Current Prices of Shares in Docks, Navigable Canals, Water Works, Fire and Life Insurance, &c. at the Office of Messrs. Wolfe and Co. No. 9, 'Change Alley, Cornhill, 228 June, 1810 → Grand Junction Canal, 3101. per share.-Wilts and Berks ditto, 591. ditto.-Kennet and Avon ditto, 471. ditto-Huddersfield ditto, 401, ditto.-Lancaster ditto, 271. 10s. duto-Grand Surry disto, 771. ditto.-Croydon ditto, 461. ditto -Ellesmere ditto, 791. ditto -Rochdale ditto, 511. ditto.-Worcester and Birmingham, 81. per share premium.-Leeds and Liverpool ditto, 1901. per share.-Grand Union, 101. per share, premium.-Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union ditto, 1521. per share.-London Dock Stock, 1361. per cent.-West India ditto, 1761. ditto.-East India ditto, 1341. ditto.-Commercial ditto, 901. per share premium. -East London Water Works, 2311. per share.-West Middlesex ditto (with the appropriation attached), 2311 ditto.--South London ditto (with the appropriation attached), 1381. ditto.Kent ditto, 401. per share premium.-Manchester and Salford ditto, 2001. ditto.-Colchester ditto, 551. ditto.-Portsmouth and Farlington, ditto, 241. ditto.-Strand Bridge, 11. per share discount.-Vauxhall ditto, 21. ditto.-Commercial Road, 401. per share premium.-Great Dover-street ditto, 81. ditto.-Globe Insurance Office, 1301. per share.-Albion ditto, 601. ditto.Imperial ditto, 801, ditto.—Rock ditto, 21s. per share premium.-Hope ditto, 5s. per share discount.-Eagle ditto, 105. ditto.-Atlas ditto, par. MONTHLY BOTANICAL REPORT. THE phenogamic plants contained in English Botany for April, May, and June, are Chara gracilis, the Chara minor caulibus et foliis tenuissimis of Vaillant. Dr. Smith acknowledges that he mistakenly considered this plant, in his Flora Britannica, as the Chara vulgaris, in a naked or unincrustated state. The doctor never shews his love of the science better than when he thus readily confesses the errors which he may have fallen into, as indeed we ever observe him inclined to do. Avena planicu!mis, of Schrader's Flora Germanica, discovered in 1807 by Mr. George Donn, on rocks upon the summits of the highest mountains of Clova, Angusshire. Peucedanum Silaus. It is here observed that the seed of this species hardly having any border, it but imperfectly answers to the generic character. To us it appears that the whole • natural order of umbellara requires a revision; many of the species, as now arranged, differ very much in the form of their fruit from one another in the same genus. The division which Linnæus adopted trom Astedi according to the involucrum, general and partial, does not seem to us very favourable to a natural arrangement of the species under their proper genera, nor indeed is this part sufficiently constant in all to serve the purpose of a merely artificial division, without frequent liability to error. Juncus lampocarpus of Earart, one of the species which Linnæus confounded together under bis name of articulatus, a name which Dr. Smith proposes to drop altogether, as it included not only three distinct species indigenous to this conntry, but also one American. This is a large kind of jointed rush with shining dark brown seed-vessels. Juncus cbtxafiorus; another jointed rush, readily distinguished from the last from its pale coloured, more branched, and entangled panicles, and having the ultimate branches strongly reflexed. Mr. Davies has accurately distinguished these species and acutiflorus in the tenth volume of the Linnean Transactions. The latter has been before figured in English botany, under the name of articulatus. Papaver somniferum; found on the banks of all the fen ditches in the low parts of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, if the soil be sandy. This species is cultivated, not only as mentioned by Dr. Smith, for the sake of its half-ripe capsules, an infusion of which proves a gentle opiate; but even opium of a good quality has been in this country collected from it, and it has been much recommended of late to be cultivated for the sake of the seeds, from which an oil is extracted not greatly inferior to olive oil. Brassica Nastus; rape or cole-seed, cultivated for the sake of the oil which is used particularly by the wool-combers. This plant is now so perfectly naturalized, that it is very commonly found in a wild state, though supposed by Ray not to be indigenous. Arundo Calamagrostis Misled by Linnæus's synonyme, Hudson and Withering applied the name of Epigcios to this species; an error which has spread wide among English botanists. And although this mistake has been long ago set right, yet from a wrong figure having been annexed to the description of A. Calamagrostis, at p. 403 of English Botany, it is supposed that many young botanists may still have been puzzled about these plants. But as a good figure of the last mentioned species is now given, and also a new page of letter-press for pi. 403, the business is in a fair way of being at last settled satisfactorily. Arundo stricta of Schrader, discovered in June 1807, by Mr. George Donn, in a marsh called the White Wire, a mile from Dorfar. It is, Dr. Smith observes, "next akin to the foreign Agrostis arundinacea, which is likewise surely an Arundo, as Linnæus originally, and Schrader recently, has made it." Ulmus Uimus suberosa. This, according to the late Mr. Crowe, was the origin of all the varieties of the Dutch elm, but he was not aware of its being a native of Britain. It is easily distin guished by the twigs of a year old being covered with a fine kind of cork with deep fissures. In the Botanical Magazine for April, May, and June, we have in Mr. Gawler's depart ment: Tritonia viridis, the Gladiolus viridis of the Hortus Kewensis, in which genus it was also are ranged by Mr. Gawler himself in the Annals of Botany. A new generic character is here given, and Mr. G. has added an enumeration of all the species, of which capensis and crispa, come the nearest to the present plant; but crocata, fenestrata, squalida, deusta, and wrists, all nearly allied to one another, recede so far in their appearance from this, that we can hardly think botanists in general will be content to arrange them under the same genus. Mora angusta, a species nearly allied to tripetala, of which no figure has been before pub. lished; the present one was copied by permission of Sir Joseph Banks, from an original drawe ing in his library; as was likewise the following, Aristea melaleuca, a singularly beautiful species. Aloe rbodacantha. Melanthium monopetalum. One of the Cape species which Thunberg separated from the natives of America, under the name of Wurmbea. But Mr. Gawler having united Melanthium verginicum to Helonias retains the original generic name for the African species. Galaxia graminea. The flowers of this genus are so extremely fugacious, that Mr. Gawler has been driven to copy an original drawing in the Banksian collection, though this plaut has flowered several times at Lee and Kennedy's. Aponogeton distachyon. The narrow-leaved species of this singular genus of water planta having been before figured in the Botanical Magazine, and no coloured drawing having been yet published of the present one, for what is given for it in the Botanists' Repository, is the angustifolium, we have here another copy from Sir Joseph Banks's original drawings, from which the difference between the two is so evident, that they will not probably be again confounded. To this article is added a correction of No. 1129, by which it would appear that Allium inodorum, fragrans of Ventemat, and gracile of Hortus Kewensis, are all the same. We imagine, contrary to what seems to be here supposed by Mr. Gawler, that the name of ireder does not allude to the scentless flowers, but to the plant wanting the peculiar smell commen to the genus, as mentioned in the former article. Morea spicata and Moræà crispa, var. y. The first of these is nearly allied to M. colina, and like that is, in our opinion, a doubtful species, if the Cape Irises of other authors are to be included under the name of Moræa. Ixia maculata var. ochsoleuca; a beautiful species, for we can hardly consider it as a variety of maculata, taking our ideas of the latter from the viridis and amethystina. In Dr. Sims's department for the same months, are Teucrium orientale. First discovered by Tournefort in Armenia. Mr. Loddiges received his seeds from Siberia. There is no figure of this plant but that of Commelin. us. Nymphæa rubra; an East Indian species, requiring artificial heat to make it flower with Could it be naturalized to our climate, our ponds might be made to rival the parterre, by mixing this, which has bright crimson flowers, with our elegant native white waterlilies. Gypsophila prostrata; we hope Dr. Sims will soon publish the repens, for as these plants do not correspond with the Linna an specific characters, it is only by having good figures of Loth, that the difliculties respecting them can be settled. Daphne pontica. This is another of Tournefort's discoveries during his voyage into the Levant. Being hardy and of fine rich laurel-like foliage, it is a valuable acquisition to our gardens, the more especially as will it grow in the shade, and under the dripping of trees Andromeda calyculata var. ventricosa. Dr. Sims has enumerated five varieties of this pretty little hardy early-flowering shrub, native of Siberia. Achillea Clarence, as Dr. Sims has corrected the spelling. It is not we believe generally known that this name is derived from Nicholas Clavena, a Venetian apothecary, who, after Clusius, discovered it on Mount Serva, advertised it as a useful stomachic remedy, and ob tained a patent for the exclusive sale of a conserve made of it. Like most plants that naturally inhabit very elevated mountains, it is somewhat difficult to preserve. Vaccinium resinosum, B. One of the prettiest of the North American whortle-berries. Aspalathus carnosa, A native of the Cape of Good Hope, and here an inhabitant of the green-house during the winter months. Campanula thyrscidea. We think that Dr. Sims has started some difficulties respecting the distinction between this species and C. spicata, which he has not quite satisfactorily re move). Salvia amena. No figure or botanical description appears to have been before given of this sage, which is a stove shrub, native of the West Indies. There are several species natives of South America, which bear great affinity with this, 1 Lachne Corchorus japonicus. The double-flowered variety. Native of China; a new and valuablę acquisition to our flowering shrubs. Styphelia triflora. Native of New South Wales, near Port Jackson, and a handsome greene house flowering shrub. And springeth the wde nu."-Old Ballad. THE wind has been more or less easterly every day during the present month, except the 8th, 9th, 10th, 21st, and 22d. On the evenings of the 4th, 5th, and 10th, it was northwest; and it varied from south-east to north-west, from the 15th to the 25th. From the 25th to the 31st it was generally easterly until towards the evening, when it sometimes changed to west or south-west. There were strong gales from the south-east on the 54, 7th, 11th, and 14th; and from the south-west on the 21st. During the greatest part of the month the weather has been dry; we had, however, some rain on the afternoons of the 7th, 9th, and 12th, and 14th. The 17th and 18th were rainy days; and in the night of the 20th some rain fell. The evenings and nights have been for the most part unseasonably cold. May 1. For the first time this year I heard the nightingale; but I am informed that these birds have been heard for several nights past. The swallows and martins are be ginning to build their nests. The wood-strawberry (fragaria wesca), jack-by-the-hedge (erysimum alliaria), louse-wort (pedicularis sylvatica), harebell (scilla nutans), dog violet (viola canina), cuckoo flower (cardamine pratensis), plantain-leaved sandwort (arenaria trinervia), and thyme-leaved sandwort Carenaria serpyllifolia), are in flower. May 3d. Atherines, or as they are called in Hampshire, Southampton smelts, are now caught on the sandy sea-shores in great abundance. The salmon fishers have not hitherto been very successful; nor does it seem probable that the rivers of this neighbourhood can be well supplied with salmon, so long as nets are permitted to be hawled through the winter for the purpose of catching perch and pike. The salmon spawn is by this means not only disturbed, but as I am informed, frequently dragged on shore by the nets. The construction of the wiers at the mills is also such, as oftentimes to prevent the salmon from passing up the rivers to spawn. May 5th. Field crickets (gryllus campestris) crink. This noise is produced by the males, and shrill and loud as it is, is made merely by the friction of one wing-case against the other. Each cricket has its own hole, the male separated even from the female. These holes are generally first opened in the month of March; and the insects continue to be heard untilabout the middle of August. May 6th. The sedge-warbler (motacilla salicaria), is arrived. May 8th. The following herbaceous plants are in flower: male fool's orchis (orchis mascula), common bugle (ajuga reptans), nettle (urtica dioica), cow parsnip (beracleum sphondylium), sea arrow grass (trigiochin maritimum), sea milkwort (glaux maritima), red campion (lychnis dioica), heath seg (carex recuiva), and yellow seg (carex flava). May 15th. The hawthorn is in flower. May 16th. The caterpillars of the six-spot Burnet moth (sphinx filipendule of Linnæus), * (xygena filipendule of Haworth), begin to spin (upon the stalks of rushes and grass (the yellow case in which they change into a chrysalid state. They continue in this state about forty days, when they break out from the shell in their perfect or image form. The Hy-catchers (muscicapa grisola), are arrived. Orange-tip butterflies (papilio cardamines) fly about the roads and hedges. Cock-chafers (scarabæus melolontha) are less numerous this year than I recollect them to have been for several years past. May 23d. The long-horned bee (apis longicornis) appears. These bees form a cylindrical kind of nidus, in which the female, about the beginning of July, deposits her eggs. A river trout has been caught with a rod and line which weighed nine pounds, and, in its its whole length, measured somewhat more than twenty-seven inches. The mackrel fishermen have begun to hawl their Seine pets on the sea-shore for these fish, but they have not hitherto been successtul. May 31st. The singular note of the fern-owl or goat sucker, is now heard almost every evening. I have not this year heen able to ascertain the time when these birds arrived; is however most commonly during the first ten or twelve days of May. Hampshire. MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. THE late rains in the country and about the metropolis have been of considerable advantage in filling the wheat, and forwarding other sorts of grain crops. And they will probably be of much benefit to those of the bean kind, which have been greatly injured by the fly in many places. They must likewise prove of great utility to the turnip crops, the season for sowing which has been very bad in most situations, though the land was generally in a state of fine preparation for their reception. The pastures are in common extremely scarce of grass, but the rains that have lately fillen must be of very material service to them. It has however come too late for much of the hay grounds; which are almost universally thin and poor crops. Even in the best hay districts this is the case. In consequence of the great importations of grain, it has continued at nearly its former prices.Wheat fetches from 65s. to 106s. per quarter; Fine ditto, 1085. to 116s.; Rye, 40%. to 50s.; Barley 34s. to 44s.; Oats, 26s. to 36s. Fattening stock, especially of the neat cattle kind, seems to look up; but sheep and lambs much as in our last.-Beef fetches from 5s. Od. to 6s. 6d. per stone of 81b.; Mutton, ás. Od. to 5s. 8d.; Veal, 4s. 10d. to 6s. 10d.; Pork, 5s. 8d. to 6s. 8d; Lamb, 5s. 8d. to 7s. 4d. Hay has had a considerable advance since our last.-Hay fetches from 31. Os. to 81. 10s-; Straw 31. 3s. to 31. 12s. Barometer. Wind E. METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. Observations on the State of the Weather, from the 24th of May 1810, to the 24th of June 1810, inclusive, Four Miles N.N.W. of St. Paul's. Highest, 30-09. May 30. Thermometer. Higheft, 77°. June 21. Wind E. N. E. On the 20th of June the mercury was at 68°, but on the 21st it was as high as 77°. THE rain collected during the month is not sufficient to be noticed. In this neighbourhood we have scarely had showers more than one or two days, and these were of short contineance. It is believed that in many parts of the country the weather has been more propitious to the crops of grass. Here the produce is very scanty, averaging probably but little more than half a load to an acre. The barometer has been steady, and the thermometer high; the mean height of the former is 29.82; and that of the latter upwards of 60°. The number of brilliant days has been unusually great, being 24 out of 31. The wind has, with a few exceptions, blown from the east. We have been favoured with an account of the temperature of the atmosphere, taken with a good thermometer, at Lympstone, Devon, in the morning and evening, from the 18th of November, 1809, to the 28th of May inclusive: we shall give the averages for each month: Morning past 8. November......34° December.......40.3 January .......37 March .......41-5 ...... Evening. ........ 42-1 ...... ...39.4 ...... .41.2 41.6. April Average for the whole period 41-30....... .41.88 Highgats. TO THE TWENTY-NINTH VOLUME OF THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE. VOL. 29. No. 201.] JULY 31, 1810. [PRICE 2S. HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF DOMESTIC LITERATURE. HISTORY. IRST in this class we have to an FR nounce the close of Mr. MAURICE'S labours on the "Modern History of India." The Supplement recently pub. lished, brings it " down to the year of our Lord 1783, when the imperial Mogul Dynasty, by the blinding and dethronement of Shah Aulum, virtually became extinct." At the end of all is a closing chapter, entitled “European Settlements." Mr. CHALMERS, in the prosecution of his plan for renioving the difficulties, settling the disputes, and clearing the obscurities, of the history and antiquities of Scotland, has laid before the public the second volume of his "Caledonia." From the ancient annals of Scotland he proceeds, after some introductory intimations, to give its topographic history, in a sequence of shires; beginning with the most southern, and proceeding to the northern, in a regular consecution. The localities of each shire are given in eight sections: the 1st. treating of its name; the 2d. of its situation and extent; the 3d. of its natural objects; the 4th. of its antiquities; the 5th. of its establishment as a shire; the 6th. of its civil history; the 7th. of its agriculture, manufactures, and trade; and the 8th, of its ecclesiastical history." The shires at present described, are those of Roxburgh, Berwick, Hadington, Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Peeblis, and Selkirk. The topographical history of the south-western, the eastern, and the northern, shires, is to follow in the subsequent volumes. In the investigation of truth," says Mr. Chalmers, "I have not been discouraged by any difficulty, and I have not declined any labour; I have sought new documents; and I have tried, in my narration, to be neither too general, nor too minute. I will beg leave to conclude this preface, with Carew's Prosopopeia to his Survey of Cornwall: I crave not courteous ayd of friends, Nor, proud to vaunt mine authors' names, I of no willing wrong complaine, I curry not with smoothing fermes, Our Retrospect allows so little space for any thing like elaborate examination, that having given a general view of what the reader is to expect from "Caledonia," we shall content ourselves with adding, that Mr.Chaliners's opportunities of information have been only equalled by his diligence. Here also we have to notice the second volume of Mr. PLAYFAIR'S "Family Antiquity; illustrative of the Origin and Progress of the Rank, Honours, and Personal Merit, of the Nobility of the United Kingdom." Containing the English Viscounts, Barons, and Peeresses in their own right. POLITICS. In Mr. ROSE's “Observations respecting the Public Expenditure, and the Influence of the Crown," we have much valuable information on the management of the revenue. The retrenchments of government patronage since 1782, are particularly rested on in the first part, followed by an account of the reform which Mr. Pitt made in the manner of contracting for loans and lotteries. Mr. PETRIE'S "Statement of Facts, delivered to the Right Honourable Lord Minto, Governor-general of India, on his late Arrival at Madras," will be found interesting to those who study our affairs in the East. Mr. CAPEL LOFFT has published a pamphlet "On the Revival of the Cause of Reform:" and a shorter publication has appeared on the same subject, entitled, Reform without Innovation." THEOLOGY, ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS, &C. 46 The most important work which has of late appeared in this class, will be "A Cornish word, signifying the year; the spring; or rather the fruits of the year, or budding of trees?" found 4 L |
