A Jewish High Priest in his Robes. This print is copied from one given in Calmet's Dictionary, which is presented us as "one drawn according to the conceptions of learned men." The author of the Appendix puts us still farther on our guard, by reminding us, that uncertainty attends all such conceptions, and that no two authors agree in delineating the forms and arrangements of these dresses! Of course we cannot place any great dependence upon them, "though they have been the best hitherto procurable."

In the 29th chapter of Exodus we find a minute description of the holy garments for Aaron," which were made, (with the "clothes of service,")" of the blue and purple and fine linen," " as the Lord commanded Moses." "The ephod" is first mentioned, which was made of "gold, blue and scarlet and fine twined linen;" the gold, it apears, was worked in both, in plates, and in threads, "with cunning work." Ephods are mentioned in different places, as used by different persons, sometimes under circumstances which would lead us to presume that they were made of different forms and materials. That of Aaron had shoulder-pieces," to couple it together by the two edges," and a "curious girdle of the same materials. It contained twelve "wrought onyx stones, in

46

ouches of gold, graven as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel."

For other parts of the dress the reader is referred to the passage of Scripture above mentioned.

A Giant.-The Madison Banner states on authority, that a person in Franklin county, Tennessee, digging a well, a few weeks since, found a human skeleton at the depth of fifty feet, which measures eighteen feet in length. The immense frame was entire with an unimportant exception in one of the extremities. It has been visited by several of the principal members of the medical faculty in Nashville, and pronounced unequivocally, by all, the skeleton of a huge man. The bone of the thigh measured five feet; and it was computed that the height of the living man, making the proper allowance for muscles, must have been at least twenty feet. The finder had been offered eight thousand dollars for it, but had determined not to sell it at any price until exhibiting it for twelve months. He is now having the different parts wired together for this purpose. These unwrit ten records of the men and animals of other ages, that are often from time to time dug out of the bowels of the earth, put conjecture to confusion, and almost surpass imagination itself. The "bones" must be seen before this story can be believed.

The Manheim Gazette states the following as the cause for the King of Prussia quitting Munich abruptly after the baptism of the son of the Prince Royal:-The Bishop who officiated having invited the witnesses to place their hands upon the Royal infant, according to the forms prescribed by the Church, the King obeyed, but the Bishop immediately put back his hand. "The King," says that journal, "turned upon his heel, and shortly afterwards left Munich."

The Late Dr. Herschell.-The excellent library of the late Dr: Herschell, consisting of upwards of 4,000 Hebrew volumes, among which there are many rare and valuable books and manuscripts, collected by our late Chief Rabbi, his father, and grandmother, has just been bought by the committee of the Hebrew College, for that establishment, for the very low sum of £300. We hope this valuable library will soon be arranged and catalogued, so that students desirous of information may have no hindrance in gaining access to its treasures.-Jewish Chronicle.

These crystal drops, so connected with the most affecting reflections, so powerful in their influence upon our feelings, have an origin so mysterious to the common observer, that we presume many of our readers will regard the brief explanations we have now to give, with even greater attention than what we have have said of other parts of the eye, in previous numbers of the Penny Magazine. (See Nos. 22, 23, &c. to 31, and also No. 35.)

The tears are secreted (or formed) and supplied by a gland placed in the socket, some distance above the ball, which is represented in the print above by a. It is in fact larger in proportion than here shown, being about the size of an almond. Seven pipes, finer than a hair, lead it through the eyelid. In the print below, the gland is represented more nearly in its natural size and form (a). There are seen the eyelids, as if turned upwards and downwards, b showing the holes by which the fluid comes through to the ball.

In the upper figure, ee show two minute openings, (which you may see, on a close inspection, in the inner corner of the eye of a friend,) by which the tears are drawn off into the nose, when they do not overflow.. f Shows the duct, or tube, through which they pass. This is the passage by which dust is sometimes carried, after awhile irritating the lid. It is sometimes obstructed and inflamed; and now and then we meet a person wearing a fine silver tube, passing through the bone of the nose, which is bored by nature for the duct.

But why do not the tears more frequently overflow, on their way across and around the front part of the ball, from the seven openings in the lid to the mouth of the duct? The edge of the lids is kept constantly coated with an oily fluid, formed by a distinct and

a The Tear gland; b, the holes by which the tears pass through the upper eyelid; c, the Meibomian glands, which prepare the oil for the edges of the lids; ee, the mouths of the duct.

The following appropriate general remarks, from Dr. Wallace's Treatise on the eye, may give us becoming reflections, after attending to this brief explanation.

