him speak when he was too hot, and confess the truth. Jacob was resolutely silent. He stood it till I could stand it no longer. • I would not use a dog so,' said I. A dog! no, nor I; but this is a Jew!'- A Fellow creature,' said I.—' A fine discovery!

and pray, Harrington, what has made you so tender-hearted all of a sudden for the Jews? Your being so hard-hearted,' said I."-[A pitched battle took place between Harrington and Mowbray.j-" He was far my overmatch in strength and size; but I stood up to him. Between the blows I heard Jacob's voice, in tones of supplica

tion. When I had breath, I called out to him- Jacob! escape!' But instead of escaping, he stood stock still, reiterating his prayer to be heard: at last he rushed between us-we paused-both parties called to us, insisting that we should hear what the Jew had to say. Young lord,' said he; dear young gentleman,' turning to me, 'let poor Jacob be no more cause, now or ever, of quarrel between you. He shall

6

trouble you never more. This is the last

day, the last minute, he will ever trouble you.' His voice failed: he bowed. Looking round to all, twice to the upper circle where his friends stood, he added, Much obliged for all kindness-grateful. Blessing!-blessings on al: and may'-He could say no more, but, hastily taking up his box, he retired through the opening crowd."

Had Miss Edgeworth never written any thing but this tale, the passage which we have quoted at such length (though we have been obliged to abridge it considerably) would have given us a very high idea of her powers of delineating character, and of pathetic description.

Harrington, on his way to Cambridge, fell in with his Jewish protegé, on whom his kindness had not been lost. Jacob, eager at once to do him a service, and to remove the prejudices which he knew him to entertain against his nation, gave him an introduction to Mr Israel Lyons, a Jewish rabbi, who united the qualities of a profound scholar and an accomplished gentleman-and whose friendship was of essential benefit to Harrington, as he imbued his mind with a taste for literature, while he expanded it with the most liberal sentiments. On leaving the university, he received from Mr Lyons a letter of introduction to Mr Montenero, a Spanish Jew of great wealth, who had been induced by his horror of tyranny and persecution to quit his native country, and to settle

in America, where he had enjoyed perfect toleration. Harrington was prevented for some time from waiting on Mr Montenero, who happened to be then in London; and at length his mother, apprised of his intention to cultivate the acquaintance of a Jew, to his great mortification, burnt the letter of introduction, which, by some accident, had fallen into her hands. Chance soon brought them acquainted, however, in a manner infinitely more gratifying to the feelings of Harrington. He had accompanied his mother and the Mowbrays one evening to the theatre, where his attention was caught by a very elegant young lady, who was seated in the next box among a group of gross plebeians, composing the family of an alderman, in their manners and appearance exhibiting a very striking contrast to the stranger in their company. His interest was still more excited by the bustle and exclamations of this ill-bred family, when it was announced to the audience, that, in consequence of the sudden illness of the principal actor, the play was to be changed, and the Merchant of Venice to be substituted in its stead. The character of Shylock, performed by Macklin, so overpowered the interesting stranger, that she was ready to faint. Harrington springs forward to her assistance-gets her conducted to the air-and discovers, to his great delight, that this is no other than Miss Montenero. The rest may be easily conceived. Mr Montenero receives Harrington with kindness-esteems-loves him. Harrington becomes deeply enamoured of Berenice (that was the daughter's name); and after many causes of vexation and doubt, occasioned chiefly by the unprincipled rivalship of Mowbray, who contrived to impress Mr Montenero and Berenice with the idea that Harrington was subject to fits of madness, the scruples of his father and mother are overcome, and he is blessed with the hand of Berenice, who turns out to be a Christian and a Protestant, educated in the religion of her mother, who was an English lady.—We regret that our narrow limits oblige us to postpone our further remarks on this interesting Tale, and the abstract of the Story of Ormond, till next Number.

Ar the suggestion of Mr Hoblyn of Sloane Street, a quantity of cocoa-nut oil has recently been introduced into this country from the Island of Ceylon. It has been ascertained, that this oil may be very advantageously employed as a substitute for spermaceti oil, as it is considerably cheaper, burns with a clear bright flame, and is free from smell or smoke. It will be found useful also in the manufacture of soap, candles, and the finer articles of perfumery, and is likely to become a source of great revenue in Ceylon, and of importance to this country. Soap made with it costs about 10 per cent. more than tallow soap.

The Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh have proposed, as the subject of a prizeessay, for members only, the following question:-What changes are produced on atmospheric air by the action of the skin of the living human body?

Dr D. White of Bombay having transmitted a packet, containing the seeds of some scarce and valuable plants, to the Caledonian Horticultural Society, the thanks of the Society were voted to him at a general meeting on the 10th of June.

A stone, adapted to the purposes of lithography, has been lately discovered in East Lothian, on the property of the Right Hon. the Earl of Wemyss and March. Various successful experiments have already been made with it by Mr Ruthven, the ingenious inventor of the patent printing press which has excited such general

attention.

Mr George Sinclair, gardener to the Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey, states, that the larvæ of the phalena tortrices, or grubs, are often the cause of blight in fruit trees. Two orchards at Woburn were annually more or less subject to the ravages of these insects, till the following expedient was adopted :Immediately after the fall of the leaves, a waggon-load of lime was placed in the orchard, and suffered to slake by the weather. Advantage was then taken of the morning dews, to powder every part of the surface of the trees with the lime, while in its most caustic state. This process has been annually repeated, with such success, that since its first adoption there has been but one partial attack of the insects; and this is attributed to the lime used that season having lost much of its causticity before it was applied, and to a heavy fall of rain immediately after the liming. It is essential that the algæ be removed from the trees previously to the application of the lime, as they not only do injury by closing the pores of the bark, but also form the principal nests where the eggs of the insects are deposited during winter. When these parasitical plants are once displaced, they never recover

themselves, if the liming be annually repeated. Seventy bushels of lime, properly applied, will be sufficient for an orchard of five acres, completely stocked with full grown trees.

The President and Council of the Royal Society of London have adjudged the gold and silver medals, on Count Rumford's foundation, to Sir H. Davy, for his papers on combustion and flame, published in the last volume of the Philosophical Transactions.

The Committee of the House of Commons appointed to investigate the important subject of Steam-boats and Boilers, state in their Report, that they find it to be the universal opinion of all persons conversant in such subjects, that steam-engines of some construction may be applied with perfect security, even to passage vessels; and they generally agree, though with some exceptions, that those called high pressure engines may be safely used, with the precaution of well-constructed boilers, and properly adapted safety-valves; and further, a great majority of opinions lean to boilers of wrought-iron, or metal, in preference to cast-iron. They have, in consequence, adopted the following resolutions, which they propose to the consideration of the House :

1. That it appears, from the evidence of several experienced engineers, that the explosion in the steam-packet at Norwich, was caused not only by the improper construction and materials of the boiler, but the safety-valve connected with it having been overloaded, by which the expansive force of the steam was raised to a degree of pressure beyond that which the boiler was calculated to sustain.

2. That it appears, that in the instances of similar explosions in steam-packets, manufactories, and other works where steam-engines were employed, these accidents were attributable to one or other of the causes above alluded to.

3. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that, for the prevention of such accidents in future, the means are simple and easy, and not likely to be attended with any inconveniences to the proprietors of steampackets, nor with any such additional expense as can either be injurious to the owners, or tend to prevent the increase of such establishments. The means which your Committee would recommend, are comprised in the following regulations :

That all steam-packets carrying passengers for hire, should be registered at the port nearest to the place from or to which they proceed:

That all boilers belonging to the engines by which such vessels shall be worked, should be composed of wrought-iron or copper:

That every boiler on board such steampacket, should, previous to the packet being used for the conveyance of passengers, be submitted to the inspection of a skilful engineer, or other person conversant with the subject, who should ascertain by trial the strength of such boiler, and should certify his opinion of its sufficient strength, and of the security with which it might be employ ed to the extent proposed:

That every such boiler should be provided with two sufficient safety-valves, one of which should be inaccessible to the engineman, and the other accessible both to him and to the persons on board the packet:

That the inspector shall examine such safety-valves, and shall certify what is the pressure at which such safety-valves shall open, which pressure shall not exceed one third of that by which the boiler has been proved, nor one sixth of that, which, by calculation, it shall be reckoned able to sustain : That a penalty should be inflicted on any person placing additional weight on either of the safety-valves.

