Over the conglomerate, masses of

A1

T the meeting on the 28th March, Professor Jameson read an account of a floetz gypsum formation, which occurs on the banks of the Whiteadder near Kelso. --Likewise of a beautiful floetz quartz found in beds in the coal districts of Fifeshire; and of the occurrence of basalt, amygdaloid and trap-tuff, in a coal formation newer than the old red sandstone and its accompanying porphyry, but probably older than the general mass of the rocks of the newest floetz trap formation. At the same meeting, Mr Leach read a description of the pig of Orkney and Shetland, which he inclined to consider as a distinct species. And the Secretary laid before the meeting a very full and interesting thermometrical register and meteorological journal to Davis' Straits and back again, kept by Mr John Aitken, surgeon.

At the meeting on 11th April, Dr Macknight read a mineralogical description of Tinto, a noted mountain in Lanarkshire. It appears to be of floetz formation; probably resting on the grey wacke which pervades the whole mountainous districts in the south of Scotland. Around the base is found a conglomerate, containing rounded masses of grey-wacke, iron-clay, flinty slate, splintery hornstone, quartz, felspar, mica, &c. Where the rock becomes finer grained, it approaches in some places to grey-wacke, and in others to those portions of the old red sandstone which are conjectured to alternate with the newer members of the transition series.

clinkstone, and porphyry-slate, suc'cessively appear; till we reach the summit, which, along with the whole of the upper part, is found to consist of compact felspar, and felspar porphyry.-The disposition of the rocks in this mountain is conformable to the idea of secondary deposition, by assuming a finer and more crystalline texture as they ascend; and the occurrence of claystone and felspar in a position corresponding to what is observed on the Eildon Hills, the Pentlands, the Ochils, Papa Stour, Dundee, and in other places, seems to favour the hypothesis of a particular overlying formation, in which those substances are prevailing ingredients, extending over a considerable portion of the lower country of Scotland.

In the bed of the Clyde to the eastward of Tinto, amygdaloid appears, having nodules of calcedony coated with green earth; also calcspar, and portions of steatiteTowards the north, the conglomerate forming the base of Tinto, passes into the sandstone, of which the whole interior districts of Lanarkshire are composed. It is to the waste of this rock, that we owe the splendid scenery of Cora-lin, and the other celebrated falls of the Clyde, which exhibits in its courses, so many charms of nature, and may indeed be said to carry along with it, beauty and fertility from its very source.

At the same meeting, the Secretary communicated a very curious meteorological journal, for a year, kept by Governor Graham, during his residence in Hudson's Bay.

Monthly

Monthly Memoranda in Natural

History.

FEW swallows

MAY 4th.-A (Hirundo nutica) were observed here this day,

for the first time this season. On the 9th May they became numerous, this being the first mild summer day, and the wind changing from easterly to west. It may here be mentioned that the same species of swallow arrived in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, in 1810, on the 23d April, and in 1811 on the 7th and 10th April.

16. The rapid progress of vegetation during the past week has been striking in proportion to the lateness of the season. The first grass cut for sale in the Edinburgh market was mown in the meadow of Salisbury Craig on the 13th ult. This meadow is generally cut for the first time about the middle of April, and consists chiefly of Poa trivialis.

18. A return of the chilling easterly haar, as it is here styled, has again impeded vegetation.

20. The foliation of trees is on an average fully a month later than usual. The leaves on the lower spray of elm tress are just beginning to expand. The buds of the beech are in general only swelling, many trees and hedges still retaining the shrivelled leaves of last year. The ash is not generally in flower, and the leaf-buds of that very late forest tree are only beginning to swell. A few syca mores are nearly in leaf, but many are still naked.

27. Mild weather has again set in; and affords the prospect, at least, of a plentiful, though probably of a late harvest, both to the husbandman and the horticultur ist.

Canonmills, 27th May 1812.S

N.

Memoirs of the Progress of Manufactures, Chemistry, Science, and the Fine Arts.

MR BRODIE has made addition

al experiments of the effects of various poisons on different animals. It appears that the slight inflammation which occurs in the stomach, after taking poison into it, is not sufficient to occasion death; but that it is the palsying power of the drugs on the nervous system and on the blood which destroys life.

Among the causes which have an influence upon the quality of wines, M. Chaptal enumerates:-1. The different species of the cultivated vines,-2. The variety of climates where they grow.-3. The different nature of the soils.-4. Their more or less favourable exposure to the sun.-5. The seasons being more or less propitious.-6. The culture being more or less attended to.

The bell, or winter pear, according to an American Journal, may be brought to great perfection, and grow to sixteen inches in circumference, by wrapping up the fruit and branch in cloth, so as to protect them from the early frosts of October and November.

Messrs Sobolewsky and Horner, of St Petersburgh, have announced the discovery of the process of the French engineer Bon, and of Messrs Murdoch and Windeor, for extracting gas from wood or coal, and applying it to the purpose of illumination. Their greatest difficulty consisted in absorbing the smoke which exhaled from the gas, and in giving brightness and purity to the flame; for, in all experiments made in foreign countries, or in Russia, the flame was always weak and bluish, not very luminous, and attended by a mephitic smell. After many ineffectual experiments, they at length succeeded in obtaining a clea

clear light from the gas, without any smell, and unaccompanied by any sooty evaporation. They have undertaken to light public national establishments, manufactures, &c.

