all around—to be in full possession of manly vigour and every essential necessary to enjoyment—to have the heart with its attachments clinging to existence, and yet to know that only a few minutes—a very few minutes intervened between the living man and the loathsome corpse. Jem knelt with the reverend divine and prayed—and thousands at the same instant of time joined in the holy exercise of silently breathing forth their entreaties to the throne of grace, commending the soul of the prisoner to the intercession of that redeeming love which, however human mercy may be denied, still holds out the gracious promise, "Him that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out.” The prayer ceased, and Jem stood erect and firm-he shook hands with the chaplain-pressed Dick Wills to his heart, then the captain placed himself in a conspicuous situation to read the sentence of the Court Martial and the Death Warrant for execution. The silence grew more profound-the gunner blew his match to a bright heat, ready to fire the fatal bow gun that was to act as a signal to the fleet, as well as to the men who were standing prepared to walk away with the yard-rope-fall in their hands. The sentence of the Court was read amidst the most breathless attention, the bell had ceased its tolling, and not an oar fell upon the waters to disturb the noiseless quiet, when so perfectly calm was every thing around that the voice of Captain was heard distinctly by every man in the numerous boats that surrounded the ship. He next unfolded another paper, and began to read.-But what is this that follows the forecastle is in confusion-poor Jem falls prostrate on his face —a single shout-and then another-more voices unite in the acclamation, till it becomes a general cheer.—Is it mutiny ?—the boats catch up the sound and prolong it.-Hark! it is rolling round the fleet, and both officers and men indulge in unrestrained acclaim, for it was no death warrant that was read-the words were heard amidst the cheers, and went from mouth to mouth, as they gladdened every heart-" A Free Pardon to James Collins." SONNETS COMPOSED IN TRAVEL. BY THE REV. HENRY ALFORD. No. IV. Written at York on the day of the Coronation, June 28, 1839. SHINE out, thou sun, and let the minster-towers SONG. BY S. SMITH. O SAY not love is born to fade, A transient summer flower, That blooms in sunshine, droops in shade, Ah no, its green stem stronger grows By showers and rough winds shaken, Their fierce rude shocks new sweets unclose, And brighter charms awaken. O say not Love decays with Time, A short-lived flatt'ring pleasure, That youth's warm pulse, and beauty's frame. Ah, no, the heaven-born passion glows And o'er each hour its lustre throws, Till Death seals Love's devotion. ADAPTATIONS IN FISHES. No. 2. The Colour of Fishes. §. 4. WITH respect to the colour of fishes, a very remarkable adaptation is to be noticed. "The resemblance," observes Mr. Swainson, “ between the colours of the flat fish, in general, to those of the ground they repose upon, is so admirably ordered, as to claim both attention and admiration. The upper surface, or that which is exposed to view and to the action of the light, is invariably of some shade of earthern brown, or of greyish sand colour; this is broken by dots and blotches, either light or dark, blackish or reddish, but always so disposed as perfectly to resemble those under-shades, as they may be called, which are caused by the inequalities of the ground, and the presence of particles of different tints that may be upon it. Thus, whether we contemplate the God of Nature in his most sublime productions, or in those provisions which He makes for the wellbeing of his most irrational creatures, the same principle of design—the same absolute perfection in execution-is equally conspicuous."* To the same purpose, Dr. Stark observed that flounders on a sandy coast so closely resembled in colour the sand, that it was difficult to distinguish them from it. And he has also shewn by experiments, that perch, gudgeons, or minnows, when confined in water, the bottom of which was composed of different coloured soils, gradually change their colour, and approach to that of the soil. What a beautiful illustration is this of the Divine wisdom and goodness! For fishes having this power of accommodating their colour to the ground on which they rest, are furnished with the readiest means of concealment, and are, in a great measure, enabled to elude the attacks of their enemies. Nor is this benevolent provision confined to the inhabitants of the waters. approaches, the ptarmigan lays aside its mottled brown, and clothing which is more in harmony with the snows of winter. ally becomes white-and thus escapes the vigilant eye of its foes. As spring advances, dark spots are seen to chequer its snowy plumage; by degrees they overspread the body; till at length it puts on again its summer dress of mottled brown and then is not easily distinguished from the surrounding heath. And in the same manner, many other birds as well as quadrupeds, possess the power of changing their colour, according to the circumstances in which they are placed. As winter assumes a It gradu Swainson's Natural History of Fishes, &c. in Dr. Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, vol. 1. 313 and 314. The Progression of Fishes. §. 