Observers of Nature seem to be just now appreciating the observation of
the benevolent _Gilbert White_, of Selborne, who lived and died in the
last century: "that if stationary men would pay some attention to the
districts on which they reside, and would publish their thoughts
respecting the objects that surround them, from such materials might be
drawn the most complete county histories." Accordingly, a little system
of rural philosophy has been founded upon the best of all bases,
home-observation, and such books as have resulted from these labours,
promise to make the study of Nature more popular than will all the
Zoological, Botanical, and Geological Societies of Europe. Among these
works we include the cheap reprint of the _Natural History of Selborne_;
Mr. Rennie's delightful observations which are scattered through the
Zoological volumes of the _Library of Entertaining Knowledge_; but more
especially the _Journal of a Naturalist_, published by Mr. Leonard
Knapp, about three years since, and stated by the author to have
originated in his admiration of Mr. White's _Selborne_. The volume
before us is the result of a congenial feeling, and is written by Edward
Jesse, Esq., deputy surveyor of his majesty's parks, by means of which
appointment he must have possessed peculiar opportunities and facilities
of observation, as is evident in the local recollections throughout his
volume. Thus, we find miscellaneous particulars of the Royal Parks and
Forests, and from the writer's residence on the bank of the Thames, (we
conclude, near Bushy Park,) a few Maxims for an Angler. The whole is a
very charming _melange_, with a most discursive arrangement, it is true,
but never falling into dulness, or tiring the reader with too minute
detail. We intend, therefore, to range through the volume, and gather a
few of its most interesting gleanings to our garner.