1 88 French National Inflltute. 



millet, which he cajls charring (thefmut). It is propagatei) 

 by communication, and may diminifh the crop one-half. 



C. Desfontaines prefented the fecond and laft volume of 

 his Flora of Mount Atlas. This work, which, on account 

 of the corrednefs of the defcriptions and the beauty of the 

 plates, may be ranked with any thing of the kind ever yet 

 publiflied, is a ftriking proof of the zeal of its author, who 

 colleiSled the materials in the deferts of Africa, where he was 

 pvery moment expofed to new dangers. 



C. Ventenat has connnunicated a very extenfive work on 

 the lime-tree. He has defcribed feven fpecies unknown to 

 LinncEus, feveral of which might be naturalifed in our gar- 

 dens ; and particularly one, which, no doubt, would be pre- 

 ferred to the common lime on account of its leaves, which 

 being thicker, refift better the heat of fummerj and of its 

 flowers, which are fweeter and laft much longer. 



Our anatomifts have been employed chiefly in unfolding 

 the organifation of two animals of the fimpleft kind and the 

 moft diflant from man. One of them, named the medvfa, 

 is found in the waters of the fea, where it is nouridied not 

 by one mouth, as all the other known animals, but by a 

 multitude of fmall tubes, which may be compared to roots. 

 Its flomach fupplies the place of a heart, and conveys the 

 nutritive juice, through ramified vcfTels, to every part of the 

 body. 



The fecond, to which C. Huzzard has called the attention 

 of the Clafs, is found in the interior part of the brain of 

 fheep, and never any where elfe, though it is difficult td 

 conceive why this fhould invariably be the cafe. This ani- 

 mal occafions a mortal malady, the fymptoms of which are, 

 that the fheep aflfefted jump and run round with a fort of 

 convulfive movement. The body of this animal forms a ve- 

 licle filled with water : on one body there are feveral heads, 

 and each head has a mouth. A fpecial commiflfion has been 

 appointed to endeavour to find out the beft iiieans for deftroy- 

 ine this, fingu;ar infeft. 



C. Chaptal has made knowx^ to us a ^^ew method for 

 bleaching cotton, 



C. Loif«l^ 



