Vol.lX. — Nn.4. 



AND HORTJCULTURAr. JOURNAL. 



27 



another pit in a fresh situation. VVIien it succeeds 

 in getting a stone beyond the line ot" its circle, it is 

 not contented uitli letting it rest there; but to pre- 

 vent it from again rolling in, it goes on to push it to 

 a considerable distance. 



The pitfall, when finished, is usually about three 

 inches in diameter at the top, abouttwo inches deep, 

 and gradually contracting into a point in the manner 

 of a cone or funnel. In the bottom of this pit the 

 ant-lion stations itself to watch for its prey. Should 

 an ant or any other insect wander within the verge 

 of the funnel, it can scarcely fiiil to dislodge and roll 

 down some particles of sand, which will give notice 

 to the ant-lion below to be on the alert, fn order to 

 secure the prey, Reaumur, Bonnet, and others have 

 observed the ingenious insect throw up showers of 

 sand by jerking it from his head in quick succession, 

 till the luckless ant is precipitated within reach of 

 the jaws of its concealed enemy. It feeds only on 

 the blood or juice of insects; and as soon as it has 

 extracted these, it tosses the dry carcase out of its 

 den. Its next care is to mount the sides of the pitfall 

 and repair any damage it may have suffered ; and 

 when this is accomplished, it again buries . itself 

 among the sand at the bottom, leaving nothing but 

 its jaws above the surface, ready to seize the next 

 victim. 



The ant-lion is carnivorous, but he has not the 

 quickness of the spider, nor can he spread a net over 

 a large surface, and i^uc from his citadel to seize a 

 victim which he has caught in his outworks. He is 

 therefore taught to dig a trap, where he sits, like the 

 unwieldy giants of fable, waiting for some feeble one 

 to cross his path- How laborious and patient are his 

 operations — how uncertain the chances of success! 

 Yet he never shrinks from them, because his instinct 

 tells him that by these contrivances alone can he 

 preserve his own existence, and continue that of his 

 species. 



Abstinence and fasting are recommended as ne- 

 cessary to mental perfection ; but facts — strong facts 

 — stare this opinion in the face. Dr Paley — to begin 

 with a high authority — was a divine of a largfi ' ca- 

 pacity ;' he liked a good dinner, and what was more, 

 he liked his plate well filled. A leg of lamb served 

 him merely for a collation, and he was wont when 

 alone, to sit down to a shoulder of mutton. Mr Best, 

 out of delicacy to the memory of his friend, has pass- 

 ed over this failing — as he thinks it — somewhat 

 lightly, but he admits the Doctor's partiality to a 

 well filled larder. 



Dr Johnson was another example of high mental en- 

 dowments being associated with a decided love of 

 good eating. Though his manner of helping himself 

 was somewhat boorish, he could notconceal his anger 

 at the prospect of scanty provender. After leaving 

 the table of a friend, Boswell was loud in praise of 

 •the dinner they had just been discussing. The 

 dishes he said, were numerous, the wine good, the 

 pastry excellent. 'Sir' said the great moralist, 'the 

 dinner was well enough, but nothing to invite a man 

 to.' When in Wales, his hostess treated him, early 

 in the season, to peas, to which the Doctor paid a 

 somewhat greedy attention. ' Do you like the peas. 

 Sir?' she inquired. 'Madam' he replied, 'they are 

 very good for hogs.' ' So I perceive', retorted the lady, 

 'you feed heartily on them.' 



Mr Fo.x aflfords another instance of a large capac- 

 ity in a double sense ; and poor Sheridan was not 

 wont to scatter about ' wit and wisdom at will," ex- 

 cept after a good dinner. Dr Adam Smith, though 

 generally abstracted, was fond of lump sugar and 

 roast beef; and Sir Walter Scott relates in the Quar- 

 terly Review, an amusing anecdote of the celebrated 

 Dr Hutton's partiality to curious ' morsels.' To show 

 his superiority to vulgar prejudices, and to prove that 

 excellent and available food was neglected, he invit- 

 ed a scientific friend to a feast of snails. The animals 

 were dressed, peppered, salted, and served up. The 

 great mathematician took one, his friend took an- 

 other; they tasted, looked at each other, and paused. 

 ' Very green,' said one ; ' d d green,' said the 



other, and both started up from the table, leaving the 

 dressed snails uwconsume A.— Liverpool paper. 



BURNS AND SCALDS. 



It is a principal object to prevent the blister from 

 breaking, as a considerable discharge might be the 

 consequence, and danger apprehended. Sir James 

 Karl and other eminent practitioners, recommend 

 the use of cold water, even ice ; but Mr Abernethy is 

 of a different opinion. Mr A. recommends the use 

 of the oil of turpentine, mixed with basilicon ; to give 

 the patient a little warm wine, and a few drops of 

 opium, and afterwards to place him in a warm bed. 

 ' ivccollect, however, (says Mr Abernethy,) that this 

 stimulating plan ot treatment is not to be continued 

 after the equilibrium of the temperature is restored.' 

 The following has been in use, for a length of time, in 

 St Thomas' Hospital : 



Take of olive oil, three ounces; lime water four 

 ounces. This may be placed over the affected part 

 with a feather or camel's hair pencil. 



In order that the most correct treatment for burns 

 and scalds should be known, Mr Abernethy lately 

 recommends his pupils to dip two of their fingers in 

 boiling water, and let them be fairly scalded ; then 

 take them out, put one in a basin of cold water, 

 and dress the other with the turpentine and basilicon. 

 ' I do not want to try, (remarked Mr A.) I have 

 decided already, and therefore have no occasion to 

 scald my fingers.' — Book of Health. 



CUTS. 

