668 
rian ;_ this, likewise, was burnt, under Nero. 
Another great public library at Rome, the 
Capitoline, the foundation of which is attri- 
buted by Donatus to Adrian, and with 
more appearance of truth, by Lipsius, to 
Domitian ; this, like the former, was de- 
stroyed by fire, under the reign of Commo- 
dus. Lastly, Aulus Gellius mentions the 
Ulpian library, or that of the temple of Tra- 
jan, which was subsequently removed to the 
Viminal hill, to embellish the baths of Dio- 
clesian. According to P. Victor, there ex- 
isted at Rome, at the time of Constantine, 
29 public libraries, of which the finest were 
the Palatine, restored after the conilagra- 
tion, and the Ulpian. 
Toads.—When mentioning in our num- 
ber for April the account of a large toad 
which had been found imbedded in a stone 
in America, we inserted a remark of Pro- 
fessor Eaton, or, rather, a query, “ might not 
an egg have been enclosed in the cavity ?” 
To this a respectable correspondent, and 
we fully agree with him, objects, as being a 
most unsatisfactory explanation. The re- 
sults of this gentleman’s partly novel and 
judicious experiments, with which he has 
obligingly furnished us, are, that the spawn 
of frogs and toads will not come to matu- 
rity without the aid of water and heat. 
“* The spawn is of the form of a mustard- 
seed, but nearly black, and surrounded by 
an albuminous fluid, very viscid, so much 
so, that the female could not detach it from 
her body without the aid of water. When 
ejected and in the water, it assumes the 
appearance of a quantity of white currants, 
with a black speck in each of them.” 
(Perhaps boiled sago would furnish a more 
exact simile.) That sun is necessary to 
the animation of the spawn, I proved, by 
taking a male and female toad and making 
the latter deposit her spawn in a vessel, 
part of which I kept there with a sufficient 
quantity of water, but prevented it from 
receiving the sun’s rays; the remainder I 
put into another pan, ard placed so that 
the sun might shine on it all day.. In the 
latter vessel I soon had the tadpoles, in the 
former none.”” We have frequently endea- 
voured to impress upon our readers the 
advantages that must result to science, if 
isolated observers of natural phenomena 
would communicate to the publie an unvar- 
nished statement of what they may haye 
seen. The pages of this journal will always 
be open to such information, which will be 
thankfully acknowledged; to our present 
correspondent we feel much obliged, and 
look forward with interest to his future 
favours. 
Schinderhannes. — At the commence- 
ment of the French revolution, and for some 
time after, the two banks of the Rhine were 
the theatre of continual wars. Commerce 
was interrupted, and robbery the only me- 
chanical art which was worth pursuing. 
These enterprises weré carried on at first 
by individuals trading on their own capital 
Farieties. 
June, 
of skill and courage ; but when the French 
laws came into more active operation—in 
the seat of their exploits, the desperadoes 
formed themselves, for mutual protection, 
into co-partnerships, which were the terror 
of the country. Men soon arose among 
them whose talents or prowess attracted the 
confidence of their comrades, and chiefs 
were elected, and laws and institutions esta- 
blished. Their last and most celebrated 
chief, was the redoubted Schinderhannes, 
i.e. John Buckler, one of whose exploits 
we shall now detail. The robberies of this 
noted chief became more audacious and 
extensive every day, and at last he esta- 
blished a kind of “ black mail’? among the 
Jews, at their own request. Accompanied 
one day by only two of his comrades, he 
did not hesitate to attack a cavalcade of 
45 Jews and 5 Christian peasants. The 
booty taken was only two bundles of tobacco, 
the robbers returning some provisions, on a 
remonstrance from one of the Jews, who 
pleaded poverty. Schinderhannes then or- 
dered them to take off their shoes and 
stockings, which he threw into a heap 
leaving to every one the care of finding hi: 
own property. The affray that ensued w 
tremendous; the forty-five Jews who had 
patiently allowed themselyes to be robbe 
by. these men, fought furiously with each 
other.about their old shoes ; and the robber, 
in contempt of their cowardice, gave his 
carbine to one of them to hold while he 
looked on. 
Captain Franklin. —On the 27th of 
March last, the Geographical Society of 
Paris presented their annual gold medal of 
the value of one thousand francs, to Captain 
Franklin, as a testimony of their sense of 
the importance of his second expedition to 
the shores of the Polar Sea. 
The Keith Medals.—Extract of a letter 
addressed to the Royal Society of Edin- 
burgh by the Trustees of the late Alexan- 
der Keith, Esq.—‘‘ As the Royal Society 
of Edinburgh is the principal scientific esta- 
blishment of Scotland, we hereby offer to 
the President and Council the sum of £600, 
the principal of which shall on no account 
be encroached on; while the interest shall 
form a triennial prize for the most important 
discoveries in science made in any part of 
the world, but communicated by theirauthor 
to the Royal Society, and published for the _ 
first time in their Transactions. With re- 
gard to the form in which this prize is to be _ 
adjudged, we beg leave to suggest that it 
may be given in a gold medal, not exceed- 
ing 15 guineas value, together with a sum 
of money, or a piece of plate bearing the 
devices and inscriptions on the medal.’ 
The above-mentioned sum has been paid 
over to the Treasurer of the Royal Society 
of Edinburgh; and the prizes will be 
awarded at the specified periods, if any 
discoveries of sufficient importance: be pre- 
sented during their currency. sor 
The Water of the Mediterrancan.— 
