before it quits that rude district; its winding courfe is afterwards to the fouth-eaft, as it pafles Totnefs, and falls into the fea between Dartmouth and Kingfweare.

The Dart is the principal of all thofe rivers that are produced by the rocky range of Dartmoor in the centre of Devonshire, which in wildness at least, though not in height or extent, may emulate moft of the mountainous tracts of Wales or Scotland, and can difplay a ftronger contraft to the extraordinary fertility and riches of the furrounding districts, than thole countries are generally capable of exhibiting.

Rapidity is its first characteristic, and this quality it retains long after it leaves thofe mountains which enclofe its fource, as it defcends into the rich plains of the fouthern part of Devonshire. A little weft of Afliburton it forms a charming valley, and flows in placid beauty be neath the high hill, which is finely diftinguished by the caftle and church of Totnefs. Here the Dart

is crofled by its laft bridge, and, foon afterwards receiving the tide, it rolls in a majestic stream between bold hills covered with cultivation, woods, and villages, difclofing new beauties at every curve, and prefenting a grand object to the adjacent country, varied perpetually both in its form and attendant features. The noble ruin of Berry Pomeroy caftle, an old feat of the duke of Somerfet, occupies an eminence on the eaft, at foine distance from the river, below which a very picturefque rivulet defcends through a dark winding dell, adding much to the folemnity and beauty of the fcene, where the deep gloom of the overhanging wood, which encircles feveral feveral majestic towers clothed with ivy, infpires that kind of awful dignity which feems fuited to the most romantic periods of our ancient hiftory. The eminences which enclose the channel of the Dart become at last almoft moun. tainous, forming on the weft a barrier to the fouthern peninfula of Devonshire, between that river and the Tamar, and on the east to the road of Torbay, while the river, winding between their wooded and rocky bafes, paffes the very striking pofition occupied by the hamlet of Kingfweare on its eastern bank, and the fingular irregular town of Dartmouth on its western, the whitened fronts of whofe houfes, built in ftages over each other, and beautifully interfperfed with wood and rock, form a curious affemblage of interefting objects. The ivied walls of Dartmouth-caftle, with its ruftic fpire, ftarting out from beneath a bold rocky hill, clofe the profpect with great majefty, and ftrongly mark the proud exit of the Dart towards the fea.

The