HARDWICKE'S SCIEK CE-GO S SIP. 



127 



geological striictare of rocks, the principles oa 

 which water finds its level and also is conformable 

 to the rotundity of the earth, natural history, and 

 especially botany, are needful for the accomplish- 

 nieut of artists in their several departments. In 

 fact, truth, which science asserts, is the soul of 

 painting and poetry alike ; and no real and sub- 

 stantial feeling of grace or beauty, in any of her 

 forms, can be divorced from it. 



We shall, therefore, consider it to be strictly 

 within the province of Science-Gossip to endea- 

 vour to eliminate from every branch of art the enor- 

 mities which have been perpetrated under her 

 guise, such as horses galloping with their four legs 

 distended like rocking-horses, flon'-ers and plants 

 mere apologies for their originals, &c. 



In commencing the npplication of science to 

 works of art, we propose to deal very gently with 

 those exhibited this year at the Royal Academy, 

 and to do little m.ore than indicate some marked 

 errors. No. 25, by Sir E. Landscer, R.A., is a 

 charming but rather sketchy portrait of Lady 

 Emily Peel, seated, with her dogs, deservedly 

 favourites, courting her notice on either side. The 

 artist has paid little attention to the flowers at her 

 feet, as little apparently as the dog which in its haste 

 to reach its mistress has upset the vase whicli 

 contained them. This is a pretty episode ; but it 

 is vain for Sir Edwin to divert our attention from 

 the flowers by the charming portraiture of the lady. 

 Nature seems to assert her rights and to claim for 

 her flowers a fair delineation, not as photographs, 

 nor as principals in the picture, but such as is 

 truthful and pleasing, and not to leave it necessary 

 to ask what they are intended for. No. 223, 

 " Hearts are Trumps : Portraits of Elizabeth, Diaua^ 

 and Mary, Daughters of Walter Armstrong, Esq.," 

 J. E. Millais, R.A. This gorgeous painting, per- 

 haps the best that the artist has ever produced, 

 is entirely free from the defects of No. 25. The 

 exquisite flowers on the one side are most artisti- 

 cally set off by the screen on the other, under 

 which the ladies are seated at their game of cards. 

 As they are portraits, they do not admit of the 

 criticism which would attach to one of them at least, 

 who holds the king of hearts, but does not seem 

 to be delighted, scarcely contented, with her good 

 luck. The sister, who holds the fewest hearts, 

 appears the most contented. Had the subject been 

 ideal, it would have been open to criticism on this 

 score ; but, as it is, it is difficult to find fault with 

 it, and we anticipate that it will be one of the 

 chief attractions in the exhibition. No. G, "In the 

 Valley of Rocks, North Devon," T. G. Cooper. We 

 have much pleaure in singling this out among many 

 as a faithful representation of the geological struc- 

 ture of the rocks, at the same time that the artist 

 proves that he is alive to the sentimental by his 

 placing the right hand of the shepherdess upon the 1 



neck of a lamb, and a nosegay of wild flowers in 

 her left. No. 130, "Passing Clouds, near Capel 

 Carig, North Wales," B. W. Leader. Por the 

 same reason we call attention to this picture as very 

 beautiful, and geologically correct, and werepeat our 

 conviction, that the more closely and scientifically 

 the geological features are represented, the greater 

 will be the pictorial charm. Time will not allow 

 me to specify the many excellent pictures in which 

 the rules of science may be said to be faithfully 

 carried out. I will only mention the " Yew-trees of 

 Borrowdale," by E. A. Pettitt, a most effective 

 painting, but in which the natural colours are 

 slightly departed from. No. 658, " My Punishment 

 is greater than I can bear," G. E. Watts, R.A. 

 The anatomical correctness of this gigantic work 

 is, perhaps, open to censure, and we do not regret 

 that it is deposited in the Academy, where it will 

 be out of sight 



A EEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE SMOOTH 

 NEWT. 



{Lissotrito.i punctatus.') 



r\N the 29th of May last (1871) I obtained a 

 ^^ female Smooth Newt (Lissotriton pimctatus) , 

 and observing it to be big-bellied, conjectured that 

 it had not yet laid its eggs. In this I was not mis 

 taken, but, notwithstanding my close attention, 

 was unable to discover it in the act of depositing 

 them. This, probably, was owing to my ignorance 

 of the manner in which they were deposited, my 

 idea being that they were laid in some such manner 

 as those of the frog or toad — viz., in spawn. The 

 way in which they are deposited, and their further 

 development into the tadpole phase of their exist- 

 ence, form the subject of this short paper. 



On receiving the Newt it was put into a large 

 rectangular aquarium, containing about three gal- 

 lons of water, and having in its centre a piece of 

 artificial rockwork in the form of an arch. Disposed 

 throughout were a number of plants of Vallisneria 

 spiralis, Callitriche venia, and G. autumnalis ; also 

 some water-moss upon the rockwork and at its 

 base. I frequently observed the Newt among the 

 plants, but nothing else being noticed, I began to 

 think I had been mistaken in my supposition of its 

 being an impregnated female ; and it was not until 

 the 17th''of June that anytliing transpired to con- 

 firm my first impression. On the afternoon of that 

 day, however, while watching the aquarium, which, 

 besides the Newt, contained a few minnows, loaches, 

 and a large number of frog-tadpoles, my eye caught 

 something darting about, scarcely visible but for 

 the bright golden'eyes which ever and anon glanced 

 like gems, as the colourless sprite darted hither and 

 thither. It must ultimately have fallen a victim to 

 some of the fisli, as I shortly after lost sight of it. 



