we can only regard the suggestion as perfectly idle. And to what we have already said, we must now add, that, as the connecting links, rendered necessary by the development theory, between man and the quadrumana are altogether wanting, so also are those which the same theory requires between the reptile and the fish, and the fish and the cephalopod. We are therefore in a position to apply the negative argument to the whole period of time—absolutely immeasurable—from the deposition of the earliest Silurian strata to the present period. Throughout the whole, the necessary facts are wanting; and shall we therefore be so unphilosophical as to admit a theory so baseless as development is thus really found to be? What becomes of the claim to induction, when facts are not forthcoming? It would be downright folly to allow ourselves to be entangled in the meshes of a metaphysical argument, so long as our opponents are unable to produce anything more substantial. We can assure Professor Powell that we are not forgetful of what may be urged with great plausibility in favour of transmutation from the geological history of the lower animals-for instance the mollusca ; but, without discussing this view of the question, which is a very wide one, we must be content to remind him that, if the arguments which he has employed to support the theory of development be worth anything, they must hold good alike in the case of the higher, as in that of the lower animals. 2. But, in the next place :—if the difference between the animal last developed and that from which it was developed, may be GREAT, then it is clear that immense time is NOT necessary for the development. The development may, nay must, be wrought at a single birth. At a given time the fish (say), contrary to all its previous habits, must have given birth to a reptile! Or a full-grown fish must have undergone a transformation so wonderful as to be in effect miraculous! And the same must be said of the reptile and mammal, and of the quadrumana and man. With this we bid adieu to development. A word as to the way in which Professor Powell speaks of some of those who are opposed to his favourite dogma. We should certainly have thought higher of him and of his work had he not so often made use of the contemptuous and offensive expressions, " a certain class of minds," "a certain class of writers" (pp. 477, 468), &c.; but when such a mode of speaking is used in reference to such men as the author of "The Old Red-Sandstone," we confess to being not a little INDEPENDENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. 145 surprised. Sneers, however, are not arguments, but rather indicate a weak cause on the part of those who use them. Assuredly the name of Hugh Miller has claims to no small measure of admiration and respect. We must close our remarks; and we will do so by glancing at one more topic, introduced but too prominently in this volume, and that is the asserted "independence of Christianity." (pp. 471, 474.) Independence of what? Of the Old Testament. Now this is at once an error and an absurdity. Scarcely a page of the New Testament but refers to the Old as to an authority to which it is even itself, or its writers, subject. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, uniformly recognises the authority of the Old Testament as supreme. "I came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil." "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." The apostles followed, in this respect, the example of their Master: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," &c. To multiply proofs is useless hundreds may be given in which the Old Testament is referred to, either directly or by implication, and always in the same way. How absurd therefore to speak of the "independence of Christianity." If the Old Testament could fall-a contingency less likely, we are assured, than the failing of heaven and earth-Christianity must fall with it. Is Professor Powell prepared for such a result, with all its tremendous consequences? No; notwithstanding his most culpable rashness, we would fain hope that he is not. We are persuaded that he must assuredly know too much, both of Christianity and of the character of its Divine Founder, to doubt its truth, or to hesitate in saying to Him, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which thou doest, except God be with him." But Christianity is not independent, but dependent. It is linked, as by a chain of adamant, "to Moses and the Prophets." Should not this fact lead Professor Powell to reconsider much that he has said; and lead him to feel that, though at present there are difficulties in the way of his recognising the plenary inspiration of the Old Testament, there are yet reasons for doing so of a nature so peculiar and momentous, as imperatively to demand a suspension of judgment in regard to those difficulties, and as calculated to justify the expectation that they shall yet be removed, when all will be constrained to say, with admiring wonder, "Thou hast magnified thy wORD above all thy name!' VOL. XL. L ART. VII.-1. A Monograph of the Trochilida. By JOHN GOULD, F.R.S., &c. &c. London: Gould. 1856. 2. Humming Birds. Parts I. and II. (Naturalist's Library.) By SIR WM. JARDINE, BART., F.R.S.E., &c. &c. London: Highley. 3. A General History of Humming Birds, or the Trochilide, with especial reference to the Collection of J. Gould, &c. By W. C. L. MARTIN. London: Bohn. 1852. 4. Humming Birds Described and Illustrated; with an Introductory Sketch of their Structure, Plumage, Haunts, Habits, &c. (Young Naturalist's Library). By H. G. ADAMS. London: Groombridge. 