racters he considered it evident that it was the Baleinoptera acuto-rostrata of La Cepede, and that that author had fallen into an error in saying, that this species never exceeds from twenty-six, to twenty-nine feet long-At the same meeting, the secretary laid before the society the following communications: 1. Copies of the affidavits made before justices of the peace, at Kirkwall, in Orkney, by several persons who saw and examined the great sea-snake, (halsydrus Pontoppidani) cast on shore in the island of Stronsa, in October last with remarks, illustrative of the meaning of

some passages in these affidavits. 2. An account of the discovery of a living animal, resembling a toad inclosed in a bed of clay, in a cavity suited to its size, at the depth of fifty-seven fathoms in the coal formation at Govan; communicated by Mr. Dixon, of Gován-hill. 3. An instance of remarkable intrepidity displayed by a male and female otter, in defending their young, although the otter is in general accounted a very timid animal.-Mr. Laskey presented to the society, a very valuable and well-arranged collection of British shells, and likewise a curious mineral from New Holland.

MR. THOMAS JONES'S (BILSTON, STAFFORD), for Compositions for the purpose of making Trays, Waiters, and various other Articles, by Presses or Stumps.

HE ingredients made use of in the manufacture of these articles, are varied according to the size of the artites. For those that are small he takes 100 lb. of rope, and 20lb. of rags; and for large ones, to 100 lb. of rope about 100 lb. of rags, are added. These are reduced to a pulp, and mixed with a certain small proportion of vitriolic acid. Various other materials are mentioned; but those just enumerated are deemed the best; and to make the said pulp into the articles required, Mr. Jones recommends that a wire or other sieve, of a similar size and shape to the article required, be taken, and used in the manner directed in the specification. To render the mode of operation intelligible, the patentee has given an example shewing in what way the frame and sieve are placed to collect the composition or pulp, for making an oval canoe. He then puts on a flannel or woollen cloth, or any other proper cloth or material, and upon that a board, and then turns the pulp out of the sieve upon the flannel, and board upon the top of it, and presses the same together lightly, to force out part of the liquid, by which the pulp felt is made. This being between the dies or tools, of the shape of the articles wanted, is put into a press, in order to render it at once solid and of the required shape. It is now to be put into a stove or oven of a proper degree of heat, where it is kept till it is nearly but not entirely, dry, and then it is to be taken out of the oven, put be

tween the dies, and pressed violently, so as to set it and make it smooth. After this it is to be put in the oven again, till it is perfectly dried, but great caution must be used to prevent it from warping. This is effected by means of a frame made in the form of the inside of the ar ticles, and weights to keep it in its proper form. It may next, if necessary, be hamnered over, and made smooth and flat; and then being perfectly dry, it is to be dipped in the japan liquid, and there suffered to remain till the said liquid has perfectly penetrated it, when it is to be dried and varnished. The dies may be made of iron or other metal, or indeed of almost any other solid substance; but what is recommended in the specification is to have one of the dies of cast iron, and the other of tin, or some other more fusible metal. The use of these intended compositions is to be extended to the making or manufacturing of all kinds of tea-trays, waiters, boxes, bottle-stands, baskets, caddies, pannels for coaches, tables, hats, &c. &c. of any form or shape; and various other articles made or manufactured upon the above men tioned principle.

MR. EDWARD MASSEY'S (NEWCASTLE), for an Improved Cock for drawing off Liquors.

It will be impossible to give a tolerably accurate idea of the nature of this invention, without the aid of figures, of which there are 14 or 15 attached to the specification. We may observe, that the cock contains three valves, but it is not necessary that all the valves should be used in the same cock; but may be made with one, two, or three, according to the fancy of the mechanic. For so

simple an operation the apparatus is very complicated thus, in describing the fifth figure, which represents a front view of the lock of the cock (which, however, besides answering the ordinary purpose of the locking, also locks it to the barrel), we have a lever, a staple, a hook acting upon a centre, a spring, and a stop acting with another spring: besides the place for the introduction of the key, which, we learn, is to be "raised on its centre, so as to pass clear of the work in the lock, except coming in contact with the hook and stop, which rise a little higher than the other parts, and are opposed to the key. Now, when the key is turned in the direction of the dotted arch, and the hook pressed out of the staple by it, raise the lever, and the staple, being a fixture, or part of it, will be raised also, at which time the inner part of the staple which pressed down the ward, being likewise raised, the stop will rise out of the arch, and prevent the key from being taken out till the staple is returned into the lock, the object of which is to prevent the cock from being left unlocked."-This may be regarded as a fair specimen of the specification, but the nature of the invention can only be understood by referring to the docus ment itself, and by examining every part of it, with the figures attached to it.

