It appears from the teftimony of M. Muller, that throughout this immenfe kingdom of Invifibles,' all the claffes are strict Pythagoreans, and that, varying remarkably from their kindred aquatics of the fifh tribe, none of them live by the deftruction. of the reft, or perifh by the gluttony of each other. During a courfe of obfervations carried on through feveral years, the Author affirms that he never faw the minuteft animalcule devoured by another. A contrary opinion has however univerfally prevailed; but the obfervers have, it feems, been deceived. by the rotatory motion of the fingular apparatus, or kind of wheel-work, by means of which the Vorticella and fome other animalcules form a prodigious whirlpool around them, for the purpose, as was imagined, of catching their living food. Into this vortex the fmaller animalcules are indeed irrefiftibly drawn, and frequently into the mouth of the animal that raises this commotion: but, according to the Author, they proceed no further; for, after having been dashed about in the whirlpool, they are conftantly, in a few moments, thrown out unhurt. Thofe animalcules which our Claffificator has diftinguished by the appellation of Trichoda, he obferves, are often feen nibbling at the fmall particles contained in the water; though he is perfuaded that the pure element alone is fufficient for their nourishment, as likewife for the fupport of thofe of a larger fize, diftinguished by the titles of Naides, Hydrachne, Monoculi, &c. The Author divides the whole animalcular kingdom into twelve genera; beginning with that of the Monas, and ending with thofe of the Brachionus and Vorticella. The Monas Termo, with the defcription of which M. Muller commences his ani malcular hiftory, feems to conftitute the utmost boundary of microscopical inquiry. This animated atom eludes the power of the microscope, as much as the fixed ftars do that of the telefcope: both appearing as fimple points, when expofed to the greatest magnifying powers of thefe inftruments. Of the other genera, that of the Vorticelle, which comprehends fome fpecies visible to the naked eye, appears to be the moft various, and to be well adapted to furnish full employment for the microfcopical obferver, who is inclined to amufe himself in fearching after and viewing the numerous fubjects here claffed and defcribed under that fingle genus. To thofe,' fays the Author, who choose to make the night pafs away quickly, and to spend it without fleep, I would recommend the contemplation of the Vorticella. Those who take pleafure in microfcopical refearches will wish. that the Author had facilitated their inquiries, by illuftrating his defcriptions of the various animalcular tribes by plates. This difficult task the Author propofes to execute hereafter; promifing to give the Public at the fame time a more ample hiftory of animalcules, We We fhall not extend this article further by giving an account of the other parts of this work; but as a fpecimen of the manner in which it is executed, we shall fubjoin a liberal translation of one of the Author's articles, which we are inclined to felect, as it contains a description of a very fingular animalcule, or rather congeries of animalcules, united into a little fyftem, or microcofm. VI. VOLVOX CONFLICTOR. Danish name, Strid-Vælteren. An animalcule, or rather an anarchy of animalcules, of a perfectly fpherical figure, larger than many of the vorticella, fubpellucid, yellowish, filled with minute molecules, and having a darkish margin. It revolves flowly, at intervals, to the right or to the left, but feldom moves out of its place. An innumerable quantity of particles within the sphere are seen in continual motion, and as it were in a violent and diforderly conflict: hence, in proportion to the greater concourfe of molecules to the one fide or the other, the fphere turns round a little either to the right or left. In a fhort time it ftands ftill, but the conflict within becomes more vehement. The fortune of the day appears for fome time dubious; but at length the prevailing party cause it to turn in a contrary direction. When the water begins to fail, many of the fpheres acquire an oval or cylindrical figure. They are now carried through the fluid with a rotatory and reeling kind of motion; and that of the included molecules becomes ten times more violent than before. But the water being evaporated, the whole tumultuous anarchy is in an inftant reduced to a ftate of the moft perfect quiet; and when the moifture has been totally exhaled, the entire machine burfts, and is difperfed, or rather diffufed, into molecules of no determinate figure. These at length nearly disappear, and the slider is left covered with beautiful figures, refembling thofe of the chryftals of fal ammoniac, as delineated by Baker, T. 3. N. 3. Frequently two fpheres are feen to revolve united together. In this fituation they appear to be compressed against each other in the points of contact. I fufpect that at this time they are employed in the work of founding new colonies or swarms. Several microfcopical animalcules, particularly the Monas Lens, delight in frisking round this species of the Volvox. It is found in dunghills, but not very frequently, in the beginning of fpring. I once difcovered it, in a vegetable infufion, at the end of November. This fpecies was encompaffed with flender hairs; [Ciliis] and I clearly faw that the rotatory moHence I tion of the entire mafs was effected by their means. doubt not that the other animalcules of this clafs owe their mo❤ tion to organs of a fimilar kind. B. MONTHLY MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For FEBRUARY, DRAMATIC. 