Gem-j'al Science. 
193 
germinating expansions of the seed itself, somewhat analogous 
to what is called the spawn of mushrooms. On the moist earth 
the process of germination is more slow: in a fortnight, how- 
ever, the surface of the pots is covered .with a substance resem- 
bling green velvet ; and in about three weeks, the proper leaves 
begin to appear. It has long been suspected, that many of the 
small confervae would require to be expunged from botanical 
lists : Mr Drummond'^s experiments will hasten this result : the 
well-known Byssus mlutina^ he ascertained to be nothing else 
than Polytrichum aloides in the first stage of vegetation. A 
full account of Mr Drummond’s curious and important obser- 
vations will probably appear in the next volume of the Transac- 
tions of the Linnean Society. 
IV. GENERAL SCIENCE. 
38. George Bidder. — This wonderful boy, who is only thir- 
teen years old, and is well known for the singular faculty of 
performing in his mind the most complex and difficult arithme- 
tical computations, arrived some weeks ago in Edinburgh for the 
purpose of exhibition. It occurred to a public-spirited indivi- 
dual, Henry Jardine, Esq. to whose benevolence and enlightened 
zeal most of the charitable and scientific institutions of this city 
have been under great obligations, that it would be highly de- 
sirable to rescue this interesting boy from being the subject of 
a public show ; and having obtained his father’s consent, he set 
on foot a subscription for providing him with the means of main- 
tenance and education for some of the learned professions. The 
progress of his mind will be watched by some of the members 
of the lioyal Society and the University. We shall be happy - 
to be the channel of conveying to Mr Jardine the subscriptions 
of gentlemen not resident in Edinburgh ; and we trust, that the 
friends of science in England and Ireland will contribute to 
promote this benevolent and useful scheme. 
39. New Society of Arts in Edinburgh. — We understand 
that several gentlemen in Edinburgh have been occupied for a 
considerable time in establishing a Society for the Promotion of 
the Mechanical and Useful Arts in Scotland, for rewarding in- 
ventions of public utility, and disseminating useful knowledge 
VOL. n. xo. 3. JAXUARY 18^^0. X 
