It is now time for us to take our leave of this judicious performance, from which readers of aimoft every clats may receive both inftruction and entertainment. It throws great light on the hiftory of the human mind; and those who are converfant in theological studies will derive peculiar advantages from an attentive perufal of it. The view which it gives of the various caufes which, in the different ages of the Chriftian church, have contributed to corrupt the morals, and pollute the faith of the gospel, will fhew them what are the most effectual means of promoting the caufe of Chriftianity; and the account which is given of the many controverfies which have been carried on with the greatest warmth and violence, in former times, about matters of very inconfiderable importance, may not only convince them of the unspeakable advantages of candor and moderation, but likewife fhew them what judgment impartial pofterity will probably form of the greatest part of the religious difputes of our own times.

As the generality of our Readers may be supposed to be unacquainted with the character and writings of Dr. Mosheim, what Mr. Maclaine fays of him in his preface will not, we hope, be unacceptable:

The reputation of this great man is very well known. His noble birth feemed to open to his ambition a fair path to civil promotion; but his zeal for the interefts of religion, his infatiable thirst after knowledge, and more efpecially his predominant tafte for facred literature, induced him to confecrate his admirable talents to the fervice of the church. The German univerfities loaded him with literary honours; the King of Denmark invited him to fettle at Copenhagen; the Duke of Brunswick called him from thence to Helmftadt, where he received the marks of diftinction due to his eminent abilities. He filled, with applaufe, the academical chair of divinity; was honoured with the character of ecclefiaftical counsellor to that refpectable court; and prefided over the feminaries of learning in the dutchy of Wolfembuttle and the principality of Blakenburg. When the late king formed the defign of giving an uncommon degree of luftre to the univerfity of Gottingen, by filling it with men of the first rank in the literary world, fuch as a Haller, a Gefner, and a Michaelis, Dr. Mofheim was deemed worthy to appear at the head of that famous feat of learning in the quality of chancellor: and here he died, univerfally lamented, in the year 1755, and in the fixty-first year of his age. In depth of judgment, in extent of learning, in the powers of a noble and mafculine eloquence, in purity of tafte, and in a laborious application to all the various branches of erudition and philofophy, he had certainly very few fuperiors. His Latin tranflation of the celebrated Dr. Cudworth's Intelitual Syftem

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of the Univerfe, enriched with large annotations, discovered fuch a profound acquaintance with ancient philofophy and erudition, as juftly excited the admiration of the learned world. His ingenious illuftrations of the facred writings, his fuccefsful labours in the defence of Christianity, and the light he caft upon the hiftory of religion and philofophy by his uninterrupted refearches, appear in a multitude of volumes, which are defervedly placed among the most valuable treasures of facred and profane literature, and the learned and judicious work, that is here presented to the public, will undoubtedly render his name illuftrious in the records of religion and letters.'

R.

Philofophical Tranfactions, giving fome Account of the prefent Undertakings, Studies, and Labours, of the Ingenious, in many confiderable Parts of the World. Vol. LIV. For the Year 1764. 4to. 12s. 6d. fewed. Davis and Reymers.

IT

T is the remark of fome ingenious writer, that great families and incorporated bodies, will, by their duration and perfeverance, conftantly prevail over the contrary efforts of private perfons and detached individuals: efpecially, fays he, if they obferve one general rule or tenour of conduct; for, amidst the viciffitudes to which human affairs are liable, an opportunity muft neceffarily turn up, one time or other, favourable to their particular views. It is probably on this principle that the Royal Society perfevere in their refolution, of refufing to take the trouble of rendering the Philofophical Tranfactions worthy of their imprimatur. What their views can be, in this perfeverance, we muft own ourselves at a lofs to conjecture. Surely they cannot wait for a more promifing æra of hebetation, in hopes to fee the whole world involved in that cloud of dullness, which with a more than cimmerian gloom fometimes invelopes Crane-Court! It is now a confiderable time fince we remarked that their conduct in this particular was inconfiftent with the very ends of their inftitution; as alfo the palpable abfurdity of the prefent managers of this body taking upon them to answer for the conduct of those who may poffibly be members an hundred years hence! And yet still are we told, that it is an established rule of the fociety, to which they will always adhere, never to give their opinion, as a body, upon any fubject, either of nature or art,

And yet, unless they do this, we are apprehenfive they may in vain endeavour to fatisfy the publick, that their ufual meetings are continued for the improvement of knowledge, ard benefit of mankind, the great ends of their firit inftitution by the royal charters, which they have ever fince Readily purfued.'

that

that comes before them.' But, if this is to be for ever the cafe, in what refpect is the fuffrage of this publication to be preferred to that of a common magazine? The very refpectable names, indeed, which we meet with fo often in these volumes, afford a fufficient proof of the Society's extenfive correfpondence; but it is with great regret, we fo often fee thofe names pompously prostituted to the moft infignificant purpofes. In a word, if the Editors of thefe Tranfactions do not take care to provide more im portant materials, we are afraid it will be neceffary, for the fatisfaction of our Readers, that we should deviate from our propofed plan in giving an account of this publication, fo far, as to refer it, for the future, to our Catalogue. This being the state of the cafe, we hope our Readers will not impute the fmall share of inftruction and entertainment they may meet with, in the prefent article, to the Reviewers, but to the Royal Society.

PAPERS relative to PHYSICS, NATURAL HISTORY, &c. Art. 1. Account of a Mummy infpected at London. By Dr. Hadley. The mummy here fpoken of, is the first article in Dr. Grew's catalogue of the rarities of the Royal Society, and was fent from their museum to the house of Dr. Hadley, in order to undergo an examination with regard to the manner in which fuch a curious piece of antiquity had been put together. The intention of the gentlemen making this enquiry, being to compare it with the accounts given of thefe preparations by ancient authors; and to fee whether there were any traces left of the fofter parts; and, if fo, by what means they had been preferved. The examination is curious and particular, but would afford very little entertainment to the generality of our Readers.