A late Number of the Journal des Mines contains an account of a submarine forest recently discovered near Morlaix, by M. de la Fruglaye. One day, after a tempest, he saw the appearance changed, the fine and level sand having dis appeared; and in its place, was a black mould, ploughed in long furrows. The mould was composed of a heap of decayed vegetable substances, among which he distinguished many aquatic plants, and some branches of forest trees; beneath this bed, there were reeds, bullrushes, asparagus, fern, and other meadow plants, of which many were extremely well preserved. M. de la Fruglaye dug down to the submarine forest, and drew out, among other things, a beautiful trunk of a yew, which was of a fine red colour, and very soft, but, when exposed to the air, lost its colour, and acquired consistency. Having prosecuted these researches for a space of seven leagues along the strand, he every where found the remains of the ancient buried

forest.

Bonaparte has enjoined his minister to order the Prefects of Departments to enforce the cultivation

of beet root. Each department is

to cultivate a number of acres of this plant under a penalty; the distribution to each farmer is vested in the prefect, whose neglect is to be punished with a fine and deprivation of office; the total number of the hectares to be planted is 100,000.

The experiments of Professor Leslie, to produce ice by evaporation in the air pump, have been varied and extended in France by Messrs Clement and Desormes: they have proposed to apply, the evaporation, in vacuo, on a large, scale, to the drying of gun-powder; which, being done without fire, will be attended with no danger. The French chemists are engaged in en-' deavouring to apply the evaporation in vacuo (before stated) to the drying and preserving fruit and vegetables. It may be easily conceived of what advantage this process may be, particularly in the army and navy, by preserving, unchanged, alimentary substances, and also by diminishing their weight and bulk, when they are to be sent to distant parts of the world.

Mr Bullock has re-opened his Museum in Piccadilly, for the advancement of the science of Natu

ral History, under the title of the London Museum, in a style of mag

nificence which has added an ornament to the metropolis. In most departments, the subjects have been doubled in number; the specimens are choice, in the highest possible preservation, and are arranged ac They consist of about 15,000 species cording to the Linnean system. of quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, corals, &c. &c, collected during twenty years unwearied application, and at an expence exceeding L.30,000.

By the assiduity of the Danishr government, the Vaccine Inocula-tion has been so thoroughly introduced among the population, that, during the course of the year 1811, there has not been a single case of small pox in Copenhagen.

Bio

Biographical Account of the late General Mackinnon, who fell at Ciudad Rodrigo.

M

AJOR-GENERAL HENRY MACKINNON, the youngest son of William Mackinnon, * of Mackinnon, was born in the month of August, in the year 1773, at his father's residence, then called Longwood, now Rose-hill, the seat of the Earl of Northesk, in the vicini ty of Winchester. His mother was the daugher of James Vernon, the younger son of Henry Vernon, of Hilton, in Staffordshire.

His academical education commenced when he was about twelve years old, at the Military College of Tournay, in Languedoc; and it is a remarkable circumstance, that, during his vacations, he had an opportunity of forming an early acquaintance with the present ruler of France, who was a frequent visitor at the house of his family, residing at that time, for the health of his eldest brother, in the adjoining province of Dauphiny. At this early age he became tinctured with those fascinating manners and accomplishments, by which the higher orders in France were peculiarly characterized, and imbibed their chival rous love of military glory, a circumstance which, as might be expected, afforded a bias to his taste, and a permanent incentive to his professional ambition. Even in those tender years he was distinguished by an ardent and persevering spirit, great perspicuity of judgment, coolness of deliberation, promptitude of decision, and steadiness in

his opinions; not the result of rash and confident temper, but of acute perceptions, and a mind uncommonly sagacious and reflecting. His progress in those studies to which his attention was directed, and particularly in the mathematical sciences, was, at this period, the admiration of his masters, and, to the eyes of his most discerning friends, presented a fair prospect of the greatest eminence in his profession.

Thus qualified, he entered the army in the fifteenth year of his age, and served during three years as a subaltern in the 43d regiment, then stationed in Ireland. At the commencement of the late war he returned to England, and was employed in raising an independant company at home, with which he returned to Ireland, but shortly afterwards exchanged from the line into the Coldstream Guards.

The earliest developement of his military talents, and the demonstration that his theoretic attainments were combined with that practical ability, which alone constitutes a valuable officer, did not take place till the period of the unfortunate disturbances in Ireland, where he was attached to the Staff, as Major of Brigade to Sir George Nugent, then commanding the northern district of that kingdom. During the arduous moment of the rebellion, his conduct was particularly noticed in the public dispatches. He was present at the battles of Antrim and Ballynahinch, and services of some note, considering the scale on which they were performed, displayed in his military character that fine assemblage of qualities, which constitute true heroism, undaunted courage united with judgment, and chastened by the tenIrish lady of distinction, in London, derest feelings of our nature. An when speaking of him at this period of his life, observed," Major Mac

kinnon