popotamus. Their form, which is very remarkable, is delineated here from a head in the collection of Mr. Teftorp, at Lübeck. The best are brought from Cape Mefurado, in Guinea, and they are particularly adapted to the purpofe of making artificial teeth, because they retain their whitenefs, and are not liable to become yellow, like those former from ivory. This effay terminates with an account of the ivory which is dug out of the ground in Ruffia, with the manner in which it is employed, as alfo of the ufe to be made of the smaller teeth and bones of other animals, which is by no means inconfiderable.

The next article treats of the Snail-Shells, which are found in the Philippine and Maldive islands, and which, under the names of Kauris or Zimbis, are fent to Guinea inftead of money. Great numbers of them are likewife exported into other countries, where they answer the purpose of ornament only. The method of carrying on this trade, with fome account of the alterations that have taken place in the price. Some years ago the Dutch Eaft India Company fold of them, in all their factories, 125,437. In the year 1780 the pound colt 5 fluyvers. On the fubject of Gall-Nuts, we have alfo here much interefting and ufeful information. Thofe brought from the Levant, which are of a fuperior quality, are procured neither from the Quercus cerris, as has been generally imagined, nor from the 2. agilops, but from the common oak. An American production, of which the Spaniards fome years ago attempted to make an article of commerce in the place of the gall-nut, under the name of Dividivi, is likewise defcribed here after an account which had been tranfmitted from Spain to Mr. Murr. It is the pod of a Poinciana, which has been defcribed by Jacquin. It was used for fome time by dyers and cottonprinters at Hamburg, but its aftringent quality was found to be much weaker than that of the gall-out.

P. 392, of Liquorice. The profits arifing from this article in Italy, Spain, and about Bamberg. The preparation of the juice, which is no longer boiled in this lant country. Fifty years ago, not less than zco cwt. were annually fent from thence to Nuremberg, Frankfort, and Leipfic. But the juice is now, with fome additional ingredients, baked in the form of fmall cakes, the preparation of which, as alfo whatever else relates to this branch of trade at Bamberg, is here explained by Prof. Grellman. In modern times fo much liquorice is required by the brewers in their porter, that the exportation from Spain is very much increafed by it. Theophraftus, Diofcorides, and the other ancient phyficians used the roots of the Glycir. echinata, which is femployed in Aftrachan together with the common fort.

P. 411. Of the Cocoa-Nut; ufe of its rind and fhell. The nuts worked by our turners are not thofe of the ordinary, but of a smaller kind, with a much thicker fhell, which the Portuguese bring from Brafil, and which are likewife to be found in St. Domingo. Here our author takes an opportunity of defcribing the Maldive-Nut, the form and fize of which are very remarkable. It is now known, that this palm-tree grows in the Sechelles Iflands, and that it is a Beraffus. The reader will hardly expect to find that Mofes Maimonides fhould have been acquainted with this Travarcara, and have called it by this name. Not only were the common cocoa-nuts known, as curiofities,

to

to the ancients, but likewise the manner of working their shells. In the concluding article we are prefented with an account of the trade in Ostrich-Feathers, together with the manner of preparing them. In enumerating fome circumftances peculiar to thefe feathers, the author points out the reafon why, by the Egyptians, the figure of an oftrichfeather was employed as the emblem of an impartial judge; which, it feems, Pauw and others had mifunderstood. The trade in this expenfive article is chiefly confined to the Jews at Leghorn. The best feathers come from Algiers; fome of an inferior quality from Tunis and Alexandria; and others, ftill worfe, from Senegal. Those imported from Egypt are lefs valuable, by one-fifth, than fuch as come from Barbary, from Saida and Aleppo. Ibid.

Continuation of the Lift of German feientific Publications, from p. 693 of our laft Number.

ART. 63. Verfuch einer vollständigen Conchylienkentnifs, nach Linnés Syftem, heraufgegeben von C. Schreibers. Erfter Band, von den Schnecken. Zweyter Band, von den Mufcheln.-Effay towards a complete Conchyliology, according to the Syftem of Linnæus, by C. Schreibers. Vol. I. on Snails. 446 pp. Vol. II. on Mufcles, 416 pp. in 8vo. Vienna.

This is little more than a very accurate and comprehenfive lift of the fhells pointed out in the title, according to the order observed in the laft edition of Linnæus, with this difference, however, that the Snails here take the lead, being followed in the fecond volume by the Mufcles. To the figures are annexed a short description of them in the German language, with the countries where they are found, as alfo the names most commonly given to them in Germany; a complete index of which concludes each volume. We fhall only add, that the value of this really ufeful work would have been greatly enhanced, if, in the inftances where Mr. Schr. has availed himself of the discoveries of other naturalifts, fuch as Lifter, Bonanni, Seba, Rumf, &c. he had always referred to the authors to whom he was indebted for them, and if he had, where it was practicable, compared the figures with nature herself, which it does not appear to us that he has done. Ibid.

