With figured Prints; by E. P. VENTENAT, of the National Institute, and one of the Trustees of the Library of the Pantheon; 1 vol. folio." The avowed object of this work is the publication of the coloured plates, and a defeription of the fine collection of plants, belonging to M. Cels, of the National Institute. This naturalift has been occupied during the space of the last thirty years, in procuring rare foreign trees, as well as fuch fhrubs as are hardy enough to live in the open air in France. In addition to thefe, he alfo poffeffes feveral others confined to his hot-house and orangeries His collection is conftantly augmenting, either by means of exchanges with others, or the correspondence of travelling naturalifts, who frequently fend him feeds. As Mr. Cels is principally occupied with the cultivation of plants, he has not been hitherto able to find time for a defcription of his vegetable treasures; he has therefore entrusted this task to the care of M. Ventenat, his colleague in the National Inftitute; a botanist who has already rendered himself celebrated by the publication of feveral much elteemed treatifes. The work confifts of ten fafciculæ, each compofed of ten plants, all of which have been defigned by M. Redontè, a man of avowed talents, and engraved by M. Sellier, one of the best artists in France. Of this colle&ion, twenty plants are already known, but defcribed in an incomplete manner. Eighteen more, inaccurately defignated heretofore, are here elucidated in a more complete manner, and denominated anew. Sixty-two fpecies are abfolutely new, and confequently confer extraordinary value on this work.They, of course, prefent a varied organization, as the author, in his feries, is obliged to recur to about forty-five famiBies of plants. In the course of this pursuit, he has acquired fix new genera, which are added to the long feries already known. 1. The caladium, which appertains to the family of the aroides, and differs in general respects from the arum. 2. The lubinia, which approaches to the genus lyfimachia, and is diftinguished by an irregular corolla, as well as by a fruit which never opens. 3. The chaptalia, which bears fome re femblance to the perdicium. 4. The oliveria, which differs from the aftrantia, by means of flowers, all of which are fertile. 5. The redutea, which poffeffes conderable affinity to the fugiofa; and, MONTHLY MAG. NJ. 117. 6. The bofia, the diftinguishing characteristic of which is its compreffed pod. "Fables, par J. J. F. BOISARD; faifant Suite aux deux Volumes publiés en 1773 and 1777."-Fables, by J. J. F. Boifard; being a Continuation of two Volumes, published by him in 1773 and 1777; I vol. 12mo. Artifts have painted after Raphael, and executed works of fculpture after Pandias; it is not blameable, therefore, to compose fables in imitation of La Fontaine. Here follows two or three fpecimens of the manner and talents of the author: LA BOULE ET LES QUILLES. Eile a le diable au corps cette boule maudite, nous ! Difoit les quilles ! rien ne réfifte à fes coups! A qui fe trouve en mon chemia Sans colère contre perfonne, Indifférente à tout, tout autant qu'il fe peut, Je fais, fans le vouloir, tout le mal que l'on veut. L'ANE ET LES PASSANS. Je ne fais par quelle aventure, En beau chemin d'ailleurs, une âne dans un trou S'étant mis, y reftoit enfoncé jufqu'au cou. Meffieurs, répondit le baudet, LA VACHE ET SON VEAU, Mais voyez donc fauter mon veau ! 4 Y "Influence Influence de l'Habitude fur la Faculté de Penfer; Ouvrage qui a remportè le Prix fur cette Queition, propolée par l'Institut National, determiner quelle eft l'Influence de l'Habitude fur la Faculté de Penfer; ou, en d'autre Terms, faire voir l'Effet que produit fur chacune de nos Facultés Intellectuelles la fréquente Répétition des mêmes Opérations. Par P. MAINE BIRAN."-On the Influence of Habit on the Faculty of Thought; a Work which obtained the Prize for the Queftion propofed by the National Infti. tute. By P. Maine Biran. A queftion of nearly a fimilar tendency, has been lately propofed by the Academy of Berlin; on which occafion, M. Degerando was crowned, in confequence of his interefting differtation on that fubject. M. Maine Biran, upon the present occafion, was awarded the prize offered by the Inftitute, and all the friends of mankind muft rejoice to behold two great literary bodies holding out encouragement to those whofe ftudies have man for their object. It has been faid indeed, that the northern ftates are but little favourable to works of imagination, and that the palm must be yielded to the happier climates of Greece and Italy; yet it must be confeffed, that in fome particular branches, we excel all the great men produced in the ages of Pericles, Alexander, and Auguftus; and that Locke, Newton, and Linneus, the glory of modern times, are not to be equalled, much lefs furpaffed, in the an nals of antiquity. M. Maine Biran introduces his work by an attempt to fix our ideas, relative to what may be termed the mechanism of buman fenfations; he then examines our ha bitual modes, &c.; divides thefe into paffive and active. In the fecond part, he