1775. Art. 18. Matilda; a Tragedy: As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. By the Author of the Earl of Warwick. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Cadell. 1775. THE HE reverend Tranflator of Sophocles, abandoning the Greek theatre, has in this tragedy endeavoured to enrich our fiage with the fpoils of the French drama, and not entirely without fuccefs. Matilda, however, plainly betrays her origin. The piece is equal, cool and regular, like the most part of the tragedies of our neighbours; rather than [Sophocleo digna cothurno!] breathing the fpirit of the ancients. The fituations and characters are fuch as occur in many other plays, and the diction and fentiments neither fplendid are/ nor triking. In a dedication to the Public, the Author boafts of having defeated the combined forces of Envy, Malice, and Detraction, whom he perfonifies in his epilogue in the characters of Critics, Newfwriters, and Wits.' We moft heartily congratulate the reverend hero on his victory under the banners of William the Conqueror. The traces of the feudal system still remain in our establishment; and if the Author means to challenge any large domain in Parnaffus, by fo flight a tenure as this tragedy, his claim may be compared to the well-known cuftom in other copyholds, of holding a great ellate by pepper-corn. Art. 19. The Two Mifers; a Mufical Farce: As it is performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. By the Author of Midas and the Golden Pippin. 8vo. Is. Kearly. 1775 Les Deux Avares of Falbhaire, on which this little drama is founded, is a piece of empty, pantomimical fing fong. The English farce is worthy of its original. .Art. 20. The Rival Candidates; a Comic Opera, in Two Acts. In a fhort advertisement prefixed to this little piece, we are informed that it was undertaken in order to introduce a young mufical compofer to the Public, and that the attempt has been attended with fuccefs. The Opera appears to be well calculated to answer the end for which it was written. Without any peculiar force, or novelty of fable or character, there is an agreeable vivacity prevailing through the piece, which fufficiently engages the attention of the reader in the perufal, and muft undoubtedly produce a till happier effect in the reprefentation. c. AMERICAN DISPUTE s. Art. 21. The Rights of the English Colonies established in America fated and defended; their Merits and Importance to Great Britain difplayed; with Illustration of the Benents of their Union and the Mifchiefs and Dangers of their continued Diffention. Svo. 1 s. 6 d. Almon. This performance, which we confider as the work of Mr. B―nd, is written with decent moderation and impartiality.-it confifts chiefly chiefly of facts derived from ancient history, from the accounts of the tranfactions which occafioned the revolt of the United Provinces, and from the hiftory of our American Colonies.-We muft however obferve that fome of the facts cited do not feem very pertinent to the fubjects under confideration. B-t Art. 22. Tract V. The refpective Pleas and Arguments of the Mother Country and of the Colonies diftinctly set forth; and the Impoffibility of a Compromife of Differences or a mutual Conceffion of Rights plainly demonftrated. By Jofiah Tucker, D. D. Dean of Gloucefter. 8vo. I S. Cadell. 1775. To this Tract is prefixed a long Epittle Dedicatory to the Plenipotentiaries of the feveral republics of New Hampshire, Maffachufett's Bay, Rhode Island, &c. deputed to meet and fit in general Congress in the City of Philadelphia;' and we are forry that truth obliges us to declare that the contents of it are fo foreign from the proper fubject of confideration, and fo evidently the effufion of ill temper, that did they not proceed from fo refpectable a character as the Dean of Glocefter, we fhould have imagined them folely intended as the vehicle of infinuations against the colonies, unjuft in their nature, and malevolent in their design. In fection I. our Author confiders the plea of right of the Par liament of Great Britain to govern every part of the British empire,' which he grounds on that fallacious threadbare propofition, that in all focieties there must be a dernier refort and a ne plus ultra of ruling power,' from which he infers the unlimited