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swartbag, or black-backed gull; great grey gull; arctic gull; cormorant; solan goose; numbers of kittiwakes. The raven, hooded crow, moss-cheeper, starling, wren, and golden plover, were the only land birds to be seen. He observed no snow-buntings. Of the waders, the whimbrel and snipe were frequent; he observed a solitary heron; and likewise a single specimen of the oystercatcher, or tield of the Feroese, which however, the natives told him, is not a winter inhabitant. He shot a brent-goose (anas bernicla,) there known by the name of helsin-goose. Mr Wilson did not succeed in procuring specimens of the great auk or garfugel, which is said by Debes to have been common at Feroe in his time, and easily tamed; nor did he observe the fulmar or malimouk. In short, he was much too late in the year for securing an ernithological harvest in those northern and stormy islands. He succeeded however in procuring many beautiful minerals. He left Feroe on the 20th of October; and experienced many sudden changes of weather, from clear and calm to thick and stormy, within a few hours; so that it was the 10th of November before he reached Leith.

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3. On saving the seeds of brocoli genuine; by Mr Duncan Robertson, gardener at Megginch Castle.

4. On the origin of canker in fruit trees; by Mr Edward Sang, nurseryman, Kirkcaldy:

5. On destroying the gooseberry caterpillar; by Mr Robert Elliot gardener at Castle Craig.

On the report of Drs Rutherford and Home, as a committee appointed to examine dissertations received concerning the production of a soporific medicine from garden lettuce one medal was awarded to Dr Duncan, senior, and another to Mr Henderson, at Brechin Castle, for their interesting communications on this subject.

On report of the council, a medal was awarded to Mr Smith at Ormiston Hall, for his essay on the management of French pears; and to Mr Gibb, at East Linton, for his communications on the destroying of gooseberry caterpillars.

The committee appointed to inspect drawings of apples presented to the society, reported that the first medal had been assigned to a drawing of an oslin pippin, and the second to a drawing of a nonsuch apple; and that on opening the respective sealed letters, the former had been found to N. belong to Miss Mary Young, 48, Queen Street, and the latter to Miss Farquharson of Howden.

Proceedings of the Caledonian Horti-
cultural Society

General meeting of this society
was held on Tuesday the 8th Dec.
Sir George Mackenzie, Bart. in the
Chair,
When the following communications

were read.

1. On the superiority of composts to simple dungs; by Mr David Wighton, gardener at Melville House.

2. On retarding the flowering of peach and apricot trees, by means of moveable skreens, with a plan; by Mr Archibald Gorrie, gardener at Rait.

The committee for prizes reported, that, notwithstanding the unfavourable season, several very fine parcels of apples and pears had been produced; and recommended that two medals should be granted, for the best and next best of those fruits. The fol lowing prizes were accordingly a

warded:

Apples. First prize to Mr James Kirk, gardener to the honourable Baron Hepburn, at Smeaton.-Second to Mr James Macdonald, gardener to the Duke of Buccleuch and Queens-. berry, at Dalkeith House.

Pears. First prize to Mr James

Smith, gardener to the Earl of Hopeton, Ormiston Hall.-Second to Mr Robert Ingram, gardener to Sir William Erskine, at Torry.

Mr Thomas Crichton, Laurieston. Mr J. Macnaughton at Edmonston Robert Edmonds, Esq. London. Mr-Nash, seedsman Lordca.

Best late Broccoli.-To Mr Mac- Mr- -Cormack, seedsman, Lond donald, Dalkeith House.

Mr G. Thomson, seedsman, Leada.

Best forced Sea Cale.-To Mr Mr. J. Malcom, nurseryman, Kensing.

Smith, Ormiston Hall.

Best forced Asparagus.-To Mr David Ford, gardener to the Earl of Haddington, at Tynningham.

Some uncommonly large and beautiful specimens of Nonpareil and American Newton apples having been exhibited at this meeting, produced in the garden of Mr Oswald, of Auchincruive, in Ayrshire; it was proved, and unanimously agreed to, that an extra medal should be awarded to Mr Allan Cameron, gardener to Mr Os wald, for his great success in cultivating those fruits.

At this meeting, the following new members were added to the roll of the Society, viz.—

The honourable G. Abercromby of
Tullibody.

J. Rutherfurd, Esq. of Edgerston.
Dr. James Hare, junior.
Frederick Fotheringham, Esq. Com-

missioner of Excise.
John Borthwick Gilchrist, Esq.
James Millar, Esq. advocate.
Dr William Farquharson.
Alexander Henderson, Esq. Banker.
Robert Smith, Esq. merchant.
Robert Johnston, Esq. one of the Ma-

gistrates of Edinburgh. James Scott, Esq. surgeon. Roger Ayton. Esq W. S. Andrew Small, Esq. Craigside. David Lowrie, Esq. at Inverleith. Lieut.-Colonel Oliphant of Rossie, Thomas Trotter, Esq. of Blackford. Thomas Junor, Esq. W. S. George Wood, Esq. surgeon. William Creelman, Esq. of Coats. John Reid, Esq. merchant Leith. Henry Scott, Esq. manufacturer. George Kincaid, Esq. Canongate, Charles Ritchie, Esq. merchant.

