um of Natural History, the American Institute, and recently the Ethnological and the Agricultural Societies, are actively and constantly engaged in labors interesting to the people. The public should be more intimately acquainted with the results of the studies, and enquiries thus carried on, by men devoted to the collection of valuable truths, important, as well as interesting to every intelligent mind.

In attempting to introduce so extensive and various a subject to our readers, however, great difficulties occur at the outset. General views cannot be given, either with justice, or with due effect. Particular topics must be taken up, and brought before the mind in some detail; but the difficulty of selection is great: for the amount of valuable and interesting facts, opinions and arguments is so great, that we must necessarily omit more than we can find room for.

Lectures on Ancient Egypt. Mr. Gliddon has commenced a course of Lectures on Ancient Egypt in this city, at the request of the Historical Society. We have heretofore given several notices of his previous courses, and expect to afford our readers some further gratification in future, by such accounts as we may find room for. He has recently returned from a visit of several months to Europe, during which he has obtained, from the various Egyptian students of different countries, information concerning their latest discoveries and present opinions, with numerous copies of paintings and inscriptions from the ancient temples, specimens of objects found in the catacombs, &c., a portion of which completely covered the walls of the hall.

Mr. Gliddon has had a long personal acquaintance with Egypt, having resided at Alexandria and Cairo from the age of nine, until past thirty, a large part of the time as Consul for the United States.

The published journals and private let ters of many travellers, bear witness to the courtesy and assistance afforded by him. He has passed many times over the country between the sea coast and the second cataract, and visited the numerous sites and ruins, often in company with some of the distinguished travellers of Europe. About four years ago he began to communicate to our countrymen, in popular lectures, that kind of information which intelligent people most desire to obtain, respecting the antiquities of Egypt, the means taken to decipher and interpret them, and the numerous and interesting results. Several European journals, have expressed astonishment and gratification at his success among our countrymen, as the attempt to collect a popular audience to listen to a course of lectures on such a subject has never been made, even in Paris or London, and would probably fail in either.

One point in which Mr. Gliddon made his introductory lecture highly interesting, was the successful labors of some of the archeologists within a year or two; particularly in the explaining and comparing of the Royal Chamber of Karnac, and the Papyrus manuscript deposited at Turin, with the aid of the tablet of Abydos, long known as the Rosetta stone. Copies of these records, in their mutilated condition, afforded striking evidence of the patient labor, as well. as of the learning, skill and ingenuity, displayed by Lepsius and Bunsen. The papyrus was in numerous small fragments, about an inch square, which, a arranged by Lepsius, appear as spotted as a chess-board. At the first glance a person might pronounce it a preposterous thing to pretend to arrange such shreds. and patches: but many of the drawings and hieroglyphics with correspond those in the Chamber of Karnac, and with the Rosetta stone: while each affords satisfactory means for supplying some of the deficiencies in the others.

Their nests contain three kinds of individuals-males; females, which have wings; and neuters, which are destitute of these appendages.

"In the warm days which occur from the end of July to the beginning of September, and sometimes later, the habitations of the various species of ants may be seen swarming with winged insects; these are the males and females, preparing to quit forever the scene of their nativity and education. Everything is in motion; and the silver wings, contrasted with the jet bodies which compose the animated mass, add a degree of splendor to the interesting scene. The bustle increases, till at length the males rise, as it were, by general impulse into the air, and the females accompany them: the whole swarm alternately rises and falls with a slow movement, to the height of about ten feet; the males flying obliquely with a rapid zigzag motion, and the females, though following the general movement of the column, appearing suspended in the air, like balloons; and having their heads turned towards the wind."

"The greater portion of the males, speedily perishing, become the food of birds or of fish. So numerous are they, that Dr. Bromley says they formed a column on the water where they had fallen, five or six miles long, eight or ten feet broad, and six inches deep.

"The females which escape are destined to found new colonies, and at first to do all the work of neuters; in this particular resembling the mother wasp: but prior to their constructing a new habitation, they make themselves voluntary prisoners, by throwing off their wings. So extraordinary a dismemberment requires to be supported by the testimony of an eye-witness.

