481 
Literary and Philosophical Tntelligenct. 
leii.j 
absolute eflfect of friction in abating the 
power of maciiinery in genera!, the ef¬ 
fect of friction in Mr. S.'s machine can 
only be, when compared to the effect of 
friction in. the funner, as two to three, 
and twenty-nine to one hundred and 
forty-one. A boy, when set to work 
this machine, will do as much work as 
a horse wiU with the former. Mr. Shel¬ 
drake has printed and privately circu¬ 
lated a demonstration of his theory, 
which those scientific men who have 
seeti it acknowledge to be just; he has 
procured patents for his discovery in 
England, Scotland, and Ireland, and is 
preparing to make it public with as much 
expedition as the subject will allow. 
* Mr. Hawoeth, of Little Chelsea, has 
it in contemplation (provided a sufficient 
number of subscriL'ers can be obtained) 
to publish in an octavo volume, a de¬ 
scription of the succulent plants that are at 
present, or have recently been, cultivated 
in the gaidens in the neighbourhood of 
London, comprising upwards of seven 
iiuudred species, nearly the whole of 
which are at present in his possession. 
Mr. C. Bradley, of Wellingford, has 
in the press an edition of Phasdrus, with 
English notes, for the use of schools. 
The objectionable fables are omitted. 
A sixth edition is announced of Essays 
on Shakespeare's Dramatic Characters, 
by William Richardson, Professor of 
Humanity in the University of Glasgow, 
The ingenious autlmr of the Capital 
is preparing for publication a Political 
Epistle addressed to Sir Francis Burdett,^ 
bart. consisting of about 2000 lines. 
Shortly will be publislied, in a neat 
pocket volume, a new work, by Mr, 'R 
Wilson, of Bedford-row, entitled the 
Ball Room, intended for learners, and 
useful to teachers of dancing, and coun- 
£.''y-dance musicians. 
Dr. Wells, in a paper on Vision, 
lately read before the Royal Society, 
niaimains that the focal distance of the 
eye depends chiefiy on die power of 
cuiUractability in the muscles, and that 
the iuiier is much greater in youth than 
in pers(ms of more advanced years. In 
youth, the eve is capable of accommo¬ 
dating it«e!f to the light, and the >distance 
of external objecis ; but in old age, this 
contractile power of muscle c;eu'.es, an^ 
the focal distance of the eye becomes 
shorter and more fixed to a determinate 
point. Tile bella-donna plant, applied to 
the eyes,^ increases tlie action of the 
«€uiar fiiusdes in ths young, but not in 
the old subjects. Hence, the Doctor 
infers that, short sight is less owing to 
the prominence of figure of the pupil, 
than to the power of flexibility in ths 
muscles which direct it. 
Messrs. Longman and Co. will pub¬ 
lish, in the course of the season, the 
Speeches of the Right Hon. Charles 
James Fox, the Right Hon. Wiiiiann 
"Windham, and the Right lion. Henrj 
Grattan. 
Mr. Graves, of Walworth, has just 
completed the first volume of a work 
entitled “ British Qrnithology," contain¬ 
ing forty-eight coloured figures of Bri- 
tisii Birds, with descriptions. Many of 
the plates were executed for the author's 
deceased relative, Mr. William Curtis, 
author of the Flora Londinensis, Bota¬ 
nical Magazine, &c. &c. vvho had iii 
contemplation to publish a similar work, 
and of which these formed a part. The 
remainder of tlie work will continue Co 
be published monthly till it is completed. 
Mr. -Davis and Mr. J. S. Dickson 
purpose to re-publish the IMathematicai 
parts of the Gentleman’s Diary, from iu 
commencement in 1741 to the present 
time, consisting of the original questions 
and the original solutions. 
Tile late Mr. Smeaton's Reports, Es¬ 
timates, and Treatises, Canals, and Na¬ 
vigable Rivers, Harbours, &c. with other 
miscellaneous papers, pri^ued chiefly 
from his manuscripts, in three quarto 
volumes, are nearly ready for publication. 
Mr. Wilson, of Magdalen College, 
Oxford, has a volQme of Poems in the 
press. Trie principal poem is entitled 
the Isle of Palms ; others are descriptive 
of the scenery among the lakes. 
The Rev, T. Castley, rector of 
Cavendish, Suffolk, has in the press, ia 
one volume octavo. Essays and Disser-. 
tatioiis on Subjects in Philology, History, 
Politics, and Common Life. 
Mr. Ticken announces the outiinei 
of a History of the Revolutions of Eu¬ 
rope. 
Mr. Charles Pope, of tlie Custom¬ 
house, Bristol, I'.as in the press a Prac¬ 
tical Abridgment of the Laws of tlie 
Cu.stoms, relating to the Import, Ex¬ 
port, and Coasting I'rade, of Great Bri¬ 
tain and her Dependencies; together 
with a Statement of tlie L’uties, Draw¬ 
backs, and. Bounties, to be paid and al¬ 
lowed thereon. 
Mr. West will publish early in tha 
season the Loyalists,.a bale ol oti.er 
YRANGE 
