Circle of the Seasons^ 8cc. 381: 



perpetual stream tlirough the nozzle of the tube ; all which 

 18 much easier described than done, and is entirely matter 

 of experimental acquisition, more easily attained without 

 than with the usual nistructions. In the little work before 

 us, all these matters are passed over with fit brevity, and 

 the attention of the student is chiefly directed to the appear- 

 ances which different substances exhibit before the blowpipe, 

 and by which minerals may be distinguished and classed. 

 The liistory of these constitute the bulk of Mr. Griffin's 

 duodecimo, being preceded onli^ by a few remarks upon the 

 diff'erent kinds of blowpipe, respecting which we have merely 

 to observe that justice is not done to Mr. Newman, who 

 first suggested what is here called *' Dr. Clarke's blowpipe ;" 

 indeed elsewhere the author seems a little angry with Mr. 

 Children for recommending Mr. Newman's apparatus. We 

 observe, moreover, that no notice is taken of Mr. Newman's 

 and several other papers on the blowpipe, which have ap- 

 peared in the old series of this Journal ; nor of Dr. Clarke's 

 original Essay, published in the second volume of that work, 

 from which, ancl sundry other symptoms, we conclude that 

 Mr. Griffin is a pupil of Dr. Thomas Thomson. Be this as 

 it may, we bear him no malice, and very conscientiously 

 recommend his book to the mineralogical student, as a 

 valuable and clear epitome of what relates to the behaviour 

 of substances before the blowpipe. 



Circle of the Seasons, and Perpetual Key to the Calendar 

 and Almanack ; to which is added the Circle of the Hours 

 and History of the Days of the Week, being a compen- 

 dious Illustration of the History, Antiquities y and Natural 

 Phenomena of each Day in the Year. London, 1828. 

 Small 8vo. 



The title of this book may lead our readers to suspect it as 

 an interloper among works on science ; but it touches upon 

 many points of scientific inquiry, and upon botan}'' especially, 

 arid is compiled with so much evident labour and accuracy, 

 as to merit recommendation. The saints and festivals of 

 each day are recorded, by which we make the acquaintance 

 of many worthy persons and curious anecdotes ; there is 

 also a brief natural history of each day, containing short 

 notices of the plants which on an average begin to flower or 

 to fade, and of the birds which arrive or begin to sing. 



OCT.— DEC. 1927. 2 C 