"Accordingly, Huber, who made the experiment, states, "that having induced. an ant to mount a straw, he placed it on a table sprinkled with a little earth, and covered it with a glass bell; scarcely did

she perceive the earth which covered the bottom of her abode, when she extended her wings, with some effort bringing them before her head, crossing them in every direction, throwing them from side to side, and producing so many singular contortions, that her four wings fell off at the same moment, in his presence. After this change, she reposed, brushed her corslet, traversed the ground, evidently seeking a place of shelter; she partook of the honey he gave her, and at last found a hidingplace under some loose earth."

Huber might well be astonished at the coolness with which the female ant appeared to throw off her wings: one would have thought that as much proportionate suffering would have been felt in her tiny frame from the loss of these members, as in ours from the amputation of all our limbs; but insects in general do not appear to be sensible of much pain. A wasp will walk about and even eat after its body has been cut into two, and a dragon fly will voraciously devour its prey after the removal of its abdomen:

"Having cast off her wings, the female begins to prepare a habitation for herself. In some cases, however, the workers do not allow all the females to quit the old nest; but detaining some of those, clip their wings and keep them close prisoners so long, that at last they become reconciled to their fate. A single ant is appointed to watch her motions and supply her wants; no Argus appears to be more vigilant. These sentinels are constantly relieved. As soon as an egg is deposited, the female becomes the object of the tender care of the neuters. A court, composed of from ten to fifteen individuals, says Huber, continually follows her; she is unceasingly the object of their care and caresses; all are eager to collect around her, offer her nourishment, and assist her with their mandibles in making her way through difficult and ascending passages.

THE AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL AS

SOCIATION.

Dr. Steven's Essay on Evaporation and Capillary Attraction, as affecting the Nutrition of Plants.

A very interesting paper was read by Dr. Alexander H. Stevens a few weeks ago, before the American Agricultural Association. His views appeared to us original, as well as important; and, although some points were touched upon, which, at first view, seemed somewhat paradoxical, the explanations were highly satisfactory as well as ingenious.

The essay first adverted to some familiar evidences of the power of capillary attraction. A wall on Dr. Stevens grounds at Astoria, draws up moisture from the earth, and with it the salts which it holds in solution, as they are found efflorescing on its surface twelve feet from the ground.

It is supposed by many persons, and it to be the opinion of some reapppears spectable writers on Agricultural Chemistry, that rains perform only the process of leeching, upon soils which contain soluble salts, whether received from manures or otherwise. But a moment's attention to the necessary effects of capillary attraction will discover, that the soluble salts which have been carried down by the leeching process of rain, must be brought up again by the water which is drawn up, during a drought, by the capillary attraction of the dried surface. But Dr. Stevens presented other effects of this important agricultural agent.

In long droughts, the moisture is drawn from an unusual depth; and then salts of peculiar value, or in extraordinary quantity, may be supplied. Manure may be drawn away from the plants to which it is supplied, if in a fluid form, or accompanied by watering, as the adjacent, drier earth will naturally draw off the moisture, and with it the salts it contains. Thus many a rare plant has

doubtless been lost, and many an interesting experiment failed. The growth of weeds is often promoted around the spot; and these must increase the evil. By a regard to capillary attraction, we may also account for the tendency of roots to extend towards a supply of nutriment in the soil, on whatever side of them it be. may The water coming from it brings a rich supply of dissolved salts, which strengthens the nearest roots, and promote their growth; and, as their power of suction or absorption constantly increases with their growth, and receives more and more assistance from capillary attraction, as long as the supply continues, the extension of roots also must increase. This view seems to set aside every necessity for attributing anything like intelligence to the vegetable tribes in seeking their food, to which some writers have inclined.

The alternate operations of watering and evaporation keep the nutriment of plants in a state of endless motion, downwards, upwards and sideways; and Dr. S. tells us, that stagnation is fatal to vegetation. Evaporation takes place very rapidly through the sides of a common porous flower-pot, and there the little fibrous roots of a potted plant multiply, and often extend in a thick net work. Gardeners understand the importance of this operation, in practice at least for they place cuttings in thumb-pots, of about the size of a wine-glass, and change them to those but little larger, by which they take full advantage of this principle.

The essay concluded by a pleasing allusion to the provision made by the Creator, to secure even to the poorest and most solitary and helpless of the vegetable train, a supply of necessary food, by a silent and secret subterranean operation of nature: an interesting and important branch of her movements, hitherto but little appreciated or much ob served.

