Gow.

test, believing himself to be no match for such masters in the art. At last,

numbers, the death of NEIL Gow; who was unquestionably the most remarkable man in the line of his profession that has appeared in Scotland.

In giving a few notices respecting a character so justly celebrated in his particular sphere of life, it is natural to begin with mentioning the professional merits of this extraordinary person. His taste for music was early decided. At the age of nine be began to play, and was, it is said, selftaught, till about his thirteenth year, when he received some instruction from John Cameron, an attendant of Sir George Stewart of Grandtully. The following anecdote of a competition, which happened a few years after this, deserves to be related, not only as a proof of natural genius assuming its station at an early period, but on account of the circumstance with which it concludes, 'and which was perhaps the first acknowledgment of that peculiar professional ability to which he afterwards owed his fame. A trial of skill having been proposed, amongst a few of the best performers in the country, young

the lists; and one of the minstrels, who was blind, being made the umpire, the prize was adjudged to Neil Gow, by a sentence, in the justice of which the other competitors cheerfully acquiesced. On this occasion, in giving his decision, the judge said, that he could distinguish the stroke of Neil's Bow among a hundred players.

Having now attained the summit of his profession at home, the distinguished patronage, first of the Athole family, and afterwards of the Duchess of Gordon, soon introduced him to the universal notice and admiration of the fashionable world. From this riod Gow's excellence was doubtless unrivalled in his department of our national music; and formed, in truth, an æra in the progress of its improvement which has since been completed by his sons. The livelier airs which belong to the class of what are called the Strathspey and Reel, and which have long been peculiar to the northern part of the island, assumed, in his hand, a style of spirit, fire, and beauty, which had never been heard before, It is curious and interesting

to

to enquire, on the principles of art, in what consisted the peculiar character of a performance which had thus charmed and enlivened the scenes of gaiety and innocent pleasure, with equal effect, in every rank and age of life.

There is perhaps no species whatever of music executed on the violin, in which the characteristic expression depends more on the power of the bow, particularly in what is called the upward or returning stroke, than the Highland reel. Here accordingly was Gow's forte. His bow-hand, as a suitable instrument of his genius, was uncommonly powerful; and when the note produced by the up-bow was of ten feeble and indistinct in other hands, it was struck, in his playing, with a strength and certainty, which never failed to surprize and delight the skilful hearer. As an example, may be mentioned his manner of striking the tenor C, in "Athole House." -To this extraordinary power of the bow, in the hand of great original genius, must be ascribed the singular felicity of expression which he gave to all his music, and the native Highland goût of certain tunes, such as " Tulloch Gorum," in which his taste and style of bowing could never be exactly reached by any other performer. We may add the effect of the sudden shout, with which he frequently accompanied his playing in the quick tunes, and which seemed instantly to electrify the dancers; inspiring them with new life and energy, and rousing the spirits of the most inanimate. Thus it has been well observed, "the violin, in his hands, sounded like the harp of Ossian, or the lyre of Orpheus; and gave reality to the poetic fictions which describe the astonishing effects of their performance."

The different publications which have appeared under the name of Neil Gow, and which contain not only his sets of the older tunes, but various occasional airs of his own composition,

for instance, his "Lamentation for Abercairney," and "Loch-Errochside," are striking specimens of his genius, feeling, and power of embellishment. These were set and prepared for publication, by his son Nathaniel; whose respectable character and propriety of conduct have long secured him the esteem and favour of the public, and whose knowledge of composition, and variety of talent in the art, joined with the greatest refinement of taste, elegance of expression, and power of execution, render him (beyond all dispute,) the most accomplished aud successful performer of Scottish music in general, ever produced by this country.

In private life, Neil Gow was distinguished by a sound and vigorous understanding, by a singularly acute penetration into the character of those, both in the higher and lower spheres of Society, with whom he had intercourse; and by the conciliating and appropriate accommodation of his remarks and replies, to the peculiarities of their station and temper. In these he of ten shewed a high degree of forcible humour, strong sense and knowledge of the world, and proved himself to have at once a mind naturally sagacious, and a very attentive and discriminating habit of observation. But his most honourable praise is to be drawn from a view of his character, which was not so obvious to the public. His moral and religious principles were originally correct, rational, and heartfelt, and they were never corrupted. His duty in the domestic relations of life, he uniformly fulfilled with exemplary fidelity, generosity, and kindness. In short, by the general integrity, prudence, and propriety of his conduct, he deserved, and he lived and died possessing, as large a portion of respect from his equals, and of good will from his superiors, as has ever fallen to the lot of any man of his rank.

Though he had raised himself to independent and affluent circumstan

e sin his old age, he continued free of every appearance of vanity or os tentation. He retained to the last, the same plain and unassuming simplicity in his carriage, his dress, and his manners, which he had observed in his early and more obscure years. His figure was vigorous and manly; and the expression of his countenance spirited and intelligent. His whole appearance, indeed, exhibited so characteristic a model of what national partiality conceives a Scottish highlander to be, that his portrait has been repeatedly copied. An admirable likeness of him was painted a few years ago, for the Hon. Mr Maule of Panmure, M. P. for Forfarshire, by Mr Raeburn: and he has been introduced

into the View of a Highland Wedding, by the late ingenious Mr Allan, to whom he was requested to sit for the purpose.

