than Cæsar and Alexander, who are here utterly excluded from the list of incomprehensibles, and sent to another quarter.

"Correspondence sur la Conservation," &c. "Correspondence relative to the preservation and amelioration of Domestic Animals, &c. drawn from the practice of skilful persons, and published periodically by M. Fromage de Feugrê, Veterinarian in chief of the Gendarmerie of the Emperor's Guards.” 2 vois. 12mo. Paris. This little work contains many valuable, some amusing, and a few questionable observations on the best mode of employing and managing domestic animals while in health, of treating them during disease, of multiplying their kinds, and improving their breeds.

"Essai sur les Merinos." " An Essay on Merino Sheep. By M. Giron de Bazurlingues." Svo. Paris. This work is rather adapted to the meridian of France than to that of our own country. M. Giron describes himself as a shepherd, and his remarks as the result of personal experience and practice: and there is a particularity in many of them which induces us to believe that he has described himself correctly. His work is indeed clogged with particularities of another kind; we mean those of a sort of a sermonic division and subdivision.

Another singular discovery inthevariable region of chemistry has characterized the year before us; we mean the detection of a new, and apparently elementary substance, which bears a striking analogy to oxygen and chlorine, in its being a supporter of heat, exhibiting an acidifiable prin ciple, a strongly electric power, and having a close affinity for the inetals. The merit of the discovery is due to M. Courtois; it has been accurately

examined by many of the best chemists of the present day, as well in our own country as in France, and the characters given of it by M. GayLussac, in the Moniteur of Dec. 12, have been for the most part sufficiently established. This new substance is obtained in great abundance, from kelp, by a particular process; from its violet colour and that gas which it exhibits when put into a gaseous state, it is denominat ed iodine, from ways, violaceus. The action of phosphorus upon iodine furpishes the means of obtaining new, or iodine acid in its gaseous and li quid state. If these two substances, however, be brought into contact in a dry form, they produce a matter of a reddish brown colour, but no gas is disengaged. As soon, however, as we moisten this matter with water it gives out acid fumes in abun dance, while at the same time phosphorous acid is produced. So that while the oxygen of the water unites with the phosphorus and forms phosphorous acid, its hydrogen combines with iodine, and forms the new acid. Admitting the existence of chlorine as an established element, we have now therefore three distinct simple supporters of combustion. And supposiug also the existence of Sir Humphry Davy's conjectured fluorine, the number will not be less than four: so that the science of chemistry is but yet in its infancy, and we know not what alterations its first principles will still have to undergo.

Dr. Berzelius, to whose accuracy we are indebted for much of the knowledge we possess of the relative combinations and properties of a large field of mineral and aeriform substances, bas lately given a convincing proof of his proficiency in the higher branches of physiology by

his able "View of the progress and present state of Animal Chemistry;" forming an octavo volume in the Swedish tongue. We had a useful work upon the same subject published a few years ago in three voJumes octavo, by Mr. W. Johnstone, drawn up with great care and attention from the best authorities of the day but the science has since undergone so many changes, and been detected to be erroneous in so many of its sturdiest and best supported principles, that a work of this kind is really wanted to collect into one focus the general result of the numerous experiments and discoveries which have taken place on the continent and in our own country during the last ten years. At this moment we are greatly ignorant of the constituent principles of that common current of life which we denominate blood. It was at one time very generally supposed clear that its red colour is produced by an oxyd of iron, either generated in this fluid, or introduced from without by means of the materials that constitute our food: and the quantity of iron contained in the body of an adult was attempted to be calculated; and was rated at about seventy scruples, or nearly three ounces averdupois, admitting twenty-eight pounds of blood to be a fair ratio for the adult form. This cause of the red colour has, however, for some years been doubted; and within the last two years we have had sufficient evidence that the blood contains little or no iron whatever; that its red particles afford not more than its serum; and that its serum gives forth not more than any other fluid. This was first determined experimentally by Mr. Brande, and Berzelius confirms the same result in the work before us. He

