centrated by cold, the mass has the appearance of being carbonized; but this appearance arises from a stratum of black powder, which covers it, and which, when removed by washing, is converted into a true gum, resembling, in many respects, gum arabic, and likely to be of some use in the Arts. This gum is separated from the sulphuric acid in excess, by means of carbonate of lime, and it remains in the liquor. When this gum is treated with boiling diluted sulphuric acid, at 30 or 40°, it is converted into true sugar of grapes, the quantity of which is greater, than that of the linen, or the paper, or the sawings of wood employed.

Equal Action of Gravity.-The late M. Benedict Provost devised the following simple experiment, which shows the equal action of gravity, by proving that the retardation in the fall of light bodies, arises solely from the resistance of the air. Place a piece of thin paper at the bottom of a small box, of such a weight, that, in falling, the bottom of it will always keep lowermost. Let the box now fall from the height of eight or nine feet above a cushion, and the paper and the box will both reach the cushion at the same time, just as if the paper had clung to the bottom of it. If the same piece of paper is allowed to fall by itself, from the same height, it will flutter slowly and obliquely to the floor. The experiment will succeed equally well if the paper is placed on a crown or half-crown piece, without using a box. The rapid descent of the paper, when placed on the box, is in no way owing to any adhesion between it and the bottom of the box, but to the circumstance of their being no air to obstruct its descent, the advance of the box in front of the paper, having the same effect as a vacuum. A little leaden box, or a piece of lead with round edges, is best for making the experiment.

On the Vision of Infants.-In observing the actions of infants and of very young children, we are at a considerable loss, from not having any language, by which we can mutually converse with them. They are to us, as far as their thoughts are concerned, much in the same circumstances with the speechless inferior animals, and our only recourse is close and careful observation, and the trials we can make by change of circumstances. Those trials are begun very early by nurses and parents, as they are exceedingly anxious to discover the first dawn of the opening attention.

The attention of infants to light is not, however, the first exercise of their power of perception: smell seems to be the first sensation at least, the first which is perceptible in infants after birth, for touch must, unquestionably, be the first of all. It is by the sense of smell, evidently, that they are guided upon their being first put to the breast, and taste is, also, soon exercised. Vision does not seem to take place for several weeks: the eyes are, at first, too weak to bear the light, and the pupil contracts so much, that it may even be a question whether a picture is formed on the retina or not. When their eyes begin to be able to bear the light, they seem much clearer than those of a grown person, which may, perhaps, depend upon the

superabundance of the humours, and this is rendered still more likely from the peculiar prominence of the eye. According to the principles of optics, all infants must be near-sighted :—the picture must be formed before it reaches the retina, unless the objects they look at are very near them.

Bright objects are the first things, which catch an infants' eye, such as a candle, or the reflection of the sun from polished metal. You may often see an infant studying with wonder the effect, which this new sensation produces, and continuing wrapt in silent contemplation of its newly-awakened feelings; for it does not, evidentlyat least, at first-refer to the object, but to itself, as we may infer from the silent admiration, marked in its countenance. It does not appear to be able to distinguish between the objects, and its feelings produced by the impression. The object must seem to touch its eyes, till it learns, by the experience of touch, that it is at some distance; for it can never think the picture is distant, which is formed in the bottom of the eye, and this picture is all, which it can see. Some books of merit say, that children, at first, see objects inverted, as we know the image in the eye is; but there seems to be no fact by which this can be proved: it is, also, stated, that infants, at first, see all things double; but this is contrary to some curious experiments, which have been lately made. When infants are more advanced in observation, they are fond of sweet sounds,* as well as bright object;-facts thus beautifully described by Coleridge, in his exquisite verses to a nightingale :

"That strain again! My dear babe,

Who, capable of no articulate sound,
Mars all things with his imitative lip:-
How he would place his hand beside his ear,-
His little hand,-his small forefinger up,

And bid us listen! And I deem'd it wise

To make him nature's playmate:-he knows well
The evening star; and once, when he awoke

In most distressful mood [some inward pain

Had made up that strange thing-an infants' dream]

I hurried with him to our orchard plot,

And he beholds the moon, and, hush'd at once,

Suspends his sobs, and laughs most silently;

While his fair eyes, that swam with undropp'd tears,
Did glitter in the yellow moonbeam?

Chinese Game af Shuttlecock.-The Chinese have a curious mode of playing at this game, in which they use the soles of their feet, instead of a battledore, to keep the shuttlecock going. We are accustomed to consider this people a dull, phlegmatic race, who pass their lives in dreaming and drinking tea, and talking of their celestial empire, as the greatest in the world. We must, in this instance, at

The sense of hearing is perfect in the new-born infant-that is, if we may judge of such perfection by the mature state of the bones of the internal ear, which are the only bones, completely formed at the time of birth.

