the Miltonian style; though no version can equal the sub- He 's fair and fit for the pack at all times. The Ass is slow and lazy too; But the whip and spur will make him go. other traces of organic structure, now found in solid stra- | began; and the ass, who was a devout worshipper on the ta, that these rocks were once soft and pliable, so as to be occasion, was taught to kneel, as in duty bound, at certain capable of admitting these bodies. They point also to intervals, while a hymn no less rational than pious was these substances, some of which are derived from the land, sung in his praise. The holy hymn, recorded by Du Gange, and others from the ocean, as evidences of the dominion is a model for beauty, elegance, and devotion. The followwhich the latter formerly exercised over the surface of ex-ing is a translation of four stanzas of the sacred ode, in tensive portions of the earth, which are now dry and elevated; and as the most indubitable proofs of the physical revolutions which have, at remote periods, devastated its surface, involving these genera of shells, plants, &c. in the general catastrophe. The bones of several large quadrupeds, some of which are of extinct or non-descript species, and the osseous and enduring remains of birds, fishes, and reptiles, which are often found, not only in alluvial deposite, but also in well consolidated strata, sufficiently indicate these changes, and point to several distinct submersions; some of which were manifestly produced by salt, and others by fresh water. Most of these disturbances and reproductions of strata, have, we believe, been attributed to causes operating in a very remote period of the world.-We wish only to discover the osseous or petrified remains of man, in situations similar to those in which we find the brute tribes of the creation, to bring the revolutions to which we have adverted down to a much later period of history. If we suppose the present marks to be genuine, And we here perceive some evidences of this nature. they are found, as we should naturally expect, not upon those elevated mountains of granite and mica slate which may be supposed to be sufficiently firm and well-based to have resisted the elemental shock; but in the central portions of a low and kindly valley, on the surface of one of those strata which are confessedly reproductions or resolutions from pre-existing species. The ass was born and bred with long ears, And yet the Lord of asses appears. The ass excels the hind at a leap, And faster than hound or hare can trot. ITEMS OF NEWS. Marshal Bourmont has made an attack on Lisbon, and has been defeated. The deaths from Cholera in the city of Mexico are said to have amounted to 20000 in thirty-five days. A correspondent of the Journal of Commerce, who writes from Vera Cruz under date of Sept. 22d, says :-"We have been severely scourged by the CholeWithin about thirty days we have lost about one quarter of our estimated population." ra. The New Orleans Bulletin of the 22d ult. states that the two choleras and two yellow fevers with which New Orleans has been visited within the last twelve months, has carried off ten thousand persons, or about one-fifth of the permanent population! It is not our design to pursue this speculation into those details which it is calculated to invite. But we are natu--New Entertaining Press. rally led to inquire-are these marks natural or fictitious? If genuine, at what period of the world were they impressed? Whether by the present race of Indians, or by any other nations who have inhabited this continent during its primeval age? Have the calcareous rocks of the Mississippi Valley been in a state sufficiently soft to receive such impressions since their original formation? Were these rocks deposited during the Noachian deluge, or at any subsequent time? If deposited at that period, is there any reason to conclude that this continent was then inhabited? Finally, were these tracks not impressed at a comparatively modern period, probably by that race of men who erected our larger mounds? May we not suppose a barrier to have existed across the lower part of the Mississippi, converting its immense valley into an interior sea, whose action was adequate to the production and deposition of calcareous strata? We do not consider such a supposition incompatible with the existence of transition rocks in this valley, the position of the latter being beneath the secondary, Are not the great northern lakes the remains of such an ocean? And did not the sudden demolition of this ancient barrier, enable this powerful stream to carry its banks, as it has manifestly done, a hundred miles into the Gulf of Mexico? FESTIVAL OF THE ASS. THE following account of this festival is taken from Edgar's Variations:-"The friends of this ceremony had, by their superior discernment, discovered that an ass was the conveyance of Joseph and Mary, when they fled for an asylum from Herod into Egypt. An institution, therefore, was appointed