560 Murray on Atmospheric Electricity, 



again, in company with the ancient denizens of the forest and 

 the grove. In the mean time, we venture strongly to recom- 

 mend the present volume to the notice of our readers ; to such 

 of them, at least, as, with us, admire aged trees and beautiful 

 etchings, of both which it supplies no scanty store. For our- 

 selves we are ready to acknowledge, that we delight in these 

 sylvan haunts and forest glens, where Nature is seen in her 

 wildest, loveliest forms, far more than we do in " the cloud- 

 capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces," reared by the hand of 

 man. 



" Habitarunt dii quoque sylvas. 



Dardaniusque Paris. Pallas, quas condidit arces. 



Ipsa colat : nobis placeant ante omnia sylvae." * Virgil. 



A. R. Y. 



Art. II. Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately published, 

 with some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British 

 Naturalists, 



Britain. 



Murray, J., Esq. F.S.A. L.S. H.S. &c.. Author of various Works : A 

 Treatise on Atmospheric Electricity, including Lightning-rods and Para- 

 greles. Small 8vo. 1830. 



This, though a brief, is a very interesting history of electricity. It pre- 

 sents a satisfactory view of its agency in almost all the phenomena of na- 

 ture ; shows how it may be collected, directed, and managed by art ; and 

 describes its wonderful powers, and the instruments which have been in- 

 vented to detect its presence and character. 



Electricity is stated to be necessary to animal life, to vegetable develope- 

 ment, and to all atmospheric changes. After describing these its various 

 uses in nature, the author adverts to its concentrated and terrible effects, 

 which sometimes devastate portions of the earth, and which, he imagines, it 

 is in a great measure in the power of man to avert. 



To prove and explain this (the main purpose of the volume before us), 

 Mr. Murray brings into view all that is certainly known relative to electri- 

 city ; interspersed with many curious original observations of his own, illus- 

 trative of the effects of this subtle and powerful element. He ascribes to 

 it, as already mentioned, all atmospheric phenomena ; all spontaneous mo- 

 tions of physical atoms j the luminous appearances in the air and on earth, 

 viz. Aurora borealis, ignes fatiu, shooting stars, St. Elmo's fire, &c. To it, 

 too, he ascribes the formation of aerolites, of which he gives an interesting 

 account ; showing in what veneration they were held by the ancient Pagans, 

 who, like the Ephesians mentioned by St. Luke (Acts of the Apostles), 

 worshipped the goddess Diana, which image fell down from Jupiter, being no 

 other than an aerolite. Mr. Murray might have added, that they are still 

 idolised by the Mahometans. Burckhardt, in his pilgrimage to Mecca, notices 

 the holy stone, which in remote times was considered sacred by the Egyp- 



Gods have lived in woods. 



And Trojan Paris. In the towers she built 

 Let Pallas dwell ; the woods be our delight." 



Trajip's Translation. 