"In the eye, we find an instrument made perfect for the purpose, with the utmost economy of material. As tears would be of no use to the inhabitants of the deep, no organs are provided for them; but where they are required, there is a gland for preparing them, and a channel for carrying them away. When the crystalline lens may be adjusted by the pulling of a single string, a single string is all that we find; but when action at only one point would alter the direction of the light, the requisite strings are liberally supplied. According to the danger to which the organ is exposed, there are suitable provisions for defence, but in no instance are they found where they are not absolutely required.Wisdom, power, and goodness are manifest in the whole structure. The bountiful Creator has provided an organ suited to the wants of His creatures, and with consummate knowledge, He has varied it according to the demand.

When the most exquisite work of man is examined with a microscope, the artist is ashamed of the coarseness of his production; but no microscope is sufficiently powerful to exhibit the minute structure of the eye of an elephant or a rhinoceros, far less of a wren or or an animalcule.

In the eye of man there is a marked care. It is protected by a projecting brow, and placed in such a situation, that he can see before him, beneath him, around him, and above him."

LIVING SKETCHES OF ITALY-No. 12.

Imposture of St. Filumena.
[Continued]

[We should feel it necessary often to apol ogize to our readers forpresenting to them so much of these childish extracts-these preposterous fictions:-but they must bear to read them, if they would learn what "C Romish popular Literature " is.]

Second Series of Miracles, viz: - Those wrought by the statues, pictures, &c., of St. Filumena.

[A long chapter is devoted to these, and it is introduced by the following remarks.]

"The worship of images has been, in all ages, a source of great benefits. Let us seek proofs of it in our Saint."

(In a note, the author here gives extracts from the decrees of the Council of Trent, and from Tertullian, in favor of image worship, and then adds :)—

"If the church has a thousand times spoken anathema against those who despise them, she incessantly invites her children to honor them with faith. Happy they who obey her."

(On the 10th of August, 1823, at the anniversary festival of the Saint's introduction at Mugnano, the image became so heavy that the people could not carry it along the street for a considerable time. The next day it was seized with a sweat, and a drop on the chin was viscid, and emitted a rich perfume. The colors also rose in the face. The people cried out, "a miracle!" The statue was then placed in the middle of the church, and a bag of relics hanging to its neck, was found to be moistened with another fluid of still sweeter odor. This fact was written down, and regularly attested by different persons, according to the forms observed in cases of this kind, and the papers were deposited in the archives of the holy sanctuary. The story was published in different countries and the worship of the Thaumaturge soon greatly increased, became established in distant provinces," (that is, regions subject to the Roman Pontiff,) "and what is still more marvellous, it melted ed the ice in a great number of obstinate hearts.")

"But what shall we say of the pictures ?" (exclaims the author.) Here miracles accumulate so much, that I am compelled, with great regret, to publish but a selection."

(At Castelvetere a chapel was built to St.

Filumena, and a picture, copied from one a: Mugnano, was laid over the image at that place, and Signor Nicolas consecrated it, invoking the Saint, after which it was sent to Castelvetere. On the way it was to be met by a long and solemn procession, led by zealous Jesuits; but a tempest arose, which would have prevented its moving, had not Don Francisco set the bells ringing, and en. couraged the villagers. On meeting the picture they shouted and sung hymns, when the right eye of the picture opened, and soon af ter the left eye also. "From these eyes," add the book,) "there proceeded I know not what kind of lightning, which penetrated the souls, and gave faith to the most delicious sentiments. The women tore off all the ornaments they had, and threw them upon the stage."

(And now appeared a distinguished lady of Montemarino, who had come with her husband to offer public thanks to the Thaumaturge, She had suffered a distressing malady for three months, and cried out: "There is not a saint in paradise who will help me!" There appeared to her a young and beautiful virgin, with two angels, saying, “You say truly, but kiss this picture of Filumena," which she did, and the angels cried out,"The grace is granted!" They disappeared, and her malady also.)

(But another miracle.-The machine on which the picture was placed, had been made too wide for the streets of Mugnano, by four palms. But the procession moved on with faith, and it was carried through without touching one of the houses on either side, the space being widened sufficiently wherever it came.) "The same miracles were repeated four months afterwards, and the fact is still attested by several hundred persons."

(The Bishop of Lucera, Monsignor Andreade Portonova, earnestly desired to have the worship of the Saint established in his cathedral, from the time he first read the book of Don Francisco, in 1829. He distribu. ted many of the book, and pictures among his people, (at what prices is not mentioned,) and soon all hearts were inflamed and the devo tion began, and heaven wrought by it a multitude of miracles." The Bishop wanted an assistant, Don Bodago declined on account of a weakness of the chest, but he applied a picture of the saint to his heart, in "obedience to his bishop," and was immediately cured!)