confiders the influence of habit on the methods and operations of reafoning, and gives a claffification of figns, affociations, &c. &c. He alfo remarks, in direct oppofition to Condillac and Bonnet, "that a heing reduced to organs paffive and immoveable, or of which he either does not perceive or direct the movement, would be confined to inftinctive faculties, and not poffs any diftinct perfonality. he enjoy the power of fmell alone, for example, his existence might be compared to that of the oyfter or the polypus, but he would be utterly unable to form combina tions, abftractions, &c. Did tion of all the poetical compofitions writs ten by him. It is divided into two parts 4the former, under the title of the Athens aïde, contains love verfes; the fecond is a poem on the feafons. The following fa-tire, entitled "Les Niveleurs," which poffeffes an immediate connection with scenes ftill recent in France, must be allowed to poffefs fome merit. "Il n'eft pas de bandit qui n'ait, dans fon quartier, Ouvert un cours public des fecrets du métier, nom, Parmi ces morts fameux cherche un nouveaupatron ; Et prenant du défunt le port et l'affurance Place! c'eft Curius lui-même qui s'avances • Ce héros tant vanté, pour avoir un fois, En recevant vifite, affaisonné des pois, Et qui vient, du brouet rétablissant l'ufage, A la ville enfeigner comme on dine an village, Au peuple fouverain rendre fa majesté, Et vous tailler à tous la ferge á la même feurs Mettoient de Nifmes à Brest le meurtre l'entreprise, En nous faifant chanter la liberté conquife! J'ai with forefts, and the inland abounds with flocks. Pulfe, of every kind, wax, honey, a little filk and cotton, excellent wool, olives, and the cheese called baron co undo, are also produced here. Gomero poffeffes the reputation of being exceedingly fertile; the centre confiits of vaft forest of pines and beeches, in which wild cats and deer are to be found.' The valley of Hermigua is covered with vines and fruit trees; fuch as dates, oranges, citrons, bannanas, and peaches. "Effais fur les Iles Fortunées et l'Ana tique Atlantide; ou, Précis de l'Hiftoire Générale de l'Archipel des Canaires. Par J. B. G. M. BORY DE ST. VINCENT, Officier Français. In 4to, avec trois Cartes et sept Planches, Prix, pour Paris, #5 fr.”—Essays relative to the Fortunate Iflands, and the Ancient Atlantides; or, a Summary of the General History of the Archipelago of the Canaries. By J. B. G. M. Bory de St. Vincent, a French Officer. One vol. 4to, with three Charts and feyen Plates. M. de St. Vincent, on vifiting the Cana, ries, conceived the idea, that they were the Fortunate Iflands of antiquity, the Elyfan Fields of Homer, the Helperides, the real mount Atlas, &c.; but as many of them happen to be exceedingly barren, he has recourse to imagination, and fuppofes them to have formerly conftituted part of a great continent, &c. From the frequent traces of fire, and the marks of volcanoes but lately extinguished, he is alfo led to fuppofe, that they have of late become more fterile than formerly. But left the unprejudiced reader fhould imagine, that these are not now worthy of the appella tion of the Fortunate Iflands, he thinks it would not be difficult for an enlightened government to render them fo, by the introduction of negro-Дlavery, and the im, portation of a wretched race from the coaft of Africa ! Aventure and Lancerote, we are told, poffefs fome fertile vallies; but both thefe and Terro are the most barren ifles in the whole Archipelago. Here, however, are produced fome good horfes, the breed of which was originally introduced from the coaft of Barbary, and alfo fome excellent mules; affes too fucceed there. The wine, however, is of a very inferior quality, and the whole of it is converted into brandy. The Island of Canary, which gives its name to the whole cluster, appears at firft fight to be entirely compofe of a fingle mountain. Its fummit is covered, we are told, with eternal fnow, and the rivulets which fpring from it, at once embeltith and refresh the vallies below. The foil is fo extraordinarily fertile, that it yields two or three crops of maïs, or Indian corn, annually; barley and wheat alto fucceed there. All the high grounds are covered Palma.This island rifes confiderably above the level of the fea; its fummita are often clothed with fnow, and overfhadowed with dark forests of pines, which are employed in the construction of barks, adapted to the fisheries on the coaft of Barbary. Not only the vine, but the fugar-cane is cultivated with great fuccefs here. Ferro, termed by the French l'Ile de Fer, was the first discovered of all the Canaries; it is however the leaft, the moft fterile, and the worst peopled: it is deficient in respect to water, and the cattle are reduced to the neceffity of fatisfying their thirst, by recurring to the ocean. Teneriffe is the largeft of the whole cluster of ifles: it alfo poffeffes the greatest number of inhabitants. The grain produced here is not fufficient for the confun:ption of the natives; on the other hand, its vintage exceeds that of the whole Archipelago. The vines are of two forts: the