Dr Husson has made the highly important remark, that the nux vomica is very beneficial in paralysis which follows rheumatic affections, but he considers it as liable to occasional accidents, when the paralysis has succeeded an attack of apoplexy. This distinction ought to make medical men very cautious in the use of this powerful agent.

An animal hitherto unknown here to the European colonies, accompanied by two of its young, was found a fortnight ago at Cox's River, in the newly discovered country. From its general conformation, it may be pronounced a species of the Jerboa tribe. Its resemblance is about midway between that of the rabbit and the rat, the ears short and erect, like those of the former, the head longer, like that of the latter, as is also the tail, which is very long, but terminating with a thick fur; the weight of the animal, to all appearance, not exceeding eight or nine ounces.- -Sydney Gazette.

A curious phenomenon recently exhibited itself, on board a vessel now in the Cove, to a party while at supper. On the opening of a rock oyster, the shells of which were forced asunder with much difficulty, a small fish of two inches length, which had been curled up in the place which the native inhabitant of the shell had before occupied, sprung out upon the table, and was preserved alive for some time. Examined in a glass of clear salt water, the little intruder, which had doubtless devoured its host, the oyster, had a beautiful appearance when alive. Its great pliancy when in motion, determines its species to be cartilaginous, while the back and belly, which were ornamented with a series of spines linked together by a transparent silken membrane, and its fine curling tail, displayed the richest beauties to the admiring eye. The creature was itself almost entirely transparent,

when interposed between the eye and the sun, and the whole body marked with stripes of brown and yellow, disposed in regular intervals; nor was the head its least curious part, from its being surmounted with a fine crest, resembling the unindented comb of a cock. Many persons have seen it, and all presume it to be a novel species.-Sydney Gazette.

Two instances of the extreme virulence and rapidity of animal poison, almost unprecedented in well authenticated narrative, are recorded in the Sydney Gazette, as recent information from the party at Bathurst plains.

The sudden death of John Wood, a private of the Royal Veteran Company, on duty at that post, was owing to the bite of a snake, which he survived only a few moments. The melancholy event took place on the 24th ultimo; the fatal wound was inflicted on the foot, and the deceased putting his hand upon it, had scarcely time to implore the blessing of God, when he fell upon his face, and instantly expired. Putrescence ensued with unexampled rapidity, and in a few hours the body of the deceased became entirely black.

The malign effects of the snake poison, has in two instances shewn itself more dire. ful in the species found in the new discovered mountain country, than any other. We mentioned the melancholy circumstances of the instant death of the soldier at Bathurst, on his receiving the bite of one of them. A sheep belonging to Mr Lawson was also bit; it died immediately, and exhibited symptoms of putrescence in a few moments after. One of them was known to advance from beneath a rock to the centre of a road, as a man was passing, with the apparent intention of attacking him. They are said to be generally from five to six, or seven feet long, are of a disagreeable dark colour, and have very large heads.

Mr Armiger is engaged in Researches, and in the Collection of Materials for an English work on Physiology, intended to supply an acknowledged deficiency in the elementary books of this country, to exhibit the present state of that important science, and the extent to which it is indebted to the investigation of British physiology.

Mr Sewell, assistant professor at the Veterinary College, has discovered a mode of curing a chronic lameness, to which hunters, chargers, and other valuable horses, are liable after any considerable exertion. consists in dividing the nervous trunk, and extirpating a portion of it, where it enters the foot behind the pastern point.

It

A paper, by Dr Leach of the British Museum, has been read to the Royal Society, containing some observations on a new genus of marine animals inhabiting the argonaut and nautilus shells. It was observed by Sir Joseph Banks, that the animal found in these shells is not the fabricator of them, but a parasite which has taken up its oc

casional abode there when it chooses to shield itself from the direct action of the waves. Sir E. Home also presented a paper somewhat similar, detailing his remarks on the mode and period of generation of the animals found in nautilus and argonaut shells. He found them to be oviparous animals, to be nourished nearly like snails.

Sir William Herschel, lately created a Hanoverian knight, has communicated a paper to the Royal Society on the system of the scattering of the stars, and on the best mode of dividing them into classes, so as to form a correct and convenient catalogue.