GREAT AMERICAN MASTODON.

In the month of August, 1845, whilst excavating marl on the farm of Nathaniel Brewster, Esq., six miles west of the village of Newburgh, Orange county, N. Y., the workmen struck upon the skull of a Mastodon. The work was carefully conducted, and at the close of the second day they had succeded in exhuming the entire skeleton, with the exception of the toes of one foot, which were probably carried out with the marl. This is the most entire skeleton of this remarkable animal ever found. The bones are in a singularly perfect state of preservation, retaining still a large portion of animal matter even in the spongy portions. The skeleton has since been arranged and set up, and this has been done with great care and the strictest attention to the articulating surfaces of all the bones, which we believe has not been the case with others which have been put toge ther. Such we believe to be the fact from the drawings we have seen of the one arranged by Mr. Peale, and from the description given to us of others which we have had no opportunity of seeing. The amount of cartilage to be supplied between the vertebræ has been misconceived, and thus the hack has been made much longer than in the living anmal. In the present instance, a perfect gage was furnished by two ribs, which, during the life of the animal, had become united longitudinally. Each one of these ribs articulated with a vertebra; and in bringing these articulating surfaces together, the exact amount of intervertebral space was found. This, in connection with the ribs which articulated with two vertebræ, determined the amount to be supplied; and thus the back of this skele ton is said to be from two to three feet shorter than those which have been made according to the fancy of the owners. The interverte bral substance is only half an inch in thick

ness.

As the discovery of this singularly perfect skeleton of an extinct race of animals has excited a very extensive curiosity, it may be interesting to many to have a particular description of the condition in which it was found. Portions of twelve skeletons of the eame animal have been discovered in the same county within the present century; but in no case have bones enough been found to give a full idea of the structure and character of the animal, and in almost all cases the bones have been in an advanced stage of decomposition.

Locality and position. - Like all others found in this vicinity, this was buried in a peat-swamp, but, in this case, of very small dimensions. The whole peat formation here is only four hundred feet long and one hundred and twelve wide, lying between two low ridges of slate hills, the whole valley being about two hundred feet wide. The clay which underlies the peat bog, descends gradually from both sides, and once formed the bot

tom of the small pond which occupied this spot. It slopes down very gradually till within six feet of where the bones were:-in one spot it is but six feet below the surface. At this point, however, it makes a sudden descent, and the bottom cannot be reached by sounding with an iron rod.

Beginning at the bottom, then, the following are the deposites which have gradually formed and filled up the pond

1. Mud, more than 10 feet.

2. Sheil marl, 3 feet.

3. A layer of red moss, 1 foot.
4. Peat, 2 feet.

Just below No. 3, in the top of the marl, and barely covered by it, lay the skeleton. The direction of the backbone was north and south. The head was thrown crosswise, so that the tusks pointed nearly to the west. Every bone occupied nearly the position it did when the animal was alive. The back of the animal was upward; each of the vertebræ in place, from the first of the neck to the last of the loins. The ribs were projected downwards on each side. The head was upon the top of the neck, and the lower jaw slipped a few inches to one side. The hind legs were spread out on each side, each bone in its place to the very feet. The whole position was precisely that of an animal that had become mired, and perished in its ineffectual strug gles to extricate itself, and it had doubtless died in the place where its bones were found.

In the midst of the ribs, imbedded in the marl and unmixed with shells or carbonate of lime, was a mass of matter composed principally of the twigs of trees broken into pieces of about two inches in length, and varying in size from very small twigs to hatf an inch in diameter. There was mixed with these a large quantity of finer vegetable substance like finely divided leaves, the whole amounting to from four to six bushels. From the appearance of this, and its situation, it was supposed to be the contents of the stomach; and this opinion was confirmed upon removing the pelvis, underneath which, in the direction of the last of the intestines, was a train of the same material about three feet in length and four inches in diameter. This was composed almost entirely of the twigs, some of them not even crushed, and retaining still the form and structure of the tree from which they

were torn,

This is by no means a solitary instance of the discovery of this matter. The same has been found in connection with other skeletons. In Godman's Natural History, under the article Mastodon, is recorded an instance of the same kind, and the species of plant found was detected. He thus quotes from a letter of Dr. Barton:-"Very lately, in digging a well near a saltlick in the county of Wythe in Virginia, after penetrating about five feet below the surface of the soil, the workmen struck upon the stomach of one of those huge animals best known in the United States by the name of

Mammoth. The contents of the viscus were carefully examined, and were found to be in a state of perfect preservation. They consisted

of half-masticated reeds (a species of Arunda or Arundinaria, still common in Virgi nia and other parts of the United States,) of twigs of trees, and of grass or leaves."

