Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-12


our most eminent hotaniss, and non rlssibns dau;s
SrJ. L. Smith but utility il the very las, object
which these gentlemen seem inctued 10 pursue. The
toraine of divisions and subdivisions, and the idle
practice of making names, aud drawing up useless
aud minute descriptions OF flowers, leaves. &c. f II,
the sole pursuit OF all ennen botansts. Some
,nu.eu, .ey hnd spare corner ia page for note
on the utility of plant, the peculares oil its
growth aud physiology, hut this is very rare.
Ph,solosieal, OF rather useful i,oany, is rapidly
advancing under the care Of i,e Horticultural Socie
~, and by the talents of MIR. Knight, who deserves
The richest credit for LILY experiments ON the food Of
plants, aud on the ripenng and propagation Of fruits
MIR Dr"nnond also has niate the interesting disco
very that the green MOSES known by the common
name Of cror six, frequently seen on n,ois, walls
decayed tees, bare patches Of ground, and stagnant
wa,er, are not, As supposed by I.nn,eus, Iledwg,
and others, particular OF moss called hy tlcu
conScrr but are merely the Young plants of the nine
moss, and others OF similar kind. This is inie.i.
h'e enough, and is amply proved v his ing eN-
| per'ments but what we now 10 make Of the mt
merous species Ul Conserve unutcly described and
hgured la our books?
80 ZOOLOGY.
We have To record under This ,ler,r,mon, ,h.
same decline OF the system of LnnIrus as we have
just mentioned respecting bo,any. L,n,arc, French
naturalist, discovered that insects, and several Others
'ne less perfect animals, differ from quadrupeds
BIRDS, and fishes, III being destitute of u spine cr back
nonei and Cuvicr, another French sdrxiDt Of creat
INDUSTRY and talent, took up the hint, and i, the
's's o' new arrangement, we think, To s,,pcrccds
'tc precise and nninterestiug system of Iinu;eus
And, al We must have learned array of In, baro,, ~
compounded names for animals that of Cuvicr is ra-
ner more natural than the tooth and NAIL woi nf
me owcde, which makes the whale uua,lrsue,l and
ranks the hat next TO the ortic, of things he
cause oil the way in which il suckles the Young bats
| Chde' Tue head of Geology have seen Somn,er.
nS wonderful discovery OF the ancient dragon The
discovery Of the unicorn of our ROYAL arms WHICH is
s''id To have been recently made in Thbrt bv Ma
Jor Latter, and IN Southern Africa by Mr. Campbell
VIII tend much In weaken oar faith in the
VI VI ha',i;,iisis, and To pun credit in history
moush u should bc conien,ptuousy called fabulous
| me hewiy discovered animal is described bv Major
& eAari'y as we have so often seen it Ggured,-
Vim 'he nod! oil fine r,rned horse, and "A single
nom ~ ms forehead. We shall examine the evil
| s"'o VI u''s discovery more scrupulousv, as soon
rs II comes before US more in detail. NJ LairielIr,
rcncli naturalist ofsome eminence, has in imitation
as we suppose, OF Humhod,'s geography of plants
gwen very brief sketch of the geogrsnhic nj tis,r
,oh o insects. his is subject Of great curiosity
"' mere are lev facts yet ascertlined resDecuu il
from ue want oil general osei v;iiions y collectors
'ho'e personagcs being usually much more anxious
10 auu Specimen To their box, Than 10 record any
Ui"S concerning lis habits its history nj Iatyi-
cue, however, thinks he can prove that warn, and
co' countries have scarcely any insects in common
anu ~iso That under the parallels IN countries
WHICH are distant, the species are entirely different
ms conclusion does all correspond with what
! tiumh"id found 10 hold in the vegetable kuptIom
h'het tiat nearly the same species flourish in The
"'s'''i' countries, when the climate aud tempe
| Failure are the same.
| . MErEoRoLoeY
we we've 10 estimate the advancement Of SCI
snce ny lie nuuer Gifts observers, we should saw
'n meicorov9y Is making progress towards p.rrcc.