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Memoirs of the Progress of Manufac tures, Chemistry, Science, and the fine Arts.

MR Bakewell, who has been en

gaged in a mineralogical exami nation of the inexhaustible mineral wealth of Charn-wood Forest, in Leicestershire, for the Earl of Moira, has lately discovered, amongst the Granitic Rocks of that district, a variety of Sienite of singular beauty, surpas sing that from Eygpt, or the continent of Europe. Like other stones of this species, it consists principally of Hornblende and Felspar; the latter is of a pale red colour, the former is crystalline, and of a beautiful green, resembling Smaragdite. It exists in large blocks, and might be applied to purposes of ornamental or sepulchral architecture, and sculpture. It is from this kind of stone that the durable monuments of antiquity were constructed. This gentleman is engaged to deliver a course of Lectures of the Natural History of the Earth, and its mineral productions, at the Surrey Institution, to commence in January.

Captain

t

C

Captain Flinders has drawn up a statement of his remarks on the magnetic powers of the needle, made during his voyage for examining New Holland, in the Investigator. The observations contain the differences noticed at the binnacle, on changing the head of the ship from east to west: also the result of observations recently made at Sheerness, Plymouth, and Portsmouth, in different ships of war, all of which vary materially from those made by the Investigator. In the voyages performed by Cook and Vancouver, the differences appear to have been nearly the same as in the ship Captain Flinders commanded, and also of a contrary nature in the two hemispheres.

66

Sir Humphrey Davy attempts to account for those appearances which present themselves in bodies that are heated, in the following manner : Rejecting received hypotheses, he observes, It seems possible to account for all the phenomena of heat, if it be supposed, that, in solids, the particles are in a constant state of vibratory motion, the particles of the hottest bodies moving with the greatest velocity, and through the greatest space; that, in fluids, and elastic fluids, besides the vibratory motion, which must be conceived greater in the last, the particles have a motion round their own axis with different velocities, the particles of elastic fluids moving with the greatest quickness; and that, in ethereal substances, the partieles move round their own axis, and separate from each other, penetrating in right lines through space. Temperature may be conceived to depend upon the velocities of the vibrations; increase of capacity on the motion being performed in greater space; and the diminution of temperature during the conversion of solids into fluids or gases, may be explained on the idea of the loss of vibratory motion in consequence of the revolution of particles round their axis, at the moment when

the body becomes fluid or aëriform, or from the loss of rapidity of vibration, in consequence of the motion of the particles through greater space."

Mr Sadler ascended from Belvidere-house, near Dublin, October 1, at 1 P. M. with the wind at south-west, and in thirty-five minutes had sight of the mountains in Wales: he continued in the same direction till three o'clock, when being nearly over the Isle of Man, the wind blowing fresh, he found himself fast approaching the Welch coast, and at four o'clock he had a distinct view of the Skerry light-house, and the prospect of consummating his ardent hopes of a speedy arrival in Liverpool. The wind now shifting, he was again taken off, and lost sight of land; when, after hovering about for a long time, he discovered five vessels beating down Channel; and, in hopes of their assistance, he determined on descending with all possible expedition, and precipitated himself into the sea. In this most critical situation, he had the mortification to find the vessels took no notice of him: obliged, therefore, to re-ascend, he now threw out a quantity of ballast, and quickly regained his situation in the air, to look out for more friendly aid. It was a length of time before he had the satisfaction of discovering any, and then observed a vessel, which gave him ta understand, by signal, that she intended to assist him, but could not reach him. Two others also now appeared in sight, and one of them, tacking about, hoisted the Manx colours. Night now coming on, he was determined to avail himself of their friendly aid, and once more descended into the sea; but here the wind, acting upon the balloon as it lay upon the water, drew the car with so much velocity that the vessel could not overtake it; and notwithstanding he used his utmost efforts, and latterly tied his clothes to the grappling iron, and sunk them to keep him steady,

still the balloon was carried away so fast, that he was under the necessity of expelling the gas: upon that escaping, the car actually sunk, and he had now nothing but the netting to cling to. His perilous situation, and the fear of getting entangled, deterred the men from coming near him; until, being in danger of drowning, Mr Sadler begged they would run their bowsprit through the balloon, and expel the remaining gas. Having done this, they threw out a line, which he wound round his arm, and was then dragged a considerable way before they could get him on-board, quite exhausted.

A little of the tincture of Jamaica dogwood, introduced into the cavity of a carious tooth, is said to produce instant and commonly permanent relief.

The perfumed cherry, or Prunus Mahaleb, coming into repute, is a pleasing tree for shrubberies. Its flowers are white, and diffuse a very pleasant smell. Any sort of cherry may be grafted, with success, on the stock of the perfumed cherry. It is propagated by seed sown in the au

tumn.

