A lecture, illustrated with large drawings, was delivered by Professor Buckland on the fossil remains of a gigantic monster (the megatherium), which have recently been for the first time imported to England from South America. Dr. B. pronounced a glowing eulogy upon Cuvier. Upon the animal itself, and its kindred monster the sloth, he observed, that it had been considered by all naturalists to afford the greatest deviations from the ordinary structure of quadrupeds-deviations which they have always viewed as indicating imperfection in their organisation, without any compensating advantage. The object of the professor's lecture was to show, that these anomalous conditions and deviations are so far from being attended with inconvenience to the class of animals in which they occur (an opinion that has been entertained even by Buffon and Cuvier himself), that they afford striking illustrations of those rich and inexhaustible contrivances of nature, by which the structure of every created being is precisely fitted to the state in which it was intended to live, and to the office which it was destined to perform. The peculiarities of the sloth, which render its movements so awkward and inconvenient upon the earth, are adapted with peculiar advantage to its destined office of living upon trees and feeding upon their leaves. The peculiarities of the megatherium are not less wisely framed to its office of feeding upon roots; its teeth (though ill adapted for the mastication of grass or flesh) are wonderfully contrived for the crushing of roots, with the further advantage of keeping themselves constantly sharp by the very act of performing their work. The fore-feet, exceeding a yard in length and a foot in breadth, were provided with three gigantic claws, each more than a foot long, rendering them a most powerful instrument for scraping roots out of the ground. The colossal proportions of the hinder parts of the animal are calculated to enable it to occupy one of

its fore-legs in digging, whilst the other three legs support the weight of the body. A further peculiarity consists in the fact of its having been armed with a coat of mail, like the armadillo and several other animals, which obtain their food by the act of continual digging in the ground. This coat of mail exceeds an inch in thickness, and in shape resembles an enormous barrel. The professor suggested his opinion that the use of this bony armour is to prevent the annoyance which this class of animals would feel, without some such protection, from the constant presence of dust and dirt with which the act of digging and scratching for their daily food would otherwise fill their skins. The height of the megatherium was about eight feet, its length twelve, its anterior proportions comparatively light and small, its posterior proportions nearly double the size of those of the largest elephant. The object of this apparently incongruous admixture of proportions was to enable the creature to stand at ease on three legs, having the weight of its body chiefly supported by the hinder extremities, and one of its fore-paws at liberty to be exercised without fatigue in the constant operation of digging roots out of the ground. The professor concluded, by repeating that this was but one of the many examples afforded by comparative anatomy of the inexhaustible richness of contrivances whereby nature has adapted every animal to a comfortable and happy existence in that state wherein it was destined to move; and added, that the researches of geology tended not only to afford similar examples of contrivance, indicating the wisdom, and goodness, and care of the Creator over all his works, but afforded also to natural theology a powerful auxiliary ;— showing, from the unity of design and unity of structure, and from the symmetry and harmony that pervade all organic beings in the fossil world as well as in the present, that all have derived their existence from the same almighty and everlasting Creator.

New System of Chronology.- Mr. Clarkson has recently delivered lectures at Richmond, in which he has, for the first time, developed his views of early Egyptian and all social history; and a new chronology, which perfectly synchronises with all collateral events, from the time of the beneficent and scientific dynasty of Amenoph and Thothmosis, who founded society in Egypt, down to the Christian era. His synchronology, which is perfectly uncomplicated and test-worthy, possesses a grand simplicity, which harmonises throughout, and

leaves the epoch of no great event in the history of the social progress uncertain. He professes to found it chiefly on the new discoveries in Egypt,—the tablet of Abydos, the anaglyphs or picture writing, the plani. spheres and zodiacs, the astronomical cycles applicable to them; the oblique entrances of the pyramids, built by the Titans, or Shepherd Kings, expelled by the first Amenoph, imitating the ecliptic line; and the sacred periods of the Egyptians, recorded as having passed or yet to come. His chronology, thus verified begins with Thoth

means of ascertaining whether this special character of the higher situation of the orifice of the ear really existed in the skulls of the natives of the country. He was much astonished to find in these, as well as in many other skulls from the same place, of which the facial angle did not differ from that of the European race, that the orifice of the ear, instead of being, as with us, on a line with the lower part of the nose, was placed on a line with the centre of the eye. The head, in the region of the temple, was also much depressed, and the top of the skull elevated, as compared with those of Europe, from one and a half to two inches. It is somewhat strange that this observation has hitherto escaped the notice of so many savans and travellers who have traversed Egypt. As a striking corroboration of so singular a conformation, which may not inaptly be considered the Egyptian type, and a new variety in the Caucasean race, M. Dureau cites as an example M. Elias Boctor, a Copt, native of Upper Egypt, who has been twenty years in Paris, and is a professor of Arabic. He was well known to M. Dureau, who had constantly remarked the great elevation of his ears, which, indeed, had the appearance of two little horns. The Hebrew race resemble the Egyptians in many respects. M. Dureau examined and found that the ears of M. Carmeli, a Jew, professor of Hebrew, although not placed so high as in the mummies or Copts of Upper Egypt, were still very remarkable as compared with those of the natives of Europe. - Révue Encyclopédique.

