with a small portion of oil; upon standing some time it concretes into nearly a solid mass. The head of the Whitstable whale was, as it were, tapped by driving a bar of wood into it, and the spermaceti flowed out in a full stream. This substance is likewise diffused through various parts of the body in a chain of membranous sacs, which communicate with each other like the air cells of birds; and is also, in small proportion, mingled with the general oil of the blubber.

The spiracles, nostrils, or breathing holes, form another remarkable character of the Cetacea; but their structure, which enables the animals to blow, or eject water in a fountain, when they rise to the surface to breathe, is too well known to need description. In the present species they unite into one canal, which opens near the muzzle. After being wounded, much blood was mixed with the water spouted by our unfortunate animal.

The ca

The mouth, also, affords several marked peculiarities. In the Balænæ the place of teeth is supplied by an apparatus which can by no means answer a purpose at all similar. This consists of a number of fringe-like plates on each side of the upper jaw. These plates constitute the whalebone of commerce: their number sometimes amounts to 500. chalot, on the contrary, is furnished on each side with from nineteen to thirty, according to its age, of strong but short and comparatively blunt teeth; but even here an anomaly exists, they being found in the lower jaw only. The upper is covered with a callous gum, as hard as cartilage, and its edge is indented in sockets for the reception of the teeth of the lower. Arguing theoretically, it has been supposed that this structure is only fit for crushing the shells of crustaceous animals; but the cachalots are, unfortunately for this hypothesis, well known to be truly and tyrannically carnivorous, seizing every thing in their way, and, in the words of an author before quoted, "covering the seas with blood, and pursuing their prey with a bitterness and pertinacity that has scarcely any parallel in animated nature; "in fact, being the insatiate tigers of the ocean. If this predacious habit were, indeed, a disputed question, the present specimen would not tend to decide it, as in his stomach was found only a little fucus, which he had probably snatched in haste from the surface of the waves, with the vain hope of satisfying his hunger and exhaustion, during his painful and protracted chase.

We have had the opportunity of inspecting an eye of this animal at the Zoological Society, and find it precisely according with the descriptions given of it by Cuvier and other comparative anatomists. Its structure is extremely curious. The longest diameter of the whole globe, which is flattened anteriorly, does not exceed 3 in., and that of the iris little more than one. The cavity containing the crystalline and vitreous humours is small and completely spherical, the great bulk of the eye being composed of the sclerotic coat, which is as dense and hard as cartilage. The lens is not larger than that of a haddock, and is spherical like those of fish. The optic nerve is the size of a goose quill, and is singularly surrounded by a very peculiar, soft, spongy substance, like finely reticulated cellular membrane. This substance is rather more than an inch in diameter, and is enclosed in a sheath as dense as the coat of an artery. The muscles of the eye are not distinct as in quadrupeds, but surround the whole ball like a purse, radiating from behind the edge of the cornea. The whole anterior part of the eye was destroyed.

We have few additional particulars to add, and those are from the observations of Mr. Gould. The eyes were sunk into, or rather surrounded by, blubber of nearly a foot in thickness (they were probably driven into that situation by the efforts of the fishermen to blind the animal); the

mouth was long and narrow; the palate smooth; the roof of the mouth high and arched; the tongue according with the shape of the cavity it had to fill; the stomach simple; the heart about 3 ft. across; and the aorta, of which a section is preserved at the Zoological Society, 15 in. in diameter.

From these dimensions of the parts composing the fountain of life, we can feel no difficulty in giving credence to the apparently extraordinary calculations that have been made respecting the circulation of the whale. Dr. Hunter tells us (in the Phil. Trans.) that " ten or fifteen gallons of blood are thrown out of the heart at a stroke with an immense velocity:" upon which Paley observes, "the aorta of a whale is larger in the bore than the main pipe of the water-works at London Bridge; and the water roaring in its passage through that pipe is inferior in impetus and velocity to the blood gushing from the whale's heart."

We must now take leave of the subject, trusting that, should such another visitor approach our coasts, care will be taken to obtain at least a good figure, which, from the insuperable difficulties that surround those who seek them in their native haunts, perhaps does not exist of any of the larger cetaceous animals. - Henry Woods, A.L.S. &c. April 9. 1829.

ART. IV. Natural History in Ireland.

