Retrofpe of Domeftic Literature.:Fine Arts. 
The fourth, fifth, and fixth articles ap- 
peared in the Analytical Review: the firft 
of thefe is a critique on Mr. Curtis’s Bo- 
tanical Magazine: the fecond, on Dr. Ber- 
kenhout’s fecond edition of his Synopfis of 
the Natural Hiftery of Great Britain; and 
the third, on a work publithed by S. Ber- 
tezen, entitled, ‘* ‘Fhoughts on the differ- 
ent Kinds of Food given to Silk Worms, 
and the Poffibility of their being brought 
to Perfeétion in the Climate of England, 
founded on Experiments made near the 
Metropolis.” The next paper was read 
before the Linnzan Society in 1789: it is 
the review of a f{purious Dutch edition of 
Linrzus’s Syftema Nature. The remain- 
der of the volume is the moft interefting 
part of it: it confifts of deferiptions, illuf- 
trated with coloured plates, of fome newly 
inftituted genera of plants in New Hol- 
Jand. They are the following: I. Sprez- 
gelia, of which there is only one {pecies, 
the S. zzcarnata, a fhrub, of about two feet 
high; Il. Wefringia, of which the only 
known fpecies is the I. rofmarinifolia, a 
fhrub very much branched, and with leaves 
growing by fours; and, lafily, Tif. Bo- 
ronia, of which four fpecies are defcribed, 
namely, B. pinnata, ferrulata, parviflora, 
and polygalifolia. On the whole, the con- 
tents of this volume will be extremely in- 
terefting to the naturalift, although many 
of them are certainly not new. 
Mr. Aszot’s Flora Bedfordienfis will 
be confidered by the botanift as a valuable 
addition to his library: Bedfordthire, al- 
though one of the fmalleft counties in 
England, produces a vaft diverfity of plants. 
Mr. Abbot in the prefent work has de- 
{cribed, as growing wild there, no lefs than 
1,225 plants! ‘hefe are arranged accord- 
ing to the Linnzan fyftem; and, where 
the author obferved any peculiarity, he 
has made fuch remarks as will tend to 
illuftrate it. In the prefent work are fix 
plates; the following plants are figured 
in them: alchemilla vulgaris ; convailaria 
Mmajalis; viola palufiris; hydnum imbrica- 
tum ; peziza cornucopioides ; 
don carpobolus, It could have been wifhed 
that Mr. Abbot had feleéted for engraving, 
plants lefs generally known than moft of 
thefe are: but the labours of Mr. Abbor, 
it is to be hoped, will not ftop here. 
It is with great pleafure that we re- 
mark the rifing genius of a Scotch gentle- 
man, who is treading with rapid fteps in 
the fame path which Werner and Kirwan 
have trodden before him. Mr. JaMESON 
has publifhed Az Outline of ibe Minera- 
lozy of the Shetland Ij/lands, and of the 
Tland of Arran, illuflrated with Copper 
and lycoper- ° 
527 
plates; with an Appendix, conta'ning Ob- 
Jervations on Peat, Kelp, and Coal.” Mr. 
Jamefon turns not to the right-hand or to 
the left: ‘* the outline,” fays he, “* which 
I now lay before the public may be 
thought tedious; it is true, I have not 
followed the plan of a medley, having ad- ° 
hered entirely to mineralogical obferva- 
tions, without deviating in any inftance to 
general {ubjeéts which diftraét our atten. 
tion, and plcafe the fancy without any real 
advantage.’ It may well excite furprife, 
that a work thus purely {cientific fhould be 
the production of a youth, who, at the time 
he made his mineralogical tour through 
the iflands, had numbered only eighteen 
years! but is undoubtedly true. 
Dr. HARRINGTON has publifhed Some 
wew Experiments, wilh Obfervations, upor 
Heat, clearly foewing the erroneous Prin- 
ciples of the French Theory: aljo a Leiter to 
Henry CAVENDISH, &c. In this phi- 
Jofophical farrago the author has incorpo- 
rated ftriétures upon fome late chemicah 
papers in the Philofophical Tranfaétions. 
The Doétor quarrels with all modern 
philofophers and chemifts, and talks to 
them in a tone of vulgarity and imperiouf- 
nefs which will effectually feeure him from 
their animadverfiors in reply. 
Botany Difplayed, by Mr. THOMPSON, 
is intended as an elucidation of the Lin- 
nezan fyftem. Some of the plates are well 
executed ; and indeed they may be faid to 
conftitute the chief value of the work. 
The Second Part of the Philofipbical 
Tranfaétions of the Royal Society of London, 
for the Year 1798,” is publifhed, contain- 
ing, as ufual, many papers of high value. 
The third volume of the Tian/adtions of | 
the American Philofiphical Society held at Pht- 
ladelpbia, for promoting ufeful Knowledge, 
is alfo publifhed ; and itis highly pleafing 
to remark, that cach volume exceeds the 
other in the variety and importance of its 
matter: in the prefent, there is a great 
deal of what is at once curious and ufefui. 
Under the head of 
Fine Arts. 
We may without impropriety notice the 
republication of Mr. Mason’s Effay on 
Defign in Gardening : this eflay was origi- 
nally publifhed in the year 1768, when the 
fubjeét on which it treats was new; fince 
that period, the labours of Walpole, Grr - 
PIN,and Pxice(of the latter more particu- 
larly in our eftimation) have contributed in 
forwarding its progrefs to perfection. Mr. 
Mafon has not viewed thefe labours with an 
eye of indifference ; in the prefent repub- 
‘lication he has very confiderably augment- 
ed his original effay, and has, moreover, 
ci incorporated 
