perfectly able to shift for themselves. But if it should prove that the weak notes heard in autumn, are produced by young cocks of the year, it will be a strong argument in favour of the innate character of song, and its specific nature. For the old birds have confessedly ceased for some weeks or months, and therefore it cannot be contended that the young are being instructed by them. Moreover, in any case the spring song ceases, as a rule, before the young are in a position to profit by it as an example, unless, indeed, it be hardily imagined that they bear in their remembrance the notes they heard many weeks before. As there is an annual or seasonal cycle in the powers of singing-birds, so also there is a diurnal one. The daily cycle has, however, this peculiarity, that it reverses the annual one in its character the earliest beginning of the day presenting a climax, which subsides before mid-day. It is not a little interesting to watch, in a spot thickly populated by birds, for the moment of their awakening. Long before sunrise, even in the longest days, and when only an uncertain glimmer of twilight exists, scarcely sufficient to read the time by a watch, a sudden awakening takes place. A single bird, more wakeful than his fellows, commences singing; but he does not long sing alone. Birds of the same species, as though awakened by the familiar sounds, almost instantly reply. By degrees, other species commence in the same manner; at first one individual, rapidly followed by others of the same species. A solitary thrush, for example, breaks the silence, and before five minutes have elapsed, a dozen thrushes may be heard singing in all directions, springing into life all around, as if by magic. The effect is most startling and curious. The following extract from a carefully observed occurrence of the kind will illustrate this circumstance (May 18th): 3 71 A Robin singing. Two or three Blackbirds and Robins singing. A Ringdove cooing. Ringdoves cooing; Blackbirds, Thrushes, No other time of the day can compare with this for the loudness and richness of the song of birds; and no one can have an idea of what a chorus of song-birds means, who has not heard it between three and four o'clock of a May morning. There is a remarkable constancy, almost to a minute, in the awakening of birds at the same place and season; and in two observations made within three days at the same spot, the difference of time in the awakening of several of the commoner species was not more than a minute or two. Much difference of opinion has existed as to what bird commences this morning chorus. Several writers who have touched upon this subject, have done so evidently without any special observation upon it with a view to determine the truth. In the "Journal of a Naturalist," the author gives the Rook the credit of being the first awake, and says the Robin is next. Jenner, in the Phil. Trans. (1824, p. 37), “On the Migration of Birds," says "First the Robin, and not the Lark, as has generally been imagined, as soon as daylight has drawn the impenetrable line between night and day, begins his lonely song." Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear, in their paper "On the Birds of Norfolk" (Linnean Trans., vol. xv., p. 18), say, that the Redstart is the earliest bird, but without observation to back the assertion. For my own part, I distinctly dissent from all these, and in company with the poet, generally so true, and with the Rev. L. Jenyns, I believe that the Lark is, after all, the first to awaken and lead the choir. Thomson truly says Shrill-voiced, and loud, the messenger of Morn." And Jenyns, in his "Observations in Natural History" (pp. 95, et seq.) gives detailed results of his morning remarks upon that subject, which precisely correspond with similar observations which I have myself made with care. On all these occasions the Skylark has been fully half an hour carolling in the air before any other bird shewed symptoms of awakening. The Robin usually follows the Thrush, and the Cuckoo is one of the very earliest birds. As the morning advances, the birds cease their song, and in the heat of the day there is as little music as in August; but as the sun declines many birds recommence, and even continue singing after the sun has absolutely set, as the Thrush and Robin; and the Cuckoo, as it is one of the earliest, so also it is one of the latest birds to retire. Some birds, however, do not find a May day long enough to exhaust their powers, but are as vocal at midnight as at mid-day, of such birds, the Nightingale, Woodlark, and Sedge Warbler are well known-but besides these the following have been occasionally heard during the night, viz. the Hedgesparrow, the Skylark, the Reed Warbler, the Robin, the Whinchat, and the Cuckoo. Lastly, there are many birds whose characteristic mode of delivering their song is on the wing-such are the Skylark, Woodlark, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Whitethroat, Swallow, and Wagtail. To these may be added the following, which do not, as a rule, sing as they fly, but occasionally do so, viz., the Blackbird, the Wren, the Titmice, the Greenfinch, the Chaffinch, the Dartford Warbler, the Goldcrest, the Willow Wren, the Blackcap, the Missel Thrush, the Dipper, the Wheatear, and the Linnet. There are many other points of great interest in connexion with this subject, to exhaust which would demand a volume. The musical aspect of the songs of birds is one of those which I should have liked to touch upon, but it is too extensive; Q the curiosities and abnormalities of song-the docility and flexibility of the vocal organ of birds-their powers of uttering articulate sounds, &c. It is possible that I may resume the subject, however, on a future occasion. FOURTEENTH ORDINARY MEETING. ROYAL INSTITUTION, 29th April, 1861. The REV. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., PRESIDENT, in the Chair. Mr. ALEXANDER ECCLES, B.A., was elected a member. at the last meeting. Dr. COLLINGWOOD'S paper, read Mr. MOORE, of the Free Public Museum, exhibited specimens of two collections of fishes, lately sent to the Museumthe one from Madeira, where they were collected by Mr. J. P. G. Smith and Mr. Yate Johnson, and forwarded to the Museum by the former gentleman; and the second collection had been recently received, through Dr. Collingwood, from Professor Agassiz, the eminent physiologist, of Cambridge, U.S., and was the first instalment of what might be looked forward to as a valuable and extensive addition to our Public Museum. Dr. COLLINGWOOD laid upon the table the British Association dredging list, which, in conjunction with Mr. Byerley, he had filled up for the district of Liverpool. He stated that, having been requested by the British Association to furnish a report of the dredging in the Mersey and Dee, he wished to make known to naturalists generally that he would be very glad of information on, or specimens of, the following desiderata, viz., Tunicated Mollusca; the minuter Crustacea; the marine Entomostraca, infesting fishes; the marine worms of all classes; the Entozoa, or internal parasites of fishes; the genus Lepralia; the naked-eyed Medusa; Foraminifera, and Sponges. The following paper was then read: ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF SIR WILLIAM HAMILTON. BY CHARLES CLARK, Esq. IN venturing to lay before you a paper on the Philosophy of Sir William Hamilton, I am aware that I lay myself open to the charge of presumption. Adequately to appreciate his labours in the great field of metaphysical science, would require not only a far larger knowledge of its past history than any to which I can lay claim, but also a deep prophetic insight into that conflict of opinions of which indications from time to time are manifested, but whose final issue it may be reserved for another generation to witness. My only apology for dealing with this subject is, that when I was urged by your secretary to write a paper, my thoughts instinctively turned towards that science which possessed the greatest interest for my own mind; and I cherished the hope that, in a philosophical society like this, some account of the teaching of the greatest philosopher of modern times might not be altogether unacceptable. In addressing you on this topic, I am aware that I labour under another disadvantage. The majority of your members have devoted themselves to the study of the various physical sciences, and may thence, perhaps, have been led to undervalue the importance of the |