214. 
an hiftorical account of the various writ- 
ings on the fubject of bridge-building, 
by which may be feen what particular 
fhare each author has had in it, and 
what are the peculiarities and cliaracterif, 
tics of each one’s theory and principles, 
In the mean time, for fome of the correc- 
tions of the Reviewer’s afperfions, I 
would refer the public to your Magazine 
for Auguft laf, p.27.° 
I am, Sir, your’s, &c. 
Cua. HutTtTon. 
aati } " 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
A CHICKEN with @ HUMAN COUNTE- 
NANCE. 
AST year a Jew exhibited for money 
‘ at Pofen, in South Pruffia, a chicken 
with a human countenance. This chicken 
was hatched on an eftate near Wrefchen 
(Pol. Wrzefnia) in the difirié&t of Polen; 
and the Jew had accepted of it as an 
equivalent for a fmall tayler’s-bill due 
to him by the ‘owner of the eftate,’ whe 
‘afferted, that ancther fimilarly-formed 
chicken had been at the fame time hatch- 
ed by the fame hen, but foon after died. 
The chicken which was fhewn by the 
Jew furvived, had a very lively appear- 
ance, was full grown, and above a year 
old. ‘The body was covered with varie- 
gated feathers, and, as far as. the part of 
the neck where the head begins, in no 
refpeét diftinguifhed by any fingularity 
from other chickens. ‘The head did 
not exceed in fize that of other chickens; 
but it was without feathers, and covered 
with a fkin of a fomewhat blueifh colour. 
The fockets of the eyes were fhaped ex- 
attly as in a human countenance, and over 
them two arches of very fine down form- 
ed regular eye-brows, ‘The upper part 
of the bill was fo bent and blunted off as 
to form a well-fhaped nofe, except that it 
was ofa horny fubitance.. Under the nofe 
a regular human mouth, with lips, and 
“two rows of clofely united white peinted 
teeth, completed this fingular /ufus ua- 
ture. ‘The tongue was rounded and 
fhaped like a human tongue. Indeed the 
whole countenance had fo aftonifhly exaét 
a conformity with that of a human being 
on a diminutive fcale, that, to difcover it, 
there was not the leaft occafion to callin. 
the aid of the imegination. The above ac- 
count of this phenomenon was figned and 
publifhed by M. Schwarz, a gentleman 
holding a refpeGtable office under the Pruf- 
flan government at Poiens 
| A Chicken with a Human Countenances [OGober ty — 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazines 
SIR, id 
HAVE obferved of late feveral writ- 
ings on the fubject of Bridge building, 
both in particular treatifes,\and in the pe- 
riodical publications, the reviews and ma-= 
gezines. Among thefe there appears to 
be much diverfity of opinion, as well as 
principles, which cannot all be equally true 
or proper; though, being a very difficult 
{cience,I am not,any morethan many others 
of your readers pevhaps, capable of fifting 
this matter to the bottom. _ For which 
reafon, it is much to be wifhed, that fome 
fit perfon would undertake to inform us 
more fully on this fubjeét, at prefent of 
great importance, by giving a proper de-~ 
tailed hiftory of all that has been written 
upon it, by the authors in all countries 
and ages. . ; 
From what I have obferved paffing at 
prefent, it feems to me, touching Dr. Hut- 
ton’s difpute with the Monthly Reviewer, 
that he has been very ill ufed, and his Ja- 
bours mifreprefented,; which has alfo per- 
haps given occafion to another writer in 
your Magazine (No. 89, p. 645) to fol- 
low ‘in the fame track. . That nvatter, 
however, I leave to Dr. Hutton, who 
feems to be very capable of defending him- 
felf. I would, however, juft advert to | 
what has pafled concerning Mr. At. 
wood’s book on arches,- both in. the 
Monthly Review, and in your Magazine 
(No. 89,"p. 644), as Dr. Huttomhas not 
entered into the nature of that book. Mrz 
Atwood’s theory is founded on the’ prin< 
ciple of mathematical wedges, which can-. 
not bea juft one, becaule fuch a wedge is 
fuppofed to be a perfectly fmooth and po: 
lifhed bady, having its weight and other 
force om its back, fuitained and’ balanced 
by two forces acting perpendicularly 
againft its two’ fides, while it has others 
wile free liberty to flide down im the dis 
rection of its fides ; whereas, on the con-— 
trary,’ our real arch-wedges are very 
rough, and have a deal of triétion ; and; 
befides, they are ufually barred or locked 
together by bars or joggles, fo that they. 
cannot peffibly flide by er upon each 
other, Such a theory, therefore, mutt 
be quite fallacious, a mere phantom, in+ 
confiftent with real praétice, and perhaps 
very dangerous if attedon. The further 
fpeculation on thefe fubjectts I leave to 
other perfons better able to fet tiem ima 
true light, and only advert farther toa 
popular error in this {ctence, which I ob- 
ferve even the writer of the account of. 
Mr, Atweod’s book in your Magazine 
$ 
