size, beautiful horns, majestic attitude,, swiftness, and gentleness, surpasses all the rest. By way of specimen, we shall translate some parts of this description; others we shall rather abstract than translate. We presume, nevertheless, that it is the most complete and authentic account of this animal in our language: we are obliged for it to a highly respected friend of our work, to whom the Swedish language is native.

ELG-HJORT.

Cervus. Alces. Elg.-In Finnish, Hirvi.-In French, Elan. Orignal.-In English, Elk, Moose-Deer.-In German, Elen, Ellend.

The male only has horns; those of a fullgrown subject are flat and broad, inclining more to the sides of the neck than rising upwards; a very broad palm forms the chief body of the horn, and spreads from a very short cylindrical basis; the extremities divided into fingers, or digitated; beneath the throat descends a protuberance or knob, soft, and wholly covered with very long hairs. The female has neither horns nor knob.

The elk is, when full grown, commonly six feet two inches high, measured at the shoulders, not including a rising hump in this part, which is covered with hair six or seven inches long, forming a mane. Measured at the loins, he is only six feet high. The neck is one foot eleven inches long; the head two feet six inches. We have, however, met with elks as high as eight feet; and the weight of one of this size is not less than 1229 pounds. Pennant says, that he had seen a pair of elkhorns 32 inches in length, and weighing 56 lbs. The hump of the female is much lower, and she has a shorter and lighter mane. She

is lower, shorter, thicker, and, weaker; and has neither horns, nor throat-protuberance. This knob in the male begins to swell after three or four months, and may then be felt, like a bean, under the anterior part of the throat, at the basis of the lower jaw. This swelling increases with age, and is an elongation of the skin in this part, between four and five inches in length, of a conic shape; it decreases in old elks. The colour of the animal is a brownish dark grey on his upper parts, lighter underneath. We may further observe, that the hairs are ash-grey, but their tips are dark brown; the tail, which is about two inches long, is dark above, but white underneath. The age of the animal, and the season of the year, produce some difference in his general colour and appearance. The young ones are of a lighter brown. The better food the animal can procure, the sooner he sheds his coat, which generally happens in February or March. A caif born in May, sheds his coat for the first

time in August, and this seldom occupies eight days. The head of the elk is large; the upper lip hangs two or three inches before the lower; it presents a considerable breadth, and terminates suddenly almost, as if square: it is partially cloven, has sometimes a square white spot on it, and is capable of being elevated by its own strong muscles, particu larly when the animal is intent on eating herbs that grow low on the ground. On his nose he has a number of hairs two inches long, not unlike the whiskers of some animals Both the upper and the lower jaw has six grinding teeth: those in the lower jaw are sharp and pointed, but those in the upper jaw are even and flat. The tongue is soft and tender; the nostrils are wide, five or six inches apart; and as the olfactory nerves are also very large, it might be supposed that the sense of smell should be extremely acute; but sportsmen assure us, that the elk rather discovers the approach of an enemy by the excellence of his hearing, and by a quick sight, rather than by his scent. The sound he utters is lamenting; in very young ones it resembles the cry of young puppies; in those of a year old it may be compared to the squeaking of those small wooden trumpets which amuse children, yet it may be heard at the distance of a mile and a half. The eyes are small, separated nine or ten inches; they are dark, and have a black iris. The ears, which are sometimes one foot or more in length, bang down on the sides of the neck: over the eyes is a little hollow or pit, as in a horse, but smaller. The horns vary, according to the age of the animal, as well as to their own age: strong and well-fed elks lose them in January, the weaker shed them later. In four or five months new horns shoot out, and are complete in September. The hairy skin or velvet with which they are covered, is rubbed off by the animal in August, against some tree. In the young ones, immediately after the ninth month, small hairy swellings shew themselves, which grow to the length of five or six inches, and become short horns in August; after the first year they may be a foot long, but generally they are as yet undivided, and cylindrical; in the third year they spread into branches, and afterwards, yearly, become more and more flat, and the points or protuberances on the extremities increase in number and magnitude, till at the age of six years they have attained their full size and shape. Young elks have a white tuft of long hair on the inner side of the leg at the knee. The hind leg has its chief motion in the hip, or at the upper end of the thigh-bone, as the knee-joint is not very free or pliable.