The expedition sent out by the American Government in 1820-21, to explore the Rocky Mountains, and north of the Nu. mean Line, has at length been heard of, after an absence of eleven years. The company landed at Green Bay, and wintered; went by Prairie du Chien to St. Anthony's Falls, Mississippi; went up St. Peter's 200 miles, in search of lead mines, where they discovered several very valuable ones; wintered there; went down the same river, and also the Mississippi to the mouth of the Missouri; thence up the Missouri to the foot of the Rocky Mountains; wintered there, and continued to the middle of August; then crossed the mountains, and were west eight years. While travelling by the Frozen Ocean, and having been over into Asia South, towards the head of Colombia River they were overtaken by a storm, and compelled to build houses, and stay there nine months, six of which the sun never rose, and the darkness was as great as during our nights. The snow, part of the time, was fourteen feet deep, and the company were compelled to eat

forty-one of their pack horses to prevent starving, whilst the only food the horses had was birch bark, which the company cut and carried to them, by walking on the snow with snow-shoes. After passing the mountains, they passed 386 different Indian tribes, some perfectly white, some entirely covered with hair (denominated the Esau Indians), who were among the most singular, and so wild that the company were compelled to run them down with horses to take their dimensions, which was part of their duty, whilst others evinced the most friendly disposition. While west of the mountains, they fell in with a tribe called the Copper Indians, who receive their names from owning extensive copper mines; three hundred of them, armed with bows and copper darts, copper knives and axes, attacked the company in day-time: a severe action ensued, and only about thirty of the Indians escaped; the rest were killed or wounded, with a loss of two of the com pany, and seventeen wounded. Among the various discoveries made by the company, we have only room to mention those of extensive beds of pure salt, the largest of which was seventeen acres, several inches deep, on the borders, found to be pure and wholesome; also, innumerable beds of alum, iron, lead, copper, gold, and silver ore, the gold almost pure. Among the animals, the grisly bear is the most ferocious; the weight of several killed by the company varied from 60 lbs. to 125 lbs. ; of the company, five died by sickness, one by breaking a wild horse, one by the fall of a tree, and fifteen were killed by the Indians -total twenty-two. Ten of the nineteen survivors are lame, some by accident. Captain Leavensworth is among the number. He was on horseback half a mile distant from the camp, when he was shot by an Indian, which broke his thigh, and dropped his horse; the horse fell upon the injured leg, and broke it again below the knee. The horse continued to hold him thus, whilst the Indian ran up to scalp him, when Leavensworth seized a pistol from his saddle and shot him dead, after which he was got safe to camp.

Serpents. M. Duvernoy, who has devoted much time to the study of the organisation of venomous serpents, has ascertained that, besides the venomous teeth in front, the existence of which has long been known, they have in the hinder part of the jaw longer and stronger teeth, of as great malignity. He is also inclined to think that the secretions of the lachrymal glandsin some descriptions of venomous serpents do not go to moisten the eyeballs, but enter the mouth, and assist in communicating saliva to the food.

It appears from the Parliamentary Returns, that the number of lunatics confined on the authority of the Chancellor, whose property is under 2001. per annum is 109; and the total annual amount is 11,210.

14s. 3d. The number of those who possess property of 2001. per annum and upwards, 234; total amount, 264,4647. 14s. 7d. and 43 lunatics whose property is not ascertained: making a total of 386.

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American Seamen. The fourth Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Boston Seamen's Friend Society states, that the number of seamen belonging to the United States, estimated with as much accuracy as possible, is 92,090, of whom there are in the foreign trade 50,000; in the coasting trade, in vessels of nearly or over 100 tons burthen, 25,000; in coasting vessels of less than 50 tons burthen, 5,000; in the cod fishery, 5,000; in the steam-vessels, 1,000; and in the United States' navy, 6,000.

By the triennial census of the population of Prussia, made up to the close of 1831, it appears that since the year 1828, when the amount of the population was 12,726,110, there has been an increase, by excess of births (in 1829, 1830, and 1831) of 241,699, and by emigration of 71,151; making together, 312,850, and increasing the whole population to 13,038,960. There has been a considerable decrease in the number of

births, but an increase with regard to emigration.

when the fraxinella is approached at night with a candle, it darts forth little flashes of light. This has been usually attributed to the existence of an ethereal vapour, which surrounds this plant at the time of its flowering. M. Biot has shown the fallacy of such an opinion, and has proved that the phenomenon is the result of essential and inflammable oil, contained in small vessels at the extremities of the branches, which vessels burst on the approach of any inflamed body, setting at liberty the essential oil, as that contained in orange-peel is set at liberty by

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Sheepshearing. Dr. Parry recommends the shearing of fine-woolled lambs about the beginning of August, having found that the hog-fleeces grow finer, when the lamb fleeces have been removed. practice promises considerable profit; an argument in favour of its adoption of a very powerful kind. There does not appear to be any danger to be apprehended from the operation at that season of the year; and the wool will have time to grow to a sufficient length, for defending the animal from cold, rain, and snow, before winter sets in. The Doctor attended more than any person in Britain to the subject of wool-growing, and has shown very superior judgment in conducting his experiments. His recommendation goes no farther than to finewoolled lambs; but those of other breeds may not probably be hurt, if these do not

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suffer any injury from the operation. the time of clipping, and indeed at all other times, when the flock is collected, every individual should be carefully examined; and any wounds or sores should be cleaned and dressed. The feet should be looked at, and every animal which has swelled, or ulcerated limbs, should be separated from the flock. These, and all others which seem to be sickly, should be kept at home until cured. Sheep ought to be collected and examined more frequently than at the usual stated times.

Chimney Soot is said to be an excellent manure, if properly applied. It is generally mixed up with earth and dung as a compost; in this state it is worth little or nothing; but when properly applied, by being kept dry, and sown on young wheat, clover,