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every hour of the day, especially
if the weather be warm. The
sound exactly resembles that which
may be made by beating moder-
ately hard with the nail on a table
The insect is of a colour so exact-
ly resembling that of decayed wood
viz. an obscure greyish brown,
that it may for a considerable time
elude the search of the enquirer.
It is about a quarter of an inch in
length, and is moderately thick in
proportion and the wing-shells are
marked with numerous irregular
variegations of a lighter or greyer
cast than the ground colour.
the twentieth & twenty-second vol.
ume of the Philosophical Transac-
tions may be found a description
of this species by the celebrated
Derham. with some very just ob-
servations relative to its habits, and
general appearance: and it seems
singular that so remarkable an in-
sect should have almost escaped
the notice of more modern ento-
mologists. In the twelfth edition
of the Systema Naturæ of Linnæus
it does not appear: but is proba-
bly the dermestes tesselatus of Fab-,
ricius, in which case he seems to
have placed it in a wrong genus.

Ridiculous, and even incredible as
it may appear, it is an animal that
may in some measure be tamed;
at least it may be so far familiarized
as to be made to beat occasionally,
by taking it out of its confinement,
and beating on a table or board,
when it will readily answer the
noise, and will continue to beat as
often as required,

We must be careful not to confound this animal, which is the real death watch of the valgar, emphatically so called, with a much smaller insect of a very different genus, which makes a sound like the ticking of a watch, and continues it for a long time without intermission. It belongs to a totally different order, and is the termes pulsatorium of Linnæus. ·

I cannot conclude this slight account of the death watch without quoting a sentence from that celebrated work the Pseudodoxia Fpidemica of the learned Sir Thomas Brown, who on this subject ex• pressis himself in words like these

He that could eradicate this error from the minds of the people would save from many a cold

sweat the meticulous heads of nurses and grandmothers,

SELECTED.

For the Lady's Miscellany. CONSTANTIA GRIERSON.

Was born in the county of Kilkenny in Ireland, and was one of the most extraordinary women of her time, or perhaps of any other. She died in the year 1733, at the age

of 27, and was allowed to be

long before an excellent scholar, not only in Greek and Roman literature, but in history, divinity, philosophy, and mathematics.--What makes her character still more remarkable is, that she rose

to this eminence in learning merely by her own genius and continued application. She produced several poems, but was so regard less of their merit, that she did not preserve the manuscripts. She was not only happy in a fine imagination, a great memory, an excellent understanding, and an exact judgment, but had all this crowned with virtue and piety: She was too learned to be vain, too wise to be conceited, too knowing and too clear sighted to be irreligious. As a reward for her uncommon merit, her husband, Mr. Grierson, obtained a patent to be the King's printer, from Lord Carteret, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. As her learning and abilities raised her above her own sex, so they left her no room to envy any; on the contrary, her de

could never keep a servant girl, with a tolerable agreeable face, but the Doctor would be in pursuit of her. Mrs. A. E. had hir'd a very pretty girl in that Capacity, and he no sooner beheld her, than he was smitten with her charms considering her as a domestic treasure, of which he latter'd himself he should be possess'd. Accordingly the Doctor took every opportunity, in the absence of her mistress, to say civil things, which so tormented the girl, that she soon gave her mistress warning. Mrs. A. E. having taken a great liking to this servant, was very sorry to part with her, offering to increase her wages, and diminish her labour, but these kind overtures had no effect, the young woman saying it was impossible for her to stay. This peremptory declaration excite

light was to see others excel; sheed Mrs. A. E's curiosity, to know was always ready to advise and direct those who applied to her, and was herself willing to be advised

VARIETY.

ORIGINAL AND SELECTED

For the Lady's Miscellany.

ANECDOTES.

Doctor A.-E. of melodious memory was much addicted to wenching, and that at the time of his living with his first wife, she

what could have given the girl so great a dislike to the place; when, upon being interrogated closely upon the subject she repli'd. 'Why then, madam, to tell you the truth, my master teases me so much in your absence, that I have no comfort of my life-I would not mind it, continued the girl, if he was a handsome man; but to be tor mented by such an ugly fellow is insupportable. An ugly fellow!" returned Mrs. A. E. with great warmth; 'call my Tommy an ugly fellow? Get out of my house this instant you jade !' then stamping her foot in a great rage im mediately discharg'd the girl.

Female loquacity has ever been a subject for wit to shoot its arrows at, nor has it escaped cenA sure from the pulpit itself. Capauchin friar preaching before the immured inhabitants of a nunnery on Easter Sunday, after having said many fine things of Mary Magdalen, and of course the whole sex, but do not' says he, do not be so proud that our blessed Lord paid your sex the distinguishing compliment of appearing to one of you, immediately after his resurrection; it was done with a view that it might be spread the sooner.' On another day expounding the Gospel of the Samaritan woman the same friar observed, that the story was long-but that was not to be wondered at, for a woman spoke in it.'

OF SIR ROGER CURTIS.