MR. EDWARD STRACEY'S (WESTMINSTER), for an Improved Method of hanging the Bodies, and of constructing the Perches, of four wheel Carriages, by which such Carriages are rendered less liable to be overturned.

This invention embraces four objects-1. The constructing of the perch of a four-wheeled carriage, in such a manner, that either of the axle-trees may have a vertical motion independent of the other; so that the axle-trees may be in different planes at the same time. 2. The hanging of the body on the springs of such a carriage, in such a manner as will tend not only to diminish the liability of its being overturned, but add also to the ease of its motion. 3. The forining a collar-brace, which shall almost immediately bring the body to an equilibrium, should the centre of gravity be moved. 4. The forming a perch-bolt, by the use of which the carriage may be more easily turned to the right or left, and the friction that now takes place, by the use of the common perch-bolts be tween the wheel plates, the transom bed,

and the fore axle-tree bed reduced almost to nothing.

Carriages constructed on this principle differ but little in appearance from other four-wheel carriages; the chief distinction lying in the construction of the perch, and its having a revolving motion, and in the hanging of the body on the springs. The perch being allowed to turn on its axis, the fore axle-tree bed may have any degree of obliquity required, provided the body is not hung on the carriage, without affecting the horizontality of the hind axle-tree bed, and vice versa; and it is by the instrumentality of this motion, co-operating with the mode of hanging the body on the springs, and by the aid of collar-braces, that the body of the carriage may be kept nearly on the true level, or at least sufficiently so to prevent its being overturned, although either the fore or the hind axletree may have a great degree of obliquity from the plane of the horizon. A similar effect and security may be obtained by inverting the construction of the perch, and by having the fixed part of the perch in the hind axle-tree bed, and the revolving part in the transom bed in front, or by making the perch revolve on an axis at each end, or by any other mode which will allow the hind and fore axle-tree beds, when connected by means of a perch, to be in different planes at one and the same time, as by permitting one axle tree bed, provided that the body is not hung on the carriage, to remain parallel to the plane of the horizon, and by making the other stand perpendicular to it.

The principal variation of this inven tion, from the common method of hanging the body on its springs, consists in the body-loops, which must be so extended, that the ends of them may come nearly under the shackles of their respective springs, and each of them so formed, as to end in a cylindrical axis of one to two inches or more in length, and of sufficient strength to support the body; and on each of these body loop-axes, a shackle, for the reception of one of the main braces, should be fitted, ending in a cylindrical box er rocket, made so as to work and turn on the axis of the bodyloop, and secured to it by a nut and pin; and the connection between these shackles and their respective boxes should be by means of a strong joint, working towards the front and hind part of the carriage in the direction of the

perch,

perch. The body is to be hung by the mam braces, attached to these shackles on the springs, in the same manner as other carriage-bodies are usually hung, When the body is thus hung, the action is as follows; should either of the hind or fore wheels descend into a low spot in the road, or ascend a raised surface, the boxes or sockets on the body loops will turn on their axes, and keep the whole on a proper equilibrium, so as not to be overturned.

Another part of the invention is the application of a cylinder to the collarbraces of carriages, by means of which, should the centre of gravity of the body of the carriage be moved by any inequalities in the road or otherwise, either to the right or left, the equilibrium will be almost immediately restored by the mo

tion of the cylinder or roller on its axis, and the consequent lapping and unlapping of the straps, for to whichever side the body is impelled, on that side will the collar brace be lengthened, and of course the opposite collar brace propor tionally shortened; one side is made to operate as a check upon the other, in order to bring the body to its true centre.

The last part of the invention is the perch-bolt, which being properly placed, the fore axle-tree bed may be turned either to the right or the left, with much greater ease than if the common perchbolt were made use of, the usual friction between the beds and wheel plates being almost wholly removed from their being gradually separated by the lifting of the screw in the act of turning.

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The