1825. 
Tobacco leaves, cut. small, are infused in 
hot water—but not boiled, which would 
dissipate the essential oil; in the infusion, 
gum arabic-is dissolved, and the flour of 
sulphur intimately mixed therein: this is 
also a valuable pickle for seed-wheat. 
Mr. Jennings has prepared a Lecture on 
the Nature and Operations of the Human 
Mind, which will-be given in London at 
some of our public rooms in the course of 
the winter. ' 
A Royal Sardinian edict, lately issued, 
directs that, henceforth, no person shall 
Jearn to read or write, who cannot prove 
the possession of property above the value 
of 1,500 livres, about £60 sterling. The 
qualification for a student is the possession 
of an income to the same amount. 
“In Egypt,” says Dr. Richardson, 
“the crocodile is generally accompanied 
by a small bird that takes alarm onthe 
slightest noise, and, flying past the croco- 
dile, awakes him from his slumbers in time 
to retreat from a person advancing to ex- 
amine or to fire at him.” 
A walrus or sea-horse was lately dis- 
covered on the rocks at Fierceness, Ork- 
ney; and being shot at and wounded by a 
shepherd, it took to sea, and was followed 
by him and some others in a boat. The 
man fired a second time, and pierced the 
animal through the eyes ; it then lay on the 
water apparently lifeless, but on the boat 
coming alongside, and one of the men 
catching hold of the fore-paw, the walrus 
made a sudden plunge, and carried the man 
to the bottom with him, who was with 
difficulty’saved upon his rising to the sur- 
face. Another shot killed the animal, and 
they towed him ashore in triumph. The 
skin of the walrus, which is now dried, 
measures 16 feet by 14 feet ; and the tusks, 
which are much worn at the ends, protrude 
from the head about 12 inches. The entire 
skull is sent to the Edinburgh Museum. 
This is the first instance of any of those 
formidable inhabitants of the polar regions 
having been seen off the coasts of Great 
Britain. ‘i 
Curious Fact in Natural History,—It is 
a fact not much known, that the eel, though 
it lives in an element that seems to place it 
beyond the reach of atmospheric changes, 
is yet singularly affected by high winds. 
This is well known to the inhabitants of 
Linlithgo, who have an excellent opportu- 
nity of observing the habits of that animal 
in the lock adjoining the town. The stream, 
which flows out of that lock at the west-end, 
passes through a sluice, and falls into an 
‘artificial stone reservoir, from which it es- 
capes by a number of holes in the sides and 
bottom. These holes are too small to let 
eels of a common size pass, and hence the 
_ Feservoir answers the purpose of an eel 
» trap, or cruive. The fish, howeyer, are 
rarely found in it in ealm weather; but 
when strong winds blow, especially from 
the west, these tenants of the waters seem 
Foreign Varieties. 
261 
to be seized with a general panic, and hurry 
from their lodgments like rats from a con- 
flagration. At these times, they ‘rush 
through the outlet in crowds, and fall pell- 
mell into the reservoir, from which they 
are speedily transferred to the frying-pans 
of the burgesses. 
FOREIGN. 
NORTH AMERICA. 
New- York.—The object of the Athénée, 
in this city, is the publication and dissemi- 
nation of new and remarkable facts relating 
to natural history. The President, Mr. 
Wheaton, at the opening of the Society, 
says: ‘‘ We have had to clear deserts, to 
maintain our personal security by continued 
wars with the Indians, provide for our 
wants, establish our political, and defend 
our moral existence. Thus, we had but 
little time left for the cultivation of the or- 
namental arts, imagination and literature— 
every thing was sacrificed to more urgent 
wants—what little comparative leisure we 
had, was necessarily devoted to agriculture, 
industry, and commerce. But, prosperity 
having been guaranteed by the wisdom of 
our government, and liberty and security 
become the birthright of every citizen, men- 
tal cultivation has claimed a more general 
attention ; literary societies have been form- 
ed and are forming every day, and America 
may, without presumption, hope, that her 
national literature will soon rival her public 
institutions.”” 
At Charlotte County, in Virginia, there 
lives at this time a couple, of whom the 
man is 118 years of age, and his wife 117, 
The former, Alex. Berkley, is a Scotch- 
man by birth, and served under the Duke 
of Marlborough in the reign of Queen 
Ann, and after her death emigrated’ to 
America, ‘served in.the English army un- 
der General Wolf, and was present at the 
defeat of Montgomery at Quebec, He 
has been married ninety years, and has had 
several children, who haye all preceded 
him to the tomb. ; 
Philadelphia.— American Philosophical 
Society. —Franklin was the principal foun- 
der of this society, in 1743. In 1766, 
another was formed on the same plan; 
and, in 1769, these two were united under 
the title, American Philosophical Society 
of Philadelphia for the Encouragement of 
useful Arts. The principal object of this 
institution is the cultivation of mechanical 
arts; but it has also thought fit to extend 
its views to history, moral science, and 
general literature ; and has collected many 
valuable documents relating to the history 
of the United States. 
RUSSIA. 
St. Petersburgh. — The emperor has 
sanctioned the project of a Technological 
Institution at Moscow, for the propagation 
of the arts relative to manufactures. The 
youth of free condition may be admitted 
from sixteen to twenty-four years of ase, 
an 
