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be despised and trodden down in the tumultuous struggle for wealth, power, and reputation, in which every individual is too eagerly conflicting.'

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Sir J. V. B. Johnstone, in explaining his connection with the museum, adverted to the circumstance of Hull, Whitby, Leeds, and other secondary towns of Yorkshire, having been long conspicuous for their museums, and to the richness of the district in which they lived in botany and conchology and other treasures suitable for a museum. He did not profess to be a philosopher himself, but, says he, “As a landed proprietor, I assure you, honestly, I intend to derive some advantage from this institution. An accurate knowledge of the strata upon my estate, which will enable me at once to lay my hand upon gravel, marl, lime, building and walling stone, surely is not to be despised; and as plants are peculiar to certain soils, a delineation of the strata, whilst it assists the studies of the botanist, will also afford to agriculture a surer basis for improvement. One certain result will certainly follow the knowledge of geology: for the future, the chalk on Sherburn Wold will not be vainly bored for coal, or the Hackness Moors for lead; both which operations have taken place, of course, with dead loss to the proprietors and the community."

Sir George Cayley, after several mirth-creating observations of a local character, said, "You have the advantage of possessing two naturalists in Scarborough, whose names are, perhaps, as well or better known on the Continent than at home, for few men are esteemed prophets in their own provinces. Many there are amongst you who have, amidst other pursuits, given a fair share of attention to scientific objects, and especially to natural history; but Mr. Bean and Mr. Williamson are naturalists by profession, the have dedicated their lives to it, and have made discoveries which have extended the bounds of human knowledge. Such men shed a great lustre over your undertaking. Touching upon this subject, I cannot but express my regret, that Mr. Bean's fair title to the original discovery of certain new fossil vegetables has been superseded on the Continent by Mr. Williamson, who, without any unfair intentions, having given them publicity, as I find in M. Brongniart's late invaluable work on fossil vegetables, they are named after him. With regard to most of these discoveries, I conceive that Mr. Bean stands in the same relationship as Columbus with respect to America, and, on a minor scale, with nearly a parallel result. I do not wish to detract from Mr. Williamson's just merits; he has been indefatigable in his researches on localities discovered by Mr. Bean. I wish that some gentlemen, qualified by local information, would give to the public a proper line of demarcation between two most valuable men; all I wish is, that each should have his due share of public applause; a man's fair fame ought to be as much his own as his estate. I have named the circumstance to my friend, the Baron de Ferussac, who has some years ago acknowledged Mr. Bean's communications in his splendid work on conchology, and I make no doubt some notice will be taken of it in the next number of his Bulletin Universel. I must not quit the subject of fossil plants without adverting to the lucid and satisfactory essay of M. Brongniart, who has proved, I believe, to the satisfaction of the most eminent naturalists, that we have five distinct epochs in the previous vegetation of our planet: this will furnish us with such marked and distinct guides, when examining the stratifications of the earth, that men will soon be talking of these matters, as of what occurred at the first, second, or fifth milestones on their journeys. By the classes of plants at these different epochs, we seem to be acquiring a knowledge of the past temperatures of our climate; and in the discovery of certain inflammable and highly expansive fluids, enclosed in crystals, by Dr. Brewster, which, probably, during a long series of aggregation at the same temperature, have been imprisoned in cells which then fitted their contents, but which fluids have, in our present temperature, shrunk so as to leave a partial vacuum, though readily made to fill them again, as may be seen under a microscope, by the application of a heat

considerably greater than that of the human body; thus seeming to furnish a sort of register thermometer of the early temperature of our globe. At least such facts lead us to hope that a much more clear developement of our previous planetary history will be attained to, than at one time the nature of the subject seemed to admit." (Yorkshire Gazette, Sept. 5).

It would thus appear that an Englishman, when he chooses, can, in a dinner speech, distinguish himself as well in matters of natural history and philosophy, as in politics. Nothing can be more gratifying than to see the power to do this joined with the inclination. It will be no small advantage to this institution to have such a man for their secretary as Mr. Dunn, whose mind is evidently thoroughly imbued with science and universal benevolence. -Cond.

Physeter catodon. You mention your regret at not being able to obtain a good drawing of the Physèter catòdon; I have, therefore, sent you two

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plates of one cast on the Holderness coast, in 1825; the larger plate was from a copy drawn by a land-surveyor, and, though accurate as to admeasurement, is by no means so good a resemblance as the smaller one (fig. 114.), which is a very fair representation of the animal, as laid upon the shore. Mr. Davies, the bookseller here, is in possession of an original drawing, by Mr. Dikes, which is said to be the best likeness taken of it.

