er, by Dr. Hancock, on the motions that result n merely mixing a few drops of alcohol with a all phial of laurel oil. To exhibit this singular nomenon, which seems to bear some analogy the motions of the planetary orbs, the drops of ohol should be introduced at different intervals of ie. A revolving or circular motion instantly nmences in the oil, carrying the alcoholic gloles through a series of mutual attractions and resions, which will last for many days. The round dies, which seem to move with perfect freedom ough the fluid, turn in a small eccentric curve at h extremity of their course, passing each other idly without touching. In the course of the exriment, Dr. Hancock observed particles of fluid to arate in large globular portions--these commenced imilar revolution, and smaller ones quitted their urse, and revolved about the larger, whilst the ter still pursued their gyrations after the manner of imary planets and their secondaries.

Carrier Pigeons.-Three thousand pigeons are kept - stock jobbers at Amsterdam, to convey the acunts of the variations in Stock between that place d Paris. They are despatched three times a day, d arrive next morning. They are transported in askets to Paris by servants, who travel continually and fro, to keep the number complete.-French aper.

Loss of Weight in Cooking Meat.-We recommend all our economical friends the result of a thrifty ousekeeper's experience in this matter, and congralate the lovers of old English roast beef, that they ay gratify their laudable predilection, and save any an honest penny at one and the same meal:lbs. of Beef by boiling lose 1lb.-by roasting, 1 lb. 5oz. -by baking, 1lb. 3oz.4 lbs. of Mutton by oiling lose 14 oz.-by roasting, 1 lb. 6 oz.-by baking, lb. 4oz. We will only add, that the devotees to oiled mutton and turnips are evidently first-rate ecoomists!

Dutch Sorrow.-Grief and interest appear in Holland o walk arm-in-arm together. We extract the followng public notice from a Dutch Journal:-" After a hort illness, my wife died yesterday morning, leavng me with three infant children. In the hope that ier pure soul is with God, I beg to inform my cusomers, that my stores will continue to be as well furnished and attended to as formerly, having confided them to the direction of my principal clerk, a man extremely intelligent, and as well versed in business as the deceased herself."

Another Elephant's Tooth found in Scotland.-Geologists are aware that two elephants' tusks were found some years ago in the neighbourhood of Kilmarnock, and also that another was discovered in digging the Union Canal. We find a third locality has just been found near Paisley, where a tusk and a grinder have been found in that neighbourhood, imbedded in a tenacious clay a few feet above the sandstone of a quarry. The clay is of considerable thickness, and is mixed with rolled stones, mostly limestone, though no rock of that substance occurs within seven miles of the place.

French News.-A Paris paper says, an ivory-turner in London, in sawing in two the tooth of an elephant, found in the centre of it a diamond, for which he has been offered 13,000l. sterling.

Duelling.-The "Stamford Mercury" relates the circumstance of a duel between two chimney sweeps one of the pistols and one of the gentlemen went off, the other lost his hand by the bursting of his piece. Longevity.-Mrs. Twiddy, of Snailwell, in Cambridgeshire, is in her 108th year; her eldest son is 84, and his youngest brother 64. She has a perfect recollection of Sir Isaac Newton.

The Duke of Sussex, and Copies of the Bible.--As some of our readers may possibly be unacquainted with the passion of the Royal Duke for collecting Bibles, we state from our own knowledge, that the library of the noble bibliopist now contains a copy of almost every edition of the sacred Scriptures which ever emanated from the erudite penman or the press of any country, at any era, amounting to above 4,000 volumes! This immense and valuable collection, it is surmised, the Duke intends to bequeath to Trinity College, Cambridge, to which his attachment is well known, His Royal Highness has the reputation of being an accomplished Hebraist; and it is even hinted that a new version of the Pentateuch may, at no distant period, be expected from his hand.

The Cock that warned Peter.-I was surprised one morning at a very extraordinary sound which proceeded from a yard not far from our house, which I discovered was the crowing of a cock. It was a creature of an extraordinary figure, immensely tall, almost all legs and thighs, with a very small body, and when he erected himself to crow, was as long as

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a crane but he was particularly distinguished by his song. At the conclusion of his crow, when other cocks ceased their note, he prolonged it into a very dismal croak, which had a monitory sound. One of our Brazilian servants then informed me, that it was the breed of a cock that crowed to Peter, and that this lengthened and dreary note was intended as an additional warning and reproach to him for what he had done!-Dr. Walsh's Notices of Brazil.

