But the political horizon is happily brightening, and the change will ultimately affect all. The stream of national patronage has long been prevented from branching off and fertilizing spots, now impoverished and neglected. Natural History, more than any other science, requires such aid; because it is inapplicable to the purposes of life; and while its study is attended with enormous expence, its acquirement leads to nothing tangible. It is a melancholy fact, that while our present laws crush individual exertion, by extorting a large number of free copies of the most costly works, undertaken by their authors without the slightest hope of remuneration,--the Government of France assigns _for subscriptions_ to such publications, an annual sum of £10,000.[6] But on questions regarding the patronage of science, Great Britain, unfortunately, is poorer than any nation in Europe. * * * * * * [Illustration: FLUVICOLA _cursoria_. _Courier Waterchat._] FLUVICOLA cursoria. _Courier Waterchat._ ---- Family Todidæ. Sub-Family Fluvicolinæ. FLUVICOLINÆ. _Bill_, in general, strong; depressed, the tip abruptly bent and notched: _gape_ with stiff bristles. _Tarsi_ long; _toes_ nearly free, _claws_ slender and acute. _Scapular covers_ long. _Quill_ and _tail_ feathers very broad; but the latter of various shapes. Frequent marshy situations in the New World. _Nobis._ GENERIC CHARACTER.--Zool. Journ. No. 10, p. 172. ---- SPECIFIC CHARACTER. _White, back brown; wings, stripe on each side the head, and broad rounded tail, black; the latter tipt with white._ ---- There is to be found, in Tropical America, a singular race of flycatching birds, whose plumage is black and white. Their haunts are only in the vicinity of water: they pursue their prey upon the ground, running with great celerity, and are constantly in motion. They have, in short, all the manners and habits of the Stone Chats, and when we published the definition of this genus, we were led to believe it belonged to the Saxicolinæ. The present species we met with in abundance at Pernambuco, frequenting the sides of the rivers and lagoons.