In Europe, the elk is at present found between the 53d and 64th degree of North latitude; in Asia, between 45° and o1; and in America, from 44° to 53°. In Sweden,

this first rate animal is hardly found lower south than in the province of Södermanland, and seldom more northward than Helsingland: it was formerly not only more common, but it also inhabited the more southern parts of the country. During the war in Finland, in 1740, several hundreds of elks were sold from Aland, for the use of the army. Beckstein assures us, that in the elewenth century elks were found in Thüringen,

&c.

Places where the elk lives undisturbed, and where he has a sufficiency of nourishing food and water, are called (Elgstand) Elk stands: these are low districts, marshes and bogs, where the willow, aspen, alder, sorbus, birch, &c. grow. He pulls down the branches, or tops of the trees, with his head and neck, sometimes also with his horns, while he bites off the buds and leaves, or strips off the bark by this means the hairs under his neck are often rubbed off, and the skin is even galled and wounded. But his favourite food is the rein-deer moss, or lichen, which abounds in Sweden.

He goes out to seek his food as well in the night as in the day, but he eats principally at morning and evening. In those woods where caule are sent out to pasture, and where people are in the neighbourhood watching them, he leaves his stand only by night, and secretes himself during day in lonely places in the forest. When he is satisfied, he rests, and chews the cud. The elk cannot be without water in the summer, and during the heat of the sun he lays himself down in it, also to avoid being stung by the gad-fly; gnats, or wasps. In the winter he quenches his thirst with snow.

During summer, several of them live together; and after the bearing-time, or when the females have dropped their calves in the spring, each family is generally found together; consisting of an old mother elk, two well-grown elks, which in the succeeding autumn will attain their maturity, two others which are younger, and the two which the female has borne in the present year; never more than 15 or 20 are seen together. During the time when the sexes accompany each other, the young calves disperse for a short time, and are afterward sought by the mother.

over fences from six to eight feet high, without any visible effort.

It is reported that elks were formerly employed in drawing sledges in Vesterbotten, and that the post was carried by them; but Charles IX. forbad the use of tame clks, because criminals might escape with them so easily. But whether this be true, or whether the elk is substituted for the rein-deer in these reports, I dare not decide; though I consider the latter as more probable. It is said, that the elk can run 216 miles in twenty-four hours; but though, according to M. af Darelli's experiment, a young elk runs a mile and a half in seven minutes, it is not at all likely that he could continue to run at that rate for any length of time. He wants often to rest, and to chew the cud; he is lazy by nature, and soon gets tired when a little old. As food, tame elks prefer bread, or even fine hay; but they may be accustomed to potatoes, beer, wine, brandy, and even tobacco.

The time of union is in September. The elk then grows wild, seeks his companion every where, swims across broad lakes and rivers, and is sometimes dangerous to attack. When he is irritated, he erects and stiffens the hairs which form his mane, and those which grow on the protuberance under his throat, whereby his aspect becomes terrible. The female goes nine months, and generally brings two younglings of different sexes; sometimes three: the first time, however, she generally has but one, and the same when she gets old. In May she seeks solitude; she brings forth her young sometimes standing, sometimes reclined, and licks them dry. About an hour after its birth, the calf endeavours to rise on its legs, when the mother assista him with her nose: after a couple of days the young follow their mother, who remains with them till then. When they get bigger they suck on their knees, or lying on their backs.

