ready quickly to supply another generation of destroyers. So complete and so rapid was the destruction in some instances last July, that a whole field was found, in two or three days, to present only an assemblage of skeletonised leaves; and this, too, when the turnips had attained a considerable size. The insect, whose proceedings have been thus briefly noticed, belongs to the Hymenopterous family Tenthredinida; it is the Athalia centifolia, a species first noticed by Panzer. By their repeated broods, the devastation was continued for so long a time, that even the third sowing did not, in all cases, escape destruction: the turnip became pithy, and of little value, and it was necessary to import the root largely from the Continent to supply the deficiency of the home crop. The remedial measures adopted on a former visitation were, the turning into the infested fields of a large number of ducks, who greedily devoured the caterpillars as they were brushed from the leaves by a boy with a long pole; the passing of a heavy roller over the ground at night, when the caterpillars were at their feed, and the strewing of quick-lime by broad-cast over the fields, renewing it as often as it was dispersed by the wind. The latter mode was generally considered as the most effectual preservative. ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. A letter was read, addressed to the right honourable chairman, from P. B. Lord, Esq., of the Bombay medical service, dated Surat, Dec. 1835, containing some observations on the port and town of Cambay, in Guzerat, and of a branch of industry carried on in that place-namely, the cutting and polishing of cornelians. Mr. Lord described the process followed by the natives in this art, which was very efficient, though simple. The original cornelian stones have a black, flint-like appearance; but, by exposing them to the heat of the fire or sun, they assume, some a red, some a white, or any intermediate shade of colour. Mr. Lord alluded to the fact, that, for some years past, the upper part of the Gulf of Cambay has been decreasing in depth; and said, that the decrease was now going on with such rapidity as almost to allow the observer to witness, in the formation of dry land before his eyes, a tangible illustration of Mr. Lyell's beautiful and much-talked-of theory. Vessels formerly discharged their cargoes under the very walls of the town. At the time Mr. Lord was speaking of, the nearest vessel in harbour was at least four miles distant, and was then lying, sunk in the mud, without any chance of floating till the return of the spring-tide. The cause of this diminution in the depth of the harbour was the immense quantity of slime and mud brought down by the river Mhye, which, after a course of nearly one hundred miles, through an entirely alluvial country, discharged its turbid contents a short distance to the east of Cambay. The effect was very prejudicial to the trade of Cambay. ASHMOLEAN SOCIETY, Oxford. At the Ashmolean Society, at Oxford, on the 20th May, Dr. Buckland communicated to the Society a notice on some very curious recent discoveries of fossil footsteps of unknown quadrupeds, in the new red sandstone of Saxony, and of fossil birds in sandstone of the same formation, in the valley of the Connecticut. The sandstone which bears the impressions of these footsteps is of the same age with that in which, in the year 1828, Dr. Duncan discovered the footsteps of land tortoises, and other unknown animals, near Dumfries. In the year 1834, similar tracts of at least four species of quadrupeds were discovered in the sandstone quarries of Hesseberg, near Hildburghausen. Some of these appear to be referable to tortoises, and to a small web-footed reptile. The largest footsteps mark the path of a large quadruped; probably allied to Marsupialia, or animals that carry their young in a pouch, like the kangaroo. The name of Chirotherium has been given to this animal, from a distant resemblance, both of the fore and hind feet, to the human hand. The size of the hind foot was twice as great as that of the fore foot, being usually eight inches long and five inches wide; one was found twelve inches long. These footsteps follow one another in pairs, at intervals of fourteen inches from pair to pair, each pair being on the same straight line. Both large and small steps have the great toes alternately on the right and left side, and bent inwards like a thumb. Each step has the print of five toes. The fore and hind foot are nearly similar in form, though they differ so greatly in size. No bones of any of the animals that made these footsteps have yet been found. Another discovery of fossil footsteps has still more recently been made by Professor Hitchcock, in the new red sandstone of the valley of the Connecticut. In three or four quarries of this sandstone he has ascertained the existence of the tracts of at least seven extinct species of birds, referable, probably, to as many extinct genera. All of these appear in regular succession on the continuous track of an animal in the act of walking or running, with the right and left foot always in their relative proper places. The distance of the intervals between each footstep on the same track is occasionally varied, but to no greater amount than may be explained by the bird having altered its pace. Many tracks are often found crossing one another, and they are sometimes crowded, like impressions of feet in the muddy shores of a pond frequented