only as to the time of that great revolu. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. tion on our globe. But a part of my system on that event is, that, by the sink ing of the ancient continents, the level of the sea was much lowered over the whole globe; and this has its immediate proof. It is a point of which I have treated with many details in my above quoted Letters to Professor Blumenbach, and it will recur when I shall reply to Mr. Farey's objections against what I bave said of the origin of coal beds, and of the remains of terrestrial animals in our strata, as having existed on islands of the former sea. But I must show first how important is this point for ascertaining the divine inspiration of Genesis. Tournefort, the celebrated French botanist, travelling in Asia, ascended Mount Ararat, and, in the Account of his Travels, he makes this remark, pointed against Genesis, which has been repeated by many unbelievers; that the dove could not have found olive-trees on that mountain, for they could never have grown there, on account of the cold. But I have answered, and nobody has replied: That, the deluge having been produced by the sea rushing over the sunken former continents, the atmosphere followed them in their descent; and that its warmest part, which is al ways at the level of the sea, having thus been lowered, the highest, and thus the coldest, descended on the summits of the new mountains, which were no longer proper for the growth of some trees: these, however, by degrees, propagated on the slopes and lower grounds, but died on the summits. This appears at first to be only a consequence of my system; but in iny abovementioned Letters to Professor Blumenbach, I have proved it to be the fact by many phænomena, and in particular by the progress of the ice on high mountains: That progress is so perceptible, that every generation has transmitted to the following, some passes through defiles, used by their predecessors, but which had been since occupied by the ice. This is in consequence of the in. crease of thickness; but besides, having often travelled on the Alps, my guides have shown me certain spots where the cattle had before grazed in summer, though they were now covered by the advancing ice, This progress is even so rapid, that it is one of the proofs which I have given of the small antiquity of our continents. 1. DE Luc. Windsor, Aug. 1812. MONTHLY MAC. No. 234. SIR, and information in reading the highly HAVE always found much pleasure interesting and truly valuable communications of the ingenious and learned correspondents to your Monthly Magazine. The accounts I have found there respecting various wonderful productions of the far remote, perhaps antediluvian, ages of the world, have contributed much to excite my surprize and admiration: I am now more particularly alluding to the large and numerous bones that have at various times been dug from the bowels of the earth, or drawn from the beds of its rivers, the remains of species of ani mals that have now no existence, and that cease to be sharers of the bounties of Providence any longer with men. These accounts awake sentiments of admiration and of reverence for that Great Being who once moulded and fashioned them into life; it reminds us of our own insufficiency, and of that comparative point only of time, that circumscribes the short journey of man. The following is a plain unvarnished. account of a most surprising bone that was found about ten days ago in the lime works of Mr. Wallon, in the parish of Newbold-upon-Avon, near Rugby. It lay at the depth of fourteen feet from the surface, below a layer of ry sharp and dark-coloured gravel, and almost imbedded in a lower one of very strong clay, of about five feet thick; below which is a very solid and very valua ble lime rock. The workmen had been undermining a piece of clay to get what they call a fall, when this bone came down with it, and escaped being thrown away among their backing, by its strange and prodigious appearance. After several as strange opinions and some rude epithets about it, they threw it upon the bank, where it lay two or three days without much notice, when one of them, (an ingenious man in several respects,) named Thomas lugram, of Church Lawford, a village about a mile distant, (thinking, no doubt, more about it than any of the others,) determined upon washing it, and on taking it home. It was at his house on Friday last, the 16th instant, that I saw it. It is the upper part of the head or scull of some prodigious animal, but of what description I am far from being able to determine: perhaps will require the abilities of an anatomist, a naturalist, and philosopher, to determine this. I may venture my opini 8 G on, however, so far as to say, it undoubt edly once belonged to some most noble animal, but to such a one that has not, from the earliest period of our history, ever been described as a native of this island. Neither of the lower jaw-bones is yet found, nor are there any teeth now remaining in the upper one. There were four when it fell among the workmen, but these, by throwing about and washing it, have fallen from their sockets, but are preserved. The thin shell bone, to which the roof or palate of the mouth adheres, is likewise gone. But of the remaining part I hope to give a tolerable idea by describing its form, and the measure of it in different places; its weight; and other distinguishing particulars. In its form in front it most resembles, I think, the scull of a horse, except that it does not narrow so much above the eyes upwards. The length of this bone from the jaw, in which the