South American Condor.-In the course of the day I had the opportunity of shooting a condor; it was so satiated with its repast on the carcase of a horse, as to suffer me to approach within pistol-shot before it extended its enormous wings to take flight, which was to me the signal to fire, and having loaded with an ample charge of pellets, my aim proved effectual and fatal. What a formidable monster did I behold in the ravin beneath me, screaming and flapping in the last convulsive struggles of life. It may be difficult to believe, that the most gigantic animal which inhabits the earth or the ocean can be equalled in size by a tenant of the air; and those persons who have never seen a larger bird than our mountain eagle, will probably read with astonishment of a species of that same bird, in the southern hemisphere, being so large and strong as to seize an ox with its talons, and to lift it into the air, whence it lets it fall to the ground, in order to kill it, and to prey upon the carcase. But this astonishment must in a great degree subside, when the dimensions of the bird are taken into consideration, and which, incredible as they may appear, I now insert, verbatim, from a note taken down with my own hand. "When the wings are spread, they measure 16 paces (40 feet) in extent, from point to point; the feathers are 8 paces (20 feet) in length, and the quill palms 8 inches in circumference. It is said to have powers sufficient to carry off a live rhinoceros.-Temple's Travels in Peru.

English Poverty.-From a Parliamentary Return, it appears that the gold watch-cases stamped at Goldsmith's Hall, in the last year, amounted to 9,136. The silver watch-cases, stamped in the same year, amounted to 55,991.

Meteoric Stones.-In the night of the 14th of August, 1829, some meteoric stones fell near Deal, New Jersey, in the United States. The fall was preceded by a luminous meteor, which first rose like a rocket, then described a curve, and burst. There were twelve or thirteen explosions, like discharges of musketry, and accompanied with scintillations. The surfase of the stones that have been gathered is black, smooth, and irregular. Their interior is light gray, and full of metallic particles.-Aunales de Chimie

Peace-making Gander.-A professional gentleman of this town stated in our hearing, the other day, the following rather remarkable fact. Some years ago, while riding past Clarencefield, on a clear moonlight night, his attention was directed to Mr. Burnie's straw-yard, in which two bullocks, pugnacious natives of the western highlands, were engaged in settling some deadly feud. Such was the ire and prowess of the brutes, that their foreheads were converted into a kind of battering-rams; and every time they receded a little way, and again met, the crash was loud and terrific. The fierceness of the combat induced the traveller to pull up his steed; and his surprise was changed to absolute wonderment, when he observed a gander leave his nest, wave his pinions in the air, and then dash between the horns of the belligerents, which he succeeded in separating in the twinkling of an eye. A movement so singular and unexpected, cowed the combatants most effectually; in an instant they retreated in different directions, and, so long as our informant remained on the spot, evinced no disposition to renew hostilities. The gander, on the other hand, seemed quite proud of the exploit he had performed; and resumed. "with stately steps and slow," his place among the bonny lady-geese, who one and all proved, by their kindly cackling, how much they admired his dexterity as a tilter in an arena, which, in their innocent eyes, had all the attractions of a second "Ashby de la Zouch."Dumfries Courier.

Increase of Peers.-The House of Peers, at the death of Charles 11. consisted of 176 members; at the death of King William, of 192; at the death of Queen Anne, of 209; at the death of George I. of 216; at that of George II. of 229; and at that of George 111. of 386.

Here

An unexpected Proposal-A young lady came over from a great distance "to be cured;" and when I asked the nature of her complaint, she replied, "As to that matter, I believe there is not a single complaint under the sun which I have not got." was a fine catalogue of disorders! I asked if she were married or single? "Single," was the answer. I then told her that so many complaints as she seemed to have could only be cured by a husband! At

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which observation she was exceedingly exasperated but her anger terminated in a proposal to marry me I never was more surprised in my life, and looked quite stupid-Hardy's Travels in Mexico.

Porter. Dr. Ash says, that porter obtained the name from being much drank by porters in the City of London. It came into fashion about the year 1730. The malt liquors previously in use were "ale," "beer," and "two penny," and it was customary to call for a pint of half and half," viz. half ale and half beer; half ale and half two penny; or half beer and half two penny. In course of time it also became the practice to ask for a pint of " threethirds,' meaning a third of ale, beer, and twopenny, and thus the publican was obliged to go to three casks for a single pint.-To avoid this trouble and waste, a brewer of the name of Harwood conceived the idea of making a liquor which would partake of the united flavours of ale, beer, and two-penny, which he called entire, meaning that it was drawn from one cask or butt. Being a hearty, nourishing liquor, it was very suitable for porters or other hardworking people; hence it obtained the name of porter. Some years ago, a Winchester quart of old sound porter would yield near 81X ounces of good proof spirits: but the beer of the present day will not yield four ounces of the same spirit. Whether this deficiency be attributable to the avarice of the brewer, the roguery of the publican, or the quality of the malt, is not very pertinent to the subject; but the reduction of its strength ought to be balanced by its genuineness.

Influence of the Will on the Judgment.-The will is one of the principal sources of belief; not that it produces belief, but that things appear true or false to us according to the way they are looked at. The will, which inclines to one thing more than another, turns away the mind from considering the qualities of that which it does not approve; and thus the whole mind, led by the will or inclination, limits its observation to what it approves, and thus forming its judgment on what it sees, it insensibly regulates its belief by the inclinations of the will, i. e. by its own preferences.-Pascal.

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Scandinavian Owls.-These owls, Dr. Mellerborg assured me, will sometimes destroy dogs, laceed, he himself once knew an instance of the kind. He stated another circumstance, showing the ferocity of these birds, which came under his immediate cotice. Two men were in the forest for the purpose of gathering berries, when one of them happening to approach near to the nest of the owl, she pounced upon him whilst he was in the act of stooping, and, fixing her talons on his back, wounded him very severely. His companion, however, was fortunately near at hand, when, catching up a stick, he lost no time in destroying the furious bird. These owls not unfrequently engage in combat with the eagle himI here self, and they often come off victorious. powerful and voracious birds occasionally kill the fawns of the stag, robuck, and reindeer. The largest of the birds common to the Scandinavian forests, 1 he such as the capercali, often become their prey. hooting of these owls may often be heard during the night-time in the northern forests: the sound, which is a most melancholy one, and which bas given rise to many superstitions, is audible at a long distance. -Loyd's Field Sports.

Scripture Names.-It is probable that the proper names of men, mountains, valleys, rivers, &c. were originally given in allusion to some circumstance, event, or prophecy, relative to them, and thus the name conveyed a brief history of the thing, or a record by artificial memory. The uames of the Patriarchs in the Hebrew language exhibit a wonderful prophecy of the redemption of mankind by the promised Messiah, as appears by the following explanation:—Adam, Man-Seth, Set or placed--Enos, In misery-Cainan. Lamentable-Mahalaleel, Blessed God-Jared, Shall come down-Enoch, Teaching-Methuselah, That his death will send-Lamech, To humble smitten man-Noah, Consolation.

Literary Notices.

Just Published.

The Olive-The tree which produces this favourite of the desert is supposed to be indigenous in Syria; it is said to have been carried from Phocis to Marseilles, from which it spread over the shores of the Mediterranean. It is extensively cultivated in the South of France, in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. olives of the Val d'Arno, which furnish the wellknown Florence oil, are accounted the best. The olive-tree is one of the hard-wooded kind, of very slow growth, and of great duration. It can bear very considerable cold, if the weather be dry; but a few degrees below the freezing point, if accompanied with snow, is fatal to it.

Remarkable Hank of Silk.-A hank of silk, produced by a single worm, lately reeled in the presence of several gentlemen, in Bolton, was 365 yards in length, and on being weighed, was found to be of the texture of 1500 hanks in the lb. A single pound of this silk would reach 716 miles. The worm was only seven days in spinning the hank, consequently it produced at the rate of 52 yards per day.

Singular Mode of Preserving the Dead.-The practice is, to immerse the body of the dead in quick-lime; and when the flesh is consumed by its causticity, the bones are collected, scraped, and cleaned, and deposited together in a box, with a lock and key, which is then closed, and the key delivered to the family. These cases have no resemblance to coffins. They are of different shapes; and with their ornamented exterior, the smaller ones rather resemble a lady's dressing-box. They are deposited in dry receptacles made in the walls of the cloisters, or other parts of the church, and on an annual festival are brought out, and the living friends come with their keys and inspect them.-Walsh's Notices of Brazil.

Nervous Affections. An impression made on one part of the body will produce a nervous affection elsewhere, at a distance from the original seat of the disease, and where no such obvious indication of the fact presents itself. A disease in the liver produces a pain in the right shoulder; a disease in the heart produces a pain in the back. The late Dr. Wollaston was accustomed to relate the following:He ate some ice-cream after dinner, which his stomach seemed to be incapable of digesting. Some time afterwards, when he had left the dinner-table to go to the drawing-room, he found himself lame from a violent pain in one ankle. Suddenly he became sick; the ice-cream was ejected from the stomach, and this was followed by an instantaneous relief of the pain of the foot.-From a Lecture by Mr. Brodie.

National Portrait Gallery: Sir Abraham Ilame; Dr. Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury; and Sir Thomas Picton. Imperial 8vo. and royal 4to.

Letters to the Young, on the Importance of Religion and Mental Improvement, &c., by W. Beal. Lord Byron's Cain, a Mystery, with Notes, &c. by Harding Grant.

History of Northamptonshire, Part III. (completing the First Volume,) by George Baker.