It is found by experiment, that the waters of the Thames, opposite the London Dock gates, are perfectly fresh throughout; at Blackwall, even in spring tides, the water was found to be only slightly saline; at Woolwich the proportion of salt water increases, and so on to Gravesend. From a series of observations made at and below London bridge, compared with the river as far up as Kew and Oxford, Mr Stevenson, the engineer, is of opinion, that the waters of the Thames seldom change, but are probably carried up and down with the turn of the alternate tides, for an indefinite period, which, he is of opinion, may be one, if not the principal, cause of what is termed the extreme softness of the waters of the Thames.

Lieutenant John Couch, of the royal navy, has invented-1. A Celestial Gyrograph, magnetically constructed, which gives the true bearings, rising, setting, and culminating, of forty of the principal fixed stars, for any hour and minute of the twentyfour hours.-2. A Gyrontic Gonophore, for more accurately surveying, either at sea or on shore, and with more expedition and facility.-3. A Night Semaphore of four lights and one pointer, of nine hundred thousand millions power.-4. A Gonophore for ascertaining the trim of a ship at sea; and, 5. A Marine Gyrograph, simplifying navigation.

Serpent found in Devonshire.Dr Leach states, that the red viper, described by Mr Rackett in a paper read to the Linnæan Society on April 15, is no more than a very common variety of the young viper of Britain. He also says, that coluber cæruleus of the Linnæan Transactions, col. prester and chersea of Linnæus, are also varieties of the same species, viz. of vipera berus.

The first Number of a new periodical work, entitled, "Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia," has just reached this country from America. It contains, 1st, Description of Six new Species of the Genus Firola, from the Mediterranean, by MM. de Sueur and Peron, with a plate. 2d, An Account of the New Mountain Sheep, Ovis Montana, by Mr George Ord; with a wood engraving of the Horn of the Animal. 3d, A Description of Seven American Water and Land Shells, by Mr Thos. Say.

VOL. I.

FRANCE.

Insects living in a Vacuum.-M. Biot has observed, that the insects called by the French blaps and tenebrions, may be left in the best vacuum that can be made by an air-pump for days, without their appearing to suffer any inconvenience.

New Method of detecting Arsenious Acid, or Corrosive Sublimate, when in Solution. -Take a little recent wheat starch; add to it a sufficient quantity of iodine to give it a blue colour. Mix a little of this blue matter with water, so as to have a blue-coloured liquid. If into this liquid a few drops of an aqueous solution of arsenious acid be put, the blue colour is immediately changed to reddish brown, and is gradually dissipated entirely. The solution of corrosive sublimate produces nearly the same effect; but if some drops of sulphuric acid be added, the blue colour is again restored, if it has been destroyed by arsenious acid; but if it has been destroyed by corrosive sublimate, it is not restored, either by sulphuric acid or by any other acid. (Brugnatelli, Ann. de Chim. et Phys. iv. 334.)

New Analysis of the Meteoric Iron of Siberia.-M. Laugier has lately subjected a specimen of this well-known mass of iron to analysis. He found its constituents as follow:

The increase of weight is owing to the oxidizement of the metals. This analysis shows us that the constituents of this iron are quite the same as those of the meteoric stones. (See Ann. de Chim. et Phys. iv. 363.)

Arragonite. It will be recollected, that after the discovery of carbonate of strontian by Stromeyer in arragonite, Messrs Bucholz and Meissner analyzed twelve specimens from different places; that they found strontian in seven of the twelve, but could detect none in the remaining five. Among these five was the arragonite of Bastènes, which, according to these chemists, contained nothing but carbonate of lime and a little sulphate of lime. Laugier has lately examined a specimen of arragonite from the same place. He found in it traces of carbonate of strontian, though the quantity of that substance present did not exceed the thousandth part of the weight of the specimen. In two other specimens of arragonite, one from Baudissero, near Turin, the other from the country of Gex, he could detect no strontian whatever; but he remarks, that these specimens did not exhibit all the char acters of arragonite. That of Baudissero, though pretty regularly crystallized, was 3 X

opake, and very friable. That from Gex has the vitreous fracture, and the hardness of the best characterized arragonites; but it is massive, and exhibits no appearance of crystallization. In general, the purest, most transparent, and most regularly crystallized arragonites, are those which contain the greatest quantity of strontian; while those which are impure, and mixed with sulphate of lime, either contain none, or very little of that substance. (Ann. de Chim. et Phys. iv. 361.)