fore-teeth were set, is thirty-five inches; it measures across the nose, at the lower opening of the nostrils, nine inches; at the lower end of the eye-sockets it is fifteen inches; and near the upper end of these sockets itis eighteen inches wide. The bone at the nose, and indeed all the way up the front, is exceedingly strong, it falls from the nose upwards into an easy hollow, and rises again a little circular, from an inch or two below the eye-holes to a little above them, where it falls a little below a straight line again; and from here to the top of the head it projected forward considerably, and is in this part of amazing thick ness, solidity, and strength: its colour is dusky brown. The nostril-holes are irregular ovals of about eight or nine inches in length, by three inches in breadth. The eye-holes (quite as large) are nearly of the same form: at the lower end of each of these, there is a little round projecting bone, of about an inch in diameter at its root, and an inch and a half nearly in length, growing taper and ending in a blunt point; these seem to have been placed as a guard for each eye, which no doubt were very large. I wish to observe that the eye-holes do not pass into the skult at nearly right angles, as the eye-holes in the scull of a horse do; but enter it (at their upper ends) in a very sloping direction, from towards the top of the head; so that, if a person with a gouge, were to chamfer a hole in a flat piece of wood, the tool and the plane of that piece would form but a very small angle with each other. This lengthens their outward oval form very much; so 3 that I think it highly probable the eyes of this animal, by a muscular motion, would turn so far back in their sockets, as to enable the creature to see with a great facility behind it, as in any di. rection. The ear-holes, about one inch and a half diameter, are nearer the upper part of the head, but somewhat lower nearer the jaw. There is little or no appearance of its having horns. I must not omit two round-ended knucklelike bones, projecting from the back part of the head, which evidently met corre spondent hollows in the neck; and that between these is a bole of little less than two inches in diameter, through which the spinal marrow passed. One of the four teeth mentioned, weighs nine ounces; the other three about eight ounces each: they were all fixed in their respective sockets by four fangs, or roots; are nearly of a square form; of an inch and a half each; and are a little rough and uneven on their surfaces; and, in length, are about three inches. These all grew on the same side, and from that part of the jaw which, in a horse, is next beyond where the bridle-bit goes. So far is the account of all that was brought away by Ingram the first time. On Thursday, the 15th, he brought home another tooth and a leg bone. The leg bone, I think, seems not quite proportionate; it is, however, about three inches in its small part further round than I can span: the ends to which the tendons were fixed, swell to a much larger size, the lesser one to hear four inches each way, and the larger one to five or more it is about fifteen inches in length (my pencil-marks being here effaced, I write from memory, but believe I am correct). This bone is somewhat flatted on one side, probably had a smaller one by it; appears more decayed than the skull. The tooth brought away on the 15th, on its face or top, has but little unevenness, yet appears to have been an enormous grinder; its form here is more oval than oblong-the greatest length of the oval five inches, and the greatest breadth little less than three inches. It has a number of dark crooked lines across it, which lines curve at their ends, and meet two and two, which give the appearance of a number of smaller teeth, set within the large one: it is very close and firm, has only one great root or fang, curving more to one side than the other, like a cornucopia; is little less than six inches long; the hole at the point will admit a person's thumb; and it is of the astonishing The astonishing weight of forty ounces. skull, with these five teeth, weighs not less than forty-four pounds. One cannot, without emotion, reflect on the probable size of such a creature as this, and follow it down through the graduated scale of animal existence, to the almost imperceptible mite, and consider that each has its organs, no doubt exquisitely suited to its nature, and in the most wonderful manner.-" O Lord, how manifold are thy works!-in wisdom hast thou made them all," &c. Rugby, Oct. 20, 1812. SAMUEL DALTON. P.S. I was yesterday informed that a tooth of still larger size and of greater weight has been found; but this I mention from report only. In the above account of the skull, where I said it most resembled the skull of a horse, &c. &c. I did not intend to be understood that it had a near resemblance to a scull of that animal; it is indeed very unlike any bone I ever saw, but, perhaps, as near like what I mentioned, or rather nearer, than it is to any other I could compare it with. The large tooth, I should have said, is six inches long in its greatest oval length, and three in breath: its contents are sixteen superficial inches on its face, or grinding surface. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, S the circumstance occurs but once A in eight years and more, it may be interesting to many to know, that on the 7th of December, and some days before and after, they may expect to see the planet Venus in the day-time. She has then her angle (as calculated by the illustrious HALLEY) of greatest illumina tion, as seen from the earth 409. She will come to the meridian 2h. 40' before the O, with an altitude of about 35°, ber declination being south. By White's Ephem. The 1 long, on 7 D. 15° 18′ 41′′ m 5° 31' Diff. 39° 47' 44" And on the 24th of this present month Mars and Venus will be in conjunction. Troston, CAPEL LOFFT. November 24, 1812. While dejected under the loss of those we loved, we feel antipathy to mirth, and may fitly exhibit repugnance to it, without harbouring a settled aversion. Antipathy, though it leads to hostile feelings, does not imply them: between the lewd and the austere, there is often, antipathy without aversion. That which causes us to lose most of our time is the repugnance we naturally have for labour, Dryden. Fate-Destiny. These are pagan terms for the ideas which our theologians translate by the terms necessity and providence. That which is spoken (fatum) by the voice of Nature is fate; that which is chained together (destinatum) by the hand of Jove is destiny. In as much as a man's condition has resulted from laws of the material world, it is his fate; in as much as it has resulted from the ordainment of Fate is blind: destiny has foresight. more powerful beings, it is his destiny. The atheist talks of fate; the theist of destiny. In the following distich of Dryden, the word fate is employed, where destiny would have been better placed. When empire in its childhood first appears, A watchful fate o'ersees its rising years. Circa Deos et religiones negligentior, quippe addictus mathematicæ, persuasionisque plenus cuncta fato agi.➡Suetonius. Prælia non tantum destinatò, sed ex occasione sumebat -Suetonius. rent. Excellence-Excellency. Both these words are variations of the same term; excellency being the older form; excellence, from the progressive abbreviation of utterance the more curAs highness not only signifies the state of being high, but is also applied as a personal title; so excellency not only signifies the state of overtopping, (excellere, to outgrow), but is also applied as the title of ambassadors and governors. From the habitual formality of official address, the older form of the word is most usual as a title, and the newer form of the word in the general sense of surpassingness. Hence, perhaps, an idea of natural worth adheres to excellence, and an idea of titular eminence to excellency. The excellency of the poet laureac;—the excellence of the poet Southey. Low-spiritedness-Dejection-Melancholy. Low-spiritedness is a common name both for the dejection caused by m-fortune, and for the melancholy which is the effect of constitution. L The reverse of dejection is joy; the reverse of melancholy is cheerfulness; and the reverse of low-spiritedness is gaiety. To End-To Finish-To Complete. To end is to discontinue, to finish is to work at for the last time, and to complete is to end finishing. The end of a chapter; the finis, or finish, of a volume; the completion of an entire work. What is ended may not be finished; what is finished may not be complete; but whatever is finished or complete is ended. The author of the Prolepsis Philologie Anglicane seems to have ended his dictionary at the letter A. Dictionaries may be completed by interpolations; they are finished at the last letter of the alphabet. According to the Millenarians, at the end of the world, this earth is to be finish'd up into one vast terrestrial paradise; where the wise and good of every nation and age are to assemble in lasting communion; and, by dwelling together a thousand years, are to refine and purify each other for that superior station of felicity, the completion of which is reserved for the eternal heavens. Keenness-- Sharpness-Acuteness. Keen (German kühn) is etymologically connected with the Icelandish kinn, the jaw, the grinders, (in Saxon cin-teth,) and with the English chin: it originally signifies strong of jaw, able to bite, hungry, voracious. The keen shark. A keen stomach. Metaphorically it is applied to those who know how to get their bread in the world; who possess a somewhat Eager appetite for the means of mainte-, nance; and exert a dangerous skill in providing for themselves. Junius, and Johnson, and Adelung, have mistaken the meaning of this word. As a poetical epithet, it answers to biting: The keen blade, the biting blade; the keen blast, the biting blast. Sharp is etymologically connected with share, the cutter of a plough, and shears, large scissars, and signifies having a cutting edge : in Saxon mylen-sccarp means, sharpened with a grind-stone. A sharp sword, but an acute dart. Acute, from acus a needle, signifies having a subtile thorn-like extremity, pointed. He is sharp who is cutting, he is acute who is piercing, in his observations; he is keen who has an interested purpose in making them. Acuteness announces penetration; sharpness, an ungentle temper; and keenness, a selfish rapacity. Kcenness is a quality of which we notice the possession with more complacence than the exertion: like a strong set of teeth, we know it will tell in the long run; but it may snap at a plateful of our own. Soon-Quickly-Speedily. Soon is an adverb of time, quickly of motion. That is to be done soon which is to be done after a short time; that is to be done quickly which is to be done in a rapid manner. Speedily is an adverb both of time and motion, uniting the ideas soon and quick. That is to be done speedily which is to be done after a short time and in a rapid manner. The reverse of soon is late: the reverse of quickly is slowly: and the reverse of speedily is leisurely. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. About nine o'clock at night, when the bees were all at rest, we took the bive they were to be driven out of and turned it upside down, letting it rest on a large basket, but a hole in the ground will do as well. We then placed the hive they were to be drove into on the inverted hive, bringing the bottoms of both bives together, and round the part where they joined we wrapped a cloth to prevent any bees getting out, and then tied the two hives together to prevent their slipping asunder: after this we struck on the lower hive for a quarter of an hour with a stick, which roused the bees, and they left their own bive and went to the upper one, after allowing them an hour to com. pose themselves, we took off the upper hive with the bees in it and placed it where it was to stand. Finding that only half the bees had gone into the upper hive, we repeated the operation the next night, and almost all of them went into the upper hive, which, however, was not the same as had been used before. We placed it by the other, and the next day all the bees went from the other bive last used to that first used, and have worked and done well ever since. To L To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. I' SIR, T is the fate of every inventor to be robbed of the best fruits of his invention, by base imitators. It seldom happens that an imitator has the merit of its original, but, devoid of moral feeling, the imitator practises every trick of empiricism, to draw attention and force patronage. It seldom happens, however, that men of correct character are found to lend themselves as avowed patrons of a base imitation of another man's invention; yet a case of this kind has recently occurred, which de mands notice and exposition. It is solely an affair of the press, and therefore is cognizable in your monthly Court of Equity. A few years since a work was compiled from our best authors, consisting of Lessons for schools, appropriated to the days of the year, on a plan which united elegance of language with perspicuous instruction, on three hundred and sixty five important subjects: it was called "the Class Book, by the Rev. D. Blair." As it had super-eminent merit, as well in its plan as its execution, it obtained general currency in our schools, at least in schools which preferred merit, unaided by personal interest, and which were un influenced by conceits and prejudices that are alien to all improvement. Of course, the author's plan was followed by a tribe of imitators in Junior Class Books-Poetical Class Books-&c. &c. Yet, as "Blair's Class Book" met with great and rapid encouragement, and the world is wide enough for originality and fair competition, the compiler of the ori ginal work felt the compliment, paid him by servility, more than he suffered from the meditated injuries. As those who cannot invent, very seldom improve, and generally deteriorate what they meddle with; notice of base imitations are seldom necessary to insure ultimate public contempt; but a manœu⚫ vre has lately been practised, exceeding the ordinary tricks of piratical imitators. A wretched compilation of three hundred and sixty-five lessons, full of vulgarities and indecencies-devoid of good morals and good taste-defective in its conception of objects of instruction, and in its mode of treating them-full of controversial and polemical disquisitions, -possessing no quality, besides its base imitation of the external features of Blair's admirable Class Book, has regood taste and correct feelings, would cently been published. Every tutor of have excluded such a work from his seminary, and no young female could be allowed to read it; but it so happens, that, owing to solicitation, inadvertency, good nature, or some foolish or bad passion, nearly one hundred schoolmasters and schoolmistresses have formally lent their names as patronizers of this gross, vulgar, and inadequate imitation. They are in fact made the vouchers to unsuspecting persons for trash that not only dis◄ graces language, but even human nature. and I am convinced, from what I know of some of them, that they have not weighed what they have done; or are not aware of the indiscreet manner in which they have thus committed their moral and literary character. Under such circumstances it would be cruel to publish any of the names thus abused; invidious to designate the book by its title; and most disgusting to select passages in proof of the justice of these remarks. It appears to me, however, that no schoolmaster or schoolmistress ought lightly to lend their names to give countenance and currency to what they evidently have not seen; even had the work in its general features not been a base imitation of a literary project, usefully, unexceptionably, and ably filled by its original inventor. A FRIEND OF BLAIR'S CLASS BOOK. Nov. 7, 1812. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazinę. SIR, LADY at Camberwell observed from her drawing-room window two spar rows building a nest in a cavity in a wall opposite; about the same time two pi geons hovered around for several days, and at last drove the poor sparrows away, enlarged the nest, and the Poll Pigeon remained in it, while the Tom carried provisions regularly to her. At length the female was seen coming out. The lady, out of curiosity, sent a servant to examine the nest, where were found just hatched two pigeons and two sparrows. The servant brought the nest into the house, then carefully replaced it; but the birds no sooner returned than they found their mansion had been disturbed, they flew away and never returned, deserting their young, which of course soon perished. CADWALADER, STATEMENTS |