ART. 64. Tecnifche Gefchichte der Pflanzen, welche bey Handwerken, Künften, und Manufacturen bereits im Gebrauche find, oder noch gebraucht werden können, von G. R. Böhmers.-Technical History of the Plants, which are either already used in Trade, the Arts, and Manufactures, or which may yet be employed in them; by Prof. Böhmers. Leipfic. Vol. I. 780 pp. in 8vo.

The plants here defcribed are both domeftic and foreign; which are brought under different claffes, according to the ufes to which they are applied. At the head of thefe appear fuch as are valuable for their wood; then fuch as produce flour, and drink, or liquors; next those that are spun or woven, which are followed by thofe to which we are indebted for oil, the different falts, fugar, and foap. The other divifions are to form the materials of the next volume. To the first

part

part of the prefent volume is prefixed an effay on what Duhamel calls the Phyfique des Arbres, from an attention to which the reader willoften be enabled to account for the manifold ufes to which they are applied. The fame judicious plan is likewife adopted in regard to the other articles; and in each part the plants are ranged according to the alphabetical order of their German names. We hope that the work will be accompanied with a very complete index, which is the more neceffary, becaufe, owing to the order here observed, the fame plant is often mentioned in different places, and under various names. Ibid.

ART. 65. Magazin für das nexefte aus Phyfik und Naturgefchichte vor Johann Heinrich Voigt; 4 St. des 8 B.-Magazine for the lateft (difcoveries) in Phyfics and natural Hiftory, by J. H. Voigt; 4 Part of Vol. VIII. Gotha.

Among the new articles in this periodical work are an essay, by Prof. Wild, of Colmar, on frozen windows; another, by the fame, on the effects of a good air-gun, and the compreffion of the air in it; a differtation, by Mr. C. H. Prefoon, late of the Cape of Good Hope, but now of Göttingen, on fpunge; an account, by Prof. Wild, of an improvement on the Planetarium of Bode, &c.

Ilid.

ART. 66. Zoologifche Eeyträge zur XIII. Aufgabe des Linnéifchen Naturfyftems; von Donndorf, des z. B. erft. Th.-Zoological Addr tions to the 13th Edition of the Natural Syftem of Linnæus, by Donndorf; 1 Part of Vol. II; likewife with the following title, Ornithologische Beyträge zur XIII. Aufgabe des Linnéifchen Naturfftems. Leipfic.

This new volume, which includes the four firft orders of birds, and extends to p. 1156, exhibits a fresh proof of the great diligence and accuracy of the compiler, who has availed himfelf of the dif coveries and improvements made in this department of fcience, by Latham, Pennant, Bechftein, and others.

Ibid.

ART. 67. Panzer's Infecten Deutfchlands; St. XIII-XVIII.-Panzer's German Infects. No. XIII-XVIII. 1824 pp. Nüremberg. Of this work, the character of which is likewife fufficiently eftablifhed by the former numbers, we shall content ourselves with announcing the continuation only. Ibid.

SWITZERLAND.

ART. 68. Reifen in verfchiedene Provinzen des Königreichs Neapel, von C. U. von Salis.-Travels in different Provinces of the Kingdom of Naples, by C. U. de Salis. Züric.

In the first half of the first volume, which forms 442 pp. in 8vo. the author gives an account of his travels in Apulia, through the provinces of Bari and Otranto. Concerning countries hitherto fo imperfectly