1856. "THE Humming Bird is a pretty little feathered creature, no bigger than a great overgrown wasp; with a black bill no bigger than a small needle, and with legs and feet in proportion to its body. This creature does not wave its wings like other birds when it flies, but keeps them in a continual quick motion like bees or other insects, and like them makes a continual humming noise as it flies. It is very quick in motion, and haunts about flowers and fruit like a bee gathering honey; making many addresses to its delightful objects by visiting them on all sides, and yet still keeps in motion, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, as often rebounding a foot or two back on a sudden, and as quickly returns again, keeping thus about one flower five or six minutes, or more. No more true and vivid picture than the above of the Humming Bird has been given to the world, although it was hastily sketched in the log-book of a rough young sailor, more than two hundred years ago. We may fancy the astonishment and delight with which Dampier gazed for the first time upon this little winged gem, hovering over the blossoms of some tropical plant, whose gorgeous tints were outrivalled by the spendid plumage of the bird. This might have been amid the cane-brakes of the Island of Jamaica, where the English navigator was for a time overseer of a plantation; or in the swampy lands adjacent to the Bay of Campeachy, where he sojourned for awhile cutting logwood; or on one of his marauding expeditions against the Spaniards, in which he appears to have visited most parts of the South American coast, and often penetrated a considerable distance into the interior. Be that as it may, however, it is to him that Europe, or at least England, is indebted for the first description of the appearance and habits of this THE NAME TROCHILUS. 147 charming little bird; and although neither so full nor so elegantly worded as many that have been written since, yet it has never been surpassed, if equalled, for vigour and truthfulness to nature. We need not now pause to inquire to which species of Humming Bird it was that Dampier referred, one of the smaller kinds evidently, and probably the Trochilus minimus, which is common in Jamaica, and which is described as "less than some of the bees;" of this we shall have to speak more fully presently, when we come to call over the muster roll of this numerous and brilliant-feathered family. Respecting the name, Trochilus, given by naturalists to this family, we may remark that it is as old as Aristotle, whose Tрoxiλos is, however, applied to two distinct birds, and both of these altogether different from any whose characteristics would allow of their being associated with the Humming Birds. Thus in the " Hist. Animal," ch. xi. bk. 9, we find that the Trochilus is termed péopus, Presbis, and Baōievs, Basileus, that is senator and king; and from the description given, means either the common, or golden-crested wren; Belon thinks the former, Ray the latter. Aristotle's other Trochilus was a bird which haunted the margins of rivers, and was a favourite with the crocodile, because it relieved him of the leeches which attached themselves to his gums; boldly entering the mouth of the monster, and picking off the troublesome parasites. Heroditus (vide Euterpe) also alludes to this fable, treating it as a fact, and saying, that "when the crocodile goes out of the water, and opens his mouth, which he commonly does towards the south, the Trochilus enters and devours the leeches (deaι, sucking creatures); for which good office the crocodile is so well pleased, that he never hurts him." Geoffrey St. Hilaire opines that it must be the sag-sag of the Arabs which is here meant, a species of plover, or dottrel, said to perform the same friendly offices for the scaly tyrant of the Nile. Why the term Trochilus should have been used to distinguish the Humming Bird family, does not appear very evident; but to question its propriety now would be useless, it having been accepted by Linnæus and Cuvier, and used by Lesson, whose " Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux Mouches, des Colibris, et des Trochildées," commenced in 1829, and finished in 1832, was, until the appearance of Mr. Gould's splendid monograph, the most beautiful and perfect work upon the subject. In the Index Général to his great work, Lesson enumerates, we believe, one hundred and ten species, and some of these it has since been ascertained were spurious; but in 1824, that is eight years previous to the publication of this Index, Mr. Bullock, an enterprising collector of natural history specimens, had announced in his work, entitled "Six Months in Mexico," the discovery of one hundred distinct species, and stated that every day added to the number in his collection. The late Mr. Geo. Loddige, an eminent English nurseryman, who had agents in South America collecting new and rare plants, instructed them also to send him as many Humming Bird skins as they could procure; and the result was, that he became possessed of about two hundred distinct species. And now it might well be thought that no member of this charming and extensive family group remained undiscovered. Two hundred species of Humming Birds! Why the whole of the birds of Europe, from the eagle down to the wren, do not number much over five hundred species; and how can it be possible that in this one family, the Trochilidæ, there can be any more additions? Mr. Loddige's cabinet, which is the wonder and admiration of naturalists of every country, must be complete. Not so, however, thought John Gould, who having achieved an European reputation, by his delineation and descriptions of " A Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains," and projected and commenced other great ornithological works,-some of which are now completed, and others in course of publication,-began to devote especial attention to these beautiful birds of the genus Trochilus; and so well-directed and successful were his efforts, that in 1851 he had acquired half as many more species as were to be found in the cabinet of Mr. Loddige. Many of our readers will recollect, with feelings of delight, that magnificent and unrivalled collection of stuffed specimens which he exhibited at this date in the Regent's Park Gardens; and sure are we that they regret, as much as we do, that the humming bird house, with its life-like groups of jewelled flutterers, was not made a permanent feature of the exhibition. We have sat amid those groups at the house of the naturalist, with the gorgeous metallic tints flashing and gleaming around us, and fancied ourselves in some land of enchantment, where precious metals, and all things usually considered most rare and costly, were as common as air and sunshine. It was about two years' previous to this public exhibition of his unrivalled collection of Humming Birds, that Mr. Gould commenced the publication of the Monograph whose title stands at the head of this article, and of which ten parts are now issued, each containing fifteen plates, with letterpress descriptions. Nothing can be more brilliant and |