The Great Mystery of Godliness Incontrovertible; or Sir Isaac Newton and the Socinians foiled in the Attempt to prove a Corruption in the Text 1 Tim. iii. 16: by C. Henderson, Professor of Divinity and Oriental Languages, at Highbury College,

The Moral Muse, comprising Education and Man. ners, Virtues and the Passions, Human Life, Nature and Time, Religion, &c. a Present for Young Ladies, by Emma Price, 12mo.

Agatha and Eveline; or Traits of Character: designed for the Instruction of Young Ladies, by Eliza Vincent Stinton. 18mo.

The Pulpit, Part 1. of Vol. 15.
The Pulpit, Nos. 398 and 399.

The Private Journal of the Rev. C. S. Stewart, late Missionary to the Sandwich Islands.

An Essay on the Creation of the Universe, and Evidences of the Existence of God, by Charles Doyne Silley.

A Treatise on the Natural and Chemical Properties of Water, by Abraham Booth.

Anti Slavery Reporter, No. 65.
Specimens of Penmanship, by J. P. Hemms.

In the Press.

Select Sermons, translated from Massillon, in One Vol. 8vo., by the Rev. Rutton Morris.

Dr. Jamieson has nearly ready for publication, The Elements of Algebra, comprising Simple and Quadratic Equations, designed as an Introduction to Bland's Algebraical Problems.

A Key to the above is also in the Press, in which the Solutions to all the Questions will be worked at full length.

MEMOIR OF JOHN MACKIE, M.D.

(With a Portrait.) "Nulla est, quæ pulchriora laborum præmia Cultoribus persolvit, quam medica sapientia." Boerhaave.

THE most prominent characters on the great theatre of human life, are those who, having united talents with enterprise, have been eager in the pursuit of knowledge, wealth, honours, or power. To them, undoubtedly, the first place is due in the page of biography, especially when their abilities have been exerted for the benefit of their country; yet it is frequently advantageous, as well as pleasant, to trace the lives of the modest and unassuming, if possessed, in any eminent degree, of genius, learning, or

virtue.

*

The subject of this memoir was born in the year 1748, at Dunfermline, in Fife, where his family, which is very ancient, has held a respectable rank ever since the beginning of the fourteenth century. Having received the rudiments of his education at the High-school of the above town, he was placed under the care of Dr. Stedman, author of Lælius and Hortensia; and when this eminent individual removed to Edinburgh, young Mackie accompanied him thither, and became a member of that university. Here he was distinguished for his application, his frank and graceful address, and that honourable deportment, which has given a lustre to his character through every period of his life.

At an early age he succeeded in his connexion, his friend, Dr. Moubray, at Huntingdon, where he enjoyed the patronage of Lord Sandwich, and became known to the leading characters of the day; Captain Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, Omai, Sir Hugh Palliser, Lord Rodney, Bishop Tomline, Horne Tooke, Antisejanus Scott, Howard the philanthropist, &c. Indeed, it would be difficult to name a person, whose intercourse, in the line of his profession only, has given occasion to an equal number of private friendships.

[1830.

In the year 1792, Dr. Mackie removed to Southampton, where his wife's family had long been settled, and though the practice to which he succeeded was comparatively small, he very soon enlarged the sphere of his utility, and found himself placed, by his talents, manners, and acquirements, at the head of the medical department of this county. Yet, although taking the lead in a profession, where animosities are often carried to a lamentable height, no one of the rivals, it was believed, was ever known to speak, or to think of him, with any feeling approaching to personal hostility.

At Broadlands, the seat of Viscount Palmerston, where he was not only the physician, but the friend of the family, he had an opportunity of forming an intimate acquaintance with Sir Henry Englefield, Sir Charles Blagden, Count Rumford, Lord Malmesbury, Lord Minto, Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, and the most marked of the French emigrants, who were always most kindly received in that hospitable mansion.

On a calm retrospection of departed years, Dr. Mackie is accustomed to represent this as the most delightful period of his life; and it is remarkable, that in a consultation which he held in London with Dr. Baillee, on casually complimenting him on the pre-eminence to which he had attained, Dr. Baillie, in a most impressive manner, replied as follows:-" Dr. Mackie, you are the object of my envy: you have a full practice in the country; harassed; you enjoy pure air, the society you are actively employed, without being of friends, and intervals of leisure, which I can scarcely ever command; and you talk of retiring from business in a few years, whilst I feel that I shall die in harness." The melancholy anticipation of this excellent man was realized by his death, at the age of sixty-five.

To the remark of the great moralist,

This lady, to whose rare virtues and abilities it is impossible to do justice in the small compass of a note, and who may be said to have been the first to give to her fair countrywomen a picture of Madame de Sevigne in an English dress, was the daughter of the Rev. John des Champs, Rector of Pillesden, Dorset, and niece of Anthony Chamier, Esq., M.P. Under Secretary of State during Lord Bartington's administration,

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