by ducks or geese. All these fossil footsteps most nearly resemble those of Gralla (waders). The impressions of three toes are usually distinet; that of a fourth, or hind toe, is generally wanting. The most remarkable among these footsteps are those of a gigantic bird, twice the size of an ostrich, whose foot measured fifteen inches in length! exclusive of a large claw measuring two inches!! The toes of this bird were large and thick. The most frequent distance of these larger footsteps from one another is four feet; sometimes they are six feet asunder. The latter were probably made by the animal when running. There are also tracks of another gigantic bird, having three toes of a more slender character. These tracks are from fifteen to sixteen inches long, exclusive of a remarkable appendage extending backwards from the heel eight or nine inches, and apparently intended (like a snow-shoe) to sustain the weight of a heavy animal walking on a soft bottom. The impressions of this appendage resemble those of wiry feathers, or coarse bristles, which seem to have sunk into the mud an inch deep-the toes had sunk much deeper; and round their impressions the mud was raised into a ridge several inches high, like that round the track of an elephant in clay. The length of the step of this bird appears to have been six feet; the footsteps on the five other kinds of tracks are of smaller size, and the smallest indicates a foot but one inch long, and a step from three to five inches. The length of the leg of the African ostrich is about four feet, and that of the foot ten inches. All these tracks appear to have been made on the margin of shallow water, that was subject to changes of level, and in which sediments of sand and mud were alternately deposited. And the length of the legs, which must be inferred from the distance of the footsteps from each other, was well adapted for wading in such situations. VARIETIES. Effect of Water on Cast-iron.-Some large brass and cast-iron guns, which went down with the Royal George, in 1782, are now lying in the Tower. The brass ones are little affected by their long immersion in the sea; but those of cast-iron are changed throughout their whole substance. They resemble plumbago or pencil-lead, and, like it, may be easily cut with a knife. -Cast-iron pipes, attached to a pumping apparatus, in a mine of 140 fathoms deep, in the north of England, have been so softened in five years, as scarcely to hold together on removal. Insurance Companies.-Statement of the duties paid into the Exchequer, for the year 1835, by the insurance companies of England, specifying the name of each company, and the sum paid by each. Also the farming stock (which is free of duty), insured in the same period by each company respectively. Total Duty paid, 1835. Sum insured on £. 4,915,128 West of England 27,734 2 1 700,990 27,380 19 2 202,428 22,602 17 10 455,145 22,100 1 4 719,004 18,657 2 1 280,207 17,474 15 9 530,140 Union 227,138 Westminster 23,600 Hand-in-Hand 11,1689 2 Kent 10,445.0 3 938,663 London 10,175 8 8. 104,338 Leeds and Yorkshire 9,518 16 7. 464,059 Birmingham 7,071 18 5. 476,905 Yorkshire 6,742 13 7 1,410,135 Suffolk (West) 5,870 3 10 1,152,840 Essex and Suffolk Suffolk (East) Newcastle-upon-Tyne Salamander 5,438 2 2 1,032,020 5,222 13 2 880,930 5,166 15 8 300,542 4,975 12 8 643,531 York and North of England 4,321 18 10 Bristol 3,645 14 8 20,590 2,754 0 7 323,563 Essex Economic 2,657 16 2 485,534 Hants, Sussex, and Dorset 2,535 9 6 275,958 Bristol Union 2,462 18 2 8,032 Sheffield 2,144 19 9 106,400 Bristol Crown Bath Sun 1,564 12 9 45,080 District Birmingham 1,480 8 1 New Norwich Equitable Leicestershire and Midland Counties. Shields (North and South) From the above statement it appears the amount of property insured against fire, in the year 1835, in England alone, was 547,530,500l., and the boon to the agricultural interest, by the remission of duty upon farming stock for the same period, was 61,8227. The amount of duty paid upon fire insurance, in the year 1834, was 737,5971., and the amount of farming stock exempt, in the same year, was 37,187,000. Criminal Offenders.-By a paper issued from Whitehall, it appears there has been a total decrease in the number of offenders charged in 1835, as compared with the preceding year, of 1720 persons, or nearly 8 per cent. In thirty English counties there was a decrease. This decrease was most Aug.-VOL. XLVII, NO. CLXXXVIII. 2 N 1,375 4 2,600 236,711 marked in the following counties:-In Northamptonshire it was nearly onehalf; in Herefordshire, above one-third; in Berkshire, Cheshire. Hampshire, and Worcestershire, one fourth; and in Durham and Shropshire, onefifth. In Middlesex the decrease was 17 per cent.; in Surrey, little more than 4 per cent.; in Yorkshire, 14 per cent.; and in Lancashire, 4 per cent. In Wales, the total decrease on the twelve counties was 27 per cent. In the remaining eleven English counties, and in Bristol, there was an increase, which was proportionally greatest in Gloucestershire, where it amounted to 19 per cent.; in Kent to 15 per cent.; in Warwick to 14 per cent.; and in Staffordshire to 10 per cent. In Essex the increase was above 8 per cent. The decrease does not appear to be confined to any one class of offences, but to be spread pretty equally over the whole; being, however, rather the greatest on the more heinous offences. A return, just published, gives the produce of the customs at each port in the United Kingdom. The following is the gross amount for each kingdom in 1834 and 1835. England has 74 ports, Scotland 21, and Ireland 15. The six principal seats of the import trade of England are the following: There are 68 other ports in England, but the value of the imports does not rise to 100,000l. at any of them. By the return recently ordered, on the motion of Mr. Baring, it appears that the quantity of hard soap made in England during the year 1835, was 137,806,623 lbs.; of soft soap, 8,592,233 lbs. In Scotland, 10,465,035 lbs. of hard, and 3,510,876 lbs. of soft soap were made. England and Scotland together exported 12,987,365 lbs. of hard, and 8954 lbs. of soft; upon which a drawback was allowed amounting to 81,2097. 