SUGAR— MALT— ARDENT SPIRITS. 
499 
The great proportion of water to land, 
forms a striking feature of the north east 
continent. This may be zoologically di- 
vided into two districts — viz. the nor- 
thern or barren grounds, and the south- 
ern, or woo led. The temperature is here 
materially influenced by the inland sea 
of Hudson’.s Strait.s, and thus its capa- 
bility of supporting animal life tnuch 
aifected On the west of the Rocky 
Mountains, the northern corner appears 
to be similar to the eastern side or bar- 
ren (j rounds. The general character of 
the country bordering the Pacific is 
mountainous. 
With respect to the climate of North 
America, the eastern coast has a lower 
mean temperature than the western, at 
least in the higher latitudes. Probably the 
isothermal, and even the isotbseral lines 
of the banks of the Columbia and New 
Caledonia correspond nearly in latitude 
with those of the east coast of Europe. 
But on the eastern side, down to the 
56th parallel of latitude, the subsoil is 
perpetually frozen. Even in the 45th 
parallel, on the north side of the great 
Canada lakes, there is upwards of six 
months of continual frost, and the 
grallatorial and most of the graminivor- 
ous birds can find nothing to subsist 
them in the winter season ; and, conse- 
quently, the migration of the feathered 
tribes is here much more general than 
in the countries of Europe lying under 
the same parallel. The pricipal cause 
of this great difference between the cli- 
mates of the eastern and western dis- 
tricts, may be ascribed to the configura- 
tion of the coast land, which detains the 
ice in its bays and gulfs, and this, in 
melting, materially depresses the sum- 
mer heat. The decrement in the mean 
annual heat, corresponding to the in- 
crease in latitude, is greater in North 
America than in Euro{)e, and there ex- 
ists a wider difference between the tem- 
peratures of summer and winter. Dr. 
Richardson then concluded this intro- 
ductory portion of his report, by details 
concerning the temperatures which had 
been observed at different places in the 
county under consideration. 
A discussion then ensued, in which 
Mr. Rootsey, Dr, Fiske, (of America,) 
Rev. G Tibbetts, and Mr. G. Webb 
Hall, took part, respecting the best 
mode of obtaining both a registry of 
facts and an appreciation of the causes 
upon which atmospheric changes depend. 
with a view to improve our knowledge of 
the law by which climate is regulated. 
It was thought that a propositi(‘n might 
be made by this Section, recommending 
a scheme for instituting both local and 
general observations to this effect. 
Mr. Rootsey exhibited a living speci- 
men of a large spider, which he consi- 
dered to be the Aranea aincularia, Linn,, 
or Mygale avicularia, which was taken at 
Bristol, in a ship from the Bay of Cam- 
peachy, laden with logwood. He noticed 
some of the e traordinary stories which 
were commonlv reported of this animal, 
such as its extremely venomous nature, 
&c , but which he had thus obtained an 
opportunity of refuting It was also a 
common notion, that this species caught 
hummingbirds, by springingupon them. 
— Mr. Lister mentioned, that he had 
seen a living specimen, obtained likewise 
from a vessel coming from the same 
port, and that it fed very readily on a 
beetle, which was presented to it. — Mr, 
Hope did not consider the specimen ex- 
hibited as the true Mylage avicularia, but 
believed it to be a closely allied species 
described by Spix and Martins. He 
possessed the true Mygale aviculia in bis 
own cabinet, and had seen a specimen of 
this insect which was washed ashore 
alive in Essex, with many other exotic 
insects, from a wreck which occurred 
on that coast. 
Mr. Rootsey exhibited specimens of 
sugar, malt, and an ardent spirit, which 
he had extracted from mangel wurtzel, 
and considered that this root might, un- 
der certain circumstances, be grown to 
great advantage in this countr 3 ’-, for the 
purposes of manufacturing the above ar- 
ticles. He considered the opinion of its 
not being liable to injury from the attack 
of insects, as erroneous, and exhibited 
specimens of the common turnip fly, 
Haltica nemorum, which he had found 
feeding upon it. By the selection of par- 
ticular geographical strata for its cul- 
ture, the average crop might be increas- 
ed from 40 or 50 tons, to 70 tons per 
acre. He remarked, that the refuse, af- 
ter expressing the juice, appeared to be 
nearly or quite as nutritive to cattle as 
before ; and that, by drying this at a pe- 
culiar temperature in the malt-kiln, a 
material was procured which, in smell, 
flavour, and other qualities, closely re- 
sembled malt; excepting that it was 
slightly bitter. With this malt, an ex- 
cellent beer had been made. He stated 