known,

known, we are glad to receive even fuch information as is, however, more calculated to excite, than to fatisfy curiofity. The first journey (in the year 1789) was to Molfetta, and to the falt-petre pits there, which have indeed already been described by other travellers. Lately a piece of falt-petre, weighing two pounds, was found there. Notwithstanding they do not at prefent make any ufe of this natural production, and the fuperintendant, Targoni, is here confidered as an ignorant impoftor. The taxes at Molfetta are farmed by government, and any article of merchandize, of the value of fix ducats, mult now pay ten carlinos to the king, inftead of the four which it formerly paid to the houfe of Spinola. The inhabitants are still good merchants and feamen, their principal traffic being with Ferrara, Venice, and Trieste. But the fea-port towns of Apulia have certainly not all the commerce of which they might be capable; and it may indeed be faid that the government, far from promoting it, rather appears to throw obftacles in its way. In the time of the kings of Arragon the province of Bari produced much filk and when a perfon fome years ago wished to plant again fome thoufands of mulberry-trees there, he was told that he might be permitted to do it, on the condition that for every pound of filk he fhould pay three carlini. The trees were, therefore, burnt. Many other political errors, of a nature equally grofs, are here noticed by the author, who affures us at the fame time that they are not to be charged to the account either of the king, or of his minifters; a circumstance which we must own that we find it fomewhat difficult to comprehend. In one fevere winter more than 40,000 fheep died in the eastern provinces, owing chiefly to their being conftantly in the open air; now they begin to keep them under cover during the winter, and the author reminds the inhabitants of the advice of Columella, who fays that genus Tarentinum molliffimum, nec æftus, nec frigoris patiens. The beautiful Tarentine wool is no longer to be found. A fheep will, however, produce a clear profit of a Neapolitan ducat yearly. A fpecies of Hypericum, called crifpum, when covered with dew, is here faid to be fatal to fheep. The author paid a vifit to the two iflands, lying three miles from Tarentum, which were by the ancients named Cherades and Electrides, and which, though their existence has been denied by Mazucchi, are to be found in Clüver, and in moft maps. The larger is now called St. Pelafgia, and the fmaller that of St. Andrew. Both of them are perfectly uncultivated. The fums expended in the repair of the harbour at Brindifi, may be confidered to have been entirely thrown away. Gallipoli, though without any haven, or even a fafe road for fhips, has, however, a greater fhare of commerce than any other place in the whole kingdom. But its merchants are nothing more than factors to fome houfes in Naples, Leghorn, and Genoa. Of the manufacture of oil there; an extract from the writings of Prefta and Grimaldi : in regard to the land-holders, we are informed, that when there is no relation of the third degree, the property devolves to the king. P. 192 a defcription, by the Abbé Fortis, of Matera and Gravina, where there are a number of caverns in the Tufa (Tophus) some of which continue, as formerly, to be inhabited, and in all of which conLiderable maffes of faltpetre are found. Important obfervations on

2

Lava;

Lava; fome of which, owing to the different fubftances of which it is compofed, will, in the courfe of ten years, be covered with a layer of earth of a foot thick, which would not be formed over other portions of it in two hundred. Chemical Analysis of the Lava of Ætnæ and Vefuvius. In p. 237, we are prefented with obfervations made on a journey through fome part of Abbruzzo. This country is very little frequented by ftrangers, on account of the want of public roads, and the number of robbers with which it abounds. A view of the fea of Celano, in Abbruzzo ultra. There are here many bears, lynxes, wild boars, and venomous ferpents, which are caught for theriacal uses. The antiquities and infcriptions here are likewife very numerous. In a continued dry feason, in the year 1752, there were found fome very fine ftatues of Claudius, Nero, Hadrian, &c. which were carried to Caferta. In the country of the ancient Marfi, who were heretofore noted for their dealings in poisonous drugs, and in the magical art, medicinal preparations of various kinds are ftill made, from plants that grow wild there. The complaints made by the ancient inhabitants against the Lacus Fucinus, by which the emperor Claudius was induced to form the canal, which has of late again been opened and examined, ftill continue the fame. The completion of this undertaking would neither be difficult nor very expenfive. The 150000 ducats which it might coft, would foon be repaid by the profits it would produce. Notwithstanding this, it is fcarcely to be expected that, under fuch a government, it fhould ever be finished.

In the fupplement is contained an account of the different fhells found on the coafts of this kingdom, with their Linnean names, and references to Martini. Four plates, coloured after nature, represent likewife the feveral fpecies which the author looks upon to be new. We have also here many curious and useful obfervations on Mufcles, Oysters, on the method of taking the Silk-Mufcles, Pinna nobilis. The Silk, lana penna, is combed or carded, spun on a spindle, wound, and used together in knitting with other filk. The demand for this filk is, however, not very great, as it is particularly liable to be injured by moths. At the end of the volume are brought together thofe paffages of the ancients, where they have touched on any of the objects defcribed by our author, though we cannot fay that any new light is here thrown on them. We fhall, however, be glad to fee the continuation of this work, inafmuch as, according to Seneca-In tanta benorum egeftate minus faftidiofa fit electio.. Ibid.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the AUTHORS of the BRITISH CRITIC.
GENTLEMEN,

WITH fubmiffion to your better

judgment, I think that, to your obfervations on Spóußa aïuales, in November Review, it should be added. that Juftin Martyr

and