for the commemoration of the flight and deliverance. "A handsome girl, richly attired, represented Mary, who, from some flattering representations of her ladyship, was accounted a Jewish beauty. The girl, bedizened with finery, was placed on an ass, covered with a cloth of gold and richly caparisoned. The ass, accompanied by a vast concourse of clergy and laity, was led to the cathedral of the parish. The girl, who represented the mother of God, seated on the ass, was conducted into the sanctuary itself, and placed, with the Gospels, near the altar. High mass The Pope has granted permission to the members of the Catho lic Church in the United States to eat meat on Friday. A merchant in Boston advertises for sale one camel's hair shawl the original cost of which was one thousand dollars. It is stated that the real and personal estate in this city is valued at 189,931,000 dollars; that 10,000,000 lbs. of butter are consumed here annually; and that the whole number of beeves slaught ered for consumption exceeds a thousand a week. PUBLISHED BY ORIGEN BACHELER, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR, Should an order for the Magazine be received unaccompanied by Companies of four individuals sending FIVE DOLLARS, current As the sum of $1 50, which is the price of the Magazine to a single subscriber, cannot conveniently be sent by mail, it will be necessary that two subscribers at least send payment in a letter together. Schools adopting the Magazine will be supplied at One Printed by George P. Scott & Co. corner of Nassau and Ann Streets. VOL. I. OR WEEKLY ABSTRACT OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. NEW YORK, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1833. NATURAL HISTORY. [From Good's Book of Nature.] ON ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, AND THE DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS NO. 29. hundred and thirty: the two most fatal of which last are, c. Cerastes, or horned serpent; and c. Naja, hooded serpent, or cobra de capello. In both Asia and Africa, we meet with whole tribes of barbarians who are capable of handling the most poisonous of these amphibials, and of eating them up alive from head to tail, without the smallThese barbarians, some of whom were known to the Greeks and Romans, and are particularly alluded to by Celsus and Lucan, were formerly called Psylli. The power they affect has been laughed at by M. Denon, but without any kind of reason for derision. It is a curious subject, however, and connected with others of equal singularity; and must therefore be reserved for a future study. terized by having their bodies covered altogether with simple scales, and never with plates, or as being ringed, wrinkled, or tubercled. This class is not much disturbed by M. Cuvier's later arrangement: but he has separated the tortoises from the lizards, denominating the first, as an order, CHELONIA; and the second SAURIA; and has removed the frogs, salamanders, and sirens, into a fourth order, to which he has given the name of BATRACHIA, characterizing them by the possession of a naked skin; feet; with branchia in the young. THE next class to that of birds in a descending direc-est injury: even the bite itself producing no mischief. tion is named AMPHIBIA; which, for the sake of brevity, and having no English synonym to meet it, I shall take leave now, as I have on former occasions, to render AMPHIBIALS. The term, indeed, whether regarded as Greek or English, is not very strictly precise in its present application; for it intimates an intention to include in this class all animals capable of existing in the two elements of air and water. We have already observed, however, that there are various fishes, as the eel-tribe generally, one The poisonous serpents differ from each other in their species of the perch, and two or three of the exocœtus or respective kinds, by having their bodies more or less flying-fish, to which many more might be added that are covered with scuta or plates, instead of mere scales; excapable of existing in air as well as in water; while the cepting that the rattlesnake is chiefly distinguished by the insect kinds offer us a still greater number that are simil-rattle at his tail. The four harmless genera are characarly endowed, and the worms a still more numerous train. It has been said, indeed, that the animals of this class have a peculiar agreement in the structure of their organs of respiration, which makes an approach to that of birds and quadrupeds, and differ very essentially from that of fishes, insects, and worms. Upon the whole, however, there is no class that offers so great a diversity in the make of its respiratory organs as the class before us, of which I had occasion to take notice in the progress of our last series of study. In the tortoise and others among the more perfect of the amphibious tribes, the remark of their approximation to the respiratory organs of the higher classes will unquestionably