Light, Dr. Wells's Experiments on the Colour of Blood, Mr. Tennant's Account of his Experiments on the Nature of the Diamond, fhewing that it confifts entirely of charcoal in a cryftalized form, and Dr. Pearson's Experiment and Obfervations, made with the View of afcertaining the Nature of the Gaz produced by pathing electric Difcharges through Water, are the moft curious and important. The principal of the other fcientific articles confift of Mr. Home's Croonian Lecture, in which fome of the morbid actions of the ftraight mufcles and cornea of the eye are explained, and their treatment confidered; an experimental Enquiry concerning animal Impregnation, by John Haighton, M. D.; and Experiments on the fame fubject by William Cruikshank, efq. In this volume, likewise, we find a fupplement to the measure of trees, printed in the Philofophical Tranfactions for 1759; and a Letter from Count Rumford to fir Jofeph Banks, announcing a very liberal donation to the Royal Society for the purpose of inftituting a prize medal, to be bestowed on the author of the most important difcoveries, or useful improvements, which fhall be made and publifhed by printing, or in any way made known to the public, in any part of Europe, during the preceding two years, on Heat or on Light. In the number of individuals who, during the year 1797, have publifhed treatifes connected with mixed mathematics, we find a female candidate for public favour. Mrs. Margaret Bryan, a preceptrefs of young Jadies, has offered to the public "a compendious Syftem of Aftronomy, in a Courie of familiar Lectures, in which the Principles of that Science are clearly elucidated, fo as to be intelligible to those who have not ftudied the Mathematics, &c." This work affords fatisfactory evidence that the authorefs has carefully ftudied and digefted the opinions of the best writers on the fubjects which the has undertaken to illuftrate, and that the is mistress of a very happy method of communicating fcientific knowledge to her pupils. It is alfo interfperfed with a variety of digreffions, by way of reflection, abounding in juft, beautiful, and inftructive fentiments. Mrs. Bryan's diagrams are principally original. Mr. Ölinthus Gregory's "Leffons aftronomical and philofophical &c. being an Attempt to explain and account for the most usual Appearances of Nature, in a familiar Manner, from established Principles," are deferving of commendation, for the accuracy and perfpicuity with which the author has, in a narrow compafs, illuftrated fome of the principal phenomena of the univerfe, fo as to render them eafy of comprehenfion to young perfons. The ufeful moral reflections likewife which occur in them, are judiciously and impreffively connected with the topics felected by the author for explanation The " Thoughts on the Structure of the Globe, and the fcriptural Hiftory of the Earth and Mankind compared with the Cofmogonies, Chronologies, and original Traditions of ancient Nations, &c. by, Philip Howard, efq." are exhibited in the form of letters with notes and illuftrations to each, and contain a very ingenious and elaborate defence of the Mofaic account of the creation and deluge, in oppofition to the unfatisfactory and difcordant theories of fome modern naturalifts. Did our limits admit of it, we fhould with pleasure infert the topics which his plan leads him fucceflively to investigate. But we have only room to remark, that these letters afford fuch ample proofs proofs of the author's learning, a cutenets, intimate acquaintance with the beft afcertained principles of fcience, and of his candour and modefty in fupport of his own theory, that thofe readers who may not be perfectly fatisfied with his reafonings and conclufions, will, nevertheless, acknowledge themfelves greatly indebted to him for the affillance with which he has furnished them, in difcuffing a difficult and interefting fubject of enquiry. year more immediately belonging to our chemical and mineralogical departments are, "Outlines of a Course of Lectures on Chemistry, by T. Garnett, M. D." Thefe outlines were originally intended to be confined to the author's auditors, who wished to be in poffeffion of a text book, which might contain the moft ftriking facts on which he infifted in teaching the science. We entirely agree in opinion with thofe friends of Dr. Garnett, who fuggefted the propriety of their more extenfive publication, as being well adapted to refresh the memories of others. They contain an ample and perfpicuous explanation of the prin cipal fubjects which demanded his notice, arranged judicioufly and fyftematically, on the principles of the new chemistry. The introductory Lecture to a Course of Chemistry, read at the Laboratory in Oxford, February 7, 1797, by Robert Bourne, M. D. Chemical Reader in the University of Oxford," is principally employed in pointing out the utility and advantage of a knowledge of chemistry, in the arts and manufactures, in husbandry, and in the different profeffions and fituations for which gentlemen educated in the univerfity may be intended. So ably and judiciously is it drawn up, that we hope it is only the præcurfor to the public of the reft of the author's courfe In the "critical Examination of the first Part of Lavoifier's Elements of Che miftry," the reader will meet with fome acute remarks on incongruities in the statements of that philofopher, and in the terms of his nomencla ture, which merit the attention of the advocates for his theory. Dr. White's "Summary of the pneumato-chemical Theory, with a Table of its