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fily be preferved. The creatures inhabiting recent nautili when they rife to the surface spread out a thin membrane which anfwers all the purposes of a fail, moveable to every direction of the wind. The animal being thus transported, gathered its food as it went along. By throwing out or condenfing a little air, it could fink to the bottom at pleafure.

We have reafon to believe that the fruit and other productions of vegetables are carried not only to a great distance on the furface of the fea, and fo become the food of fishes, but like wife that the water for a certain depth below the farface is more or lefs impregnated with vegetable and animal substances carried into the fea from the land. It is certain that fresh water torrents and rivers greatly abound with the once animated particles of plants and animals natives of the foil from which thefe rivers are collected and through which they flow. This fresh water in which many millions of land infects, fruits, &c. are macerated, is confiderably lighter than the water of the fea: it must therefore be fufpended at the furface above the falter water that flows below, until by agitation and other wife it be thoroughly mixed with the water of the ocean to be of the fame fpecific weight. Before this is done it may have flowed, mixed however more or lefs. with a certain proportion of falt water, a confiderable number of leagues. It is an obfervation that is made in almost every part of the ocean, the water from the current next the furface is not fo falt as water procured several fathoms below. At any rate, the terrene particles compofed chiefly of decayed vegetables, &c. will always fwim near the furface of the fea, though the fresh water with which they were at first mixed may be united with falt water. That in this ftate they may become the food of fishes, or conducive to their health, cannot be denied: and to obtain their fill may have recourfe to the furface, as we fee they often do.

It may perhaps be faid in oppofition to this that the water taken in at the mouth by fish does not go to their ftomach, and therefore though it may abound with decayed vegetables yet thefe do not ferve for nourishment. But may not this water replete with these particles be equally fubfervient to the health of fishes, as falubrious air is to the health of land animals. The air we breathe does not enter our ftomachs, but the vegetable effluvia with which it may abound is effentially neceffary not only to our health but existence. Befides that fishes may have power to select nutritive matter from water in its paffage through the gills is not at all improbable, when we reflect that they have a power

power to felect air, a body, the particles of which are almoft infinitely finer than the minuteft particles of decayed vegetables or corrupted animals. At least it may not be unreafonable to fuppofe that their gills or fome other part of their body may be fo formed as mechanically to absorb these particles in the fame manner as the lungs of land animals are to abforb falubrious particles of air.

The migration of fome tribes of fishes from one part of the ocean to another, is in moft inftances more in pursuit of food than for any other caufe. This is evident particu larly in the herring which frequent the coats in purfuit of a little infect on which they chiefly live. This infect I have feen enter Clyde in myriads, and in a day or two after they appeared, the fhoals of young herring devouring them were immenfe. Thefe infects delighted moftly near the fhore for the fake of heat, the herring fry being in purfuit of them thereby expofed themselves to danger. I have feen thousands of them taken in fmall nets fixed round hoops made for the purpose.

That one fpecies of fish lives upon another does not invalidate the opinion I am attempting to establish. That that the greater live upon the fmall cannot be denied. But this muft lead us to an ultimatum, where the gradation will end. Now upon what is this laft fpecies fupported? It will be found on an impartial enquiry that the smaller species of fishes which fupply food for the larger are fupported by food from the land. The numerous tribes of fhell fish, &c. that cannot live but on fhore are like the granaries of food for thofe fpecies that are pelagious. Were the former to have no existence the latter would be ftarved. But according to Mr Whithurft's method of reasoning there could be no cinchæ and pifces littorales prior to the formation of the primitive islands.

Amongst the exuvia, which that author alledges exifted prior to the formation of the continents and islands, are found in great abundance several species of fhells which are now known to be littorales. It follows that they must have been littorales, (when living they were depofited where we now find them,) or that the laws of their nature must be altered, which we have no reason to think was ever the cafe.

Those philofophers who fuppofe that the foffil remains of marine animals were gradually depofited on the fhores, as the fhore encreased in the constant rotation of the fea round the globe will find it very difficult to give a reason why fo many of thefe fpecies and even genera have not now an exiftence in the present ocean. For if they were thrown up

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on the fhores in the fame manner that fhells and other marine bodies are at prefent, and the fea gradually and flowly moving round the earth, there is is no reason to think but that every individual species would be exifting to this very day, and be thrown upon our fhores by the fame laws as formerly. But fince many of them has never been discovered in a recent ftate, there is every reason to believe that the bottom of the ocean for the space perhaps of fome thousand miles has at once been raifed up into dry land, and fo many tribes of creatures peculiar to thefe pathlefs tracts have totally perished. For if from their conftitutions they were made originally to inhabit the inacceffible receffes of the deep, how are they found mingled with the littorales? and if they cannot by any other motion of the waters be carried a fhore, nor they never could have been carried to a fhore at any period however remote, and confequently would have for ever been hidden from the knowledge of mankind,

ANECDOTE OF A ROOKERY AND HERONRY,

AT BISHOPSTOWN.