 All that is required to be done for a trifling cut, is 

 to wash away the blood and dirt with a sponge and 

 cold water, bring the edges of the jvound as close 

 together as possible, and then put on a piece of adhe- 

 sive plaster ^strapping.) If the wound be large, a 

 space should be left between each slip of plaster. 

 The plasters should remain for several days, to give 

 time for the wound to unite ; when the pain is great, 

 or inflammation be present, it will be necessary to 

 take a little opening medicine. The bleeding may 

 usually be stopped by pressure ; but the application 

 of a cobweb scarcely ever fails. — lb. 



Land has recently been sold at Chilicothe at thirty, 

 forty, fifty, and even sixty dollars a foot. The Sciota 

 Gazette states, that a market house has been erected 

 this year,270feet long, and equal to any on the At- 

 lantic. This prosperity is owing to the vicinity of a 

 canal. 



A Rattlesnake was killed on Oak Hill, in William- 

 stown, in the rye-field of G. T. Bulkley, Esq. He 

 measured five feet three inches in length, nine inches 

 in circumference, had fourteen rattles, and weighed 

 seven pounds and three ounces. A full-grown rabbit 

 was found in his stomach. 



The almost incredible fact is stated, that the in- 

 crease of productive power through the aid of steam 

 and improved mechanism, with other scientific appli- 

 ances, during the last forty years, is equal to the 

 additional supply of labor of Six Hundred Millions of 

 Men. 



The method by which females in Peru are accus- 

 tomed to mount en croupe behind a horseman, proves 

 the extreme gentleness of the animal. A knot is tied 

 in the horse's tail ; into this the foot is introduced as 

 into a stirrup; the female then gives one hand to the 

 rider, and is by him assisted into her place on the 

 back of the animal, which, habituated to this contri- 

 vance, never thinks ofresenting the indignity. 



A poor man who resolved to be honest till want 

 became too strong for his resolution, is thus made to 

 describe thedifficulty of finding employment in Paris. 



I went to the scavenger, and offered myself as a 

 sweeper, raker of kennels, hut there was no room 

 for me ; no work however dirty, that I have not so- 

 licited, sued for. I learned that there was a white 

 lead manufactory atClichy, where the workmen died 

 like flies. — Well, to get admission there, they asked 



mo for certificates. In the same way at the looking- 

 glass manufactory, to be qualified to poison one's self 

 by the vapor of mercury you must have protoctives. 

 They told me I might get employment on the port 

 as a ship breaker, or on the canal wheeling the bar- 

 rows, but I did not succeed better than any where 

 else. They told me that the executioner of Versailles 

 wanted an assistant, but rather than mount in that 

 way I would scrape the puddles, and there were more 

 than three hundred applicants for the situation. 



The N. Y. Courier says — 13 baskets of water were 

 brought into that city from Bordeaux. They were 

 a part of a lot of anniseed, but the exporter falling 

 short of the article, filled the bottles in the thirteen 

 baskets with water. There was no seizure on the 

 part of the Collector. 



Dyspepsia Bread. — -The American Farmer pub- 

 lishes the following recipe for making bread, which 

 has proved highly salutary to persons afflicted with 

 that complaint, viz, — 



3 quarts unbolted wheat meal, 1 do soft water, 

 warm, but not hot, 1 gill fresh yeast, 1 do molasses, 

 or not, as may suit the taste, 1 tea spoonful of sal- 

 eratus. 



This will make two loaves, and should remain in 

 the oven at least one hour ; and when taken out 

 placed where they will cool gradually. Dyspepsia 

 crackers can be made with unbolted flour, water 

 and salcratus, that will be much esteemed, and found 

 very convenient for travelling. 



TO PREVENT HORSES BEING TEASED BY FLIES. 



Take two or three small liandluls of walnut 

 leaves, upon which, pour two or three (juiuts of 

 cold water, let it infuse one night, and pour the 

 whole next morning into a kettle, un<l let it boil for 

 a quarter of an hour: — when coM it will bo fit for 

 use. No more is required than to moisten a sponge, 

 and before the horse goes out of the stable, let 

 those parts which are most irritable be smeared 

 over with the liquor, viz. between and upon the 

 ears, the necU, the flank, &c. Not only the lady 

 or gentleman who rides out forjileasuie, will derive 

 benefit from the walnut leaves thus prepared, but 

 the coachman, the wagoner, and all others who 

 use horses during the hot months. — Farmers'' J?Ci 

 ceipt Book. 



Capillary Attraction. — A weight being suspend- 

 ed by a dry rope will be drawn upwards through 

 a considerable height, if the rope be moistened 

 with a wet sponge. The attr.action of the parti- 

 cles composing the rope for the water is, in this 

 case, so powerful, that the tension produced by 

 several hundred weight cannot expel them. 



The whole number of Tax Bills issued in Bos- 

 ton in 1829, was 13,353, of which 5851 were for 

 Poll Tax only — 5243 jiersons paid over $1 50, 

 (poll tax) andunder 21 — 924 from #21 to 40. In 

 Boston, the education of children, the probate of 

 wills, and the settlement of the estates of deceased 

 persons, are at the public expense. By the erec- 

 tion of reservoirs, fences and out houses arc not 

 now demolished at fires as formerly. An alarm 

 of fire in a man's neighborhood used to cost him 

 .$30 or 40 in fences. 



The Philadelphia Ga/.ette recommends, to re- 

 store the beauty of brick buildiiig.'i, washing them 

 with a small quantity of oil of vitriol mixed with 

 much water — other acids will produce the like 



eflect. 



It is stated in a Quebec pajier of the 17th, that 

 upwards of 17,000 emigrants have already arrived 

 at that port from Europe. 