Nomenclature, intended as a Supplement to the Analysis of Among the publications of the the New London Pharmacopoeia," During the prefent year the fixth and seventh volumes of the "Repertory of Arts Manufactures, confifting of original Communications, &c." have been published, as well as Mr. Bent's accurate and ufeful "meteorological Journal of the Year 1796." During the prefent year, likewife, Mr. William Nicholion, author of the Dictionary of Chemistry, announced in our Regifter for the year 1795, and of other well known philofophical works, has commenced the periodical publication, in monthly numbers, of a Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Arts," which, in fuch able hands, cannot fail of proving acceptable and interesting to the lovers of Icience. It is prefented to the world as a repofitory of every ufeful discovery, in fcience or the arts; and confifts of original communications, reports, abridgments, and felections of papers from the recent memoirs of academies, chancery regifters, and other authentic fources, the greater part of which have never before appeared in the English language; together with mathematical correfpondence, scientific news, accounts of books, &c. &c. In our next year's Regifter we fhall have to notice the completion of the firft volume of this journal. poffelles poffeffes the merit of general correctness, and will be useful to thofe readers who have not the opportunity or leifure for acquiring particular information upon the fubject. Mr. Pew, in his "Obfervations on the Art of making Gold and Silver, or the probable Means of replenishing the nearly-exhaufted Mines of Mexico, Peru, and Potofi," endeavours to prove the exiftence of a metallizing principle, which he calls the Ou Eaλaspopov, the phlogifton of Stahl, or the principle of inflammability; to which he afcribes fuch wonderful efficacy, that if we can but contrive to place fuch a quantity of it in the courfe of the waters flowing through the mines of gold, filver, &c. as fhall be fufficient to faturate all the particles of the radical principles of the metals diffolved in them, we may be "able to produce more gold and filver in the course of one hour, than has, perhaps, been produced by the unaflifted operations of matter upon matter, from the creation to the prefent time." But our modern Roficrufian has not yet drawn forth the metallizing principle from his Balneo vaporofo. The "Specimens of British Minerals, felected from the Cabinet of Philip Rafhleigh, of Menabilly, in the County of Cornwall, Efq. M. P. F. R. 3. and F. S. A. with general Defcriptions of each Article," form a fplendid and beautiful work, which will be received as a very valuable prefent by the ftudent in mineralogy. It confifts of thirty-three tinted plates, which reprefent with fo much fidelity the form, texture, and gradations of colour in the mineral bodies felected, as to be unrivalled among the productions of British or foreign artifts. In the first five plates the tin ores are represented; and in the twelve following the various copper ores. In the remaining . 1797. plates are delineated iron ores; ores of antimony and calamine; different forms of pyrites; fluors; calcareous fpars; gypfums, &c. &c. In Natural Hiftory, the firft publication which claims a place in our annual catalogue is the third volume of the Tranfactions of the Linnæan Society." This volume, as well as the preceding, contains a great variety of valuable papers in zoology and botany, fome of them of diftinguithed merit, which reflect great honour on the induftrious and fuccefsful labours of the contributing members. The articles of which it confifts are twenty-feven in number, and are accompanied with numerous illuftrative plates. The fourth volume of Mr. Lewin's elegant work, entitled the Birds. of Great Britain, fyftematically arranged, accurately engraved, and painted from Nature, &c." which has been publifhed during the prefent year, is equally deferving of encouragement from the lovers of fcience and of the fine arts with the preceding. It contains thirty-four different fpecies, many of which are highly beautiful; and feven plates of eggs. The fecond volume of " the Cabinet of Quadrupeds, &c." likewife merits fimilar commendation with that bestowed by us on the firft, in our last year's Regifter, and at leaft maintains, if it does not add to the reputation acquired by the different parties concerned in publifhing it. This volume confifts of fix numbers. "The natural Hiftory of the rarer lepidopterous Infects of Georgia, &c. collected from the Obfervations of Mr. John Abbot, many Years refident in that Country, by James Edward Smith, M. D. &c." in two volumes, is a highly fplendid production, and of the first importance in entomological fcience. It confifts of 104 folio plates, accompanied with 208 pages of defcription, in English and French, the refult of the ftudies of a faithful obferver, which, Dr. Smith juftly fays, "he has delineated in a ftyle of beauty and excellence, which can fcarcely be excelled, and has accompanied his figures with an account, as well as a reprefentation, of the plants on which each infect feeds, together with many circumftances of its manners, times of the different metamorphofes, and other interefting particulars. His memorandums not methodized by himfelf for publication, have merely been digefted into fome fort of ftyle and order by the editor, who has generally added remarks of his own in a feparate paragraph, and different type from the reit; and who has entirely to anfwer for the fyftematic