Forth-coming Scientific Works. 413 



"The exertions of Mr. Baddelay, R. E. are very conspicuous, 

 combining in themselves matter sufficient to occupy nearly 100 pages 

 of the book, chiefly on the Geognosy of the Saguenay country. We 

 may mention the article on the country around the Montmorency — the 

 article on Recent Shells found near Quebec, by Mrs. Sheppard of 

 Woodfield — the Journey across the continent of North America by 

 an Indian Chief — -the observations on the plants described by Charle- 

 voix, by Mr. W. Sheppard — on the Myrtus Cerifera or Myrtle v^ax- 

 shrub — a very curious catalogue of coincidents, which induce the 

 belief of the Asiatic origin of the North American tribes, by Major 

 Mercer, R. A. — and also a catalogue of Canadian Plants, presented 

 to the Society by the Countess of Dalhousie. The plates are in gen- 

 eral well executed, and we hail with sincere pleasure the appearance 

 of a volume, the first production of a Literary Society in this Pro- 

 vince." 



Domestic. 



1. Encyclojjcedia Jlmericana — a popular Dictionary of Arts, Sci- 

 ences, Literature, History, Politics and Biography, brought down to 

 the present time, including a copious collection of Original Articles in 

 American Biography ; on the basis of the seventh edition of the Ger- 

 man Conversations Lexicon; Edited by Francis Lieber, as- 

 sisted by E. Wigglesworth. Vol. I. 8vo. pp. 616: Philadelphia. — 

 The high reputation of the contributors to this work, will not fail 

 to ensure it a favorable reception among our countrymen ; and its own 

 merits will do the rest. Something of the kind has been greatly 

 needed. The heavier Encyclopedias are too cumbersome for common 

 reference, and too expensive for common use. We needed some- 

 thing that would condense the valuable information which they con- 

 tain, and present it before us in a form accessible to all. This is the 

 object in the Conversations-Lexicon, the first Vol. of which is now 

 before the public : the name implies a Lexicon calculated to fit a 

 person for sharing in the conversation of well informed circles, 

 and is taken from the German work, on which this is to be modelled. 

 The estimation in which the German Lexicon, now consisting of 12 

 Volumes, is held, may be learned from the fact, that since 1812, 

 80,000 copies have been published, besides two pirated editions. 

 " There has been also a Danish translation, a Swedish, and likewise 

 a Dutch. A French translation is also preparing at Brussels." The 

 American work is partly a translation, and partly original. " Some of 

 the departments of Science and Literature, which were but imper- 

 fectly treated in the original German work, have been entirely re- 



