The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-23 00:00:00

FOREIGN.

The weather appears to have been of much the same cha-
racter on the continent as with us: and by the most re-
cently received accounts from the Deltic, we learn that the
navigation was still perfectly open, so that nu impediment
existed to shipping except the discouraging tone of the ad•
vices from hence.

Dantzie letters of the 16th inst. state that scarcely a sale
had taken place during the preceding week, and that prices
had remained nominally unaltered. Supplies of rye from
the growers hail rather increased; but the quantity of
wheat brought forward had been small. lit Poland prices
hail been well supported; constant purchases have been
etude there by buyers frem different parts of the interior.
There was nothing being shipped for Great Britain, but
stocks were not particularly heavy, and holders had shown
no disposition to give way in their ',retentions.
At Rostock, on the loth inst., business was much less
active than the week before, the speculative demand from
Ilmthur;' s, &c., having in a great measure subsided, which
with the dull reports from England had had the effect of
checking the disposition to buy. A few days previous as
much as 375. bd. per qr. free on board bad been paid for
fine 6211 b. to 631 b. wheat, and 235. 3d. for 531 b. barley. The
supplies from the growers hail increased materially, and it
was the prevailing belief that in point of quantity the crop
would not fall so much short of the yield of average sea-
sons as was at one period feared.
The accounts Irom the other Baltic ports arc also of a
more subdued tone than they have been of late, but no
change of consequence seems to have taken place in quota-
tions.

Hamburg letters of Tuesday's date describe the wheat
trade es dull ; holders, seem, however, to have refused to
give way, and the prices asked were nearly as high as be-
fore. so sales for immediate delivery had taken place since
the previous post-day, and the transactions for spring ship-
ment had nut been important. For 61 lbs. wheat, free un
board at Pomeranian ports in spring, 40s. Oil. per qr. had
been asked, and 435. had been realised for 60 lbs. Wahren.
Little or no barley bad cumo forward, and for 53 lbs. to
54 lbs. quality, free on board in the Danish islands, 235. 3d.
per qr. had been demanded. Oats had also been held very
I firmly, and fair feed of 38 lbs. weight could not have been
bought below 16s. 9d. per qr., free on board in Denmark.
The acaounts from Holland do not report any material
change in the value of wheat.
At Rotterdam, on Monday, prices gave way 311. per last,
but at Amsterdam previous rates appear to have been
pretty firmly insisted on. Some demand had, it seems, been
experienced for rye in the Dutch markets on German ac-
count, which, with a good local inquiry, had caused prices
to be well supported.
From Groningen we learn, under date of 16th December,
that holders of oats had, Circe the previous market-day, be-
come rather more tractable; prices were, nevertln less, high
there, as compared with quotations h. re, 40Ibs. to 4111,..
Poland. being held at equal to Us. per qr. free on board,
and freight to London was 20s. per last and 16 per cent.
From France we learn that co.nmercia! confidence was
returning, and at several of the principal markets bu.iuess
had become rather active. The rise whith has taken place
in the value of flour in that country within the last week or
two has brought prices too nearly on a level with our owe
to allow of consignments being made with any chance of
profit, and at Paris the best marks of Darblay's flour had,
it seems, realised equal to 40s. per sack.
From the Mediterranean we have nothing new to eoritinu-
inieate. We learn that a fleet of about 206 sail of vessels
had arrived at Alexandria seeking cargoes, which had
caused an important rise in prices of corn.
The most recently received advice. from America are
important, inasmuch as we are thereby informed of the
closing of the inland navigation by ice. The frost had set
in suddenly, and caught a large fleet of small craft laden
with flour mud corn in the Erie canal, 'tie., oa their passage
to the markets on the seaboard. This circumstance, and
the fart that the stocks on Land were not heavy, had caused
holders of flour to raise their pretensions, and at New York
on the 6th inst., en advance of 121 e. to doe. per barrel was
established; good shipping brands were quoted 17e. fid ,
and pure Geuessee carpe. tid. per barrel free on board.

GEOLOGICAL

At the meeting of the
exhibit

Geological Society on Wednesday, Dr. Mantell ...anted a
fossil lizard about six inches long, which had been sent to
him to examine and describe by Mr. Patrick Duff, who dis-
covered it near Elgin. la the faille strata Captain Bricken.
den fuund a track of 20 footsteps of a chelonian or turtle;
and in the lower beds of the Devonian, in Forfarshire, fossil
eggs of frogs and aquatic salamanders have been discovered'
specimens of which were placed before tho society. The
great interest of there discoveries is the fact that previously
no vestiges of any reptiles whatever had been found in the
old red formation. Dr. Mantell Las named the reptile Te-
Icrpeton Elginense, to indicate its remote antiquity and the
place where it was obtained.