hold; but it will by no means hold in various cases of the lizards; while the proper place for the siren, which is possessed both of lungs and gills, remains doubtful to this moment: it is sometimes grouped among the fishes, sometimes in the order of amphibious reptiles; while Linnæus, after having in the earlier editions of his system fixed it in this last situation, appears to have intended, had his life been spared long enough, to form a new order of amphibials for the express purpose of receiving it, which he proposed to denominate MEANTES. As the Linnæan class of amphibials at present stands, it consists of not more than two orders: REPTILES, or amphibious animals possessing feet; and SERPENTS, or amphibious animals without feet. The different kinds under each are but few: the reptiles containing only five; the testuda, draco, lacerta, rana, and siren; or in plain English, the tortoise, flying dragon, lizard, frog or toad, and siren. The serpents comprise only seven genera: the crotalus, or rattle snake; boa; coluber, or viper; anguis, harmless snake, or blind worm; amphisbæna; cœcilia; and achrochordus. * Among the REPTILES, the most extensive and important kind is the lacerta or lizard; for it includes, among other species, the alligator, crocodile, proper lizard, chameleon, salamander, newt, and eft. Among the seven genera of SERPENTS, the first three, rattlesnake, boa, and viper, or rather coluber, are more or less poisonous: the rattlesnake in all its species, which are six or seven; the boa in five, out of about seventeen; and the coluber or viper in about thirty, out of about a * Graelin and Camper introduced it into the class of fishes; and in Turton it occurs in the class Mammalia, order Brita, as a variety of the trichechus manati, or lamantin. FISHES are classically characterized in the Linnæan system as being always inhabitants of the water; swift in their motion, and voracious in their appetite; breathing by means of gills, which are generally united by a bony arch; swimming by means of radiate fins, and for the most part covered over with cartilaginous scales. This class is divided into six orders; the ordinal characters being taken from the position of the ventral or belly fins, or from the substance of the gills. The orders are, apodal, fishes containing no ventral or belly fins; jugular, having the ventral fins before the pectoral; thoracic, having the ventral fins under the pectoral; abdominal, having the ventral fins behind the pectoral. In all these four, the rays or divisions of the gills are bony. In the fifth order, which is called branchiostegous, the gills are destitute of bony rays; and in the sixth, or chondropterigyous order, the gills are cartilaginous; all which will be easiest explained by a few familiar examples. Into the general divisions of this class M. Cuvier has introduced no change of any importance whatsoever, his own sections and names running parallel with those of Linnæus. The kind best calculated to elucidate the first or apodal order, is the well known muræna or eel; since every one must have noticed, that this fish has no ventral or, indeed, under-fins of any kind. In many of its species, it has a very near approach to the serpent tribes; insomuch that several of them are called sea-serpents, and by some naturalists are described as branches of the serpent genus. Even our common eel, muræna Anguilla, is often observed to quit its proper element during the night, and, like the snake, to wander over the meadows in search of snails and of inflicting an electrical shock so severe as to benumb Africa. The only other genus it will be necessary to glance at under this order, is the xiphias or sword fish; so denominated from its long sword-like and serrated snout, with which it penetrates and destroys its prey. Its chief species is found in the Mediterranean and other European seas, sometimes not less than twenty feet long; is very active, and, in one instance, has been known to attack an East Indiaman with so prodigious a force, as to drive its sword or snout completely through the bottom of the ship, and must have destroyed it by the leak which would hereby have been occasioned, had not the animal been killed by the violence of its own exertion; in consequence of which, the snout remained imbedded in the ribs of the ship, and no leak of any extent was produced. A fragment of this vessel, with the sword imbedded in it, has been long lodged as a curiosity in the British Museum. The jugular order of fishes, distinguished by the ventral or belly fins being placed before the pectoral or chest fins, is the next in succession, and contains only six separate kinds; of which the two most familiar to our own country are the gadus or codfish, including, among a variety of other species, the haddock, whiting, and ling; and the blennius or blenny, including several specie of the hake. these, the ventral or belly fins are advanced so far forward, as to be immediately under the jole. In