ABOUT the year 1772, there was a rookery and a heronry at Bifhopftown, the family feat of the Earl of Glencairn, in the county of Renfrew. The trees on which the herons built were cut down. The birds being thus deprived of their ancient habitation, attempted to build their nefts on the trees occupied by the crows, which trees happened not to be cut down: a difpute enfued-a fierce battle was fought the herons were difcomfited. The routed army however foon returned with a vaft reinforcement of warriors of their own flock. The battle was renewed on both fides with impetuofity till at length the rooks were forced to yield and permit the herons their enemies to build on a few of the trees. Afterwards the crows and herons lived together in terms of inviolated friendship.

REMARKABLY LARGE EEL.

On Wednesday the 6th April, 1796, an eel was taken juft below Fulbridge, at Maldon in Effex, which weighed 26 pounds-it measured 5 feet 6 inches in length, and 16 inches in girth it is the largest fish of this fpecies ever taken, or defcribed in natural history. Twenty perfons_fat down

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to fup upon it at the King's Head Inn, in that town. It proved extremely delicate in colour and flavour, and was more than fufficient for the repaft of this numerous company.

COLONEL SOMER'S LARGE BULL.

Edinburgh, 21 January, 1797.

WEIGHT of Col. Somer's Bull, 4 years old: 8 feet in height: 8 feet in thickness: weight, 19 cwt. fuppofed equal to 152 ftones English, 122 ftones 4 lb. 6 oz. Dutch weight, 99 ftones 13 lb. 2 oz. Trone weight.-Distance of the fore-leg from the ground 2 feet, or its length to the 2d joint and not above.

INSTANCE OF A BIRD'S NEST ON THE MAST OF A VESSEL.

Glasgow, 25th May, 1793.

IN a block or pully, near the head of the maft of a gabert now lying at the Broomielaw, there is a chaffinch's neft and four eggs. The neft was built while the veffel lay at Greenock, and was followed thither by both birds, though the block is occafionally lowered for the infpection of the curious, the birds have not forfaken the neft. The cock, however, vifits the neft but feldom, while the hen never leaves it but when the defcends to the hulk for food.

ON THE BOROUGH POLITICS OF STIRLING.

IN the year 1775 the borough of Stirling was disfranchised, on account of an illegal combination among fome of the leading members of the Town Council.* By a judgment of the Court of Seflion, which was afterwards affirmed by the House of Peers, the election of the Magiftrates and Town Council was of course reduced, and managers appointed in their room, to conduct the public bufinefs of the town.

In this ftate the borough continued for fix or seven years; and, during that period, it enjoyed a degree of peace and profperity to which it had long been a ftranger. Having greatest abundance at an eafy rate. If the inhabitants were

* See Scots Magazine for 1775, p. 173 and 731.

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no share in the election of a Member of Parliament, and no Magiftrate or council to chufe at every Michaelmas, as formerly, the great caufe of former feuds was destroyed; and the inhabitants, forgetting their past animofities, and laying afide their party disputes, applied themselves, with diligence to their own proper business. The happy effects of this foon appeared. Trade began to be an object of attention. Manufactures were carried on with greater vigour ; the public revenue of the town was confiderably increased, and improvements and buildings projected, which have fince been carried into execution.

Although these things were visible to every attentive obferver, and acknowledged by the inhabitants themselves, yet the principal people in the place regarded their borough as in a state of degradation, and were exceedingly anxious to have, what they called their priviledges, restored.

A perfon of very uncommon talents, who then refided at Stirling, ufed often to fay, when he heard them exprefs their uneasiness at being deprived of their political influence. O Beati, fi bona nôrurnt.

At laft they fucceeded. The town was restored to its forfeited honours. Magiftrates were elected; and although the mode of election is reputed one of the beft in Scotland, party spirit foon began to fhew itself with as much violence as ever. Two fets of Magiftrates were, at one time, elected; and the two parties which divide the town were at the trouble and expence of having their political differences brought before the courts of law. Families which lived together, during the above period, on the beft terms, are now at open variance; and men, who then attended to their bufinefs and their families, now fpend a confiderable proportion of their time in drinking and cabaling. But it is among the trades people, chiefly, that the worst effects of this restoration are to be difcerned. Their feat in the council takes them off their business,-gives them a relish for a mode of living which they are not able to fupport,-and leads them into habits of idlenefs and drunkennels. It rarely happens that a tradesman in Stirling leaves any money to his family. The far greater part of them are pensioners on the hofpitals, before they die.

This is the chief caufe why a town, fo conveniently fituated for Trade and Manufactures as Stirling, is, at prefent, fo very inconfiderable. In natural advantages it has few equals. It is fituated in the heart of a populous and plentiful country; it is watered by a navigable river: provifions of all kinds are very reasonable; and coals to be had in the

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