British plants on the authority of Ray, who mistook a variety of the cinerarea integrifolia for a hieracium. A new species of hieracium, the cerinthoides, has been found in the Highlands of Scotland by Mr Don. Various additions have beeen made to zoology, both British and foreign, the most remarkable of which we shall here notice. It will not be expected, however, that we should notice the different systematic works which have appeared in different countries during the period to which our history extends: these must unavoidably be in a great measure compilations.

Mr Kirby, who had already distinguished himself by several valuable papers on insects, has published a description of a new genus of insects, to which the name of Apion has been given. He has described 61 species; most, though not all, of which are natives of Britain. Several of them are quite new. Most of these insects had been previously arranged under the genus curculio of Linnæus, or the attelabus of Fabricius. Mr Kirby has shewn that they possess a wellmarked generic character.

Mr Marcham, well known for his valuable writings on insects, has published an account of a new genus of insects from New Holland, to which he has given the name of Notoclea. He has described and given figures of 20 species. These insects, however, are not absolutely new. They are described in Latreille's Genera Crustaceorum, et Insectorum, published at Paris in 1807, under the name of Coccinalloides.

Colonel Montagu, one of the most distinguished and indefatigable of the British zoological writers, and well known by his ornithological dictionary and other valuable works, has made several important additions to

the stock of British animals. We shall mention the principal.

The cancer or crab genus comprehends a considerable number of species. Mr Montagu has described the following, most of them not previously known to occur upon our shores. They were chiefly found on the coast of Devonshire. Cancer floridus, tumefactus, denticulatus, astocus subterraneus, astocus stellatus, astocus multipes, astocus gibbosus, gammarus locusta, gammarus pulex, gammarus saltator, gammarus littoreus, gammarus grossimanus, gammarus talpa, gammarus rubricatus, gammarus falcatus; in all 15 species. He has likewise described the following species of phalangium and oniscus. Phalangium spinosum and aculeatum ; oniscus testudo, gracilis, thoracicus, and squillarum. He has also described several species of British molusca, a tribe of sea-animals that have not been so much studied as they deserve. The following are those which he has described: Bulla hydatis. This is a very singular animal, not referable to any class in the Systema Naturæ. Doris longecornis and nodosa; Aphorodita clava; Amphitrite infundibulum; Terebella tentacula; Nereis pinnigera; Halothuria pentactes; and Lucernaria auricula. Of most of these animals he has given figures.

It has been generally believed that there are two species of the vespertilio ferrum equinum, or horse-shoe bat, differing chiefly in size. But the smaller species has been seldom seen, and by some has been reckoned merely a variety. Mr Montagu has found both of these species together in the south of England, and has ascertained them to be quite distinct. He has published a description of both, confining the trivial name ferrum equinum to

the large species, and calling the smaller vespertilio minutus. He likewise discovered the vespertilio barbastellus in Devonshire. It was known to exist in France, but had not been suspected in England previous to his discovery.

The birds described under the names of falco cyaneus and falco pygargus, and called in English henharrier and ringtail, had been suspected to be only the male and female of the same species; but the conjecture had not been verified, and on that account they had been described by naturalists as distinct. Mr Montagu has at last decided the point, and ascertained that the birds constitute only one species, the hen-harrier being the male and the ringtail the female. A servant of the Rev. Mr Vaughan found a nest of these birds, containing three young ones and an addle egg. They were brought up by Mr Montagu till their sex and plumage were distinct, and the result was the discovery above mentioned.

Mr Montagu has found the sylvia Dartfordiensis, or Dartford warbler, in England, and has corrected some mistakes committed by Buffon in his

account of this bird, who described it under the name of Sylvia Provincialis, and affirmed that it was accustomed to conceal itself among cab. bages from its enemy the bat. Mr Montagu has discovered likewise, that the following birds are natives of England: Ardea Equinoctialis, little white heron; Tantalus Viridis, green ibis; Scolopax Noveboracencis, red-breasted snipe; Glancola Austriaca, Austrian pratincole.

These are the principal additions that have been made to British zoology. Some animals from the East Indies and South Sea islands have been likewise figured and described; as, for example, two new species of Didelphis from Van Diemens Island, by Mr Harris, and the Ursus Indicus, or Indian Badge, by Colonel Hardwicke.

Such are the principal improvements that have been made in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology, during the period to which our history extends. In the other departments of science the improvements have been less striking; we may therefore, without any breach of propriety, reserve our account of them for the scientific department of our succeeding volume.

FROM the history of scientific discovery, we are naturally led to detail the progress of the Useful Arts, that branch of knowledge which forms the closest alliance with the necessities and comforts of our species. In this humble department of our work, we cannot expect to witness those higher efforts of the mind which are so frequently displayed in the history of abstract science; but we shall frequently have occasion to notice some of the finest specimens of mechanical genius, and to admire that unwearied exertion of talent among artists of every class, and that perseverance in tracing a principle of construction through all its applications, which have contributed so much to abridge manual labour, to multiply the resources of industry, and to add to that enormous power which man already possesses over the material world.

Though the present state of the continent is highly unfavourable to the execution of this part of our plan, we shall endeavour to supply the de

ficiency of foreign intelligence, by a more copious account of the inventions and discoveries which have been made in our own country, and by extending our arrangements for obtaining articles of intelligence which have not appeared in any other work.