Art. 5. An Attempt to account for the Origin and the Formation of the extraneous Fofil, commonly called the Belemnite. By Mr. Jofoua Platt.

Mr. Platt is of opinion with Mr. Brander, who prefented a paper on the fame fubject to the Royal Society, fome years ago, that the Belemnite belongs to the teftaceous part of the animal kingdom, and to the family of the Nautili; which are very commonly found recent in the eastern feas; and in their foffile state are frequently met with among the Belemnites, at Garfington near Oxford. Why may we not therefore expect, fays Mr. Platt, to find a recent Belemnite, as well as a recent Nautilus, if a diligent perfon were strictly to examine the coafts, where the Nautili are found?-Such a difcovery indeed would ferve to put the arguments of our naturalifts out of difpute; which it must be owned, however, as it is, do not want for ftrength and plaufibility.

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Art. 6.

Art. 6. An Account of a fingular Species of Wafp and Locuft. By Samuel Felton, Ejq.

The infects here defcribed are natives of Jamaica, and are given us as non-defcripts.

Art. 7. An Account of an American Armadilla. By Dr. Watson. This fpecies of animals, we are told, hath been seldom, if ever, feen alive in England: nor is there any good figure of this creature in any of the authors who have treated of it; they hav ing taken their drawings from dead animals; which were therefore of courfe hard, ftiff and defective. The animal, of which the figure is now given, is, it seems, alive and in health, in the poffeffion of the Right Hon. the Lord Southwell: to whom it was brought over from the Mofquito fhore. Its weight is seven pounds, and its fize that of a common cat. It is a male, and hath improved greatly both in appearance and colour, fince it hath been in his Lordfhip's poffeffion. It is fed with raw beef and milk, and refufes our grain and fruits. In its own country, according to the accounts of those who treat of it, it burrows in the ground.

To this concife defcription of the animal, is annexed a welldrawn figure of i', on a large copper-plate.

Art. 8. An Account of the Quantity of Rain fallen at Mount's-bay in Cornwall, and of the Weather in that Place. By the Rev. Mr. Borlafe

This doubtlefs fome amufement, as this writer obferves, in comparing the journal of the weather in one part, with the accounts in the papers of ftorms, heats and drought, and their contraries, in another: but, though amufement may be one great end of the commen news-papers, fomething more than mere entertainment fhould be the end of a learned and philofophical focity. Not that we mean to infinuate that atmospherical and meteorological obfervations are ufelefs; on the contrary, we wish to fee more of thefe journals kept in different parts of the world, by gentlemen as accurate and careful in their obfervations as Mr. Borlate. it is, indeed, only by a comparison of numerous accounts, properly authenticated, that we can ever arrive at any kind of certainty refpecting the weather. Art. 10. Some Obfervations on the Cicada of North-America. Collested by Mr. P. Collinfon.

Of this paper, containing a very particular account of the infect treated of, we fhall beg leave to infert the whole.

In Fenniylvania the Cicada is fcen annually, but not in such numbers as to be remarkable; but at certain periods, of 14 or 15 years diflance, they come forth in fuch great fwarms, that the people bave given them the name of Locufts. About the latter end of April thefe Cicada come near the furface: this is known, by the hogs routing after them. They creep out of

the

the ground, near the roots of trees, in fuch numbers, that in fome places, the earth is fo full of holes, it is like an honeycomb.

Their first appearance is in an hexapode (an ill-shapen grub) with fix feet. This is their middle or nymph ftate: they creep up every thing near them, and fix their claws faft, on the fhrubs, and bark of trees: then the skin on its back bursts open, and the fly comes forth, difengaging itself by degrees, leaving the cafe or exuviæ behind, in the exact fhape, in which it was before occupied.'

At first coming out, the Cicada are all white, with red eyes, and feem weak, and tender; but next day they attain to their full ftrength and perfection, being of a dark brown colour, with four finely-veined tranfparent wings, as will be better seen than defcribed, by the fpecimens.

They come forth out of the ground in the night; being then secure from being difturbed by fo many creatures, that prey. on them, whilft they are under the operation of exchanging one ftate for another. From the tenth of May to the fifteenth, they are obferved to be fpred all over the country.

As foon as the dew is exhaled, the Cicada are very active, flying about from tree to tiee. The male makes a finging noife, calling the female, which he effects by a tremulous motion he gives to two bladders, filled with air, under his wings. From their numbers the noife is fo loud and troublefome, that it interrupts converfation with a continual dinn, from morning to evening. They continue coupling to the fixteenth of May: foon after the males difappear, and the females lay their eggs. They are much larger than the males.

They never could be perceived eating any thing; yet, as they are furnished with a long probofcis, which they frequently extend, they may fuck the dews, or the farina of flowers.

The male, in coupling, hath, at the end of his tail, two hooks, with which he enters between the rings, that furround the body of the female. These, spreading internally, confine them long together; which may be requifite, as there is a great number of eggs to impregnate, fome fay fix or feven hundred.

• Soon after this work is over, the female begins laying her eggs. To affift her in this operation, he is armed with a dart near half an inch long, fixed between her breaft and belly, and which extends to the end of her tail. This fhe fheaths up, when it is not in ufe: with this dart fhe pierces the small twigs of trees, and, at the fame time, injects an egg.' The darted twigs, engraved on the plate, will better fhew the manner of this operation, than any verbal description.

It is furprifing to fee how quick they penetrate into hard wood, and croud it full of eggs, the length of two or three

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inches,