A good deal of doubt existed at the time and afterwards, as to the character of the substance; but in the case we have now before us, there can be no doubt. The appearance of the matter, and the peculiar position in which it was found, are unquestionable evidence of its being what it was supposed to be, the food which the animal had eaten.

History of the Animal.-As far as is known at present, the whole race of mastodons is extinct. There is no evidence of their existence at this day. But the numerous remains of them found in this country, indicate that they have at some period lived in great numbers on this continent. At what time this was, we shall consider hereafter. Their range, however, does not appear to have extended over the whole of North America, but to have been confined mosrly to the rich alluvial vallies. Portions of two skeletons only have been found north of Orange county in the state of New York. East of the Hudson river, portions of two have been discovered. Orange county, however, seems to have been the northern limit of their range, and the Hudson river the Eastern boundary. Passing then south through New Jersey, and thence westward through all the great western vallies, throughout this whole region the bones are found in greater or less abundance. The salt-licks of Kentucky have furnished the most of these remains; and it has been stated, that from one of these localities alone, portions of more than one hundred skeletons have been removed. This specics of mastodon is peculiar to this continent, no remains of it having been found in any other portion of the globe.

The first bones and teeth of this animal were found as early as 1712, at Albany; and were noticed in the Philosophical Transactions, in a letter from Dr. Mather to Woodward. In 1730, a French officer, by the name of Longueil, discovered some of the bones, teeth and tusks near the Ohio river; and the next year, large quantities of similar bones were washed up by the current of the same river. After this time the bones were occasionally found, down to the present, but often very much decayed, and never in sufficient quantities to make an entire skeleton. The scientific world is much indebted to the late Mr. Peale, who. with great labor and at much expense, procured, in 1800, sufficient bones to enable him to construct a tolerably complete skeleton, which is now in the Philadelphia Museum.

But though the living animal is unknown to us, the aboriginal inhabitants of this country seem to have been well acquainted with him. Many people are disposed to place very

little dependence upon Indian tradition; but however vague such tradition may become in relation to particular facts, by long transmis sion from generation to generation, yet it must have something real and true for its origin. Such we believe to be the fact in relation to this animal. We shall, therefore,

give a few of these traditions as concisely as possible.

In President Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, we find the following tradition of the Indians, in relation to this animal:

"That in ancient times a herd of these animals came to the Big Bone Lick, and began a universal destruction of the bear, deer, elk, buffaloes, and other animals, which had been created for the use of the Indians.

"And that the Great Man above, looking down, and seeing this, was so enraged, that he seized his ligtning, descended on the earth, and seated himself on a neighboring mountain, on a certain mountain rock, where the prints of his feet are still remaining, from whence he hurled his bolts among them, till the whole were slaughtered exept the big bull, who, presenting his forehead to the shafts, shook them off as they fell, but at length, one of them missing his head, glanced on his side, wounding him sufficiently to make him mad; whereon springing round, he bounded over the Ohio at a leap, then over the Wabash at another, the Illinois at a third, and a fourth leap over the great lakes, where he is living at this day."

A Mr. Stanley, who was taken prisoner by the Indians, and carried beyond the western monntains to where a river runs westward, says that the bones abound there, “and that the natives described to him the animal to which these belonged, as still living in the northern parts of their country."

The following we extract from Dr. Kock's pamphlet on the Missourium:-" One man, in 1816, has asserted that his grandfather told him he saw one of these animals in a mountain pass when he was hunting; and that on hearing its roar, which he compared to thunder, the sight almost left his eyes, and that his heart became as small as an infant's."

Period of their existence.-The opinion is a very prevalent one, that these animals were antediluvian, and most persons reject with a sneer the idea that they have lived at a very recent period. But the first opinion has no shadow of ground for belief, and all the evidence seems to show that they have existed not many centuries since.

Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, reasons thus;-"It may be asked, why I insert the mammoth as if it still existed? I ask, in return, why I should omit it as if it did not exist? The northern and western parts still remain in their aboriginal state unexplored and undisturbed by us, or by others for us. He may as well exist there now as he did formerly, where we find his bones.Jour. of Science.

(To be concluded in our next.)