The elk defends himself not so much with the horns as with the feet: he will often so effectually strike with his fore feet, and kick with his hind legs, that neither wolf nor bear dare attack him, particularly if one of those animals meets several elks in company. -The elk seldom exceeds 16 or 18 years of age; as that time of life the front teeth loosen, and he dies through inability to procure sufficient food, and to masticate it properly.

him as dogs; but they were troublesome and expensive to bring up. Goat's-milk or cowmilk, mixed with a decoction of aspen-leaves, is their best food. When they were from five to six days old, they began to chew leaves and herbs, and after a fortnight to eat pease-shells, &c. and to chew the cud. The male grew in this time 44 inches in height. At the age of a month, both obeyed when called. When three months old, they consumed, besides grass, bread and leaves, four gallons of milk daily. The female unfortunately died when but four months old. The male lived till he was nine years old; was broke to the saddle, and used to draw a sledge, and was not at all either shy or angry. He was very much attached to his master, and could distinguish his cloaths by the smell. When only two years and a half old, his height was 6 feet 1 inch.

The hide of the elk, when tanned and dressed, is of considerable value, and is used for many purposes. The flesh is dark, somewhat coarse, but palatable, if the animal has been killed in proper season; the tongue is a delicacy, as is also the marrow. The flesh is used salted, dried, and smoaked. Turners adapt the bones to different purposes, as they resemble ivory. The horns are as serviceable as those of the rein-deer; and rings were formerly made of the hoofs, to which report attached the power of preserving from the cramp.

The author has added some other ancient traditions about the elk; and at the close informs us, that the engraving represents that animal, which his Swedish Majesty, in the spring of last year, sent as a present to the now King of Bavaria.

As this work advances, we shall present translations of other articles which

it contains. We are in daily expectation of receiving the continuation of this performance, of the Swedish Botany, and of sundry other works of importance and interest, from a country, whose publications are much less known among us than their merit entitles them to be.

An Enquiry into the Changes of Taste in Landscape Gardening. To which are added, some Observations on its Theory and Practice, including a Defence of the Art. By H Repton, Esq., Svo. pp. 180., price 5s. Taylor, 1806.

Not much of this little work is new, it being composed of a treatise published by the author in 1794, with observations, and additions since that time; particularly a letter addressed to Mr. Price, in vindication of the writer's principles and

mode of execution, which has been printed before. It appears to us, that these gentlemen do not always affix precisely the same ideas to the same words: and that, however they may agree in extreme cases, and in certain extensive principles, yet in the direction of these principles to specific objects, and within determinate boundaries, their differences are not reducible to any fixed standard, but are viewed and estimated by each party according to his own proper taste and sentiment. So it always will be in cases where fancy is the predominating power:

and where the mind's eye, prophetic of effects, is to be pleased and satisfied in the ideal contemplation of a subject not in existence, but visible only to the imagination and fancy.

This diversity of taste and opinion when not unduly indulged is productive of benefit, rather than injury to art; since nothing sooner degenerates into insipidity than fashion, especially fashion recommended by refore it becomes nauseous by unmeaning spectable names; which is seldom long beimitation, and that kind of perpetual recurrence, which at length issues in the very inflexibility of despotic dominion, and treats all places and subjects alike. Mr. Repton is a man of sense and observation; his reputation is deservedly high, and he appears to study the principles of his art, with diligence, under the direction of reflection and consideration : usually find his reasonings just, and his devices ingenious.

we

We shall insert his history of the Art of Landscape Gardening, as the subject may be new to some of our readers.

Fashion has had its full influence on Gardening as on Architecture, importing models land have at one time imitated those of Italy, from foreign countries. The gardens in Eng

and at another those of Holland.

