Ui-2i).] J'arictiey. 



stoues was of gneiss, ivith aniphibolcj 

 another of gneiss only, the third of a sort 

 of quartz. One of them was found in the 

 curvature of the stomach of a cod, tl'.e t^vo 

 others in the large diameter of it. All ad- 

 hered strongly to the substance of the 

 stomach, and were obliged to be cut out. 

 This fucus then can grow and spiing from 

 its seed, whatever that may be, in the 

 stomach of a cod fish ; also its force of 

 vegetation prevails over the digestive force 

 of the animal, unless it be that the fish, 

 being entirely carnivorous, does not digest 

 herbs. In one only, according to the testi- 

 mony of the whole body of fishermen, a 

 piece of wood the size of a man's fist was 

 found imbedded in the substance of the 

 stomach of a cod. 



Improved Flux. — The chemist will find 

 a flux composed of equal parts by measure 

 of crystallized borax and common salt of 

 tartar very serviceable for removing from 

 his crucible, or other vessels of platina, 

 those ferruginous scales with vv-hich, after 

 long use, and particidarly after being 

 strongly heated in a coal or coke fire, they 

 become incrusted. In the analysis of 

 earthy minerals the late Dr. ^FoUaston was 

 in the habit of using a similar flux, com- 

 posed of two parts, by weight of crystallized 

 carbonate of soda, and one of crystallized 

 borax, well ground together. It has the 

 advantage of not acting like caustic alkali 

 upon the platina crucible, and is a powerful 

 solvent of jargon and many other minerals, 

 which yield with difficulty to other fluxes. 

 If the mineral to be operated upon requires 

 oxidation in order to decompose it, a little 

 nitre or nitrate of soda may be added. 



The Brain Dr. G. Spurzheim, one of 



the fathers of phrenology, has made a com- 

 munication to the Royal Society respecting 

 his peculiar views of the brain. The fol- 

 lowing is the substance of it. He contends 

 that the human brain should be viewed not 

 a.s a single organ, but as an aggregate of 

 many different nerv'ous apparatuses, each 

 destined to the performance of a special 

 function. M'hat the peculiar function is 



i>2:i 



wiiich each of the cerebral organs performs, 

 cannot indeed be at all inferred from its 

 anatomical structure, but must be gathered 

 from oihcr evidence. In comparing the 

 brains of diflerent animals this process 

 must be reversed, and whenever we find 

 organs performing the same functions in 

 different animals, we must conclude that 

 they are in reality the same organs, how- 

 ever tb.ey may differ in their size, structure, 

 appearance, or situation. The brains of 

 animals belonging to tlie same class resem- 

 ble each other in their general type, 

 although the special apparatuses appropria- 

 ted to each function may vary in their size 

 and number. The autlior next attempts to 

 establish the proposition that the parts of 

 the healtliy human brain are essentially the 

 same, although somewhat modified in their 

 size and quality in different individuals. In 

 support of this doctrine he endeavours to 

 show tliat the several convolutions on the 

 surface of the cerebrum may be identified in 

 different brains, and that their identity 

 may be recognised in the two lateral halves 

 of the same brain. On examining the 

 brains of some idiots he found that certain 

 convolutions, which he believes to be capa- 

 ble of being thus identified, are defective, 

 and others entirely wanting. He makes a 

 similar observation on the brain of an 

 Ourang-Outang, whidi exhibited a closer 

 analogy to the human structure tiian tliat 

 of any other of the manunalia, and in 

 which he could not discern some of the 

 convolutions which exist in the brain of 

 man. 



The Great American Bittern. — A most 

 interesting and remarkable circumstance we 

 learn from the IMagazine of Natural History 

 attends the great American Bittern ; it is 

 that it has the power of emitting a light 

 from its breast equal to the light of a 

 common torch, which illuminates the water 

 so as to enable it to discover its prey. As 

 this circmiistance is not mentioned by any 

 naturalist, the correspondent of the Journal 

 in question took every precaution to deter- 

 mine, as he has done, the truth of it. 



WORKS IN THE PRESS AND NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



WORKS IN PREPAHATIOK. 



Mr. Reynolds, Writing Master, Christ's Hos- 

 pital, has in tlip jiross, for the Use of Scliools, 

 the Scholar's I'laclical Introduction to Mcr- 

 chai.ts' A'-oounts, upon an improved I'lan. 



The Golden I-yrc, or Specimens of the Poets of 

 Knjtland, Krance, Germany, and Italy, for 1830. 



Mr. K. II. Harlier is aUont reprintinK Dr. Web- 

 «ler'« American Dictionary of the English Lan- 

 guage, in '2 vuU. '•to. 



lllii-.tration of the Parts concerned in the Late- 

 ral Operations of Lithotomy, with a Description 

 of the Alodc of pcrforminif it. By Udward Stan- 

 ley, Assistant Surgeon, and Lecturer on Anatomy 

 mid Physiology at St. Ilartholouiew's Hospital. 

 Iloynl 4to. 



M-.M. A^w5«;i^».— VoL.VIir. No.4-J. 



Historical Recollections of Henry of Mon- 

 mouth, the Hero of Agincourt, and other Eminent 

 Characters. 



Mr. Swan is preparing for publication a De- 

 monstration of the Nerves of the Human Body, 

 founded on the Suljcct^ of the Two Collegial 

 Anatomical Prizes adjudged to him by the Royal 

 CoHeye of Surgeons ; (he lirst Part exhibiting the 

 Nerves of tlie Tlioraic Viscera in large Plates, 

 will he ready in January, 1830. 



Messrs. Dyniond and Dawson, of Exeter, are 

 about to publish a M;ip of England and Wales 

 upon anew Plan, in wliieh Numerals and Letteis 

 are substituted for Ibe Names of Places and 

 Rivers ; the former beiiiif used to denote the 

 Places, while the latter designate the Rivers. 

 With an Explanatory Key, enclosing a brief De- 



2 V, 