10s. 9d. To the manufacturers also of woollens, linens, silks, and others, 54,2621. 9s. 6d. was allowed as drawback; and another drawback on the soap exported to Ireland, amounting to 62,538/. 48. d. was allowed. Of soap imported, the quantity in 1834 was 489 cwt. 26 lbs. ; in 1835, 981 cwt. 26 lbs.; and in the present year, 233 cwt. 2 qrs. 23 lbs. The total amount of the duty paid thereon appears to be 37531. 148. 5d. Seventeen persons were last year convicted of defrauding the revenue arising from soap. The amount of the penalties adjudged was about 10007., into which amount enters a sum of 5007. incurred by an individual named Lee, who absconded, leaving no effects. Wool.-It appears, from recent parliamentary returns, that the present state of our wool trade is highly prosperous. In the year 1835, the total quantity of imported wool was 42,208,949 lbs., which exceeds the quantity imported in 1834 by more than 4,000,000 lbs. On the 5th of January, 1835, 6,594,266 lbs. remained under bond; but on the 5th of January, 1836, the quantity in bond was only 2,864,014 lbs. The quantity of wool imported from Germany, in 1835, was nearly 24.000,000 lbs. ; from Russia, upwards of 4,000,000 lbs. ; from New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, about 200,000 lbs. more than from Russia; from Spain, Turkey, and Italy, taken together, nearly 4,000,000 lbs.; from Portugal, 683,000 lbs.; Holland, 301,000 lbs.; Belgium, 231,000 lbs. Of the foreign wool imported in 1835. there were exported, in a manufactured state, 4,101,700 lbs. Of the total quantity imported in 1835, there were retained for manufacture 41,718,514 lbs., being nearly 1,000,000 lbs. more than was taken up by the manufacturers in the preceding year. The total declared value of woollen manufactures exported in 1835 to foreign countries, was 6,840,5117., distributed nearly as follows: The total value of the exports of 1835, above those of 1834, is fully a million sterling. British Museum.-The Committee of Inquiry have made their Report to the House, and recommend that the number of official trustees be reduced; those who do not attend to be requested to resign; and the vacancies, as they occur, to be filled up by persons distinguished for their eminence in literature, science, and art. The Museum to be opened during the Easter, Whitsun, and Christmas weeks; and on all public days from 10 till 7 o'clock in the months of May, June, July, and August; the reading-room to be opened throughout the year at 9 in the morning. A further division of departments is to be made, the salaries of the officers to be increased, and pluralities abolished; and an improved synopsis to be prepared, and sold in parts. Casts are to be made from the statues, bronzes, and coins, and sold to the public at the lowest possible price. Full and accurate catalogues of all the collections are recommended to be prepared and printed; but not a word is said about the classed catalogues of the books and MSS. (which, it is understood, might be printed without any expense to the Government), whose completion is so anxiously desired by the public, and to obtain which so many petitions have been presented to the Legislature. The evening reading-room, an equally popular measure, is also passed over without any notice. Mr. Tilt's petition for the assistance of Parliament to enable him to engrave about 1000 British medals in the Museum, and in private collec tions, is recommended to the consideration of the House. FOREIGN VARIETIES. The indigent in Paris, without reckoning paupers, who receive relief from the municipality, amount to 62,539, and are divided into 14,499 men, 10,862 boys, 25,748 women, and 11,430 girls. Among the men there are 5880 journeymen or workmen, 1743 who have been builders' labourers, 1433 house porters, 1028 commissioners or porters, 763 shoemakers, 418 tailors, 238 water carriers, 213 who have been employed as clerks or writers, 194 coachmen, 156 rag gatherers, 148 cobblers, 120 servants out of place, and 1338 whose station is not defined. The women are classed as follows:1351 buyers and sellers of old clothes, 926 charwomen, 790 portresses, 703 washerwomen, 229 nursery maids, 173 sick-nurses, 142 other servants out of place, 141 female rag-gatherers, and 3720 whose occupation is undefined. Scales of Fishes.-A. M. Dumeshil, of Wunstorf, states that, according to his observations, the metallic lustre of the scales of fishes is due to the presence of the purest silver; and that the 12,000th part of a grain of silver is contained in the scale of a carp. A blacksmith of Milan, named Ponti, has discovered that, by suspending a length of chain to one of the corners of the anvil, by means of a ring, the noise of the hammer may be almost entirely deadened. This discovery |