gevity, having in many instances been known to reach more than a hundred years of age, and from its facility of being tamed and made to approach the edge of a fish-pond on the sound of its dinner-bell, and to eat crumbs of bread out of a man's hand. But amid the most singular of the kinds belonging to this order is the exocœtus or flying-fish, which, though oc occasionally traced in other seas, is chiefly found between the tropics, and has a power, by means of its long pectoral fins, of raising itself out of the water, and continuing suspended in the air till these fins become dry; by which means it effectually avoids the jaws of such predatory fishes as are in pursuit of it. But unhappily it is often seized at the same time by the talons of ospreys, sea-gulls, or some other rapacious birds that are perpetually hovering over the water to take advantage of its ascent. ASTRONOMY. THE MOON-CONTINUED. The first set of observations cited by M. Arago on this subject, are those of M. Toaldo, at Padua, continued through nearly half a century. Their result is apparently highly favorable to the popular opinion. The observer himself was strongly biassed in favor of the common theory, and even went further; for he says that every one is aware, from his own experience, that the nails and hair grow more quickly when cut during the increase of the the result of his observations. moon, than when cut during the wane! The following is Epoch. New moon. First quarter Second quarter Proportion of such epochs at which changes take place. Moon nearest to earth Moon farthest from earth 4 2 3 3 5 " Of the third or thoracic order, in which the ventral fins lie somewhat more backward, and directly under the pectoral or chest fins, I may instance, among those most familiar to us, the zeus or john dorée; the pleuronectis, inclu- If this were a real representation of the facts which ocding the numerous families of plaice, flat-fish, flounder, curred, and if M. Toaldo had clearly explained what console, turbot; the eyes of all which are situate on the same stituted a change of weather in his opinion, there can be side of the head, in some species on the left side, in others no doubt that the matter would be rightly considered as on the right, but always on one side alone: the perea or settled in favor of the common opinion. But M. Toaldo perch, one species of which, perea scandens, has a power, presumes and applies a theory in the formation of his oblike the eel, of quitting the water, and climbing up trees, servations. Supposing that the new and full moon exerwhich it effects by means of the spines on its gill-covers, cise a particular influence superior to any other phases, he and the spinous rays of its other fins; and the gasterosteus counts any change which happened either the day before or stickle-back. Among the more remarkable or curior after those epochs, and puts it down as happening at ous kinds, I may mention the echeneis, remora, or suck- the full or new moon: he sometimes reckons two days being-fish, which inhabits the Mediterranean and Pacific fore and after the phase in the same way. On the other seas; and though only from twelve to eighteen inches long, hand, at the quarters which he imagined to have less inadheres so firmly to the sides of vessels and of large fish-fluence on the weather, he counts only what happened in es by its head, that it is often removed with great difficulty; and was, by the ancients, supposed to have the power of arresting the motion of the ship to which it adhered. I may also mention the chatodon rostratus, beaked or rostrate chatodon, an inhabitant of the Indian seas, which curiously catches for its food insects that are flying over the surface of the sea, by ejecting water from its tubular snout with so exact an aim as to strike and stun them with the greatest certainty, and hereby to bring them down into his jaws. The fourth order of the Linnæan class of fishes, is called abdominal; in consequence of having the ventral or belly fins placed considerably more backward, and behind the pectoral or chest fins and here, as in all the preceding, the gills are bony. The salmo or salmon, with its numerous families of trout, smelt, char, and grayling; the esox or pike, including the gar fish; the clupea or herring, which, as a genus, comprises the pilchard, sprat, and anchovy; the cyprinus or carp, including the gold-fish, gudgeon, tench, and a variety of similar species; the mugil or mullet; are among the more familiar kinds of this extensive order. Of these, the herring is one of the most remarkable, from its migratory habits; and the carp, for its great lon the twenty-four hours in which the phase occurred; that is, he gives the full and new moon always three and sometimes five days in which to catch a change of weather, and only one to the quarters. It yet remains to be seen whether, if he had given the latter five or three days, and the former only one, his results would not have been exactly reversed. Another opinion of M. Toaldo, that the quantity of rain which falls in any period of nine years is the same as that which falls in any other similar period, or nearly so, is shown by M. Arago not to agree even with the results of his own tables, and not at all with observations made at Paris. But the observations of M. Toaldo are directly contradicted by those of others, of whom M. Arago cites M. Pilgram and Dr. Horsley. The former made twenty-five years of observations at Vienna. from 1763 to 1787, and his results are as follows, the first column specifying the phase, and the number in the second showing how often per cent. that phase was accompanied by change of weather : 7. Moon farthest from earth at new moon ... 64 81 9. Moon farthest from earth at full moon.... 68 From these observations we should imagine that fewer changes take place at the new moon than at any other phase, and that there are as many changes at the full moon as at the quarters, which is directly in opposition to the results of M. Toaldo. M. Arago not having the original work of Pilgram before him, could not say any thing of his method of observing, or of his definition of a change of weather. He therefore examines the preceding results to see if they be consistent with one another; and here he immediately finds a remarkable inconsistency. If we take the preceding table as proving that the place of the moon affects the weather, it is clear we must say that, cæteris paribus, the farther the moon is from the earth, the less that action is. (Compare 4 and 5, 6 and 8, 7 and 9.) We must therefore conclude that the least action of the full moon gives 68 per cent. (see 9) for the number of changes; for this is the number that it would give in the most unfavorable circumstance. But it appears (see 2) that the whole action of the full moon gives 63 per cent of changes, that is, all the full moons together, on the average, indicate less action than that indicated by a selection of the most unfavorable cases only. This appears, to us to prove, either that the observations were badly made, or that the connexion of the phases of the moon with changes of weather is, if any, of so very trivial a nature, that twenty-five years of observation, are not sufficient to detect and separate the effect of the moon from that of other causes. The observations of Dr. Horsley, though only for two years, 1774 and 1775, yet exhibit results very little indicative of any truth in the common notion. In 1774, two new moons only, and not one full moon, were accompanied with changes of weather. In 1775, four new moons only, and three full moons took place at a change. M. Arago ends by some account of various notions which have prevailed with regard to lunar influence. For example, that if the horns of the moon be sharp on the third day, the month will be fine; if the upper horn of the moon appears dusky at setting, it will rain during the wane of the moon; if the lower horn, it will rain before the full; if the centre, it will rain at the full moon; if shadows be not visible from the moonlight when it is four days old, there will be bad weather. It has been thought, also, that the April moon has considerable influence on vegetation; and that if trees are cut down during the increase of the moon, the wood will not keep. The old forest laws of France forbid the cutting of wood, except during the wane of the moon, for this reason; and M. de St. Hilaire found the same idea among the natives of Brazil. The Italian winemakers are of opinion that wine made during two moons, that is, one month and part of another, will not be good. It has been said that moonlight renders substances moist, and promotes putrefaction. This is in one sense true, since moonlight nights, that is, clear nights, are more fa- ! vorable than others for the formation of dew, and moist | substances decay sooner than dry ones. HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY. That being to whose hands imagination entrusted the thunder must be superior to, and yet in harmony with human form; because a thinking power was to be represented, and the capacity of thought can be indicated through no other form than the features of the expressive face of man. And to so high a degree of perfection rose the representing art of the Greeks, inspired and consecrated by its subjects, that it exhibited works similar indeed, yet far superior to its models, excluding every thing contingent, and uniting, on the other hand, all essential features expressive of beauty, power, and sublimity. Since, however, in representing their gods, the idea of power is always the leading one with the ancients, the expression of that power predominates in their sublimest formations. Jupiter's weighty head, from which wisdom has been born, bends forward; it meditates and directs the changes of things; it ponders their revolutions. Among all the celestials, the power of him who sways the thunder is the most unlimited, and whenever it is