one named vidonia, which produces a dry and strong liquor, is the most abundant; and the other, named Malvoifia, which was originally introduced from the Morea. As oxen, sheep, hogs, and fowls, can eafily be procured at St. Croix, it is the opinion of many French navigators, that it is more advantageous to call there than at Madeira, The peak occupies nearly the centre of the ifle, and both Pingré and Borda have estimated the the height at 1904 toiles. "Sommaire des Principales Preuves de la Veritè et de l'Origine Surnaturelle de la Révélation Chrétienre."A Summary of the Principal Proofs of the Truth and Supernatural Origin of the Chriftian Religion; 8vo. We are here told, that truth alone is amiablę. "Rien n'eft beau que le vrai, le vrai feul eft aimable." It is alfo maintained, that all the horrors produced during the laft century, proceeded folely from "political and reli4 Y 2 ious anarchy" whence it is inferred, that an abundance of evils may be warded eff by the diffemination of the Chriftian religion. Memorial Topographique et Militaire, Ouvrage periodique."- A Topo graphical and Military Memoir, publifhed by the Dépôt de la Guerre. Many ufetul Treatifes have appeared in France, relative to the fubje&t of war, but the greater part confift either of fpecial applications of the grand fvitem of the war art, luch s thofe publifhed by Puilegur and Guibert, or the develop ment of particular tyftems, like thofe of Tolard, &c. On the prefent occafion, it is intended to defcribe every thing neceffary for the fuccefs of a great enterprife; and confequently, a complete and detailed courfe of the fcience. Four numbers have already appeared. In the first, the authors, who conceal their names, but are known to be mili. tary men of diftinguifhed reputation, have given a nomenclature of all the authors, both ancient and modein, who have written on the art of war. In the fecond, we have an analytical notice relative to hiftorians, from Herodotus to Robertfon. In the third, there is an account of the prefent ftate of topography in Europe, with a catalogue of all the charts hitherto rendered public; and, In the fourth, we are prefented with a difcourfe relative to the means of attaining a knowledge of the icene of action. In the courfe of this work there is alfo to be found, a commentary on the famous battle of Leuthen, whence refulted the moft decifive events, by reducing the vanquifhed army from ninery to thirty thoufand, and restoring the fword and the fceptre to the hand of Frederick the Great. "Voyage en Islande, fait par Ordre de S. M. Danoife; contenant des Obfervations fur les Moeurs et les Ufages des Habitans une Description des Lacs, des Rivières, des Glaciers, des Sources chaudes et volcans: des div.rfes Effèces des Terres, Pierres, Foffiles, et Pétrifications, des Animaux, Poiffons, Infectes, &c. &c.; avec un Atlas. Traduit du Danois par GAUTHIER DE LA PEYRONIE, Traducteur des Voyages de Pallas."-A Voyage to Ice land, undertaken by order of his Majefty the King of Denmark; containing Obfervations on the Manners and Cuftoms of its Inhabitants; a Defcription of the Lakes, Rivers, Glaciers, &c. together with an Atlas. Tranflated from the Danish by Gauthier de la Peyronne, &c. 5 vols, with an Atlas. Notwithstanding the curious details relative to Iceland, which former travellers have published, yet the prefent King of Denmark, or rather the Prince who acts in his name, deemed it neceffary to obtain new information relative to this diftant and fecluded portion of the world. His Royal Highness accordingly inftructed the Academy of Sciences of Copenhagen, to felect proper perfons, in order to collect the neceffary information relative either to the fingular phenomena which might prefent themselves to their view, or concerning those which mankind had enter. tained hitherto only vague and incompetent notions. The choice of this learned body having fallen on Meffrs. Olafen and Povelfen; they, in their turn, spared neither pains nor enquiries to prefent a description of the history, both civil and natural of Iceland, in confequence of which this work, edited under the fuperintendance of the fociety already alluded to, has been published. On this occafion, the divifion of the ifland, fuch as prevails at the prefent moment, for the political administration is here adopted. It is in this order, we are prefented with a circumftantial account of every district, the form and nature of the mountains, the hills, the vallies, the gla ciers, the indications of ancient and moden volcanoes, the rivers and rivulets, the ftagnant waters and the mineral fprings. In addition to this geographical fummary, we find many judicious remarks on the temperature of the climate, and the revolution of the feafons; the nature of the foil, the different fpecies of earth, ftones, minerals, foffils, and petrifactions; in short, all that can be defired relative to hufbandry, meadow lands, and the breeding of domeftic animals. Neither has any thing been neglected concerning the economy of the natives, their manners, or the ways of living, in fuch a fingular country. It appears that Iceland is