The mirth and good humour natural to, this gallant officer,often led him into many adventures. Having received orders while in London to take the command of a squadron and hoist his flag on board the Formidable,, at Portsmouth, he travelled for despatch without servants, plainly dressed, in a mail coach. As it frequently happens in this sort of conveyance. the passengers were unknown to each other, and Sir Roger found himself in company with a young man, who proved by his uniform to be a mate of an EastIndiamen then lying at the Mother Bank. When they had proceeded within a few miles of Petersfield, the young officer pulled some bread and cheese from a bundle, and invited his fellow travellers to eat. During their re. past, he treated them with seaphrases, which induced the admiral jocosely to ask him many simple questions relative to nautical tactics--among others he ask-ed how sailors see in the night, and whether they were not com

Revenge, however, is sweet, and the ladies never fail to retaliate when an oportunity is offer'd; for, at a country church, where it is usual for men to stand on one side and women on the other, the preacher was much disturbed by two of the former speaking so loud as to become at last troublesome; he was going to silence them,pelled to tie the ship to y post or when a female auditor-happy to have the opportunity of vindicating her own sex, got up, and addressed the curate in the following manner.--' Reverend sir' says she 'I hope you will take notice the noise is not on our side the church! so much the better, good woman,' replied he, it will end the sconer.

tree until morning. The mate was not backward in bestowing a few hearty curses upon the ignorance and lubberly lingo of the admiral, who laughed heartily at the joke; and not only bore the rough observations of the sailor with good humour, but the contemptuous grins of his fellow passengers. On their arrival at Ports

his favourite lass, he retired some miles from Boston, built a snug little hut, and night and day alternated to his bottle and his Poll. A crew of old mess-mates hearing of Jack's precipitate retreat, made diligent search for his abode. A

mouth, the admiral shook hands with the mate, and went on board his ship. The same day Sir Roger came on shore in his broad gold laced hat and uniform; he was attended by several of his bargemen, and while walking up Point-street, he met his late fel-short period marked their success. low passenger, the mate of the The hut which was elevated on Indiamen. Before the latter re- large stumps, and of no great size, covered from his surprise, Sir presented an object to gratify their Roger accosted him with- humour. In the dead of the night "What cheer, mess-matethese brethren of the sea raised you see I am not the lubber you. the hut on their shoulders, and took me for but come, as I transported it, from the side of a breakfasted out of your locker hill, where it stood, into the centre this morning. you shall splice the of a pine grove, at a mile's dismain brace with me this evening, tance. This performed, they rethen you may square your yards, turned unperceived. At the dawn and run before the wind to the of day, Jack, as was usual, openMother Bank." The mate withing the door to pass a judgment astonishment apologized as well as he was able, for the liberty he had taken with the admiral, who soon relieved him from his embarrassment, and advised him over a bottle, never to be decoyed by false colours, but to look sharply at the mould and trim of every vessel he met, before he suffered her to surprise him.

At the commencement of the late war, when the dread of a pressgang kept the minds of many in perpetual alarm, an American

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on the weather, was saluted by a pine bough, which very forcibly complimented his face with a "good morning." Never having read of Queen Mab's nocturnal incantations, he was at a loss to conjecture how he could have run so many knots in so few hours.—— At length, rubbing his eyes several times, he says, "Confound me, Poll unless my lights are in a sea fog, we've been dragging our anchors all night!"

APHORISMS.

Afflictions. Most women la

tar, whom Neptune had not treatment not the death of their lov

ers so much out of real affection, as because they would appear to be the more worthy of having

ed with the utmost lenity, resolved
to quit his station on deck & sleep
in the cabin, till the storm had
blown over. Accordingly, with been beloved.

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CINCINNATT, Nov. 2.

A DUEL.-On the 2d inst. a duel was fought on an Island in the Missis sippi, opposite Kaskaskia, between Thomas T. Chittenden, esq. Attorney General of the Louisiana Territory, || and Dr. Walter Fenwick, a practising physician of St. Genevie. The latter received a mortal wound at the first fire which he survived three hours, leaving a wife and one child.

MURDER.

John Merchant, esq. of Norfolk, re. turning from the late races in Virginia was murdered on the evening of the 6th inst, and thrown off the turnp ke Bridge. His body was fund on the 10th, with marks of violence on it.

Married.

On Saturday evening last, by the rev. Mr. Williston, Mr. Francis White, to Miss Sarah Spicer, both of this city.

At Albany, John Hamilton, to Miss Mary Forsyth-At Baltimore Joseph Wilkins, to Miss Mary Bedford.

At Wilmington Wm, E. Jury, to Miss Nancy Jennings.

At Wilmington Silas Varnam;
Miss Nancy Knight.

At Albany, John Ronay, to Miss Ann
Latham.

At Albany Thomas Wilson, to Miss Elizabeth Kane..

On Wednesday evening last, by the row. Mr. M Niece, Mr. John M'Koy, to Miss Jane Brownlee.

At Poughkeepsie, Edward G. Perlee, esq. to Miss Maria Cuyler.

At Newark Wm. Canfield to Miss Louisa Crané.

At Phillapophia, Mordecai Y. Bryant, to Miss Ann D. Deacon, of Tuckerton, New-Jersey.

On Monday evening by the rev. Mr. Kuyper, Aaron L. Williams. to Miss Margaret Elsworth, both of this city.

In Culpepper county, Vir, on the 17th Sept. Mr. Richard Major, aged 75 years

to

Mrs. Ann Duke aged 76 years! The groom was very corpulent, and the bride weighed upwards of 230 lbs! This may truly be called a great match!

Died.

On Monday morning last, Major William M. Pluymert, aged 33 years.

On Tuesday the 19th inst. at Green. wich, Mrs. Catherine Duncan, wife of Mr. Geo. Buncan.

On Monday last, in the 62d year of her age, Mrs. Phebe Davis. She died, as she lived. a rare and exemplary instance of female calmness and fortitude, at the most awful and trying moment. A calm. ness and fortitude that arose from a consciousness of having faithfully performed her duty to her God, her children, and her friends, and in a full reliance on the mercies of her redeemer.

At Philadelphia, John Paul Thomp son, esq of South Carolina.

On Thursday last. Richard Croaker, printer, aged 29 years.

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