The

Though the block-machinery at Portsmouth was invented previous to the year 1809, yet as no account of it has yet been given to the world, except in one work which is newly published, we shall present our readers with an account of the singular mechanical process by which ships' blocks, of various kinds and sizes, are prepared for the navy. machines by which this operation is effected are perhaps the most splendid and ingenious that have ever been erected in the whole world, and entitle their inventor to a high rank among the mechanics of the present age. In the year 1802, a patent for this invention was taken out by Mark Joambard Brunel, and, at the recommendation of General Bentham, government resolved to erect a set of

block-machines in the arsenal of Portsmouth. The machinery was set to work in 1804, and consists of 44 machines, driven by a steam-engine of 32 horse power. In order to convey some idea of these machines, and of the effects which they produce, we shall trace the whole process from the rough timber to the finished block.

By means of four sawing machines, distinguished by the ingenuity of their construction, viz. the straight crosscutting saw, the circular cross-cutting saw, the reciprocating ripping saw, and the circular ripping saw, the timber is cut into parallelopipedons of the proper size for the blocks. The blocks in this rude state are taken to the boring machines, of which five are used for the purpose of boring a hole for the centre pin, and another at right angles to this, for the commencement of the mortice, which is to contain the sheave. From this machine, the blocks are carried to the morticing machine, of which three are used. This beautiful machine gives motion to several chisels in a vertical direction, which mortice out the cavities for the reception of the sheaves. A chip as thick as a piece of pasteboard is cut with the most wonderful accuracy, and these chips are prevented from accumula. ting, by means of a piece of steel at the back of each chisel, which thrusts them out. The chisels make from 110 to 150 strokes every minute. When the necessary cavities are morticed out, the blocks are taken to the corner saws, (of which there are three,) by which all its angles are cut off in succession, by means of a circular saw mounted on a maundrel.

When the blocks are thus sawn into a polygonal figure, they are carried to the shaping engine, the object

of which is to form the outside of the blocks to the segment of a large circle. For this purpose, ten blocks are fixed by their extreme ends between the rims of two equal wheels fastened upon the same axis. These wheels are then made to move round with immense rapidity, so as to bring the blocks successively against the edge of a fixed gouge, which thus cuts them to their proper curvature. A progressive motion is also given to the gouge, in order to give the block its proper curvature in a direction at right angles to the planes of the wheels between which they are fixed. When one side of the blocks is thus shaped, all the ten blocks, by an instantaneous movement are turned a quarter round, so as to expose another side to the gouge, which shapes them as formerly, and in this way the third and the fourth side are formed of the proper shape. Three of these engines are used for blocks of different sizes.

The blocks are now taken to the scoring engine, which is intended to form the score or groove round the largest diameter, for the reception of the ropes or straps of the block.

By these machines are formed the shells of the blocks, which are polished and finished by manual labour. The next part of the operation is the formation of the sheaves, which are made of lignum vitæ. By means of two saws, the straight saw and the circular saw, the tree of lignum vitæ is cut into pieces approaching to a circular shape, and nearly of the thickness of the intended sheave. These pieces are carried to the crown or trepan saw, with a centre-bit in its axis. When the piece of wood is properly fixed, the saw is applied against the wood, and cuts it into a circular form with great rapidity,

while it at the same time forms a hole exactly in its centre.

The blocks are now taken to the coaking engine, a machine remarkable for the ingenuity which it displays. It is employed to form in the centre of the sheave a cavity of the shape of three small semicircles, arranged at equal intervals round the centre hole formed by the crown saw. This cavity is intended for the reception of the coak, or metal bush, which is made of copper, zinc, and tin, and cast of the same shape as the cavity now formed. When the coaks are inserted into the sheave, the drilling machine is employed to perforate the three semicircular projections of the coaks and the wood beneath, in order to fasten the coaks by copper pins put into these holes. The pins being placed in the holes then drilled, are rivetted by means of the rivetting hammers, which are made to strike a heavier blow at the end of the operation. The sheave is now carried to the broaching engine, and fixed to an axis revolving vertically. A broach or cutter is brought down into the hole in the centre of the coak, for the purpose of enlarging it, and making it truly cylindrical. The sheaves are then finished by the face-turning lathe, which has a sliding rest that supports the turning tool, and moves it slowly across the face of the sheave. As the face of the sheave which is thus turned is composed partly of the metal coak, and partly of wood, and as it has been found by experience that different velocities are required for turning wood and metal, the machine has a very ingenious contrivance for changing the velocity when the tool passes from the wood to the metal. Besides the machines which we have enumerated, there are other four; viz. the turning lathe, for turning the

iron pins; the polishing engine, for polishing the iron pins; the machine for boring very large holes in any position, which is used for the largest sizes of blocks; and the machine for making dead eyes.

No fewer than 200 sorts and sizes of blocks are constantly making by these machines, and more than 1420 blocks are manufactured in the course of a single day. Such of our readers as may be induced by the preceding description to inquire further into the subject, will find their curiosity amply gratified by consulting the ar ticle BLOCK MACHINERY in the Edin. burgh Encyclopædia, which is the first account that has been given of that curious operation, and which is illustrated with five perspective drawings of the principal machines.

A new portable bridge has been invented by Mr James Elmes, Cheapside, London. Bridges of this construction may also be rendered permanent. A description and drawing of this invention will be found in the Philosoph. Magazine, vol. 33, p. 12.

A method of hastening the maturation of grapes has been proposed by John Williams, Esq. For this purpose, a ring of bark, from 1 to 2 eighths of an inch wide, is cut from the trunk of the vine, or from the smaller branches when the trunk is large, so as just to expose the alburnum without injuring it. The shoots which come from the root of the vine, or from the front of the trunk, situated below the incision, must be removed as soon as they appear. In every case in which Mr Williams tried this experiment, he invariably found that the fruit not only ripened earlier, but that the berries were considerably larger and more highly flavoured than usual. Mr Williams supposes, that, by cutting through the cortex and liber without