Natural History. --^Botany. 215 
piece of water mallow, we believe, and having observed the sap 
circulate in a sort of elliptical orbit, he formed a ligature be-, 
tween the two extremities of the vegetable stem, so as to pre- 
vent the sap from passing through the ligature. The conse- 
quence of this obstruction to the motion of the sap, was to make 
it circulate in two elliptical orbits, one on each side of the ligature. 
This remarkable experiment was shewn by Mr Amici to 'His 
Royal Highness the Archduke Maximilian, from whom we had 
the honour of receiving the preceding account of it. We be- 
lieve that its learned author has investigated the subject with 
much attention, and has printed an account of his researches in 
the volume of the Memoirs of the Italian Society which is soon 
expected to reach this country. 
IV. GENERAL SCIENCE. 
43. Expedition overland from Hudsmi’s Bay to the shores of the 
Arctic Ocean. — It is known that Government has fitted out 
two new expeditions for the arctic regions ; the one intended 
for Baffin’s Bay, and the other for Hudson’s Bay, and the coast 
of the Arctic Ocean. The Baffin’s Bay expedition is to endeavour 
to complete the survey left unfinished by Captain Ross, and is 
therefore almost entirely of a maritime nature ; while the other 
is principally a journey on the continent of America. The party 
to be employed in the American expedition, consists of Lieute- 
nant Franklin, the commanding officer. Dr Richardson of Leith, 
medical officer and naturalist, two Midshipmen, and two ser- 
vants ; in all six Europeans. They sailed about the 20th of May 
in one of the Hudson Bay ships, and expect to reach York Fac- 
tory about the middle of August. On the intelligence they re- 
ceive at that place, their future proceedings will in some mea- 
sure depend ; and much will no doubt be left to the discretion 
of the commanding officer. We do not know what his precise 
instructions are ; but we understand that the primary object is 
to ascertain the north-eastern boundary of the American conti- 
nent, and from thence to survey the coast to the westward as 
far as practicable. In prosecution of this object, we believe it 
is intended that the expedition should endeavour to trace the 
Copper-mine River to its termination in the Ocean. The 
prevalent opinion with geographers in England at present is, 
that this river, instead of. running nearly due north, as described 
by Hearne, trends away to the eastward, and terminates in Re-. 