A stone, adapted to the purposes of lithography, has been discovered in the quarries of Argenteuil. All the stone used in this art in France has hitherto been imported from Bavaria. Burgundy also has lately furnished some specimens, of which a trial is about to be made; but the quarry of Argenteuil seems capable of furnishing an abundant supply, and of the best quality.

GERMANY.

The great anatomical collection of Meckel of Halle is about to be offered for sale. It is only excelled by the magnificent and truly philosophical museum of the late John Hunter. The Meckels did not rest satisfied with mere preparations of parts of the adult human subject: a principal object with them has been to shew, in series of preparations, the forms and condition of the various organs and parts of the animal system, from their first appearance to their period of maturity; and this cabinet is also particularly rich in objects of pathological anatomy.

Animal Magnetism is at present in high repute in Germany, as a remedy in the cure of diseases. Many large works, and numberless pamphlets, have been written on this subject within two or three years, and even hospitals have been established, for the reception of such patients as require the aid of magnetism.

A periodical work is at present publishing at Altenburg, under the following title: "Archives of Animal Magnetism," by Eschenmayer, Kieser, and Nasse.

Barker, Wolter, and Hendricks, are publishing, in Holland," Contributions to the Doctrine of Animal Magnetism."

A periodical work is publishing in Switzerland, by a society of veterinary practitioners, under the title, " Archives of Veterinary Medicine." Four numbers have already appeared.

Neergaard has published, at Copenhagen, a Description of the Teeth of Horses, with a reference to those of other Quadrupeds. In the introduction, he gives a statement of the external marks that may be used in determining the age of horses.

Rohlwes has published, at Hanover, a work on the Knowledge and Cure of the Diseases of Wild Animals; and the same author has also published a work on Veterinary Medicine.

Dr K. L. Schwab has just published the

first fasciculus of a work, entitled, Materials for a Pathological Anatomy of Domestic Animals.

Professor Will has just published, at Munich, a volume on the Veterinary Art.

There is publishing in Hanover, by Crome, a Manual of Natural History for Agriculturists. It promises to be a very popular and useful work.

Weber has just published the fourth part of his valuable Manual of Economical Lite

rature.

Poppe has just published the second volume, letters DG, of his Technical Lexicon.

Meckel and Autenrieth now conduct the excellent Archives of Physiology, formerly carried on by Reil and Meckel. The few numbers of the new series are equal to any of those of the old series.

Ruhland is preparing for the press a System of Theoretical Chemistry, according to electro-chemical principles.

Thaer is publishing New Annals of Agriculture for the year 1817.

Henriette Schubart has lately published, at Altenburg, a translation of Walter Scott's Scottish Ballads and Songs.

D. B. G. Seilevi has lately published, at Leipsic, a treatise entitled, De Testiculi descensu et Genitalium anomalis; 4to.

Hodgson's Treatise on the Diseases of the Veins and Arteries has been translated into the German, and illustrated with notes, by the Counsellor of State and Chevalier Kreysig, and Dr F. A. Koberwan.

Historia

A curious book has lately appeared at Copenhagen, under the title, precipuorum Arabum Regnorum, rerumque ab iis gestorum ante Islamismum, e codd. MSS. Arabicis Bibliothecæ Regiæ Slavniensis collegit, vertit, Animadversiones addidit, Dr et Pref. J. L. Rassmussen."

A fifth edition of Hildebrand's excellent Manual of Physiology has just appeared.

Dr G. Hassel has published, at Weimar, two volumes of a General Geographical and Statistical Lexicon.

Friesleben, so well known by his Geognostical Description of Thuringia, has just published the first part of a work, entitled, "Contributions to the Mineralogical Geography of Saxony."

Dr Fr. G. Dietrich has published an additional volume of his Gardener and Botanist's Lexicon.

There has lately appeared at Frankfort, by Dr Diels, a systematic work on the Principal Species, Kinds, and Varieties, of Fruits cultivated in Germany.

Dr Bährens has published an account of those Diseases that yield to Animal Magnetism.

Weber has published at Leipsic, a work, entitled, "Anatomia Comparata Nervi Sympathici, cum tabula."

Winter of Munich has lately published a Series of Lithographic Drawings of Animals. Dr Olfers has just published an interest