w 
1861.] 
turbid the water of lime, barytes, or ftron- 
tian. Ifthe produce of the diftillacion of 
fat is wafhed in water, and this water fa- 
turated with potafh, there is produced a 
faline mafs, which, when heated in a retort 
with fulphuric acid, yields vapaurs of acet- 
ous acid ; hence originates the error of 
thofe who imagined the febacic and-acet- 
ous acids to be the fame, 
Since the abolition of the game-laws in 
France, not only every fpecies of game, 
but even the commoner birds, have al- 
moft been exterminated in feveral parts of 
that country. To prevent the entire de- 
population of the woods-and fields, fome 
regulations have lately been adopted in 
fome of the departments, of which the 
following proclamation of C. BouQuEau, 
Prefeét of the Rhine and-Mofelle, is an 
example. Itruns thus—‘* Whereas there 
has been for feveral years fo great a de- 
firuction of game and birds of every kind, 
that the foreits are quite deferted ; and it 
becomes neceflary to take as many precau- 
tions to prevent the entire extermination 
of ufeful and innocent animals, as it was 
in the feudal-times to deftroy the noxious 
beafts :—the Prefect, conformably with 
feveral laws and decrees which exift, but 
have not been put in force, forbids hunt- 
ing in thofe feafons and places in which it 
would be prejudicial to the public and pri- 
vate territories, to the fruits of the earth, 
and the re-produéticn of ufeful animals.” 
The deftruétion of wild animals has per- 
haps been too much recommended in 
France. Thofe, at leaft, which form a 
part of the focd of man, fuch as the hare, 
fhould not be wantonly deftroyed, as they 
are now, by every youngfter who can fire 
a gun, and who does not fcruple to kill 
the female big with young. Still lefs 
fhould thofe animals be molefted which 
render effential fervices to man by removing 
various nuifances and noxious infects, 
fuch as the fwallow, the crow, and a num- 
ber of other birds; and the lover of na- 
ture wiil plead for thofe which are entirely 
innoxious, and enliven the country with 
their fongs, as the linnet, the goldfinch, 
and the nightingale. The following fact 
may ferve to fhew that very effential fer- 
vice is done to man by fome animals 
which he has profcribed as noxious. Some 
years ago, a Pruffian nobleman revived. 
on his territories an ancient law, which im- 
pofed on the peafants an annual tribute of 
a certain number ef fparrows’ heads and 
_.Montury Mac. No. 79. 
| Literary and: Philofophical Intelligence. : 
345 
crows’ feet. As his defign was well- 
intended, he required this tribute to be 
paid in kind. — Soon the crows no longer 
dared to follow the ploughfhare, and the 
whole race of fparrows appeared to be ex~- 
terminated in feveral villages. It.was not 
long before the inhabitants felt the incon- 
venience of this practice. Caterpillars of 
every kind devoured the leaves of the trees, 
and all the garden vegetables, for feveral 
years fucceffively. The clergyman of the 
place attributed this to the deftruéticn of 
the birds: and the nobleman, who was 
foon convinced of the fame, abolifhed the 
tribute, and even brought back’ {parrows 
into fome of the villases from which they 
had been entirely exterminated, Another 
fact of the fame kind will ferve to confirm 
the above obfervations concerning the valk | 
utility of many fpecies of birds. In the 
year 1798, the fcr-fts of Saxony and 
Brandenburgh were attacked with a gene- 
ral mortality. The greater part of the 
trees, efpecially the firs and diffcrent 
kinds of pine, whofe bitter and aromatic 
branches are rarely the prey of infects, 
died as if ftruck at their roots with fome 
fecret malady. It was not here, as too 
often happens, that the foliage alone was 
devoured by caterpillars, but thefe trees 
perifked without thewing any external fion 
of difeafe. ‘This calamity became fo ge- 
neral that the regency of Saxony fent na- 
turalifts and fkilful forefers to. find out 
the caufe. They fcon found it in the un- 
ufual multiplication of one of the /epido- 
ptere infeéts,which,whilf a worm, infinu- 
ated itfelf within the tree, and fed upon 
the wood. Whenever any bough of fir 
or pine was broken, this deteftable infect 
was found within it, which had often hol- 
lowed it out to the very bark. From thé 
report of the naturalifis and moft expe- 
rienced forefters, it feemed highly probable 
that the extraordinary increafe of this in» 
fect was owing to the entire difappearance 
of fome fpecies of woodpeckers and tit- 
mice, which had not for fome- years been 
feen in the forefts. The above infeét, in 
its larva-flare, was a-large, white, foft- 
bodied; caterpillar, with twelve tings, and 
a hard and corneous head, furnifhed with’ 
very ftrong jaws, extremely proper for 
gnawing’wood. On the breaft it had two 
tubercles, and béneath its body fhort and 
flefhy legs. It turned into a moth of re- 
markable fize and beauty. 
Yy 
LIST. 
