drawings of fish painted upon rice-paper with an accuracy, a delicacy and high finish not to be surpassed. Mr. Yarrell is, evidently well qualified for the task which he has undertaken, and he has come forward in an admirable spirit to enlarge the circle of knowledge respecting the natural history of fishes.

Mr. Yarrell's descriptions are elaborate without being tediously minute, and his remarks evince a scientific intimacy with his subject: the style in which they are conveyed is polished and agreeable, but probably a degree more of animation and familiarity would enhance the pleasure of a perusal by the general reader or the incipient Ichthyologist, to whom the track should be rendered as facile and alluring as possible.

The illustrations, of which there are twenty-one in the number before us, are given with a laudable regard to detail; they are cut in wood with taste and singular delicacy; indeed for a publication designed for wide circulation, where the impressions must consequently be numerous, it would, in our opinion, be advisable to aim at more force, in order to escape the peculiar disadvantage of worn and broken-up blocks before the requisite supply is obtained. The necessity is obvious: Old Bowles, the printseller of the "Black horse," in Cornhill, the early employer of Hogarth, Laguerre, and a whole host of engravers, whose labours he purchased at little more than the cost of the copper on which they worked, was so sensible of the importance of "depth" that on the commencement of the process of corrosion, his usual cry was "Bite it in deep!" and the completion of the same was sure to produce an eager inquiry of "Is it black?" alluding to the state of the etching from the latter circumstance, this hard-fisted chapman in art, was, facetiously, designated "Black Jack," a soubriquet which adhered to him to the day of his death. Now we do not wish the artist to sacrifice every thing to depth for the sake of a multitude of impressions, but we caution him not to lose sight of the fact that minute and very delicate cuts are not susceptible of the """ wear and tear" of any but a very limited demand, and that his professional reputation may suffer injury in consequence of an oversight. The late Lord de Tabley, that munificent patron of British Art, some years back, projected a magnificent series of illustrations of British Ichthyology, to be engraved in the line manner from original drawings by the noble amateur himself; the descriptions were to have emanated from the talented pen of W. Jerdan, Esq.; but the lamented indisposition and subsequent demise of his Lordship, we believe, unfortunately suspended the publication.

A History and Description of the late Houses of Parliament, and ancient Palatial Edifices of Westminster. By John Britton and Edward W. Brayley. Parts IV. and V. London: John Weale, High Holborn.

By an Address inserted in the first of these numbers, it seems that the spirited authors have lately obtained access to some important documents relating to the ancient Palace of Westminster; and as extensive researches are now making among the national archives for further authentic materials, they are anxious to avail themselves of such opportunities, in the hope of giving additional value and increased interest to the work. The quantity of letter-press in these two numbers is in

The plates for the Annuals are, invariably, wrought much deeper than is ac ceptable to the judgment of the connoisseur

consequence much diminished, but an assurance is held out that the promised portion of literary matter will be strictly conceded as the volume advances to completion. What is given, however, is extremely interesting, having been derived almost wholly from the original documents belonging to the Office of the King's Remembrancer of the Exchequer, and from the Chancellor's Roll of the 12th of King Edward I. in the British Museum.

The following instances (among others) of infringement on the privileges of the palace, in the reign of Edward II. with the awards made in each case, are derived from the Placita and other rolls.

"In the King's second year, Alice, the daughter of Nicholas le Ken, was summoned to answer the complaint of Walter de Bedewynde, the Remembrancer of the Exchequer, who had accused her of reviling him, by calling him "a thief, seducer, and other opprobrious names,' in the great hall at Westminster, and elsewhere within the King's Palace there, and which she denied. A jury of the court, and of persons dwelling near the palace, was consequently impannelled; and having found that the insult was given " upon the King's Bridge of his palace at Westminster," they awarded damages to the amount of forty pounds.

"In the sixth year of Edward II., a court of the palace for pleas of the Crown"Placita aulæ domini Regis de Corona". -was held at Westminster, before Hugh de Audley, steward and marshal of the king's household, when John de Redinges was arraigned for counterfeiting the king's privy seal; but he alleged that he had purchased it of Edmund de Malo Lacu, the former steward, (who was also before the court,) for forty talents of gold, and judgment was in consequence given against the latter.*

"On the eve of Ascension day, in the 8th of Edward II. (anno 1315,) Thomas de Gerdestan, Archdeacon of Norfolk, and one of his officers, were impleaded before the king and his council, then sitting in parliament at Westminster, for that they, on the eighth of March preceding, the king being then in his palace and holding his parliament, did cite Joan de Barr, Countess of Warenne, she being then in attendance on the queen consort in the chapel of the said palace, to appear in the church of St. Nicholas of Braheden, to make answer to Maud de Nerford, in a cause of divorce between her and John Earl of Warenne. The fact having been proved, the archdeacon and his officer were committed to the Tower.”

The embellishments in No. 4 are plans of the south half of the Crypt, and of the northern half of St. Stephen's Chapel, drawn by Billings, and engraved by Bellin; View of the Long Gallery, in ruins, looking north, drawn and engraved by T. Clark; View of the South Walk of the Cloisters, drawn by Billings and engraved by Clark; and View of the House of Lords, &c. after the fire, drawn by Billings, and engraved by Woolnoth :-those in No. 5 are-St. Stephen's Chapel, Interior, looking east, drawn by Billings, and engraved by Le Keux; New House of Lords, drawn by Billings, and engraved by Clark; New House of Commons, drawn by Billings, and engraved by Taylor.

