94 
The National Inftitute of Paris has ce- 
ereed the prize-medal of LaLanDE,for the 
beft annual.work on Aftronomy, to Dr. 
Ovzers fer his Difcovery, Obfervations, 
&c. on the new Planet. 
- M. MrEcHAUN is gone into Spain, where 
he intends io meafure a triangle of 93,000 
toifes, terminating atthe Balearian iflands, 
and which will complete the grand and 
important mealurtment of the meridian 
which Mechain and Delambre made a few 
years ago. . 
A ftone has been recently difcovered in 
the ifle of Taman, which proves that the 
ancient city of ITmutarakan was fituated 
in that ifle; a circumftance which has 
been the fubje&t of much controverfy. 
The ifle of Taman is in future to be cal- 
led Tmutarakan by order of the Empe- 
ror Alexander. 
There have been lately found near the 
banks of the Mologa, the head, two 
horns, and various other bones of an un- 
known animal of prodigious fize. The 
Jength of the head is two ells and a quar- 
ter, (Leipfic meafure), and the thicknefs 
of the fide of the forehead is one ell, eight 
inches. “Ihe horns refemble thofe of the 
bull; they are more than four ells in 
length ; and in the thickelt part are near- 
}y one ell in circumference ; and the bones 
are of equally gigantic dimenfions. This 
difcovery is anew proof that there has 
formerly exifted a fpecies of animals which 
are no longer to be met with. 
The celebrated nayigator MaLasPina, 
who bad been imprifoned at Madrid, has 
regained his liberty; and his Voyage 
round the World will be fveedily pub- 
lithed. 
The Emperor of Ruffia has fitted out 
at his own expence, two veffels for a voy- 
age of difcovery round the world, under 
the command of ‘Captain Krufenftern. 
Thefe fhips have been provided with every 
neccflary for the accomplifhment of the 
object of the voyage ; and feveral eminent 
men of letters and fcience have volunteer- 
ed their fervices on this occafion 5 among 
whom is the American aftrenomer 
CuuRCHMAN. The departure of thefe 
. thips was fixed for the month of July. 
' A Correfpondent of a French Agricul. 
tural Society (Poiticrs), recommends the 
vife of Italian poplar, that is, the timber, 
2s flooring, ~as a preventative againtt the 
deftruction of corn in granaries, &c. by 
weevils, infe&ts; &c. A feries of expert- 
ments made by hin on this fubject, (at 
fir{ accidentally difcovered,) have been 
attended with complete fuccefs. 
The follewing is recommended as a re- 
Literary and Philofophical Intelligence. 
[ Aug. 1, 
medy to prevent the diforder called the rat 
in fheep. It is a cuftom withthe farmers 
in fome diftriéts to pafture their fheep on 
ground abounding with broom, for feveral 
days, when the broom is in bloficm.— 
‘* This (fays Sir Joun SInCLAtIR, on the 
authority of an intelligent Correfpondent) 
will prevent the fheep fo paftured from hbe- 
ing infeéted with the rot for that feafon.”” 
In the 4th Number of the fplendid 
work, entitled Ficures of Homer, after 
the antique, by TiscHBEIN, (as de- 
{cribed. in) the Tranfa&tions of ‘the 
Royal Society of Géttingen,) one part 
of the engravings relates to the Cyclop 
Polyphemus. ‘They follow in this order, 
1. A head of Polyphemus, after a marble 
buf&t in the Royal Mufeum at Turin.— 
This exhibits a genuine portrait of defor- 
mity. Although the fable gives only one 
eye to the Cyclop, this head has, befides 
his two eyes, a large ox-eye in the middle 
of his forehead.—z2, 3, and 4, reprefent 
Ulyfles demanding hofpitality, in different 
attitudes, (after three gems); at  firft, 
with his ftaff, and Jeather-budget and bot- 
tle, he demands reception : he next pre- 
fents to the Cyclop the cup full of wine ; 
and laftly, Polyphemus takes it from his 
hand. In this lait a companion of Ulyffes 
holds the leathern-budget. —5. After a 
marble relievo in the Villa Pinciana, Poly- 
phemus is feated, and holds one of the 
dead men by the arm; Ulyfles is before 
him, prefenting him with the cup: here 
Cyclop drinks. Behind Ulyffes there is 
alfo one of his companions with a Jeather- 
bottle.—The 6th reprefents Scylla, after 
a gem that belonged to the Conftable Co- 
lonna. 
At alate meeting of the Societies of 
Antiquities and Medals at Paris, four 
Memoirs were prefented ; one of which 
gives a Notice of 134 Roman medals, 
part of the cabinet of one of its members, 
found in the city or neighbourhood of 
Mans; eighty of which are of filver, from 
the sth year of Jefus Chrift to the year 
307 ; likewife fome details on the difco- 
very made by a miller of the commune of 
Centres, in 1787, of 204 gold medals,’ of 
Marc Antony, of receptions of Preetorian 
Guards, by Antony, Auguftus, Tibe- 
rius, Caligula, Claudius, &c. This fame 
canton abounds with other antiquities.— 
One of thefe Memoirs gives an account of 
different antient monuments to be met — 
with between Poitiersand Limoges, parti- 
cularly at-Civaux, where are ftone tombs 
of the time of Clovis; and in the city of 
Montmorillon, of a temple of the ancient 
Gauls, confidered as the moft antient 
known: 