Lessons in Grammar. Rule. When a suffix beginning with a vowel is to be added to a root, ending in e mute, omit the e: create, creation, creating; please, pleasant, pleasure. Find ten other words ending in e mute, and add a suffix to each.

Exercises.-Add to each of the following roots the suffixes of the present participle, and a noun: provoke, congregate; reciprocate.

When the root does not end with e mute, what are the rule and the exceptions?

To guard against the misuse of the verbs lie and lay.

Lay is a transitive verb. The action. passes to an object: as I (now) lay a book on the table now; I (now) lay my. self upon the bed.

Lie, (to lie down) is an intransitive verb: the action does not pass from the agent. It means the same as to lay one's self down.

It is proper to say I lie down, and I lay me down, or I lay myself down. All these are in the present tense.

But there is danger of confounding these words, because the present tense of to lay is the same as the imperfect tense of to lie. Many persons therefore use the words I lay down for the present tense, and to lay down, for the infinitive mood, when they should say I lie down, and to lie down.

Exercise. Repeat (or write down), the conjugation of the transitive verb, to lay. Then that of the intransitive verb, to lie. Speak (or write) ten sentences, each containing one of those verbs.

Questions. What mistakes are sometimes made in the use of the verb to lie? What leads to such mistakes?

There is another verb, to lie, which means to say what is not true. It is conjugated thus:

Infinitive, to lie; imperfect tense and perfect participle, lied.

New Publications.-The Hasty Pudding, a Poem in three Cantos, written at Chambery in Savoy, January, 1793, by Joel Barlow, Minister Plenipotentiary to France; with a memoir on the Maize or Indian Corn, compiled by D. J. Brown, under the direction of the American Institute." of

This lively little poem, the memory which is associated with a very interesting period of our history, it is agreeable to see reappearing. The collection of facts and opinions respecting our Amer. ican grain, the Zea Maize, we look upon with particular interest. We announced this compilation by Mr. Browne several weeks ago, and we shall hereafter present some extracts to our readers.

RECEIPTS.

Plain Fritters.-Beat seven eggs very light, and stir them gradually into a pint of milk; add by degrees, 3-4 of a pound, or 1-2 pint of sifted flour. Beat the whole very hard. Have ready, in a frying pan over the fire, a large quantity of lard. When the lard has come to a hard boil, begin to put in the fritters, allowing to each about a gill of batter, or half a large tea cup full. They do not require turning, and will be done in a few minutes. They may be eaten with pow dered cinnamon and sugar.-Miss Leslie.

APPLE FRITTERS.--Pare, core and parboil (in a very little water,) some large juicy apples. When half done take them out, drain and mince them very fine. Make a batter according to the preceding receipt, adding some lemon juice and grated lemon peel. Stir into the batter a sufficient quantity of the minced apple to make it very thick. Then fry the fritters in hot lard, as before directed. Eat them with nutmeg and sugar.-Ib.

BREAD-MAKING.-It has been said that no civilised nation exists, in which so much ill-made bread is consumed as our own. It is unquestionably true, that vast quantities of flour and meal are ruined in the preparation, and that proper care might remedy the evil, to a great extent, in a single generation, and bring about an important improvement in a single With these views we have published several receipts for making bread of different kinds, and may continue to notice the subject hereafter.

year.

My 5, 12, 1, 14, 3, 4, 11, 8, is a county in Florida.

My 6, 11, 16, 5, 14, 2, is a lake in British America.

My 7, 5, 15, 14, is a river in Asia.

My 8, 6, 9, 14, is a town in the Lybian Desert.

My 7, 2, 4, 11, 8, is a country of Africa. My 10, 2, 15, 14, is a river in Russia. My 11, 6, 5, 13, 8, 15, 10, is an island on the Eastern Continent.

My 12, 8, 15, 11, 13, 14, 1, is a county in Michigan.

My 13, 11, 3, 15, is a town in South America.

My 14, 6, 14, 13, is a sea in Asia.

My 15, 8, 11, 7, is a town in British America.

My 16, 14, 15, is a river in Virginia.
My whole is an Island in North America.
M. F. ZUTWILER.

Solution of Enigma No. 26, Vol. III. p. 16. -Tin, Vine, Love, Luther, Roe, Tea (or) T. -The Revolution.

BY A YOUNG LADY.

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