The Italian style of gardens consisted, in ballastraded terraces of masonry, magnificent flights of steps, arcades, and architectu ral grottos, lofty clipped hedges, with niches and recesses enriched by sculpture. This was too costly for general use; and where it was adopted, as at Nonsuch, and some other palaces, it was discovered to be inapplicable to the climate of England; and no traces now remain of it, except in some pietures of Italian artists.*

* Some mention of the French style of gardening may here be expected; but as this was only a corruption of the Italian style, and

To this succeeded the Dutch Garden, introduced by King William III., and which prevailed in this country for half a century. It consisted of sloped terraces of grass, regular shapes of land and water formed by art, and quaintly adorned with trees in pots, or planted alternately, and clipped, to preserve the most perfect regularity of shape. These were the kind of terraces, and not those of the grand Italian style, which Brown destroyed, by endeavouring to restore the ground to its original shape.

He observed that nature, distorted by great labour and expense, had lost its power of pleasing with the loss of its novelty; and that every place was now become nearly alike He saw that more variety might be introduced by copying nature, and by assisting her operations. Under his guidance a total change in the fashion of gardens took place; and as the Dutch style had superseded the Italian, so the English garden became the universal fashion. Under the great leader, Brown, or rather those who patronized his discovery, we were taught that nature was to be our only model. He lived to establish a fashion in gardening, which might have been expected to endure as long as nature should exist.

As an example of the nature of this art, and the necessity of looking beforehand to what may be, we shall give Mr. R.'s account of his intentions in the laying out of Russell Square. It appears that he anticipates the time when this plan shall do him credit: we hope he will live to see the complete justification of the principles on which he has composed it.

This pedestrian statue, supported by a group of four figures, on a lofty pedestal, will be of sufficient magnitude for the breadth of the vista: though it would have been lost in the middle of so large a square. Much of the effect of this splendid ornament will depend on its back ground; for although the white pedestal may be relieved by the shrubs immediately behind it, the bronze figures should be seen opposed to the sky. This is a circumstance which I hope will be attended to in the future pruning of those trees in the grove behind it.

As this square is a subject easily referred to, and as for the first few years of its growth it will be liable to some criticism, because few are in the habit of anticipating the future effects of plantation, the intention of the plan

is here inserted.

To skreen the broad gravel-walk from the street, a compact hedge is intended to be kept clipt to about six feet high; this, composed of hornbeam and privet, will become almost as impervious as a hedge of laurels, or other evergreens, which will not succeed in a London atmosphere. Within the gravel-walk is a broad margin of grass, on which the children may be kept always in sight from the and for this reason, (founded on the particular windows of the houses immediately opposite; wishes of some mothers) the lawn is less clothed with plantation than it might have been on the principle of beauty only. This circular lawn, or zone of open space, surrounds the central area, in which have been consulted the future effect of shade, and a greater degree of privacy or seclusion.

Equestrian statues have usually been placed in the centre of public squares, but in one of such large dimensions no common-sized object could be sufficiently distinguished: it was therefore very judiciously determined (by a committee) to place the fine Statue of the late Duke of Bedford, now preparing by the ingenious Mr. Westmacot, on one side of the square facing Bloomsbury, and forming an appropriate perspective, as seen through the vista of the streets crossing the two squares.

was never generally adopted in England, it is purposely omitted; although in practice I have occasionally availed myself of its more massive trellis, boccages, and cabinets de verdure, to enliven the scenery of a flower garden.

but finishing towards the statue in two straight lines directed to the angle of the pedestal. It is possible that some fanciful advocates for natural gardening will object to this disposition of the trees as too forinal; and they will be further shocked at my expressing a wish that the arch formed by these trees over the walk should be cut and trimmed so as to become a perfect artificial shade, forming a cloister-like walk composed of trees. For this purpose the suckers or sprays from the stems should be encouraged, to make the interior perfectly secluded. In the due attention to the training and trimming such trees by art consists the difference between a garden and a park or forest; and no one will, I trust, contend that a public square should affect to imitate the latter.

The area inclosed within these lime trecs

may be more varied; and as it will consist of four distinct compartments, that nearest the statue is proposed to be shaded by a grove of various trees, scattered with less regularity, while the other three may be enriched with flowers and shrubs each disposed in a different