! non Except, however, the nomenclature. or ,h,.
| GiinnS by MIR. Howard and the experiments oc DE-
nci'' on dew, we recolloct nothing which me, its
wv "''hc OF great or important discovery in the
>Ciehcc MIR. Farey has .arlv uropnsr,l a mctI,o nj
lnuyihs Tie nature Of the phenomena ofiaIIinc stars
Wen, we doubt not, might help to Gil up u column
al meteorological table, cou; ne pe,suode ,nv I'M
.iy To pursue II, for ito doubt whether Dr. Fos,r
| "'mSeii-AIr tarcy i, out Of the uuestion-or any
o"sI me!eo, o'ogst, would sill for Two hours every
s'' Mi'n ms eye liked on central star, ready The
S."' nc shonhl see a falling 10 call out " mark
10 ~" assistant IL would we conceive he more
"o',,n,e III the Nay OF discovery, to sweep the sky
w ELEcrRIcirY AND MAGNETISM
we CLASS these together, lac caust. the only thinn
new %, any Importance respecting either, is The very
, s discovery OF their connexions by NJ Ger
ste'i, OF Copenhagen. whose experiments have been
| repeated by Sir Ii. Davy and several other B,sh
philosophers OF distinctions. The subject NAV ie
considered as still IN lis infancy bat we ennel,
anticipate tiia IT will terminate in some great prac.
ca rfS'I we are very much in the dark respecting
agents 10y winch electric, gaIyanic and magnetic
ch"c's are produced. OF one thing we are very GER
iin That these agents not fluids rs they are of,e,
'oS,iH "ri''nnaied il, Ion souii they mus, be
c"ed 50, We ni'.Si cali upon those who thus use the
.rI'' ,o' - new definition Al the hazard OF being
'"'S''t ''e,uions we would infer from Nj. Oersted's
u'Nro'ery iial there may he something real i'm ami
mai n'2m'isin iOr believing in which we have no,
sired L" rd'cuic the rrednlty ofthe Germans The
eiGy "' ehcir'ciiy Itself, III curing disease h,s
4
power are strongly established on the evidence of
| some OF HE most distinguished names i'm The nrores
si"h' Two very singular cases occurred reccntJv
O'e Is gwen on The authority Of Professor Olms,ed
:" man WHO hid paralyIc affection of the face
''''' eye, ANA bsng slightly struck during thunder
S'orm' was, M Consequence, completely cured A
s!hiiar cure was effected at Peril ON :, man who
w" "cen troubled Tor many years with tren,ulous
ah'cn"n oi his whole body, which was compIcleIy
'e"o'su ny shock he received during a thunder
s'.,'i nese i"cts are worthy oil record, and
snon'" inucc The profession 10 give eectricity and
even magnetism, more accurate and fair trial tlno
| perhaps has YET been done '''
m OPTICS
i"c polarization OF light, us IL Is called has for
r'u years engaged almost the undivided attention
OF oplic'ans and Dr. Brewster hns been so indus
no's !" experimenting am, collecting facts that Ic
mas formed an entire system of mueraloev on Tho la,
sN o' l'oaiIzaiion alone. We wait with some nnx;e,
Tor us qualifications. Mr. j. w Ilerschel has dis,in.
i".s ' hin,Se IN similar line Of inquiry The
doctrine oi SiT /. Newton respecting The nr,J,c,;
oi colours, 10y Tie thickness or thin.ess of Iam;n.o m
P'h's' has oeen frequently impugned and we think
WIN success III the experiments, Ioweyerr of Al,
charlton, Ann. Phil. ii. 1872 ~ 81 he correct. co.
'oWs may ~ some cases. such as enamellinp. lie
i"Ou"' =" v! mcchdh'ca division and communication
40, ASTRONOMY.
we may consider this as one or The ,oo,e ,,o.c,
H''chVfs, ~ winch we can scarcely hope for much
"" Is new Not thai there is nothing ren,;iuio IN
NC u'sro'e''d nut because it has been so long sys,e-
'"'c'"y C"'u'aed "iti taught, that the mind OF the
'u"o"eT Is htlt very much IN leading strings from
his difference To great names and bis n,nl,c;, con-
h'hct ~ mathematical results. A lille scent;cisr,
respecting received opinions in science is often how
ever, oil much utility in leading To discoveries mr. IL
G"uiFiHinS Wy new aud collateral proof what is aIre
ny known and though il is rather a danger,,s ;u
strumch 10 TnsSiilui hands il ~ peruI;ayiv aJ,I
10 mcn Of talent. Sir X Phillips we perceive has
beem welding this weapon against the Ney,oninn