Calendar of Flora, Fauna, and Pomona. 397 



further force, many times greater than the former when the 

 velocity is considerable, to overcome the inertia ; and this in- 

 creases with the height of the obstacle, and with the rapidity 

 of the motion, both squared. But, when springs are usetl, 

 this latter part, by far the most important, almost entirely dis- 

 appears, and their beneficial effects in obviating the injuries of 

 percussion are proportionate also to the velocities squared. 



The advantages consequent to the draft from suspending 

 heavy baggage on the springs, were first generally perceived 

 about 40 years since, on the introduction of mail-coaches; then 

 baskets and boots were removed, and their contents were 

 heaped on the top of the carriage. The accidental circum- 

 stance, however, of the weight being thus placed at a consi- 

 derable elevation, gave occasion to a prejudice, the cause of 

 innumerable accidents, and which has not, up to the present 

 time, entirely lost its influence; yet, a moment's consideration 

 must be sufficient to convince any one, that when the body of 

 a carriage is attached to certain given points, no other effect 

 can possibly be produced by raising or by depressing the 

 weights within it, than to create a greater or a less tendency 

 to overturn. 



The extensive use of waggons suspended on springs, for 

 conveying heavy articles, introduced within these two or three 

 last years, will form an epoch in the history of internal land 

 communication, not much inferior perhaps in importance to 

 that when mail-coaches were first adopted; and the extension 

 of vans in so short a time to places the most remote from the 

 metropolis, induces a hope and expectation, that as roads im- 

 prove, the means of preserving them will improve also, possi- 

 bly in an equal degree, so that permanence and consequent 

 cheapness, in addition to facility of conveyance, will be distin- 

 guished features of the M'Adam system. — Journal of Science, 



vol. xviii. p. 95. ■ 



Calendar of Flora, Fauna, and Pomona, at Hartjield in Sussex, 

 continued from October 27 to November 21. 



Oct. 27. — A few swallows seen ; they were only stragglers, 

 and appeared like the young of a late brood. . To see these 

 birds on the vigil of St. Simon and Jude is recorded as be- 

 ing a very unusual phenomenon. A martin or two has some- 

 times been seen so late as November, but the Hirutido rustica 

 is very rarely seen after the middle of the month of October. 



Oct. 29. — The yellow and red decaying leaves are fast fall- 

 ing. The weather wet and variable. 



Nov. 1. — All-saints Day. Many plants remain in flower, here 



and 