5. Nothing is more simple and beautiful, than the manner in which the fish moves forwards in the water. The tail is the grand instrument employed: : and by its alternate action against the water, the fish moves on similarly to a boat which is impelled by a sculling oar. For the tail acts upon the water laterally like the oar, and by the resistance of the fluid the fish is driven on in the same manner as the boat.* It is evident how well adapted the tail of the fish is for this purpose. For when it is expanded, it opposes a broad surface to the resistance of the water. And as the propulsion given to the fish is in proportion to the reaction caused by this resistance, such a breadth of surface as the tail presents is very favourable to progression. The oar acts with efficiency upon the water, from its bottom part being made broad and flat on a similar principle. At the same time, as Dr. Macculloch observes, it often depends more on the muscular force of the caudal fin than its breadth, what the velocity shall be; as is evident in the Mackarel in comparison with the Gurnard. + As the fish bends its tail to the right and left, from the flexibility of the vertebral column its body assumes the form of a gentle curve; and when this curvature is increased so much that the body nearly becomes a circle, by its sudden conversion into a straight line, the fish is enabled to clear cataracts of considerable height. The Fins. § 6. Though the tail is by far the most important instrument in the progression of fishes, "being at once," as Dr. Roget happily observes, “a vigorous oar, an accurate rudder, and a formidable weapon of offence:" we must not suppose that the fins are not designed and adapted to perform a definite and serviceable office. The pectoral and ventral fins of fishes correspond to the fore and hinder feet of quadrupeds, and to the wings and legs of birds, differently formed and modified according to the different circumstances in which the fishes are placed. Next to the caudal fin, the pectorals are evidently of the greatest use. There are very few fishes where they are not found; and, indeed, they are only absent in those fishes that are the lowest amongst the vertebrated animals, and which have the appearance of worins more than of fishes. If we contemplate with attention the motions of gold fish in a glass globe, we shall perceive the important functions which these fins discharge. Whether the fish wishes to advance, or to move backwards, to stop, or to turn in another direction, or to accelerate its motion, we shall see what constant use it makes of its little golden oars. But their main Dr. Roget's Animal and Vegetable Physiology, vol. i. 412. + Dr. Macculloch's Proofs and Illustrations of the Attributes of God, vol. ii. 113. office, as Dr. Macculloch observes, is to act as a retarding force. When the fish wishes to turn, it only employs the pectoral on that side to which the motion is directed. A person rowing in a boat uses only one oar in a similar manner on the same occasion. And the fish is able to render the action of those fins efficient or not by expanding or contracting the flexible rays of which they are composed. Dr. Macculloch has mentioned a beautiful function of the pectoral fins. When the fish is at rest, they are employed in aiding the circulation of water round the mouth, for the purpose of respiration: and are then kept in a quick tremulous motion. The paddles near the gills in some Crustacea confirm the truth of this: for these are in constant motion in order to produce currents of water near them.* The ventral fins are generally symmetrical with the pectoral; and for the most part perform a similar office. In connexion with the pectoral, they are of service in preserving the equilibrium. They are less essential however: for many fishes are destitute of them. The dorsal and anal fins correspond in some degree to each other; occupying the same relative position on the upper and under part of the body. Both these fins assist in maintaining the equilibrium, during the progression of the fish. The Istiophori, or Sails, have a very high dorsal; and, according to Cuvier, this fin serves them for a sail when swimming. The anal fin, by a lateral motion, assists in steering. The Air-bladder. § 7. But there is another beautiful contrivance for assisting the fish in its movements, and which greatly facilitates its ascent and descent in the This is the air-bladder, or swimming-bladder, which, as one of its names implies, is a bladder filled with air, and placed in the interior of the fish, immediately beneath the spine. Its position is worthy of notice, inasmuch as it gives buoyancy to the heaviest part, and keeps it vertical. And the possession of such an organ was the more necessary for fishes, on account of their fins being merely adapted for progression, and not for buoyancy. Moreover, the respiration of fishes by means of gills, indicates comparative feebleness in muscular energy; therefore, on this account also such an apparatus was required. As the specific gravity of the fish is only a little greater than that of the medium in which it resides, when this bladder is expanded with air, its specific gravity becomes less than that of water, and the fish is in consequence raised to the surface. By means of the muscles connected with this apparatus, the fish, at pleasure, can compress it, and thus rendering itself specifically heavier than the surrounding medium, sink in the water. On the other hand, by relaxing those muscles, the fish Dr Macculloch's Proofs and Ilustrations of the Attributes of God, vol. ii. 112 and 113. |