In this picture, too, Mr Allan has preserved an admirable likeness of Donald Gow, the brother of Neil, his steady and constant violoncello; and without whose able and powerful accompaniment Neil could scarcely, in his latter days at least, be prevailed on to play a note.

Such was the person to whose memory this brief biographical tribute has been thought due. It is paid, unsolicited, by one who had full and frequent opportunity to judge of his character. He had often listened to Neil Gow, while delighting the gay by his music he had seen him often in the midst of his family; and he had conversed with him, when, in sickness, he was anticipating the near approach of death.

Neil Gow was born in Strathbrand, Perthshire, of humble but honest parents, in the year 1727. He died at Inver, near Dunkeld, on the 1st of March 1807. He was twice married; first to Margaret Wiseman, by whom he had a large family: the second time to Margaret Urquhart, by whom he had no children.Besides his son Nathaniel, already

mentioned, he left another, John, who has long resided in London, and is also distinguished and admired, as inheriting much of his father's musical taste and power of execution. Two other sons, of equally eminent musical talents, William and Andrew, died before their father, a few years ago; but not till after they had completely established their reputation as true descendants of Old Neil. On the whole, a family of such celebrity in our national music, as that of the Gows, Scotland is not likely soon to witness again; and we trust, that those of them, who yet remain, may long be preserved to us.

Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural History Society.

T the meeting of this Society on

A1

Saturday the 14th January, Dr T. Thomson read an interesting description and analysis of a particular variety of Copper glance from North America.

At the same meeting, Dr J. Barclay communicated some highly curious observations which he had made on the caudal vertebræ of the Great Sea Snake, which exhibit in their structure some beautiful provisions of Nature, not hitherto observed in the vertebrae of any other animal.

And Mr P. Neill read a copious and interesting general account of this new animal, collected from different sources, especially letters of undoubted authority, which he had received from Orkney. He stated, however, that owing to the prevalence of tempestuous weather, the head, fin, collar-bone, and dorsal vertebræ, promised to the University Museum some weeks ago, had not yet arrived; but that he had received a note from Gilbert Meason, Esq. (the gentleman on whose estate in Stronsa the sea snake was cast) assuring him that they might now be expected by the first vessel from Orkney. In the

mean

mean time he submitted to the Society the outline of a generic character. The name which he suggested for this new genus was Halsydrus (from hals the sea, and hydros a water snake); and as it evidently appeared to be the Soe-Ormen or Serpens marinus magnus, long ago treated of by Pontoppidan, in his Natural History of Norway, he suggested that the specific Fame might, with propriety, be H. Pontoppidani.

ing article I am indebted to the at tention of Captain LASKEY of the 21st Militia,-a keen and successful investigator of objects in different departments of natural history, and who, during his residence in our neighbourhood, has added a long list of new species to our Scottish conchology, chiefly discovered by dredging in the Frith of Forth*.]

12. A pair of Snow Buntings (Emberiza nivalis,) caught alive near Carnwath last month, having been sent to Mr Wilson, Col

tory.

Jan. 2. 1809. THE Heath Thrush of Lewin, one of our rarer migratory birds, was shot near Port Seton Barracks, East Lothian. This bird, according to Lewin, considerably resembles the songthrush in colour, but it is perfectly distinguished from it by its make: the tail is half an inch shorter; and the neck is not so long: the body, however, is a good deal thicker, so that it exceeds the song-thrush in weight: a short black bar appears on each side of the eye, and it is whiter under the chin. The Port Seton specimen measured, from the bill to the tail, 12 inches, and from tip of wing to wing 20 inches. It seems to have been a straggler; Lewin remarking that this species generally arrives about the end of March, and leaves us in au

tumn.

3. A Wagel Gull (Larus nævius, which, by some naturalists, is suspected to be only a variety of L. fuscus) of an uncommonly large size, was also shot near Port Seton Barracks. When the wings were extended, it measured, in breadth, 6 feet, and, in length, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, it was 24 feet. It weighed nearly nine ounces more than the largest described by Pennant. [For this and the preced

cage ever since; and they continue lively, and are pretty familiar. They eat cole-seed, canary-seed, or hempseed indifferently, with crumbs of bread, or almost any thing offered to them.

18. The Long-tailed Duck (Anas glacialis) was brought to the fish-market, having been caught in the Frith. Dun Divers, wigeons, mallards, wild geese, &c. are very common in the poultry-market at present.

23. By a letter from Alloa I learn, that the shock of an earthquake was distinctly felt there, about 2 o'clock on Wednesday morning, the 18th inst. It seems, from the newspapers, that the tremulous motion and noise were very perceptible all along the base of the Ochils.

GREAT COLD.-By the end of December, the large quantity of snow which had fallen in that month, had disappeared from off the ground.The wind, however, remained chiefly at E. and N.E. On 2d January, the cold became pretty severe, and it continued so for several succeeding

days,

*Similar communications, in any department of natural history, from ob. servers resident in different parts of the shall be duly attended to in the Monthly country, will be very acceptable, and Memoranda,