The whale was claimed by Mr. Constable, as the Lord of Holderness, and the skeleton is now at Burton Constable, the seat of Sir Clifford Constable. It was, however, about two years ago, in a very neglected condition, being laid in an irregular heap, in the middle of a field, as I have been told. Whether it has since been put together and taken care of, I have not heard. Yours, &c.-Thomas Thompson. Hull, May 28.

DORSETSHIRE.

Flowers varying in Colour. - During the last month I have found Scabiosa arvénsis and Erythræ'a Centaúrium with white flowers, and Prunella vulgàris with flowers of a rose colour.-A Constant Reader. Winburne, Sept.

ART. III. Calendar of Nature. SCOTLAND.

DIAGRAM, showing the Motion of the Mercury in the Barometer and Thermometer, and the Temperature at which Dew is deposited, or the mean of each for every ten days in June and July; also the Depth of Rain in the Pluviometer, and the Quantity of Moisture evaporated from the Evaporating Gauge for the same period; as extracted from the Register kept at Annat Gardens, Perthshire, N. lat. 56° 23', above the level of the sea 172 ft., and 15 miles from the coast, by the mean of daily observations at 0 o'clock morning and 10 o'clock evening. (The explanation of the Diagram will be seen at p. 284. supra.)

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The mean temperature for June this year is 56.7°, which is half a degree lower than on an average of the past seven years for that month. The fall of rain 1.3 in. or within 2 of an inch of the ordinary average. The mean temperature for July is 571°; the ordinary mean for that month, on an average of seven years, is 60.7°. The average fall of rain in July is 2.43 in. This year the fall measures in the rain-gauge 4.35 in. The coldest day in June was on the 5th: mean temperature of that day 50°; extreme cold 40°; wind N.W. Warmest day on the 8th: mean temperature of that day 60°; extreme heat 70-5°; wind S.E. The coldest day in July was on the 3d: mean temperature of that day 50.5°; wind N.W.; extreme cold 46°. Warmest day the 22d: extreme heat 72°; wind W. The mercury in the barometer rose to 29.9° on the 10th of June; wind S.E.: it fell to 28.9° on the 16th; wind N.W. The mercury was lowest on the 2d of July, when it stood at 28.5°; wind S.W.: and highest on the 31st, height 29.55°. There were loud gales of wind from the N.W. on the 3d, 15th, and 16th of June, and on the 22d of July.

At the beginning of June vegetation was about as forward as at the same period last season. The weather continued dry till the 13th of that month; and want of moisture at the root produced a disposition to run rather pre

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maturely to seed in the growing crops; and although the average temperature in June was nearly 2° lower than in the corresponding month last year, yet, for the above reason, vegetation appeared to continue in as forward a state as last season, till near the end of the month. For the sake of more ample reference in future, we shall make more extended remarks respecting the progress of vegetation than we did in our report for June and July last year. The laburnum came in flower on the 4th, and the mulberry was in leaf on the 5th, the same as in 1828; the Prímula scótica and farinosa (bird's-eye primrose) on the 6th; the Geranium sanguíneum on the 7th, and the double-flowered butter-cup (Ranúnculus àcris) on the 9th. The web caterpillar that infests apple trees appeared on the 11th, a week earlier than last year. The gooseberry caterpillar did not appear at all. Becs began to swarm on the 10th. The Tradescantia díscolor (spiderwort) was in flower on the 15th, the Búddlea globòsa on the 16th, the A'ster alpina on the 18th. Clover that was sown on the 13th brairded on the 19th (6 days); mean temperature of that period 55 5°. Wheat came in the ear on the 22d. The destruction to wheat in this quarter last year, by the maggot, excited early attention to its mode of propagation; and numerous small yellow flies were observed, on that side of the ear which had burst the sheath, busily employed laying eggs through a semitransparent fine tube, which entered within the glume. Though this fly had caused the evil last year, it was not noticed. Strawberries were gathered on the 24th, the same day as last season. Although the clover hay was ready for the scythe at that time, the moist weather prevented the operation of cutting till the first week in July. Field peas, that gave a braird on the 31st of March (see p. 205.) came in flower on the 24th, a period of 85 days; mean temperature of that period 50 3°. The web caterpillar became torpid on the 28th; 4 days later than last season. The wind was from the W. and N.W. 15 days, and from the E. and S.E. 17 days; there were 8 days of brilliant, and 6 of partial, sunshine, and 16 days in which the atmosphere was clouded. There was thunder, accompanied with showers, on the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, and 22d.