Dr J. Ogilby of Dublin has replied to Sir. H. Davy's proposal for improving the arts of bleaching linen and cotton cloth, and shewn by demonstration, that both have been steeped for five days in very strong solutions of muriate of lime, without their texture being the lease impaired ; and it has been calculated, that in the bleachers' steeping liquor, there never can exist one part of muriate of lime, to 2000 of water.

The Spanish government have sent two of the mortars used by the French at the siege of Cadiz, as a present to our Regent. These implements of war are said to weigh twenty tons, and carry a shell of one hundred weight to the distance of three miles.

The following relation was lately

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laid before she Imperial Institute, by Chaptal :-On the 10th of April 1812, at six minutes past eight in the evening, the night being very dark, the atmosphere was, on a sudden, illuminated by a whitish light, sufficient to see to read by, which lasted about fifteen seconds, and disappeared gradually. Two minutes and a half afterwards, a considerable detonation was heard, resembling the explosion of a mine, and followed by a commotion so strong, that several persons thought it was an earthquake. At Gailloe and at Alby, it was supposed that the powder magazine at Toulouse had blown up. Some minutes after this explosion, the sky cleared up, and the stars appeared. Two days afterwards it was known at Toulouse, that meteoric stones had fallen, six leagues from that city, in the commune of Burgau, in the department of Upper Garonne, and in that of Savenes, department of Tar and Garonne. According to the account of M. Filhol, a distinguished physician at Grenade, near Burgau, and that of the curate of Savenes, it appears, that a great brightness was seen, like that of a rocket, and a number of explosions heard like a rolling fire of musquetry, which lasted several minutes, gradually died away, and was followed by a confused noise from the north-west. The different specimens brought to Toulouse, weighed from six to eight ounces. They are not whole, and have all of them part of their surface of a blackish colour, and, as it were, carbonaceous. In the interior, they are grey, and resemble the stones that fell at Aigle, but appear to contain a much greater quantity of metallic substance. Their specific gravity is 8813. The number of these stones seems to have been very considerable, but the darkness of the night, and the alarm of the spectators, probably prevented many of them from being found.

On

On MARRIAGE, considered as suited to the different Professions.

From the Italian of ANTONIO COCCHI*.

MARRIAGE has a remarkable effect upon the employments, to which every one, who wishes to escape poverty, must devote himself. These are, agriculture, merchandize, the court, civil and military offices, and the professions carried on in cities. That each of these affairs may be happily conducted, the utmost attention and liberty are evidently required: hence the famous saying of Hesiod; that its foundations are a house, a wife, and good ploughmen.

Merchandize, which disperses men into the most remote quarters of the globe, exposing them to a thousand labours and dangers, and filling them with burdensome anxieties, agrees little with domestic repose, and with the care of a family.

Those who, to acquire opulence, devote themselves to the fatiguing idleness and the splendid slavery of a court, can much better endure inconveniences, and employ assiduity and obsequiousness, when they are loosed from every other tie, and void of every other care. This can scarcely be expected from the husbands of young and amiable women, who besides can, much less easily than the unmarried, sustain that perpetual dissimulation, and that jealous secrecy, so necessary to courtiers. It is but too well known, that matrimony discovers entirely the true character of a man, unfolding his most secret pas sions, and often his most important secrets, to a person, who accompanies him in quiet solitude, and whose fidelity is naturally very precarious.

Able men are not only disposed to employ themselves in a court, but still more in civil government, which

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subsists, both in great and small states, by numerous ministers of different ranks. In that honoured career, where a man may propose to himself at once the acquisition of riches, the pleasure of power, and that of benefiting his country, he ought seriously to consider, whether the having a wife will contribute to the glorious end at which he aims.

Certain it is, that to rise above the vulgar crowd, and to establish a great fortune in the world, every one, who has not been born to it, must overcome infinite obstacles, must acquire much merit, and venture on very daring enterprizes. For which purpose it is necessary, that he should be freed from every other care, and should not think it impossible to arrive at stations still more elevated, because even moderate atchievements are performed only by those who aspire to the highest. Now, matrimony fills man with turbulent, though minute anxieties, and by confining him to the domestic circle, withdraws him greatly. from public life; it places him in a fixed rank, from which he cannot easily rise. And as the wife is united to the husband by a relation so close, that she has an equal share in the private management of the family, and constitutes with him that power, so like a kingdom, that it is called a paternal kingdom, it is not possible that he should not participate the blame and losses, to which female imprudence and vanity is subject. Hence arise venality and avarice, often observable in the houses of Magistrates. Though originally of the most honourable principles, they are led to violate justice through the insidious counsels and deceitful insinuations of their wives, who, having both keys to the heart of their husbands," ayail themselves of the moments in which prudence is most dormont. We need not, therefore, wonder at seeing, both by history and our own observation, the most remarkable progress of

fortune

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