642 
Is prefixed, A Sketch of the Life and 
Character of the Author, by the Editor, 
the Rev. Mr. Thomas.” 
We cannot {pare room to enumerate the 
-fingle fermons which have iffued from the 
prefs within the laft fix months, but muft 
haften to the next divifion of our coms 
pendium. 
NATURAL HISTORY, NATURAL 
PHILOSOPHY ; PHYSICS. 
In a former Retrofpe& we announced 
the firft and fecond volumes of Dr. SHaw’s 
“© General Zoology ;”? that able and very 
accurate Naturalitt has now completed a 
third, comprifing the Reptilia and Ser- 
pentes. The reptile takes three principal 
divifions, into Tortoifes, Frogs, and Li- 
zards: the Serpents form one large tribe, 
and the four are comprehended under the 
general name of dmphibia. ‘The Tor- 
toifes ave {eparated, according to their na- 
tural divifion, into land Torioifes, of 
which 32 fpecies are here defcribed, and 
fea Tortoiies, or Turtles. The genus 
Raue has three fubdivifions, thole called 
toads being one, and the other Hyle :— 
-the number of Frogs here defcribed, in- 
cluding the Hyle, amourt to 31, and the 
Toadsto 21. The Lizard tribe is fepa- 
rated into nine divifiors, befide the fingle 
genus Draco, of whicha feparate account 
is given: Dr. Shaw has thus arranged 
them, excluding the Lacerta volaus, which 
ftands before them all: 1. Crocodiles, fur- 
nifhed with very trong fcales.—2. Guanas, 
and other Lizards, ei:zher with ferrated or 
carinated backs and tails.—3. Cordyles, 
with denticulated, and fometimes fpiny 
{cales, either on the body, tail, or both.— 
4. Lizards, proper, fmooth, and the 
greater numbers furnifhed with broad 
{quare {cales, or plates, on the abdomen.— 
5. Chameleons, with granulated  fkin, 
Jarge head, and long miffile tongue, and 
cylindric tail—6. Geckos, with granulat- 
ed or tuberculated fkin, and lobated feet, 
with the toes lamellated beneath.—7. 
Scinks, with fmooth fifh-like fcales.—8. 
Salamanders, Newts, or Efts, with foft 
ikins, and of which fome are water Li- 
zards.—9. Sxzake Lizards, with extremely 
long bodies, very fhort legs, and minute 
feer. The fecond part of this volume is 
devoted to Serpentes, of which order there 
are nine genera: 1. Crotalus.—2. Boa.— 
3. Coluber, or Snake, including Vipers.— 
4, Hydrus, or water Snake—s5. Langaya, 
containing only one {pecies.—6. Acrocordia, 
or water Serpent.—7. Anyguis, or flow- 
worm.—8. Amphifobena—y9. Cacilia, or 
blind-worm, from the extreme fmallnefs 
of theeyes. The volume concludes with 
Retrofped? of Demeftic Literature.— Natural Hiftory, &e. 
an appendix, in which Dr. Shaw has placed 
the Siren genus under the title of ** Du- 
bious Amphibia, whofe real nature is not 
completely underftood.” This volume is 
illuttrated with no lefS than 142 well-en- 
graven plates. . 
‘The following as a cheap and conveni- 
ent introdu&tion to Natural Hiftory, de- 
ferves ftrong recommendation: ‘ The 
Cabinet ; or Natural Hiftory of Quadru- 
peds, Birds, Fifhes, and Infeéts : illuf- 
trated with Copper-plates, containing 
figures of above 700 Animals.” 
*¢ Obfervations on the Winds and Mon- 
foons, illuftrated with a Chart, and ac- 
companied with Notes geographical and 
meteorological, by James Capper, for- 
merly Colonel and Comptroller-General of 
the Army and Fortification-accompts on 
the Coaft of Coromandel.” Of this very 
curious and interefting work, and the vae 
rious theories, fo ingenioufly fuggefted and 
fo ably fupported, we could not pretend 
to give any account, without ufurping 
more room than the nature of our article. 
will allow us. 
Mr. Nicuyoxson has tranflated from 
the original French twelve ** Synoptic Ta- 
bles of Chemifiry, intended to ferve as a 
Summary of the Leétures delivered on that 
Science in the Public School at Paris, by 
A. F. Fourcroy.” This work will 
exciie confiderable curiofity and intereft. 
The generality of Chemifts have claffed 
the different fub{tances under the mineral, 
vegetable, and animal kingdoms ; Monf. 
Fourcroy, feeling that this arrangement 
was ill adapted to the purpofes of Che- 
miftry, has adopted a different one, found- 
ing his claffification not on the external 
characters of natural bodies but on their 
chemical properties. Monf. Fourcro 
informs us, that from a variety of i A 
it hasrefulted, that the chemical attrac- 
tion mutually exerted by bodies, may be 
employed as charaéteriftic of their relative 
arrangements, and by this difpofition 
alone, or the cther thus introduced, they 
may ferve to trace in a manner no lefs ex- 
act than precife, the whole of their chemi- 
ca] proverties. 
Mr. Murray, in his ** Elements of 
Chemiftry,!” has prefented the public with’ 
the outlines of acourfe of Leétures which 
he delivered at Edinburgh. They evince 
a moit accurate and extenfive knowledge 
‘of the fubjedt. 
The fecond part is publithed of the Phi- 
Jofophwal Tranfa&tions for the year 1801, 
We are happy to learn, that the volumi- 
nous Tranfa¢tions of the Royal Society 
are about to be abridged, and publifhed on 
terms 
Pe 
