earth has not existed from a very remote epoch, and he endeavours to prove it, like Deluc and Dolomieu, by the progress of despositions (éboulemens,) and by that of decomposition and formation of soil (atérrissemens.) He likewise thinks that this arrangement is totally owing to a cause unique, general, uniform, violent, and prompt; and appears to attribute to this cause even the tra sport of fossils. He attempts to prove that neither volcanoes, earthquakes, rivers, nor currents, could possibly arrange the surface of the earth, as it is in the present day. These ideas have also been entertained by several celebrated naturalists, especially when restricted to the last change experienced by the earth." On the above opinion we shall only remark, that M. André's "unique, general, uniform, violent, and prompt cause," explains nothing, and is not a tittle more intelligible, than to say that the Deity made the world, as we now see it. Observing, too, that the whole globe is composed of strata, often broken and irregular indeed, but still perceptible, we do not see the necessity or propriety of imputing its present appearance to "an unique and prompt cause." The strata of fossils would indicate succession, while other appearances are in favour of a prompt, but perhaps not a general cause. (To be continued.) Précis analytique des Travaux, &c. An analytical Summary of the Transaction of the Society of Sciences, Literature, and Arts, of Nancy, during the year 1806, 12mo. Nancy. As we have given some extracts in the appendixes to vols. 30 and 31, from the transactions of the society of Nismes, we are happy in being able to contrast them with those of Nancy, where the genius of Germany has rather the ascendancy over that of France. This little volume, indeed, contains abstracts of several very ingenius papers, which are more directed to chemical researches, than those of the southern societies. M. Gueneau d'Aumont applies the rule given by Laplace, to reduce a whole number into a fraction, or into any other denomination, whether fractional or decimal. He enters at length into the theory of fractions, shews that all scales of numeration present fractions analogous to decimal fractions, and proposes to call them natural fractions. In a "Dissertation on the Law of Continuity erectedinto a principle by Leibnitz," M. Haldat expresses his doubts respecting its accuracy and conformity with the phenomena of nature. To the arguments drawn from the principle of sufficient reason, on which Madame du Chatelet endeavoured to support this law, he opposes all the experimental proofs, founded on the opposition of the most active powers in nature. He relates a great variety of facts, where the repulsive powers evidently predominate; examines Bonnet's proofs in favour of the law of continuity; and, in referring to curious experiments, the results of which tended to shew the destruction of certain species, he endeatours to prove that the famous chain, with which Leibnitz wished to bind all beings, is purely imaginary; and that nature, in many cases, where the simplicity and fecundity of her means require a different mode, deviates from her progressive course, in order to obtain her end sooner, by making the most opposite means concur in maintaining her marvelous harmony. We do not, however, think that the author has either exhausted the subject, or established his point incontestably but it is a subject so unproductive of any practical utility, and so little likely ever to be perfectly determined, that it may by some be considered a waste of time and ingenuity to enter into the enquiry. The composition and use of James's powder, called by the French English powder, have exercised the Pharmacologists in France not less than those in England. Doctor Valentin, who highly recommends these powders, in a laboured dissertation, states them to be composed of 12 parts of tartrite of potash and antimony, and 120 of tartarized diaphoretic antimony, and ground and mixed together, which form a powder, of which from 2 to 14 grains are a dose, taken two or three times in the day. It was, however, ascertained by M. Mandel, that the antimony in a state of oxyd is the basis of this composition, which is yet unknown to all the foreign chemists. The following substitute is proposed for it; oxyd of antimony by nitre 24 grains, tartrite of potash and antimony 4 grains, powdered and divided into 6 doses. Doctor Valentin has also collected a number of instances, to prove that the yellow fever of America, is not contagious. It would, no doubt, be very useful, if people were convinced that this fever is not contagious, but at the same time, keep at an equal distance from it, as if it were. By acting in this manner, such numbers would not die of fever, as they now do; neither would others be deluded into a fatal security, by depending on the. useless quack-remedies which are advertised for the prevention and cure of this destructive fever. A curious" memoir on fossil bones of an extraordinary size, found in a hidden cave at St. Martins, near Commercy," was furnished to the society by M. Braconnot. These horns are supposed to have belonged to a large species of ex, common in the days of Cæsar, but very rare at present, and called by the German Aurouchs, the bos urus of modern naturalists. The chemical analysis of these horns afforded a considerable portion of gelatine and bituminous matter, not hitherto known in any ancient fossil bones. M. Braconnot succeeded in disengaging the gelatine from the phosphat of