tioners, who are not converfant in botany, and are neverthelefs defirous of trying the effects of this plant, may with certainty know what it is. Dr. Watson had, indeed, endeavoured, in a former paper, to prove this plant to be the common Hemlock, and not the Cicuta aquatica, as had been fuggefted by fome. Dr. Storke, however, has, it feems, put this matter out of doubt, by tranfmitting from Vienna some leaves of the plant he ufed, which appears to be of the fame fpecies as the common Hemlock.

16. An account of an Anthelion obferved near Oxford. In a letter from the Rev. John Swinton, B. D. of Chrift Church, Oxon.

F. R. S.

This is a particular and well-narrated account of a phenomenon, obferved from Shotover Hill, July 24, 1760. Anthelia, or mock funs, have appeared too seldom to afford fufficient grounds for a phyfiological explication of their caufe; the Author, however, drops feveral fenfible hints tending to confirm the received opinion, respecting the formation of this kind of meteors.

17. An account of a production of Nature at Dunbar in Scotland, like that of the Giants-Causeway in Ireland. By the Bishop of Offory.

18. An account of a remarkable Meteor feen at Oxford. In a letter from the Rev. John Swinton, F. R. S.

This phenomenon was a very uncommon one; refembling an iris, except that its colours were very different. The Obferver conceives it to have been a kind of a water-spout: an extraordinary appearance, indeed, fo far from the fea as Oxford !

19. An account of fome productions of Nature in Scotland, refembling the Giants-caufeway in Ireland. By Emanuel Mendez da Cofta, F. R. S.

The Bishop of Offory's account, juft mentioned, of the rocks at the entrance of the harbour of Dunbar, gave rife to the communication of the prefent, of fome fimilar productions in other parts of Scotland, particularly in Cana island, near the isle of Sky.

21. Differtatio de Zoophytis, quam Regia Societati Scientiarum Angliæ legendam at judicandam præbet Job Bafler, M. D. Acad. Caf. Reg. Soc. Angl. et Holland. Soc.

Το

To this differtation is annexed a copper-plate, with figures to illuftrate the verbal defcription.

22. An account of an uncommon Phenomenon in Dorfetfhire. In a letter from John Stephens, M. A.

The phenomenon here described is that of a smoke, and fometimes of a visible flame, iffuing from the cliffs near Charmouth in the western part of Dorsetshire; first observed in Auguft 1751, and continued at intervals ever fince. The Writer makes feveral pertinent remarks on the appearances he obferved, with their cause and confequences, not unworthy the confideration of the Naturalift.

24. A defcription of the Cephus. In a letter from D. Lysons,

M. D.

The Cephus is a fea-bird, of which we have here a very minute account.

26. An account of the Earthquake at Lisbon, the 31st of March, 1761. In a letter from thence to Jofeph Salvador, Efq; F. R. S. 27. Another account of the fame Earthquake. In a letter from Mr. Molloy.

This is faid to have been the most severe fhock felt at Lifbon, fince the dreadful overthrow of that city in 1755. No great damage, however, was occafioned by it.

30. An account of an Earthquake felt in the island of Madeira, March 31, 1761. By Thomas Heberden, M. D. F. R. S. Communicated by William Heberden, M. D. F. R. S.

Dr. Heberden remarks, that tho' it be a common obfervation, that a calm always attends an Earthquake, no fuch thing happened in this; but a fine gale of wind before and after, as well as during the time of the fhock. He obferves alfo, that the fun, which fhone very bright, was furrounded immedi-' ately after the earthquake by a very large halo, which lafted about an hour, and then gradually disappeared.

31. An account of a treatife in Latin, prefented to the Royal Society, entitled, De admirando frigore artificiali, quo mercurius eft congelatus, differtatio, &c. af. A. Braunio, Acad. Scien. Membro, &c. By William Watfon, M. D. R. S. S.

This account contains a minute and circumftantial detail of Mr. Braun's difcovery and experiments relating to the congelation of mercury. Among many other curious particu

lars,

lars, we are here informed, that although many fluids will produce artificial cold, the nitrous acid is the moft powerful; that the degree of heat, in which mercury begins to boil, is not at 600 of Fahrenheit's fcale, as is generally imagined; but at least at 709: that the interval between the greatest contraction to the greateft dilatation of the mercury, confifts of 1237 degrees of the faid fcale; its volume, and confequently its specific gravity, varying a tenth part. We are told alfo, that Mr. Braun never was able, by the mixture of fnow and fpirit of nitre, which froze the mercury, to freeze fpirit of wine; whence it appears, fays Dr. Watson, that fpirit thermometers are the most fit to determine the degree of coldness in frigorific mixtures, until we are in a fituation to conftruct folid metallic thermometers with fufficient accuracy.