R.

least, give them credit for activity, for we do not think that the nimblest of our Colonists could keep up a shuttlecock two minutes in the air by the same method. We would recommend a trial, especially on the bare soles, and we think a good many wagers might be lost and won on the occasion. This game, played in the Chinese fashion, would be a capital exercise for giving one an appetite before breakfast, and we would recommend it as an admirable substitute for peristaltic persauders ;-taken, regularly, every morning, it would greatly diminish the doctor's bill, at the end of the year.

To make a Pie, that the Birds may be alive therein, and fly out, when it is cut up.

"I'll sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Bak-ed in a pie :

When the pie was opened,

The birds began to sing;

And was not that a dainty dish,
To place before a King?

NURSERY RHYME,

We recommend the following recipe to the curious in Gourmandism perhaps, the precise and particular bachelor, mentioned in one of the newspaper's, a short time ago, whose egg-boiling ceremony was so ludicrously described-may be induced to make use of it; if so, it is very heartily at his service :

;

Make the coffin of a great pie or pasty, in the bottom whereof make a hole as big as your fist, or bigger, if you will, let the sides of the coffin be somewhat higher than ordinary pies, which done, put it full of flour and bake it, and being baked, open the hole and take out the flour. Then having a pie of ye bigness of ye hole in ye bottom of ye coffin aforesaid, you shall put it into ye coffin withal put into ye said coffin round about ye aforesaid pie, as many small live birds as ye empty coffin will hold, besides ye pie aforesaid. And this is to be done at such a time, as you send the pie to ye table, and set before ye guests, when uncovering, or cutting up the lid of ye great pie, all ye birds will flie out, which is to shew delight and pleasure to ye company. And because they shall not be altogether mocked, you shall cut open ye small pie, and in this sort you may make many others the like you may do with a tart.-Guilario, the Italian Banquet, 1598.

Ferintosh Whiskey.-The word Ferintosh signifies Thane's Land, it having been part of the Thanedom of Cawdor (Macbeth's) or Calder. The barony of Ferintosh belonged to the Forbes's of Culloden, and contained about 1,800 arable acres. All barley produced on this estate was privileged to be converted into whiskey, duty free; the natural consequence of which was, that more whiskey was distilled in Ferintosh, than in all the rest of Scotland. In 1784, Government made a sort of compulsory purchase of this privilege from

the Culloden family, after they had enjoyed it a complete century. The sum paid was £21,500.

Table of the Quantity of Alcohol (sp. gr. 825), at 60° Fahrenheit, in several kinds of Wines and other Liquors.

A dew-drop on a flowret's breast,
In soft repose, is passing bright,
The star of love, with sparkling crest,
Sheds lustre on the brow of night;
Thy eyes, my dear, are brighter far,
Than glittering dew and evening star.
Rich are the colours of the rose,

Where revels oft the busy bee;
The western sky with beauty glows,
When the sun sinks upon the sea;
Thy cheeks, my dear, are lovelier far
Than sunset clouds and roses are.
A zephyr, wandering through a bower,
Culls odours from each shrub it meets,
A butterfly upon a flower,

Sucks from its cup diviner sweets;
Thy lips, my dear, are sweeter far
Than shrubs and flowers, the fairest, are.

THE MARCH SNOW AND THE BLOSSOM.

"

'Ha! rash thing! what dost thou here?

Why would'st thou se soon appear?

Know'st thou not a hasty doom
Must follow thy untimely bloom?
To a tender flower one day,
Thus the snow of March did say.
Then to the bleak descending shower
Replied the meek and modest flower--
"I felt the sun's warm rays awhile,
And looked for April's genial smile,
And in that error ventured forth
To meet the tempests of the north,
And if thou hast my death decreed,
'Tis but my thoughtless folly's meed."
A shepherd who had marked the blossom,
Felt soft compassion fill his bosom,
And with kind hand approached to throw
Far from its gentle breast the snow :
Then from the chill inclement air

He sheltered it with tender care;

And thus, though whirlwind, storm, and shower
Were beating round-the fragile flower

Was saved, through pity's grace divine,

To see the suns of April shine.

Though virtue oft be doomed to bear
The chilling blights of grief and care
For many an hour;

Yet shall we doubt that it may find,
To sooth its woes, by heaven assign'd,
Some heart compassionate and kind,
Like this meek flower.

A MOTHER'S PRAYER.

(Concluded from No. 15.)

A few weeks found Margaret, in fulfilment of her mother's dying wish, and her own previously-formed intention, upon the eve of departure for London-a step which gave much offence to many of her village neighbours, especially a portion of them who so zealously superintended the concerns of others that their own affairs were often totally neglected. Beauty and virtue are two qualifications which commonly render the possessor either loved or hated; and as Margaret was generally considered to have a considerable share of both, the observations made upon her conduct were favourable or unfa