lime by nitric acid. In 100 parts of the fossil horns, found at St. Martins, there are 4.0 ferruginus quartzose sand; 4.6 solid gelatine; 4.4 bituminous matter: 0.5 oxyd of iron; 0.7 alumine: 1.0 phosphat of magnesia; 11.0 water; 4.5 carbonat of lime, and 69.3 phosphat of lime: the two latter were composed of phosphoric acid 2.83, and lime 41.0. Could we give implicit faith to M. Mandel's comparativeanalysis of soda, from Alicante, and that from Dieuze, we should conclude that the latter is doubly stronger than the former, and that the proportion is as 5 to 12. Had this proportion been given as 5 to 7, we might have believed the author's experiments to be accurate, but knowing the strength of Alicante soda, we must hesitate to adopt such a disparity. We suspect that the relative strength of the alkalis, will never be correctly ascertained, till Mr. Davy's discoveries are applied to this purpose. The same author has discovered a spurious kind of pepper in France, called by merchants small pepper (petit poivre.) The means which he adopts for discovering and separating this spurious species from the genuine kind, are making them into a paste and macerating them, when the real pepper resists the action of the water. The scarcity of fuel in various parts of France, has occasioned considerable alarm, and various projects for increasing it have been proposed. M. Plonguer recommends the reduction of a tract of land, in the department of Meurthe, into a peat-moss, from which all the inhabitants of the department might be supplied with fuel. The prejudices of the people in favour of wood-fuel, would not be easily reconciled with that of peat; but dire necessity, the consequence of revolutionary frenzy, would enforce its use. M. Haldat has made some very ingenious "Researches on double vision," the results of which he has laid before the Society of Nancy. He inquired if this combination of sensations takes place in all cases where the perception of objects is effected by means of instruments; if it existed where the sensations were homogenous or heterogeneous, produced by similar or dissimilar impressions. His experiments were directed to ascertain the association of heterogeneous sensations, and their transformation into a complete perception. He observes, with not much novelty, that in virtue of an apparent affinity, certain colours combine together preferably to others. Thus, small slips of pasteboard, red, blue, green, and yellow, placed two by two parallel to the side of the vertical plain which separates the eyes, give an orange colour, (the product of yellow and red) emerald colour, (the product of green and light blue,) although these coloured slips were placed in such a position that they are obliged to mount one over another, in order to combine these impressions. These combinations are strictly in the order of the natural affinities of colours, and do not establish any new fact relative to double vision. M. Coster has laid before this society an analysis of the Nanceide, a poem relating the defeat and death of Charles, Duke of Burgundy, before Nancy, written by Peter de Blaru, canon of St. Die, who composed his work so early as the reign of Charles, le temeraire. A well meant "essay on the utility and advantages of the ancient languages," was likewise read, at a public meeting of the society, by M. Belin. This abstract of the transactions of the learned society of Nancy, is highly creditable to the talents and industry of its members. One cause, however, for the superior merit of these and other similar publications at present in France, is the circumstance that authors, being no longer able to publish their works in distinct volumes, in consequence of the adverse times, and the forced seclusion of French books from this country, have now no other means of laying them before the public, than in brief epitomes of the transactions of organized societies. Can there be any stronger proof of the sufferings and decay of learning and science in France, under Napoleon? MISCELLANEOUS CRITICISM. Apologie des Femmes, poeme. An apology for Woman; a Porm. pp. 24. 8vo. Delaunay, Paris. There is some humour and much just satire in this pretended apology for women. The author commences with praise, and ends, we do not say, like Lavater, with falsehood but with poignant' satire. Trop des savans, de poetes, de sages, Gais dans leur haine, et cruels dans leurs jeux, Ont accablé des plus malins outrages Qu'il applaudit sans cesse aux malveillans." Here the author forgets what Dubellay long ago observed: Mais quoi! nature ne fait En ec monde rien parfait; Qui n'ait quelque vice en elle. We would not insinuate that the following portrait of Phedrion, has any original in this country, at least in the West of England. "Mais depuis peu le clergé l'a soumise; Tout théologue à des droits sur son cœur. Dans s'en boudoir elle le catéchise; En public meme elle s'en fait honneur. Si quequefois son zele scandalise, Elle s'en moque; et par son entremise Trois beaux abbés, jeunes, pleins de ferveur, Vont devenir des Peres de l'église." The character of the fantastic and capricious Amelia is that of a genus, of which the majority of Frenchwomen are species. "Chez les quarante avec crainte on la nomme; Des ses arrêts les salons sont frappés: Ce qu'ont de grand Londres, Berlin, et Rome Mais quelquefois un vapeur funèbre Vient de ses nerfs deranger le ressort. Sans de bons nerfs qu'importe un nom celèbre ? En sent-on moins les jeux cruels du sort? Flétrie alors comme la foible rose, 2 1 |