names and definitions." Dr. Smith has also added a dedication and preface, and a copious index. The ftudent in natural hiftory will find in this work ample funds of pleafure and information. The"fhort Hiftory of Infects (extracted from Works of Credit) defigned as an Introduction to the Study of that Branch of Natural Hiftory, and as a Pocket Companion to thofe who vifit the Leverian Mufeum," is drawn up with care and judgment, and contains a fhort defcription of each genus, illuftrated by outline engravings. The young entomologift will find it an ufeful afliftant at the commencement of his fyftematic refearches. Mr. Maffon's publication entitled "Stapelia nova, or a Collection of feveral new Species of that Genus, difcovered in the interior Parts of Africa," confifts of forty-one coloured plates, in folio, and twentyfour pages of letter-prefs. It prefents us with about forty new fpecies of Stapelia the figures accurately drawn from the plants as they grow in the fandy foil of the Karro lands near the Cape of Good Hope, arcompanied with generic and fpecific defcriptions, in Linnæan Latin, and fome ufeful hints annexed to each. The lovers of botany will readily acknowledge their obligations to the author for the addition which he has made to their pleasures by this communication. The volume of "Botanical Dialogues, &c. by a Lady," confifts of two parts. The firfi explains the different parts of fructification, &c.: the fecond gives an explanation of the genera of plants, and of the proper mode of arranging them in their respective families. As the language in which the authorets writes is familiar and perfpicuous, and her fcientific explanations agreeably diverfified with amusing and interefting facts, and incidental remarks, her work will be found of coufiderable ufe in introducing young perfons to an acquaintance with the rudiments of botany. The "Hortus Cantabrigienfis, or a Catalogue of Plants, indigenous and foreign, cultivated in the Walkerian Botanic Garden, Cambridge, by James Donn, Curator," will prove acceptable to thofe who may wish to know what plants are to be met with in that collection, and to fuch students as may be defirous of infpecting them. volume of "Letters and Papers on Agriculture, Planting, &c. felected from the Correfpondence of the Bath and Weft of England Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, &c." among fome articles of little importance prefents us with others that are curious and valuable, from which land proprietors as well as cultivators may derive information and entertainment. The extracts from the county furveys made under the aufpices of the board of agriculture, bear a confiderable proportion to the rest of the volume. The first volume of "Communications to the Board of Agriculture, on Subjects relative to the Hufbandry and internal Improvement of the Country," is printed in a high ftyle of elegance, and ornamented with numerous expenfive plates: circumftances which muft confine its circulation to the opulent, and which are, therefore, injudicious and inconfiftent with the profeffed purposes of fuch a work. Thefe communications, which have been chiefly fent by noblemen and gentlemen of property, relate to the diftribution of farms, the conftruction and arrangement of farm-buildings, corn ftands, and cottages; and certainly fuggeft ufeful hints and information, by which landlords may profit, and by which alfo the fituation of the labouring claffes might be amended, were our poor laws once to undergo a radical reform. But we nuft look to future communications from practical farmers, to judge of the progrefs which agricultural knowledge is making in Great Britain. Mr. Kent's " View of the Agriculture of the County of Norfolk, with Obfervations for the Means of its Improvement, drawn up for the Confideration of the Board of Agriculture, on the plan recommended by the prefident, abounds in judicious reflections and found advice, dictated by extenfive knowledge and experience, from which the farmers in that county, and in every part of the kingdom, may derive confiderable advantage. If we were to felect any particular topics on which his obfervations are most deferving of attention, they would be, leafes; the courfe of cropping; fallowing; building and repairs; inclofur; the fize of farms; and the ftate of the poor. The additional remarks from feveral refpectable gentlemen and farmers, and particularly fir Thomas Beevor, confiderably enhance the value of the work. Mr. Pitt's " general View of the Agriculture of the County of Stafford, &c. drawn up for the Con sideration of the Board of Agriculture, &c." is the production of another fenfible and judicious ob ferver, and contains a variety of remarks and obfervations calculated for general utility. The improvements which he recommends as peculiarly applicable to the diftri& defcribed by him, embrace numerous objects interefting to the country at large: fuch as the cultivation of its waites; the extenfion of the practice of irrigation; the embankinent of the rivers, to prevent the deftruction of hay; the draining of boggy, fenny, and fpringy lands; the cultivation of the better and finer graffes; the planting of precipices, and all lands impracticable to the plough, with timber and underwood, and, if not incompatible with the growth of fuch plantations, the ftocking fuch woodlands with rabbits. The general View of the Agriculture of the County of Someriet, &c. drawn up in the Year 1795, for the Confideration of the Board of Agriculture, &c. by John Billingfley. efq." is a work |