ao 
lings, then feven fquare ones for the 
pence, and three triangular ones for the 
farthings ; I then proceeded to place other 
pieces in the fame manner for the other 
three lines, until I had placed as many as 
correfponded with the figures.on the flate, 
and in the fame order. 1 then bid the 
child caft upthe columns in the ufual man- 
ner, which being done, I afked it “ why 
it did not fet down a figure of 9g for the 
farthings ;"” but all it knew about-it was, 
that it was nof to be done fo. 
fired it to count the triangular pieces, 
which I called farthings, and finding them 
to be nine, [ took two of the fquare pieces 
that were left, above what was laid down 
, for the prefent queftion, and afked the. 
child how many farthings it would give 
fora penny? It faid, four. Ithen bid it 
take out eight of the triangular pieces, 
which we called farthings, and take two 
fquare pieces, which we called pencé, in- 
ftead of them, and put thefe two f{quare 
piedes to the row of {quare ones we called 
pence ; and then pointed out'to it, that 
the changing the eight farthings for two 
pence, or fquare pieces, and putting them 
to the row of pence, was exactly the fame 
“as carrying two from the farthings to the 
pence on the flate. rive 
I then preceeded in the fame manner 
with the pence, flillings, and pounds, and 
was furprifed to fee how foon the child 
perceived the defign of it, and what plea- 
jure it excited in the mind, by having ac- 
quired new ideas. 
I then tried it with a queftion in fubtrac-* 
tion, by fetting one as follows: £. s. d. 
A perfon borrowed - a 
. And he paid io part of it TG 10 
How much does he ftill owe? £.1 15 9 
I then laid down on tlie table three oval 
ieces for the pounds, five round ones for 
fhillings, and feven {quare ones for pence ; 
and .bid it take out one pound, nine fhil- 
lings, and ten pence, and begin with the 
pence; but there being only feven, T took 
twelve fquare pieces more, and put to the 
feven, which I called borrowing them, and 
which made thenumber of pence nineteen: I 
then bid it take ten pieces out, which left 
nine-pence,the fame as the {um appeared on 
the flate. I then defired it to take nine. 
fhillings ; but there being but five, I put 
twenty round pieces to it, and made it 
take out ten from them; for, as we had 
borrowed twelve pence in order to take 
ten from them, and as tweive pence’are 
equal to one fhilling, we muft take ten 
fhillings out of the twenty-five infead of 
- Queries: . 
T then de-. 
[April 1) 
nine, and this was the reafon why it was 
called borrowing ; it was the fame as tak~ 
ing one of the fhillings to change into 
pence, or one of the pounds to change into 
fhillings, in order to divide it; I then 
proceeced in the fame manner with the 
pounds. Whether the fame jdea has 
firuck the mind of any other perfon, I 
know not—it is, however, new to me; 
and fhould any perfon doubt the utility of 
the plan, 1 wifh him totry it: the expe- 
riment may be made with little trouble, 
and with half a fheet of paper, of the va- 
lue of a farthing. I ‘would further ob- 
ferve, that in queftion of whole numbers, 
I call the triangular pie¢es units, - the 
fquare ones tens, tlie round ones hundreds, 
and the ovalones thoufands. Should thefe 
hints be a means of affifting children i 
learning arithmetic, I fhall think my/felf 
amply rewarded. Your's,’ &c, "' 
Liverpool, Dec.°4, 1802. Je Ri 
FE ° 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Si Ry ! P & 
F through the medium. of your very 
ufeful and inteliigent Mifcellany, any 
of your readers could inform me of the 
date of the firft tranflation of Euripides, 
it would be a material féervice, rendered 
to myfelf and others, engaged in a literary 
purfuit. If, alfo, the name of the trani- 
lator could be added, the information 
would be {ill more valuable. 
. Being in the country, and very diftant 
from any public library, I am induced to, 
trouble you with this letter, being confi- 
dent of your kindnefs for its infertion. ~ 
Feb. 15, “Nour's, ace. 
~ 1803. 
r 
j Si ’ gtnak 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A CONSTANT READER, 
OME years ‘fince, being at Exmouth, — 
in Devonfhire, in the months of June, — 
July, and Auguitt, I obferved, when walk- 
ing on the fands at low tide, innumerable _ 
{warms of {mall black infects, hardlyfo large 
as fleas, which covered the pebbles and 
fands, leaping about; and the noile ‘they 
made was very perceptible. from. the 
great numbers, with which the fhoes and 
cloaths, of perfons walking were covered, 
though they were no etherwife trouble 
fome.. As I have vilited almoft ‘every 
other part of the fouthern and weftern 
coaft, and never obferved thefe infects! be- 
‘fore, I wiflk to know if they were! accf- 
‘dental or how accounted fer?» I under- 
ftand that: they were not unufual, there-= ) 
the fands were covered with fea-birds 
4 
’ “preying 
