that coaft: the experiment fucceeded, and thefe, which were the first tea plants imported into Europe, arrived fafe October 3, 1763, and were sent to Upfal.'

DISSERTATION II. On the Increase of the Habitable Earth: By Linnæus.

In this philofophical romance, as it may very properly be called, Linnæus prefents us with a fanciful theory; the fubftance of which is, that this globe was originally covered by the fea, except a particular fpot, or small ifland, fituated under the equator, named Paradife; where Adam and Eve were created, and in which all the fpecies of vegetables were placed, and only one fingle fexual pair of every fpecies of living things' was included, and prevented from efcaping, by the surrounding ocean, till they had received their proper names from Adam, who must doubtlefs have been greatly puzzled in finding and mustering these first parents of the brute creation, particularly those of a roving difpofition, had the dry land been originally created of the fame extent as at prefent:-that, in this completely infuJated spot, each vegetable would meet with its appropriate foil, and every animal find its proper climate; because it was placed under the line, and its beautiful plains were adorned with a lofty mountain, on the top, fides, and bafis of which, vegetables might grow, and animals feed, peculiar to the frigid, temperate, and torrid zone:-and laftly, that in confequence of certain caufes, not here particularly indicated, the dry land, or ifland above mentioned: gradually expanded itself, and the sea as gradually retreated; till the whole terraqueous globe, on which we tread, and fail at prefent, affumed that form which it now exhibits in our maps.

In confirmation of this whimsical hypothefis, and of the fuppofed increase of land, and diminution of the fea, the Author alleges the well-known obfervations of the fhells of fea filh found in calcareous mountains, now at a confiderable diftance from the fea fhore: and he relates particular inftances of certain fea ports and coafts in Eaft and West Bothnia and elsewhere, gradually deferted by the fea, at the rate of 4 inches 5 lines every ten years.

To fhew the tendency to diminution, in the watery parts of this globe, with refpect to surface, the Author defcends to rivers. -The Simois and Xanthus, which watered the meadows of Troy, fo celebrated by the poets, are faid by Bellonius now to be fo diminished as not to be able to nourish the fmalleft fishes; they are quite dry in fummer, and in winter "have icarce water enough to fwim a goose."

The Tranflator, though fufficiently aware of the ftrong objections that may be urged againit this hypothefis, has been fo

far

far ftruck with this philofophical jeu d'efprit, as to think it worth his while, in one of his notes fubjoined to this differtation, to avail himself of the fuppofed convertibility of water into earth, by means of trituration and diftillation, or evaporation; and has accordingly been at the pains, on fome data furnifhed by Boyle and fome more modern philofophers, to calculate how much the height of the fea is diminished every year, or every century, by the tranfmutation of its water into earth, by evaporation only; without taking into the account the quantity fuppofed to be tranfmuted, by means of trituration, which he confiders as not attainable.-If he had recollected Fontenelle's inftructive tale of the Silefian child with the golden tooth, he probably would not have expended fo much algebra upon the fubject *.

To obviate one difficulty attending this hypothefis, particularly that of conceiving how the vegetables originally contained in the Paradifaical ifland above mentioned could be fo diffeminated, as afterwards to cover the whole face of the earth; Linnæus produces feveral curious inftances, to fhew the various and wonderful methods which the Author of Nature has provided for their difperfion and propagation: particularly by means of the winds, rains, rivers, the fea, heat, birds and other animals, and the ftructure of their own feeds and feed veffels. The following paragraph contains fome curious examples relative to the laft head.

