514 
genus lagomys, of which there are at 
present but three species known, all of 
them discovered in Siberia, by Pallas. 
From several experiments, on the in- 
fluence which the shape of the still has 
on the quality of the produet of distilla- 
tion, M. Curaupav deduces the fullow- 
ing conclusions :—1. That shallow alem- 
bics, though very fit for the distillation of 
€ertain fermented liquors, may some- 
times alter the quality of the pro- 
ducts.—2, That the inconveniences 
arising from the employment of shailow 
aiembics: in ‘distilling wines, arise from 
the facility with which evaporation takes 
piace in them.—3. That a high tempe- 
rature is always necessary to carry over 
the peculiar aroma of the wine, and, 
perhaps, that too arising from the action 
of heat on the principles of the wine.— 
4 That deep alembics ought to be 
preferred to shallow ones for the distil. 
ation of wine.—5. That the best di- 
mensions fur an alembic, with regard to 
its figure, must be such, that the surface 
ef the liquor heated shali be constantly 
greater than that from which the evapo- 
ration takes place, in the proportion of 
four to one. 
The imperial conservatory of music at 
Paris have made a very favourable re- 
port on the new musical instrument, de- 
nominated the Clavi-cylinder, invented 
by M. Curapn1, which we recently no- 
ticed. This report describes it as re- 
sembiing the flute and-clarionet in the 
high notes, and the bassoon in the lower 
keys; it admits, however, that the in- 
Sstrument is not so well adapted for 
lively strains as to solemn music: but its 
effects in the crescendo and diminuendo 
are highly praised. M. Chladni himself 
gives the following account of his inven- 
tion :—The clavi-cylinder contains a set 
of keys, and behind this a glass cylinder, 
seven centimetres in diameter, which is 
turned by means of a pedal and a loaded 
wheel. This cylinder is not the sounding 
body, but it produces the sound by fric- 
tion on the interior mechanism. The 
sounds may be prolonged at pleasure, 
with all the shades of crescendo and di- 
minuendo, in proportion as the pressure 
on the ke¥sis increased or diminished, 
This instrument is never out of tune. It 
contains four octaves and a half from 
uz, the lowest on the harpsichord, up 
to fa. 
We have frequently had occasion to 
notice the progress made* on the Conti- 
nent, in extracting sugar from the beet- 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
[Dec..4, 
root ; and it now appears, that. the yeh 
low beet, when sliced and kiln-dried, 
furnishes an excellent substitute for cof 
fee, particularly if ground with a small 
quantity of ‘Turkey, or West India coffee. 
It requires inuch jess sugar than the foe 
reign cofice, and-is said to be much 
stronger. M. Vunnen, of Coblentz, 
claims the merit of having discovered 
this new application of beet-root. He 
cautions thuse by whom it is Guitivated, 
agaist stripping the plant of its leaves 
for feeding cattle, as is generaily pracs 
tised, as it not only injures the growth 
of the plant, but inaterially alters the 
qualities of the juice. 
Great exertions are makiag in every 
depaitment of France to produce sub- 
stitutes for sugar, and prizes are daily 
offered by the various economical socie- 
ties of the continent, for the discovery 
of the most proper material for that pur- 
pose. ‘The saccharine matter of the 
giape has been the chief subject of the 
~secent experiments of the French chee 
mists. 
A literary society, entitled the Tonic, 
has been founded at Corfu, the principal 
of the so-called Seven Islands recently 
ceded by Russiato France. It has al- 
ready proposed a prize of 600 francs, for 
the best treatise on the Statistics of these 
islands. ‘The president of the senate of 
those islands has also offered a prize of 
the like value, fur the best answer to the 
following question :—* Why do the inha- 
bitants of the Ionian islands, though not 
deficient in talents, occupy themselves 
only with frivolous and unimportant ob- 
jects? and by what means may their 
genius and attention be drawn to things 
of higher consequence ? 
. GERMANY. | 
A German chemist has made known 
the following process for making a beau- 
tiful lake:—Take any quantity of cochi- 
neal, on which pour twice its weight of 
alcoho], and as much distilled water, 
Infase for some days near a gentle fire, 
and then filter. To the filtred liquor 
add a few drops of the solution of tin, 
and a fne red precipitate will be formed, 
Continue to add a little solution of tin 
every two hours, tillthe whole ef the 
colouring matter is precipitated. Lastly, 
eculcorate the precipitate by washing it 
in a large quanuty of distilled water, and 
then dry it, ; ~ 
From the analysis of the fresh leaves 
of blue wolfs-bane, aconitum napellus, 
cultivated in a garden near Paris, M. 
% STELNAGHES. - 
