SCIENTIFie NEWS. f^| 



vantage of being cheap, fhould add thofe of being eafily pre- 

 pared ; of refifting the a<a!On of the deftruaive vapour of 

 the acid, as well as the ftrong heat which the luted part is 

 often required to bear ; which ftiould be eafy of application, 

 and in an uniform manner, and not harden too quickly ; obliged 

 me to make fome experiments on the fubjedl, the refult of 

 which have been very fatisfa61ory. 



After making a great number of mixtures with different 

 fubftances, I made choice of the following, which produced 

 me a homogeneous compofition, drying as flowly as could be 

 defired, extremely hard; when dry, of a very compaft 

 texture ; and, in (hort, pofTeffing all the properties I had 

 defired. 



Take the white of two eggs, with their yolks, ahd of pow- 

 dered carbonate of lime, or of quick lime well flaked in the 

 air, about half the weight of the eggs j fpread it on a cloth, 

 and apply it as a lute. 



NOTE. 



THIS lute, the compofition of which is very fim pie, pof- 

 fefl!es a degree of elafticity, when dry ; I have formed veflels 

 of it, which are impermeable to water, and fufceptible oi f 



being polilhed on the wheel. This compofition refembles the 

 fubfiance of which the pipes, called Meerjhaum, are made. 



Two new Quadrupeds.* 

 Two living Quadrupeds have lately been received at Ihe TwonewQua- 

 Mufeum of Natural Hiftory at Paris, which are entirely un- New^HolS. 

 known among naturalifts, and were brought to Europe by 

 Captain Baudin. Profeflbr GeofFroy (of Egypt) who has in- 

 ferted a defcription of them in the annals of the Mufeum, 

 calls them Fafcolomes. They come from the weftern coaft of 

 New Holland ; their fur promifes to be of fome ufe ; and, 

 according to the opinion of Captain Hamelin and his fuite, 

 their flelh is very excellent food. They are particularly inte- 

 refling to naturalifts from the fingularity of their organization. 

 In the form of the head, the number, arrangement, and na- 

 ture of the teeth, and the form of the fore feet with which 



* Decade Philof. No. 51. An, XT. 



tthey 