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concurs also with Mr. Brande, in ascertaining that most of the materials found in the different organs are secreted by the action of those organs themselves, and that the blood only furnishes the common plastic wash, if we may be allowed to take a term from the distillery, for the general use of the whole. Even gelatine is by both these chemists sufficiently proved to have no existence in the texture of the blood itself. The materials and the economy of respiration are in our opinion quite as little, known as those of the blood and sanguineous system. M. Berzelius seems to adhere to the common opinion: but if the very curious experiments of Mr. Ellis be founded in truth, and we are not aware of their being controverted, this opinion is in every respect erroneous. Our author however, does not seem to be acquainted with Mr. Ellis's productions, and his work is thus far considerably deficient. For ourselves we lament this deficiency, as being anxious to have the same ground fairly trodden over by other physiologists, and wo know of no man better qualified for the purpose than Professor Berzelius. Our knowledge of the process of digestion, moreover, is still open to much improvement. We know but little of the nature, and not much of the powers of the gastric juice.-Whether acid, whether alkaline, whether neutral-by what means, and under what circumstances the one, and by what means and under what circumstances the other, And we are totally ignorant of the relative aid afforded by the collatitious fluids that co-operate with it in the process of chylifaction. We withdraw from this subject with regret; but we shall have occasion to return to the work itself

in our volume for next year, as we have just learned that it is now translated into our own tongue by Dr. Brunnmark, Chaplain to the Swedish Legation at our own Court. We observe an anonymous work put forth from the press of Philadelphia, "The Extent of Fossile -Shells," that evinces a considerable portion of geological attention on the part of the writer. It is indeed a curious subject, and requires to be more minutely investigated. After noticing the vast beds of fossile shells traced in different parts of the loftiest and inland territories of Europe and Asia, the author observes, that"in Virginia, at a great distance from the ocean, and westward of the Blue Ridge, is a tract of forty thousand acres, covered with oystershells: sea-mud was also found in the same region by General Lincoln. In the neighbourhood of Paytu, in Peru, six hundred feet above the high-water mark, oyster-shells are found in such quantities as to furnish all the lime used by the neighbouring inhabitants, more easily than it can be obtained by raking them from the harbour below, where nevertheless they abound."

And

Abbé Haüy, Honorary Canon of the Metropolitan Church of Paris," &c. 8vo. Paris. The writer of this publication stands foremost in support of what may be called the geometrical analysis or test of minerals, in opposition to the chemical. The work before us is expressly intended to correct various errors, which, from the imperfect state of geognosy at the time, erep into the author's well known "Tease on Mineralogy,"to offer?denti nal arguments in favour of his own hypothesis, and to repel objections which have been advanced against it. In many points the author has been eminently succesfu! There can be no doubt of the truth, of his general principle; but where the varieties are umorphous it cannot be always possible to apply it in this case, however, he thinks that the term laminar, lamellar, granular, compact, &c. are ufficient to furnish a definintion.

"Introduction à la Géologie," &c. "An Introduction to Geology, or the Natural History of the Earth. By Scip. Breislak, Administrator and Inspector of the Gunpowder and Salt-petre of the kingdom of Italy," &c. M. Breislak is well known by various earlier writings on cognate subjects. The present work was published in Italian, and has been translated into French by Dr. Bernard, of Paris. The author is a firm advocate for the igneous or Plutonic origin of the earth from its chaotic state; and consequently a strenuous opponent of Kirwan and Werner.

CHAPTER

THE

HE publications we have received from the continent on the customs and manners of nations, though somewhat numerous, with a few exceptions, are not of much interest or value. The following are among the best.