jurifdiction of parliament over the colonies; and, to fupport this inference, attempts to refute the arguments alleged by the celebrated Mr. Molineux, for the independence of Ireland, as containing all that can be urged in fupport of the claims of the Colonies. We must here obferve, however, that great as Mr. Molineux's abilities really were, he has not employed all the facts or reafons which might have been adduced in fupport of his doctrine; and of those which he did employ, our Author has overlooked fome, and done injuftice to others, fo that, after all, we are far from thinking his pretended refutation will be found fatiffactory by an impartial, intelligent reader. In fection II. The plea alleged by the Colonies in fupport of their pretenfions' is pretended to be given; and we are told that, in order to avoid every appearance of partiality in this cafe,' he has chosen to extract this plea from the fhort declaration of rights published by the late American Congrefs. We find, however, that he has mentioned none of the facts or arguments which the advocates of the Colonies have urged in fupport of those rights, which, from the nature of his firft fection, and from the equal juftice he profeffes to obferve, ought to have been done. The third and laft fection is employed in comparing the refpective pleas of the Parent State and of the Colonies,' and in endeavouring to prove an alleged impoflibility of their making any mutual conceffions, confiftently with their refpective claims,' and a confequent neceffity of their feparating from each other, according to a conclufion delivered by the Author in a former Tract. And as an unanswerable proof that the claims of Great Britain and the Colonies are irreconcilable to each other, our Author cites part of the advertisement I vertisement to a pamphlet, intituled, "Confiderations on the Nature and Extent of the legislative Authority of the British Parliament," which the writer difputes in every infance when applied to the Colonies, concluding "that there can be no medium between acknowledging and denying that power in all cafes:" and though the pamphlet containing this doctrine was notoriously written by Mr. Wn, a Scotch gentleman refiding in Pennfylvania, and though the Dean must have been convinced that he had formerly injured Dr. Franklin by an unwarrantable imputation, he has notwithstanding, upon the weakest of all anonymous news-paper authorities, ventured confidently to charge him with being the author of this pamphlet ; and the charge thus propagated has been renewed even in the House of Lords: where a learned Law Peer lately employed it as an argument for the now prevailing fyftem of coercive measures. This fection likewife contains an unfriendly and groundless reflection, defigned, as we fuppofe, against the Right Rev. Author of a" Speech intended to be fpoken," whofe liberal, benevolent, and amiable temper of mind, could it have been transfered to the Dean, would at least have rendered his performance more pleasing to the worthier part of his readers, and perhaps not lefs honourable to himself. B-t. Art. 23. A Letter to the People of Great Britain, in Answer to that published by the American Congrefs. 8vo. 1 s. Newbery. This letter-writer was, it feems, determined, fas aut nefas, to controvert every allegation of the Congrefs, in their Letter to the People of Great Britain; and in doing this we think we often fee him offending against the truth: we could give feveral instances in fupport of this charge; but from the want of room, the following mult fuffice: In vindicating the juftice of the Boston Port Bill, he fays, it requires only that the inhabitantsfhould make reparation to the Batt-India Company for their property which had been deftroyed. The act for fhutting up the port of Bofton (adds he) continues no longer in force after they have performed this neceffary piece of juftice.-Can any thing be more reasonable or moderate than that they should be obliged to make good the damage which they themfelves have done, efpecially when no perfonal punishment is even demanded of the perpetrators of the violence? If this (continues he) be a true ftate of the cafe (and I believe it cannot be impeached in point of veracity both of fact and reprefentation) with what face can this fhameless people accufe the British nation of being void of juftice and humanity? That this is not a true ftate of the cafe we affirm and regret ; because we think that had the continuance of the act depended only on the reparation of damage fuftained by the Eaft India Company, and had a little time been given to make fuch reparation previous to the commencement of its operation, that very probably the conditions of this Act (unaccompanied by thofe which followed it) might have been complied with, notwithstanding the unfavourable circumftances of its punishing the innocent for the guilty, without hearing the accufed, and in oppofition to many other effential forms of justice. The |