Seeds themselves fometimes endeavour to affift their projection to a distance. The Crupina is a fpecies of centaury, its feeds are covered over with erect briftles, by whofe affiftance it creeps and moves about in such a manner, as it is by no art to be kept in the hand. If you confine one of them between the ftocking and the foot, it creeps out either at the fleeve or neckband, travelling over the whole body.-If the bearded oat, after harvest be left with other grain in the barn, it extricates itself from the glume-[the hufk, or chaff] nor does it flop its progrefs till it gets to the walls of the building.-Hence the Darlecarlian, after he has cut and carried it into his barn, in a few days finds all the glumes empty, and the oats feparate from them for every oat has a fpiral arifta, or beard, annexed to it, which is contracted in wet, extended in dry weather. When the fpiral is contracted, it drags the oat along with it; the arifta being bearded with minute hairs pointing downward, the grain neceffarily follows it: but when it expands again, the oat does not go back to its former place; the roughnefs of the beard the contrary way preventing its return.-If you take the feeds of Equisetum, or fern, these being laid upon paper, and viewed in a microscope, will be feen to leap over any minute obftacle, as

• See M. REVIEW, Vol. xxxvii. September 1767, pag. 173.

if they had feet; by which they are feparated and dispersed one from another: fo that a perfon, ignorant of this property, would pronounce thefe feeds to be fo many mites, or fmall infects.'

DISSERTATION III. On the Police of Nature: By Chrift. Daniel Wilcke.

This paper contains fome well chofen inftances of the appearance of police, or fubordination, obfervable in the feveral kinds of plants; fo that the number of the fpecies is preferved, and their relative proportion to each other is kept within proper. bounds. Marks of the fame provident oeconomy are likewile pointed out among the animal tribes; where, as the Tranflator obferves, the apparent fcene of carnage carried on in nature by animals of prey, is not only fubfervient, but of absolute neceffity to the preferving of the order of things in that perfection in which it was created; and which fubfifts alone by maintaining the number of fpecies, and the relative proportion of the individuals of each, unaltered.'-As a fpecimen, we shall tranfcribe a paragraph or two relating to the operations of thofe numerous minifiers of nature,' the infects.

$ 14. The Phalana Stribilella has the fir cone affigned to it to depofit its eggs upon; the young caterpillars, coming out of the thell, confume the cone and fuperfluous feed; but left the deftruction fhould be too general, the Ichneumon Strobilella lays its eggs in the caterpillar, inferting its long tail in the openings of the cone, till it touches the included infect, for its body is too large to enter: thus it fixes its minute egg upon the caterpillar, which, being hatched, deftroys it. But left it fhould multiply to the total extermination of the former fpecies, the Ichneumon Moderator, a very fmall infect, enters into the cone, and lays its eggs upon the caterpillar of the Ichneumon Strobilelle, which, being hatched, devour it. We owe this dif covery to D. Rolander."

$15. The caterpillars of the Fhalane, which fubfift upon trees and herbs, have alfo other infects fet over them. The Carabi [fpecies of beetle] get by night upon the branches of the trees, and devour what caterpillars they find, as Reaumur informs us. Those who raife fruit-trees cannot practile a better expedient to free themfelves from caterpillars, than to collect thofe infects, and place their eggs at the foot of the tree; which being hatched, will execute their office in the police of nature, and devour them.'

$16. Wherever any putrid matter is collected, certain infects are gathered together by it, whofe brood devour it, and prefently purify the place. Gnats drop their eggs over impure and putrid water, the Mufca putris [Berkenhout, 176. 17.] in mire, the Mufca domeftica [houfe-Ay] in dunghills, and others in

dead

dead carcafes: but left thefe fhould multiply beyond proper limits, fome vigilant overfeers arc appointed over them; the spider weaves innumerable webs upon every bufh; the Afili [hornetfy] fuck their blood; and the dragon-fly catches them whereever he flies.'

§18. Fih in the waters partly fubfift upon plants, partly by prey; thofe devour aquatic vegetables, thefe the worms and infects they find there; but left they fhould be entirely extirpated by them, there are fish of prey who thin the inhabitants of the waters, and harass their numerous fhoals. The smaller fish would be able to avoid them by turning frequently, and the excellence of their fins, if their number did not hinder their efcape. Thofe which do not multiply in that abundance, are armed with fpines to keep off their enemies. The bodies of dead fifh, in the bottom of the water, are perforated by eels, and devoured by the Myxina, befide crabs and fome infects: fo that here likewife we fee the greatest attention employed to preferve purity, as well as proportional number.'