NATURAL History in Belfast.-The town of Belfast, though containing little more than 40,000 inhabitants, possesses two literary establishments of public foundation: the "Academy," founded in 1786, and the “Academical Institution,” founded in 1810. From the similarity of the names, the constitutions, and the original objects of these two seminaries, they are frequently confounded by persons living at a distance. Mr. James Bryce, who is at the head of the mathematical department of the Academy, has lately introduced into his course of geography a series of lectures on mineralogy and geology. His pupils, lads from eighteen to twelve years of age, became exceedingly interested in the subject; some of them attended, as visitors, the meetings of the Belfast Natural History Society, an institution mentioned in a former Number of your work (Vol. I. p. 85.), and at length, one morning at the close of a lecture, they astonished their teacher by a proposal that they should form a Natural History Society for the Academy. The idea was cordially taken up by Mr. Bryce, and the consent of the Principal of the Seminary being joyfully given, the Society was instituted. Its objects are, to give mutual instruction in the various branches of natural history, and to form a museum for the Academy. Its constitution is almost a copy of that of the Belfast Natural History Society. Its meetings are held on alternate Wednesdays in the Academy library, where the specimens are kept ; a separate apartment not having been as yet provided for the museum. Mr. Bryce, himself a very young man, is president of the Society, and an ordinary member; and reads his paper in his turn. The writer of this article was present at one meeting of this juvenile association, when, Mr. Bryce being to read, the chair was occupied by one of the vice-presidents, a very manly, gentleman-like, yet modest lad of about fifteen, and the whole business was carried on with as much decorum and propriety as could have been observed by the gravest assembly in the land. Mr. Bryce intends soon to enlarge his lectures, and instead of confining them to his own geographical pupils, to give the inhabitants of Belfast generally an opportunity of attending them.-I. M'A. Belfast, April 9. 1829.

'ART. V. Calendar of Nature.

SCOTLAND.

DIAGRAM, showing the Motion of the Mercury in the Barometer, Thermometer, and Differential Thermometer, or the mean, for each ten days of January, February, and March, 1829; as extracted from the Register kept at Annat Gardens, Perthshire, N. lat. 56° 23, above the level of the sea 172 ft., by the mean of daily observation at 10 o'clock morning and 10 o'clock evening. (It may be proper here to correct an error in the notice of the meteorological table kept here, in last Number, p. 94., where the latitude is stated to be " 56° 33" in place of 56° 23.)

An unaccountable difference appears between the mean temperature of last year, by the register kept at this place, and that kept at Wycombe Bucks by Mr. Tatem, where the difference in favour of a higher temperature is more than 40 of S. lat. in favour of Wycombe, and which, according to Mayer's formula, supposing the height above the level of the sea of both places to be the same, should give about 5° of higher temperature at Wycombe than at Annat Gardens, but, in place of this, the annual average is reported to be nearly 20 lower.

As I conceive it to be of much importance to the science of meteorology, as well as the credit of your publication, that such discrepancies should be

noticed, and, if possible, avoided in future, Mr. Tatem will excuse me for submitting the method by which I keep my register, and my reasons for adopting this mode. The mean temperature at 10, morning and evening, has been found to coincide nearly with the mean of the daily extremes (see Brewster's Encyclopædia, art. Meteorology, p. 159.): from 1822, I have kept a register on this principle, and I have always found the mean annual result to be within a small fraction of a degree with registers kept with the utmost correctness at Kinfauns Castle. Last season, the annual mean at Kinfauns Castle was nearly 3° above that at Annat Gardens; but this may be accounted for, partly from Kinfauns being 32 ft. lower, and every way better sheltered than this place, though in the same parallel of latitude. The annual mean, by Mayer's formula, of Wycombe should be about 52°, and his formula I have found, in many instances, to approximate very near to the true mean. If Mr. Tatem takes the mean of any one hour, without referring to the mean of the daily extremes, it may account for the difference; at any rate, the propriety of avoiding such difference by your meteorological contributors, and of their acting on the same principles in furnishing their observations, will apologise to Mr. Tatem for the liberty I have thus taken, and may induce him to favour us with his remarks on the subject. The calendar which that gentleman has furnished is such as to render it impossible to doubt the accuracy of his observations; the difference must be in the modes in which we take them. After this long digression, I must proceed to explain the diagram: 6 shows the mean height of the mercury in the barometer, by inches, as expressed on the right-hand side; t shows the mean temperature, as marked on the index at the left-hand side. The month is divided into three parts, and the lines cross at the mean height of each. The dotted line across each month shows the mean temperature for that month; and the dotted line across the table shows the mean temperature for the three months. The marks

show the exact height of rain in the rain-gauge, for the division of time to which it is opposite; the whole will be given in figures at the end of the season. The range of the index will suit the whole season. h shows the dew-point, of which the observations commenced at the beginning of what is called the vegetating season, the 20th of March.