With the exception of the diminution of the letter-press, which is sufficiently explained, and cannot be deemed an excuse for complaint, this work fully maintains its high ground in all its departments, and we see nothing to justify the slightest depreciating observation. When finished, it will be a most interesting and valuable history.

* Vide "Additional Manuscripts" in the British Museum, Ayscough's Catalogue, No. 4,486, fo. 52.

+ Vide Ryley's "Placita Parliamentaria," p. 543; and "Cal. Rot. Patentium," p. 75, 6 : edit. 1802.

Arboretum Britannicum; or the Hardy Trees of Britain, Native and Foreign, pictorially and botanically delineated, &c. &c. by J. C. Loudon, F. L. S., &c. No. 5. May, 1835. London: Longman and Co.

The Magazine of Natural History, and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology, and Meteorology. May, 1835.

The Gardener's Magazine. May, 1835.

The Architectural Magazine, and Journal of Improvement in Architecture, Building, and Furnishing, &c. May, 1835. Conducted by J. C. Loudon, F. L. S., &c. London: Longman and Co.

These monthly publications have lost none of their usefulness and value,—indeed, we are disposed to think that each succeeding number lays claim to some new attraction. In the Arboretum Britannicum, we observe a decided improvement in the execution of the plates. The History and Geography of Trees in the British Islands is continued, with some information and anecdotes of an interesting character.—The Magazine of Natural History, &c. contains some intelligent papers written with considerable tact.—In the Gardener's Magazine are various communications on the gardening of Belgium and France, which are well worthy of perusal; and a series of designs for laying out and planting Flower Gardens, merit particular attention.-The Architectural Magazine is rich in its original articles. Amongst others is an able paper on the elements and principles of Gothic Architecture, by Picton, the Architect, embellished with many well-executed wood-cuts.

From the Arboretum Britannicum we select the following interesting article:-"John Bartram, one of the most distinguished of American botanists, was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1701. His grandfather, of the same name, accompanied William Penn to this country in 1682. John Bartram was a simple farmer; he cultivated the ground for subsistence, while he indulged an insatiable desire for botany. He was self-taught in that science, and in the rudiments of the learned languages, and medicine and surgery. So great, in the end, was his proficiency in his favourite pursuit, that Linnæus pronounced him the greatest natural botanist in the world.' He made excursions, in the intervals of agricultural labour, to Florida and Canada, herborising with intense zeal and delight. At the age of 70, he performed a journey to East Florida, to explore its natural productions; at a period, too, when the toils and dangers of such an expedition far exceeded those of any similar one which could be undertaken at the present time, within the limits of the United States. He first formed a botanic garden in America, for the cultivation of American plants as well as exotics. This garden, which is situated on the banks of the Schuylkill, a few miles from Phaladelphia, still bears his name. He contributed much to the gardens of Europe, and corresponded with the most distinguished naturalists of that quarter of the globe. Several foreign societies and academies bestowed their honours upon him, and published communications from him in their Transactions. John Bartram died in 1777, in the 76th year of his age. At the time of his death he held the office of American botanist to George III. of England. He was amiable and charitable, and of the strictest probity and temperance. (Encyc. Amer.)”

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTION, BIRMINGHAM.

Ar this Institution a course of four lectures was commenced on the fourteenth of May, by Mr. Wallace, "On the mental faculties of man," exemplified by various natural and experimental illustrations. The first lecture had a reference principally to sensations, as the primary source of intellectual power; but as the inferior animals possess this faculty in a degree equal, or superior to man himself, the use of language was referred to as his distinguishing characteristic,-by which he was enabled to reason, and thus have dominion over the inferior animals. An extract was here read from a paper in the first volume of the " Edinburgh Philosophical Journal," page 172, in which is contained an account of a boy born deaf and blind, and who, being destitute both of a language of words and a language of signs, was consequently incapable of exercising the reasoning faculty at all. The habits of the inferior animals were exemplified by animal architecture,—as for instance, the nests of birds, the abodes of ants and of bees, and the works of aquatic animals in the formation of such substances as coral. These were stated to be always similar in similar animals, and consequently always of one particular nature in the same animals; while the architecture, and fabrications of man, were altogether arbitrary, and even dissimilar at various times, arising out of the arbitrary nature of language itself.

In the second lecture, the construction of the human eye was explained, and the commonly received opinion controverted, that the inverted pictures upon the retina are the final causes of sensation within the eye. In place of this the lecturer considered the base of the optic nerve as the true seat of vision. The modifications of structure in various eyes, and of conformation under various circumstances, were illustrated by a hollow cube, and a hollow hemisphere of glass, filled with water, by which it was shewn that the surfaces of all transparent media act in pairs, and that they are acted upon by equal forces towards their centre, (in the transmission of light), by which a central optical plane is produced, where the images of objects are uniformly suspended, and from which they are transmitted to the eye. This being the case, the conflicting opinions of authors upon the subject of the varied refraction of light, by the employment of denser or rarer mediums, were shewn to result from fallacies originating in the modifications of the surfaces of hollow vessels, when filled with them. This was explained to originate in the varied specific gravities of these mediums, tending to curve the surfaces of the vessels, -as well as the upper surface of the liquid or solid employed,-in greater or less degrees; and even in the formation of a foreign atmosphere, produced by the employment of such light bodies as ether and phosphorus. Another cause of fallacy was said to arise also from the nature of the eye itself, which, by rendering those parts of the vessel employed, which are nearest the eye, greater (apparently) than those which are more removed from it,—according to the well known principles of perspective,— creates a difference in the measure of the central plane, when that is compared with either of the surfaces producing it.