DISSERTATION IV. On the Rhendeer: By Cha, Fred. Hoffberg, of Stockholm.

This differtation contains a defcription of this animal; together with fome curious particulars of the manner of living and habits of the Laplanders.

DISSERTATION V. On the Migration of Birds: By Cha. Dan.
Ekmarck.

Among the various caufes of the migration of birds, the Author reckons the numberlefs fwarms of gnats generated in the Northern lakes, on the melting of the fnow; and which furnish plenty of food to the birds which return into the Northern countrics at the beginning of fpring and fummer. The long days and bright nights, which we enjoy in fummer, furnish them with an opportunity of feeding themfelves and their voracious young. Our obfcure and immenfe woods protect them from the buftle and fear of men, and offer them a convenient refuge and habitation. The heats of the South of Europe compel many who have a thick plumage, mixed with down, and particularly the Anferes [Order 3. Water-fowl], to feek a cooler climate in fummer.-Cuftom and the place of their nativity has [have] alfo much force in it: they return to the places in which they had lived before, which abounded with provifions for them and their young, and with other advantages, to enjoy the fame commodioufnefs again. We frequently fce the ftork, year after year, hatching in the fame neft which he had once occupied. I have obferved the fame lame ftarling, eight years together, make her neft in one hollow alder; though he was abfent all the winter. It is at leaft fix years fince I have noted

the

the fame Keftril always returning to lay in one hole in an old tower; and two Moticille albe [white water-wagtail] have built in a laurel tree in the Phyfic gardens at Upfal, for these last fix years. They are now become as tame as barn-door fowls, not flying from man; which fufficiently diftinguishes them from all others, as they are generally very timid.'

We are rather furprised to find the Author, in the following paragraph, denying the migration of the fwallow and martin; and at the fame time fpeaking fo decifively of their fuppofed retreat under water, in the winter. Here is the whole of what be fays on a question which, we apprehend, is ftill controverted among the naturalifts. The procefs of their immerfion is rather whimfical; though we think we have met with it before.

The Hirundo ruftica [swallow] and Urbica [martin] pass the winter under water. In the latter part of September, they refort in great flights to the lakes and rivers. A fingle bird first lights upon a reed or bulrufh, then a fecond, and a third, until it be bent down with their weight, and finks into the water with them. They emerge again about the ninth of May, at the commencement of the pleasanteft part of the year.'

We formerly took occafion to offer an ingenious hint on this fubject propofed by a friend; and which feems to furnish a strong objection to the hypothefis that the fwallow retires under water during the winter; unlefs indeed it fhould be alleged that this fpecies of birds does not moult. [See M. REVIEW, Vol. L. April 1774, pag. 285; and Mr. Cornifh's remarks on our obfervation, in our 55th volume, Auguft 1776, p. 117.] DISSERTATION VI. On the Bite of Serpents: By John Guftavus Acrell.

The well-informed Reader will not meet with much novelty in this differtation; unless we except what the Author fays under the head of Charming Serpents' [the charming of ferpents]. -Pliny, Ovid, and many of the ancients,' fays the Author, inform us, that the Ophifgenes of Afia, the Pfylli of Libia, and the Marfi of Italy, were celebrated for charming ferpents, and curing their bite. These people handled the most venomous ferpents, without receiving any hurt; and healed their bites by fucking out the poifon. Haffelquift relates, as an eye-witness, that fuch a class of people ftill fubfift, and exercise their art to this day in Egypt. Its fecrets are preferved with the greatest fidelity, nor has any bribe been able to prevail upon them to dif

close them.'

Jacquin, who is upon his return from India, has informed the Prefident, by letter, that he has purchased the fecret of charming ferpents. We are yet ignorant whether this is ef fected by chewing the plant which he has named the Ariftolochia Anguicida [Mexican Ariftolochia], or by fome other

means: