376 Natural History. 



to these ruins, being only found on blocks of marble or on 

 gems dug up there. By the discovery, however, of the present 

 bricks it has been proved that they were used also in other 

 parts, having been found amongst the rums of the antient 

 capital of Chaldaea. Besides, having received by this means 

 more copious specimens of that species of writing, it will be- 

 come easier to decide whether these characters are of the 

 alphabetic, or syllabic, or hieroglyphic kind, whether they 

 ought to be read from the right or from the left, horizontally 

 or perpendicularly, from the top or from the bottom. Per- 

 haps each word may be expressed by a particular group, like 

 those antient characters of the Chinese published lately in 

 London by the learned Dr. Hagar, where, instead of nailsy 

 like those now made use of, leaves, flowers, bracelets, snakes, 

 and other representations, are employed, arranged in different 

 positions to express different words. 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



A correspondent sends us the following curious notice :— • 

 ** In the year 1794, a hen belonging to Captain Nicholson, 

 Duke-street, Whitehaven, swelled to an enormous size, which 

 continued near five weeks, when she died. One of his sons 

 cut her open for a favourite dog, when he discovered an e^g 

 of a prodigious bulk, which was found to contain two chickens. 

 These chickens were carried to Dr. Wylie of the same place, 

 where the eg^ and its contents may be seen. The flesh of the 

 hen was turned entirely black." 



INDEX 