On the 1st of July a heavy rain fell, amounting to 8 of an inch; and, in the short space of thirty-eight hours, not less than three inches fell on the 4th and 5th. The subsequent evaporation cooled the air near the earth's surface, and considerably retarded the vegetative process. The atmosphere was often cloudy, and the temperature often fell to 48° during the night at 3 ft. above the earth's surface; and a thermometer lying on the grass frequently indicated 8° lower. The sudden and copious supply of moisture promoted an elongation of plant; but as the ear of many of the Gramíneæ, and the flowers of other plants, had been nearly developed during the long and severe drought, vegetation did not for some time seem so backward as might have been inferred from the low temperature, under ordinary circumstances.

The Antirrhinum píctum and màjus (snapdragon) came in flower on the 2d of July, and the eggs which had been laid on the 22d of June were formed into small yellow caterpillars in the space of 10 days; mean temperature of that period 55-5°. The single white campanula (Campánula persicifòlia) came in flower on the 6th; and at that time the white cabbage-butterflies were first observed. It was the 7th before clover hay-cutting could commence by reason of the rains. The Senècio abrotanifòlius was in flower on the 8th. Oats at Annat Park, that brairded on the 28th of April (see p. 285.), came in ear on the 11th, a period of 74 days; mean temperature of that period 543°. The Lychnis chalcedónica was in full flower on the 11th; quite as early as last year.

On the 12th the wheat ears were covered with small black flies, the same as we erroneously supposed last year to have been produced by the maggot (see p. 96.). This fly has a round head, but as far as we could dis

cern has no eyes; two antennæ proceed from the lower part of the forehead; it has six small and brownish-coloured legs; its body is covered with a strong beetle-like coat, which renders it very difficult to kill; it is three-jointed, and the wings are something longer than the body: when viewed through a powerful microscope, they appear beautifully reticulated with a plain border fringed with hairs. This fly lodges in the ear, but seldom penetrates within the glume; but when that is opened by the finger where the moths are, these little black flies, which are scarcely a tenth of an inch in length, and small in proportion, attracted by the smell with which they seem to have been long tantalised, come forward, feeling their way with their antennæ, and often pass the caterpillar without seeming to observe it, though within a hair's breadth of touching it; but the moment they do touch the maggot with their forehead they immediately become bent, and fix the anus on any part of the maggot with which they come in contact. The maggot begins to turn itself, and the fly extends her wings to balance herself, and remains about a quarter of a minute, when it moves off, but sometimes returns to repeat the operation two or three times. The fly often dies within two or three days after her eggs are laid, but hitherto we have observed no difference between those maggots that have come in contact with the fly, and those that have been secure from their touch. The ear of wheat becomes parched on the infected side; the caterpillar escapes and falls to the ground, where it does not remain many minutes before it works itself under cover nearly half an inch deep. Those that have lain a fortnight still move when brought to light. The interest excited here by the ravages of this maggot will excuse the apparent digression.

Barley which brairded on the 10th of May (p. 285.) came in the ear on the 18th (69 days); mean temperature of that period 55°. The dry weather in May and June caused the barley to spindle, and the ear appeared in the same space of time it did last season, though there were 8° less temperature. (p. 96.) Privet came in flower on the 14th; the Bùtomus umbellatus on the 15th; the Lilium candidum came in flower on the 24th, and gooseberries were ripe on the 29th, about a weck later than last season: but a week in the end of July is equal to two weeks in the end of September in promoting the ripening process. There were 13 days of partial, and 5 days of clear, sunshine: in July, 13 days were cloudy, and there were 10 days on which rain fell. The wind blew from the W., S.W., and N.W. 19 days, and from the E. and N.E. 12 days. The air was exceedingly dry before the rains in June, as may be observed by the unusual difference between the mean temperature and point of deposition in the Diagram; and tender foliage of trees was in consequence much shrivelled. Since the 10th of June the air has been unusually moist, often at saturation, and foliage has a fresh and healthy appearance. The dew point is often some degrees higher than the minimum temperature. On the last night of July it was 52°; minimum temperature 46°: of course the moisture deposited in the shape of dew was considerable.

Errata. In my last Calendar, p. 284., in the sixth line below the Diagram, write the word "under" after "more than 3°;" in the fourth line from the bottom, p. 285.," Narcíssus on the 36th," should be on the " 50th." Those who have the Numbers will be kind enough to make these corrections with the pen. — A. G.

DIAGRAM, showing the Motion of the Mercury in the Barometer and Thermometer, and the Dew Point, or the mean of each, for each ten days in August and September; also the Depth of Rain in the Pluviometer, and Quantity of Moisture evaporated from the Evaporating Gauge for the same period; as extracted from the Register kept at Annat Gardens, Perthshire, N. lat. 56° 25, above the level of the sea 172 ft., and 15 miles from the coast, by the mean of daily observations at 10 o'clock morning and 10 o'clock evening.

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