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"Moeurs, Usages, Costumes, des Othomans; et abrégé de leur His toire," &c. Manners, Habits, Customs of the Ottomans, with an Abridgment of their History. By A. L. Castellan, author of "Letters on the Morea and on Constantinople. With illustrations se lected from Oriental works, and communicated by M. Langles." 6 vols. 18mo. with seventy-two plates. Paris. Price, in London, 21. 2s. M. Castellan is a very useful compiler, as his former works have sufficiently proved he has a peculiar dexterity in turning to proper quarters for information, and a peculiar facility in seizing the pith of their contents. The well-known name of M. Langles appears to be chiefly added to render the compilation somewhat more taking: since, though he is occasionally brought upon the stage, it is but seldom, nor for any very important purpose. The engravings are neat; but appear to be derived for the most part from a quarto volume entitled Costume of Turkey, published in our own metropolis in 1802. The materials thus selected are put together in an

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agreeable form, and enlivened with a variety of interesting or pleasant anecdotes; as a specimen of which we select the following, which is introduced into the chapter containing an account of the divan-kha neh, or hall of judgment. A Turkish merchant of Constantinople lost a purse containing two hundred pieces of gold, called thograly, in his way from the bath to the mosque. He did not perceive his loss till he was leaving the mosque, when he went to the crier, whom he ordered to proclaim it in the streets, with the necessary particulars, and a promise of half the contents to him who would bring the purse. A levendy, or sailor, had the good fortune to find it. As soon as he heard the crier he felt some compunction about keeping what did not belong to him; and preferred gaining honestly a reward of a hundred thogralys to the chance of being detected and punished as a thief. The sailor made a confession of having found the purse with the two hundred pieces of gold. He proposes to keep half according to the promise of the crier, and to restore the rest to the proprietor. The latter being informed of this, wishes to break the agreement into which he had entered, and to recover the whole sum. But as he could not openly break his engagement, he pretends that, besides the money, the purse contained a pair of dia

mond

mond ear-rings of the value of seven hundred crowns, which the sailor was required to surrender to the right owner. The sailor called God, the prophet, and heaven and earth to witness that he had found nothing more in the purse than what it still contained. He was carried before the cady or inferior magistrate, and accused of the robbery. The cady, either through negligence or corruption, decrees that the sailor, whom he nevertheless acquits of the charge of robbery, should receive no reward in consequence of his carelesness in losing jewels of such great value. The sailor, enraged at finding himself disappointed of the sum he expected, and at the attempt to ruin his character, presents an arzonhh or petition to the grand Vizier. The merchant and the crier are ordered before him. Each pleads his cause. The Vizier asks the crier what loss it was that the merchant had directed him to announce; a purse, replied the crier,containing two hundred thogralys.' The merchant said that he omitted to mention the ear-rings, lest, if the purse should fall into the bands of persons not much acquainted with the nature of jewels, the specification of the value should have caused a detention of the whole. The sailor swore that he found nothing but the

money in the purse. Mogruly Ali-Pacha pronounced this sentence: Since the merchant, in adtition to the two hundred mngralys, says that the purse contained also a pair of diamond ear-rings; and since the sailor avers on his oath that the purse which he found contained nothing but money, it is clear that this cannot be the purse which the merchant has lost. Let the merchant therefore have the

identical purse which he did lose, cried again till it is restored by some one who has the fear of God before his eyes. On the other hand let the sailor keep the purse and the money for forty days, and if no one claims it in the meantime, let it remain with him.' Thus the avarice of the merchant was punished by the loss of his money and credit, while the sailor was enriched at his expense, and returned in triumph to his ship.

"Histoire générale de l'Espagne," &c. "A general History of Spain from the earliest times to the end of the eighteenth century. By G. B. Depping. Vols. I. and II. 8vo, Paris. Imported, price 11. 6s. This work when completed will extend to four volumes, each of which is intended to comprise one of the four grand epochs into which the history of Spain is commonly divided: The first of the two volumes before us comprises an account of Spain under the Phoenicians, Carthagenians, and Romans, to the termination of the republican government at Rome; the second embraces the period under the Roman emperors, and the Gothic kings up to the Moorish conquest. There is much useful matter introduced into this history, and the style is sufficiently chaste and animated, but we cannot approve of the division of the work, for the civilized, we had nearly said, the only interesting parts of it are thus, for the mere sake of method, thrust into the same length and breadth that are allotted to its chaotic and barbarous state.

"Reise durch Norwegen und Lappland," &c. By Leopold Von Busch, Member of the Royal Academy of Siences at Berlin." 2 vols. 8vo. It is only necessary to notice the title of this valuable work in our present