56. An account of an Encrinus, or Star-fish, with a jointed stem, taken on the coast of Barbadoes; which explains to what kind of animal thofe fofiles belong, called Star-ftones, Afteria, and Aftropodia, which have been found in many parts of this kingdom. By John Ellis, Efq; F. R. S.

This is a curious paper, and is illuftrated by two very elegant plates.

Papers relative to ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Art. 5. Extract of a letter from the Abbé de la Cuille, of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, and F. R. S. to William Watfon, M. D. F. R. S. recommending to the Rev. Mr. Nevil Mafkelyne, F. R. S. to make at St. Helena a feries of Obfervations for difcovering the Parallax of the Moon.

6. A letter from the Rev. Nevil Mafkelyne, to William Watson,

M. D.

Both thefe letters relate to the fame subject.

The articles 32 to 48 inclufive, as alfo 59, 60, 61, 62, and 63, contain various obfervations made in different parts of the world, on the late Tranfit of Venus over the Sun; with other aftronomical obfervations made on that occafion. Of thefe, therefore, our Readers will expect of us no farther

account.

ANTIQUITIES and POLITE ARTS.

Art. 7. A Differtation upon a Samnite Denarius, never before published. In a letter from Mr. Swinton, F. R. S.

This

This inedited filver coin, we are told, is adorned with two Etrufcan infcriptions, which very well merit the attention of the learned. It is of the fize of the larger confular Denarii, discovers much of the Roman tafte, and is in the finest confervation.

10. Extract of a letter from Mr. Robert Mackinlay, to the Earl of Morton, concerning the late Eruption of Vefuvius, and the difcovery of an ancient ftatue of Venus at Rome.

The eruption of Vefuvius, here curforily mentioned, is the fame with that above noticed in articles 8 and 9. The statue of Venus is faid to be of most exquifite workmanship; full fix feet high; and in the fame attitude with the Venus of Medicis with this difference, that her right hand is extended before her breast, and her left supports a light drapery below. This ftatue, we are told, was dug up in the Mons Calius, and is now in the poffeffion of the Marquis Carnavallia. 23. Additional obfervations upon fame plates of white glass found at Herculaneum. In a letter from J. Nixon, M. A. F.Ř. S.

Thefe obfervations are a fupplement to a paper on the same fubject inferted in the fecond part of the fiftieth volume of the Tranfactions. Mr. Nixon, who traces back the antiquity of glass windows to the third century, has here made feveral judicious critical remarks on what Authors have written on this matter: they are not, however, of a nature to be abstracted.

The medicinal, mathematical, and other articles, will be taken notice of in a future Review.

The Contemplatit. A Night Piece. By J. Cunningham.

IM

4to. 6d.

Payne.

N bestowing our approbation on a former little piece of Mr. Cunningham's, we remarked fome inftances of quaintnefs and affectation, into which we prefumed he had fallen by too close an imitation of Mr. Gray's celebrated Elegy. From the perutal of the prormance before us, however, we cannot help fufpecting me habitul quaintnefs in our Author's manner of thinking and writing in general.

Next to the pleasure we receive from the native efforts of true genius, is that of finding the fentiments and images it

exhibits,

exhibits, attended with an elegant fimplicity of expreffion : as nothing, however, is more agreeable than fuch an affemblage, fo nothing is more difgufting to a Reader of true taste, than the formality of exhibiting trite and infipid trifles in the affected garb of an infignificant delicacy. There is a wide difference between quaintnefs and elegance, prettiness and beauty, childishness and fimplicity; we are forry, therefore, to fee a Writer of Mr. Cunningham's talents for poetry, miftake himself fo far in the ufe of them, as to juftify us in faying of his performance, as he does of his fubject, Ah quantum eft in rebus inane !

It may be objected, however, that we do not fufficiently enter into the Poet's manner, and that

A Critic fhould perufe a work of wit,
With the fame fpirit that its Author writ.

For our parts, indeed, we defpair of effecting this on the prefent occafion; we can imagine, however, that a Critic of our Author's quaint and delicate turn, might proceed to point out the beauties of his poem in the manner following.

I.

AUTHOR. The Nurfe of Contemplation Night,

Begins her balmy reign;
Advancing, in their varied light,

Her filver-velted train.

CRITIC. How beautifully defcriptive! methinks, I fee Miftrefs Nurfe leading the pretty creatures between the clouds, each in a filver veft, with a bread blue filk back-ftring

II.

AUTHOR. 'Tis ftrange, the many marshal'd fars,
That ride yon facred round

Should keep, among their rapid cars,
A filence fo profound!

CRITIC. Strange, indeed, to the unphilofophic world! but our ingenious Contemplatift is Aftronomer enough to know, that the fydereal cars have broad wheels, and that the celeftial roads are paved with the finest Wilton carpets.

AUTHOR. A kind, a philofophic calm,

The cool creation wears!

And what day drank of dewy balm,
The gentle night repairs.

CRITIC.