The mean temperature this season was, in January 350, in February 02, and in March 4, lower than in the corresponding months of last year. The fall of rain is for the same period 5 in., or 2 in. less than last season. The coldest day was on the 21st of January; mean temperature of that, 244°; extreme cold, 20°; wind, N. The warmest day for the three past months was on the 15th of February; mean temperature of that day, 48°; extreme heat, 56°; wind, N.W. The mercury in the barometer was highest on the 31st of January; height, 297 in.; wind, N.E.: lowest on the 17th of March; height, 287 in. The only loud gales of wind occurred on the 14th and 20th of March.

Calendar of Nature for the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire.

January. In this month, which was announced by a storm of thunder on the last hours of the old year, there was not a single fresh day. Snow fell on 10 days; 19 days were cloudy; and 12 clear sunshine. The wind blew from the north and west, 7 days; from the west, 3 days; and from the east and south-east, 21 days. The vocal songsters of the grove ceased their notes, except, occasionally, the robin redbreast, when sheltered near the haunts of men. The high temperature in December had brought the winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) above ground, but its petals did not open till the last day of January.

February. The temperature of this month being 40°, we have little to record of the progress of vegetation. The wind blew from the north and north-west, 18 days; from the east and south-east, 10 days; 13 days were

cloudy, and 15 clear sunshine. Larks began to sing on the 10th; partridges were seen in pairs on the 19th; and wood-pigeons were heard cooing on the 22d.

March. The wind blew from the east and north-east, 20 days; and from the west and north-west, 11 days. The frost was severe from the 13th till the 18th; on the 15th the mercury in the thermometer fell to 23. There were only 4 days on which snow or rain fell; 12 days were clear, and 19 cloudy. Peas that were sown on the 14th of February gave a braird on the 31st of March, a period of 45 days; mean temperature of that period, 402. Rooks began to build on the 6th, regardless of the cold, the same day on which they were noticed to begin last year. The Saxifraga oppositifòlia opened its beautiful flowers here on the 20th, 16 days later than last season. Apricots on walls are not quite so full in blossom on the 31st, as they were last season on the 12th. Daffodils and marsh-marigold remain to be noticed next month. Wild geese have been rising in flocks within the last three days, attempting to wing their way northward to their summer quarters; but, on observing the snow-clad hills, they wheeled about, and have again settled in the Low Carse.-A. G. Annat Gardens, March 31.

ART. VI. Queries and Answers.

LISTS of Engravings. If, in your future Numbers, you would, when reviewing zoological works, exhibit a list of the engravings which they respectively contain, you would, by so doing, render your Magazine additionally useful, and would confer, at the same time, a particular favour on, I am persuaded, a numerous class of your country readers, who must have often felt the same inconvenience, in this respect, with myself. The works to which I more particularly allude are such as the Zoological Journal, Selby's Ornithology, Selby and Jardin's General Ornithology, Griffith's Edition of Cuvier, Swainson's Zoological Illustrations, &c. &c.—A. C. R. March 31, 1829.

The Guinea-pig (Càvia Cobàya).—What are the colour and habits of this animal, in its wild state? It was known to the Romans, and, I believe, it is also a native of South America, but this is all I know.-C. Lamb. March 3.

Donovan's Eggs of British Birds. - Have any more than four numbers of this work come out, and is it to be continued? I have heard nothing of it since Feb. 1827.- - A. C. R. [See the answer to J. D. Salmon below.] British Birds' Eggs. Which is the best work, with coloured plates, on British birds' eggs, and, at the same time, the cheapest? Are the plates of the Ovarium Británnicum, by George Graves, Esq. F. L. S., well executed?-J. D. Salmon.

I am sorry to be obliged to say there is no English work on birds' eggs that I can venture to recommend. Mr. Lewin's is expensive, somewhat incorrect, and, unless one of his very early and best copies can be procured, but very badly coloured. The Ovarium Británnicum of Mr. Graves, only part i. of which has appeared that I am aware of, and that so long ago as 1816, contains but a small portion only of our British birds' eggs, and but imperfectly executed. Mr. Donovan has published four numbers, at 3s. 6d. each, of a work on British birds' eggs, containing about seventeen in the whole, and not on that account only somewhat objectionable. The best work on eggs, that I am acquainted with, is Naumann and Buhle's