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a& eo pleuronectes, one sparus, 
At the last meeting of the Wernerian 
Natural History Society at Edinburgh, 
two communications from Colonel Mon- 
ue, of Knowle House, Deven, were 
read. One of them contained an inter. 
esting view of the natural habits, and 
more striking external appearances of the 
gannet-or soland goose, pelicanus bassa- 
mus; an account of the internal struc- 
ture of that bird, particalarly of the dis- 
tribution of its air-cells, which the inge- 
nious author shewed to be admirably 
adapted to its mode of life, and continued 
residence in the water, even in the mest 
turbulent sea, and during the most ri= 
gorous seasons. The second was the de- 
"scription and drawing of a new genus of 
insect which inhabits the cellular mem- 
_ brane of the gannet, and to which Colonel 
Montague gives the name of cellularia bas- 
sani.—Mr, P. N ert laid before the soci- 
ety a list of such fishes belonging to the 
fourLinnzan orders, apodes,jugulares,tho-= 
racici, and abdominales, as he had as- 
certained to be natives of the waters in 
the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, accom- 
* panied with remarks, and illustrated by 
specimens of some of the rarer species, 
Of the apodes he enumerated four species 
belonging to three genera: two to mu- 
Tena, ove anarhichas, and one ammo- 
dytes. Of the jugulares he mentioned 
thirteen species, belonging to three ge- 
nera; one callionymus (the gemmeous 
' dragonet), for, from examining many spe- 
cimens, the author had concluded that 
the sordid dragonet of Mr. Pennant and 
Dr. Shaw, is not a distinct species, but 
merely the female of the gemimeous dra- 
gonet, nine of the genus gadus, and two 
blennius. Of the thoracici he stated 
twenty-two species belonging to nine 
genera: one gobius, two coltus, two zevs, 
the dorce, and the opah, (a specimen of 
last resplendent fish having been 
ken some years since off Cramond, in 
the Frith of Forth, and being still pre- 
served in the museum of P. Walker, esq.) 
the 
othed gilt-head, (a rare fish of which 
only two specimens have occurred in the 
Frith of Forth,) two perca, three gaste- 
roseus, and one trigla. 
s he bad ascertained-fourteen species, 
mging to seven genera: one cobitis, 
salmo, three esox, the pike, garpike, 
the saury or gandanook, (which last, 
though rare in England, is not uncom- 
mon at Edinburgh, but arrives im the 
Frith almost every autumn in large 
shoals,) three clupea, Of the genus cy- 
Montucy Maa, No, 175, 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
« 
Of the abdomi-- 
153 
prinus, of which no fewer than ten spe= 
cies inhabit the rivers and ponds of Eng- 
land, including the carp, tench, gudgeon, 
dace, roach, -breamn, &c. only one insig- 
nificant species, namely, the common 
minnow, is found near Edinburgh. OF 
the genus scomnber, the mackrel is caught 
in the entrance of the Frith of Forth, 
Mr, Neill, reserved the notice of the 
amphihia nantes. of Linnzus, including 
the ray tribe, tilla future meeting. 
The production of fire by the mere 
compression of atmospheric air, was a 
fact first observed about three years ago 
in France. This curious discovery has 
Jately been applied to practical utility in . 
this country, by means of an instrument 
which answers all the purposes of that 
well-known article in domestic economy, 
a tinder-box. It consists of a common 
syringe, about ten inches long, and not 
more than five-eighths of internal bore. 
At the lower extremity it is furnished 
with a.cap which serves as a chamber to 
receive the substance to be fired, and 
is attached: to the instrument by a screw, 
Instead of this cap, a common  stop= 
cock may be employed. To use the in- 
strument, the cap is unscrewed, or the 
stop-cock turned, a small piece of ama= 
dou or common tinder, is placed in the 
chamber, and the cap is screwed on 
again. If the piston of the instrament 
be now depressed with as quick a motion 
as possible, the condensation of the air is 
so active, as to set the amadou on 
fire. . 
Mr.-Georce Sincer is constructing 
an electrical apparatus with a cylinder 
eighteen inches in diameter, which, from 
experiments made with cylinders of ning 
and fifteen inches diameter, promises to 
afford at least equal intensity and regu- 
larity of action with plate machines. A 
series of experiments will be shortly in- 
stituted on this apparatus, and their re- 
sults communiéated to the public. © 
A new edition is in the press of the 
First Part of Dr, Hull’s British Flora. 
Mr, James Pu@nrx, of Liverpool, has 
found that there is a great difference be+- 
tween electrical shocks from a Leyden 
phial filled from the conductar in the 
common way, and those filled as follows. 
He stood on an insulated stool, laid one 
finger on the prime conductor, and filled 
the jar from the other ; when on receiving 
the shocks, he found them so consider 
ably augniented, that two taken in this 
manner incommoded him more than a 
dozen in the common method, 
We 
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