fituate in the North Sea, between the 63d and 67th degrees of latitude, is exactly one hundred and thirty common leagues in length, and about feventy in breadth. The dittance from the Feroe or Faro lflands, is feventy marine leagues, reckoning twenty to a degree, and but thirty-five from Greenland, which, on that fide, is rendered inac ceffible by ice and rocks. The island itself is represented as being generally generally compofed of mountains and teep rocks; but we are affured that it alfo abounds" with very beautiful plains and valleys, which afford excellent pafturage for the numerous flocks, which are to be feen there." On the other hand, the mountains, which are for the most part fterile and uncultivated, prefent their mmits covered continually with now and ice. Many of thefe have volcanoes, the most famous of which is that of Hecla. This has thrown out currents of lava, at different epochs, and actually ejected, fuch an amazing quantity of pumice ftones, in 1765, that the fea towards the fouth fide, was covered with them to the extent of twenty leagues. The mountains, which appear generally clothed with ice, are denominated Jöeckuls. From thele, during the fummer, proceed torrents, that not only chill the air, but produce a foetid fmell. The maritime parts of this ifland appear to be better inhabited than the internal portion, on account of the prodigious quantity of fifh which the fea throws on the coaft, as well as for the purposes of commerce. Large maffes of marble are found in different parts, as well as crystals, demominated after the name of this land. The cavities in the mountains contain large maffes of fulphur, and the fame fub ftance is alfo discovered on the plains, govered over with a layer of fand and clay. This illand produces few or no trees it abounds, however, with briars and juniper bufhes; but these not being fufficient for the ufe of the inhabitants, they have recourfe to drift wood, and even to fish bones fteeped in the oil of cod's liver, for fuel. As large roots are found in a multitude of places, it would appear that forefts were not formerly unknown. Garlick, forrel, and the cochlearia are very common here, and have been fuppofed ferviceable to the health of the inhabitants, amidst the hurried mitts of the climate. Angelica is alfo produced in great plenty, and this plant attains an uncommon degree of luxuriance; but the most extraordinary as well as the most precious vegetable which nature confers on this region, is a fpecies of mols, exactly refembling that plant termed by the French le pulmonaire, which, on being mixed with milk, is converted into a farinaceous fubtance. In fome houfes it is made into broth, and is esteemed very healthy by thofe fuppofed to be fkilful. Neither pulfe nor fruits are produced here, the climate being two cold; the fame reason holds good in respect to grain. No wild beafts are feen here, except now and then a bear that is floated from Greenland, on a field of ice, and a kind of fox, the skin of which is valuable on account of its fur, The breed of horses is extremely fmall, but agile and vigorous, and when brought from the mountains at five years of age, turn out very serviceable. Sheep are produced in abundance, for every farm has its flock. In certain places they are allowed to remain out during the whole year, but the lambs are con ftantly houfed, as they are unable to support the intense cold: the fleeces are of an excellent quality. The cows, which are also numerous, are at the same time small ; we are affured, however, that they give abundance of milk. The game confifts folely of partridges, fnipes, and woodcocks; the firft of thefe are white, and as large as thofe found on the continent. Eagles, vultures, sparrowhawks, falcons, and owls, are all to be met with here. The Iceland falcons, when tamed, have always been famous, for the purfuit of game. The edredon, a species of ducks, is famous for its feathers; the fwan, the goofe, the diver, and in general, every kind of fresh or falt water fowl, common to northern climates abounds here. Fish of all kinds, fuch as the herring, the mackarel, the skate, the cray, the plaice, and the fole, are caught; but it is the cod in particular, which is valued by, and produces most profit to, the inhabitants. In the lakes are to be feen large trout, in the rivers falmon, and in the adjoining feas whales during the fummer season. The Icelanders are of the ordinary fize, but of a robuft temperament. They live fo berly and frugally; they are alert, well proportioned, and nearly all of them have light-coloured hair. Áfter fifty years of age, they become fubject to a variety of maladies and infirmities, and moft of them die in confequence of difeases of the lungs, the fcurvy, and obftructions. The fhortnefs of their lives is attributed, 1. To their extreme labour during one portion of the year. 2. To their fedentary manner of living during another. 3. To the expofure to the elements in the fishing fealon, on the part of those who live near the coak; ani 4. To the dampnefs that prevails in the valleys, in relpect to thofe who refide in the interior. During |