396 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



23. Wlmle-Fishery at Van Dieman's Land. — Whales had 

 very frequently been seen in the estuary of the Derwent and in 

 the bays adjacent, and one or two had been occasionally killed ; 

 but the first attempt to make their capture a regular branch of 

 trade, took place in May 1824. Mr Kelly, an enterprizing re- 

 sident at Hobart Town, resolved to employ a colonial built 

 schooner in this undertaking. She was only fifteen tons bur- 

 then, was manned with twenty-two hands, and had five whale- 

 boats attached, furnished with the requisite implements. With 

 this little vessel, in the short space oi' thirteen days, Mr Kelly 

 contrived to capture five whales, the blubber of which yielded 

 forty-five tons of pure black oil. As soon as a whale was kil- 

 led, the schooner was run up to the carcase,, and the Jlensing 

 commenced ; when the blubber was stowed into the casks, the 

 vessel (being tolerably well loaded with the produce of one siza- 

 ble whale) was immediately steered for the harbour, from which 

 she was seldom more than eight or ten miles distant, frequently 

 not more than four or five. The cargo being discharged, the 

 schooner was again at her post in the offing within a few hours. 



24. Fossil Insects. — Fossil insects occur in amber and in 

 some other minerals. Those met with in amber vary much in 

 species, according to locality. The amber of Sicily contains dif- 

 ferent Coleoptera^ that of the Baltic sea contains many Diptera 

 and Neuroptera. The following genera have been found in 

 amber : Platypus, Aractoceros, Gryllus, Mantis, larvae of but- 

 terflies ; Phryganea, Ephemera, Perea, Formica, Evania, Ti- 

 pula, Bihio, Empis, Scolopendra, Chironomus, and many Arach- 

 nidcea. Of fossil insects in other substances, Parkinson men- 

 tions larvse of Libellula in limestone, and some Melolonthce and 

 Polistes have been found in slate. 



BOTANY. 



25. Nardus or Spikenard. — From a species of Nardus, which 

 grows in vast abundance all over the Malivah in India, Dr Max- 

 well, in the Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society 

 of Calcutta, which has just reached Europe, informs us, there 

 is extracted a highly pungent essential oil, which he strongly 

 recommends to be used in the way of friction in rheumatism, 

 because he has found it very efficacious in greatly alleviating, or 

 entirely removing, that disease. Dr Wallich says, this plant, the 