restrained. it is by invincible fate, and the wiles of Juno. The influence or the supposed influence of the moon on | the human body, and how long it has retained a place in our almanacs, are well known. M. Arago cites severaing in himself the fulness of his authority, and rejoicing cases in which that planet is said to have produced singular effects. For example, Ramazzini, an Italian physician, stated that in 1693 many persons who were attacked by an epidemic disorder, died at the exact time of an eclipse of the moon. This is very possible; nor is it at all to be wondered at, that imagination might produce such effects in an age when people of the highest rank would shut themselves up in a dark room during an eclipse, by the advice of their physicians, to escape from some supposed evil influence. Our limits prevent us from giving any more instances. We hope what we have said may help to draw a distinction in the minds of some of our readers between facts established by attentive observation, and the relics of an absurd system of philosophizing.-Penny Magazine. Jupiter, therefore, is most frequently represented as feel therein. An ancient gem shows him sitting on his throne, quietly looking into the universe, holding the thunder in his right hand, and in his left the imperial sceptre, with the eagle at his feet. Another contains his bust with the horns of a ram. This is the bust of Jupiter Ammon, who was principally worshipped in Lybia, where he gave oracles. Sometimes he is seen with his shoulders wrapped in the folds of a cloak, and his forehead adorned with the royal diadem. Even the curled beard and hair in the representations of Jupiter are indicative of inward power and youthful strength. He knits his black brows, he shakes the ambrosial locks of his head, and Olympus trembles. In the language of the most ancient poet, Jur ter himself, threatening the other gods, proclaims his the following manner : "League all your forces then, ye powers above, Whose strong embrace holds heaven, and earth, and main, To drag, by this, the Thunderer down to earth: Ye strive in vain! If I but stretch this hand, I heave the gods, the ocean, and the land; I fix the chain to great Olympus' height, And the vast world hangs trembling in my sight; From this representation it is also evident, that in the most perfect idea of Jupiter, the surrounding All was comprised. As, however, in this idea every thing is exalted and ennobled, what wonder that those heroes whose ancestors were unknown should be called sons of Jupiter. They were the eminent children of the universe, and consequently the genuine sons of Jove. And with such a deity-uniting in his being the mean and trifling with the majestic and sublime-with such a deity, fancy was free to trifle now and then; she was free to grasp, herself, the golden chain, in order to draw down Jupiter from his Olympic seat. Thus she herself was drawn up to the skies. Nevertheless, even in these fictions of imagination, deity appears exceedingly distant from, and far superior to humanity. A modern poet describes this distance and superiority, with the true genius of the ancients, in the following lines: THE BOUNDS OF HUMANITY. "When the most ancient, holy father, with quiet hand, sows blessed lightnings over the earth from rolling clouds, I kiss the lowest hem of his robe, my faithful heart deeply impressed with filial awe. "For with gods man must not strive, whoever he may be. If he raises himself, with proud head, to touch the stars, the soles of his feet find no firm resting place; he is the sport of clouds and winds. "And if with firm, marrowy bones he stands upon the well founded and lasting earth, he rises not high enough to dare a comparison with the oak or with the vine. "What distinguishes immortals from men? That many waves pass on before the former, a stream eternal: while the wave raises us, the wave swallows us; we sink to the bottom. "Small is the circle that bounds our life; and the endless chain of their existence is formed by many lasting generations." GOETHE. In nature, fancy could find nothing more pure and sublime than the earth-surrounding ether or sky; and the ether, therefore, was chosen by her for the archetype of the chief deity. Thus an ancient poet :-" Thou beholdest the high, unmeasured ether, that with tender embrace clasps the earth to his bosom; him thou must regard as god supreme, him regard as Jupiter!"-Moritz' Mythology. STATUES above the ordinary size were named by the | sian, in the ampitheatre, that bore the name of Colisaa. ancients Colossi, from a Greek word which signifies Claudius caused a colossal statue of himself to be raised 'Members.' That at Rhodes was the most famous, exe- on a rock exposed to the sea waves, in front of the port of cuted by Carelus, a pupil of Lysippus. There were sev- Ostium. Nero had his person and figure painted on a lineral at Rome; the most considerable was that of Vespa- en cloth, 120 feet in height. In the Court of the Caplitol, |