formed like inverted hollow cones, stand side by side round the centre, and contain about a gill of water or less, except when they have been bored through by some insect. They are probably filled by the rain and dew, which may be received and directed in by the end of the leaf.

New Ice Breaking Machine.-A machine for the purpose of breaking the ice in our harbors and navigable rivers has been invented by Mr. P. Taber, of 44 Maiden Lane, which promises to be extremely serviceable. It is in the form of a cylinder, placed transversely across the bows of a boat, and armed, at regular intervals, with ponderous ham. mers of a peculiar construction, which, as the cylinder revolves, fall successively upon the ice in advance of the boat, crushing it sufficiently to admit a free passage. The hammers, which are intended to be made of wrought iron, and weighing several hundred pounds each, are attached to flanges upon the cylinder by a joint or hinge, which prevents the stroke from operating as a dead stroke upon the machinery, and are calculated to make, by means of a chain band driven by the engine of the boat, forty revolutions per minute. Immediately in advance of the paddle wheels are another set of similar hammers, operating in the same manner, and with this apparatus Mr. Taber thinks he can progress, through ten inches thick, at the rate of eight miles per hour. The plan seems a feasible one, and we learn that several scientific and practical gentlemen have given it their decided approbation. The cost of affixing this machinery to a common boat is estimated at less than $6,000; and if it performs what Mr. T. is sanguine it will, the inventiowill prove invaluable.-N. Y. News.

The Whaling Business.-The complete failure of the whaling business in our port is a misfortune much to be regretted. Some other places, which commenced the experiment at the same time it was undertaken here, have had almost unbounded success.-The little town of New London has gained in population sixty-five per cent. during the last five years. New Bedford and New Lon don, both engaged in the same business, are said to be the two wealthiest cities in the United States; their property and capital being upwards of $1000 each to every man, woman and child of their population. New London already ranks as the second whaling port in the world. In addition to her coasting tonnage, she has some ninety to one hundred ships and tenders, many of which are of the largest size, now engaged in this business. The united burden is not far from thirty thousand tons, which is twice that of either Charleston, Savannah or Mobile; and their value together with their outfits and investments is from $3,000,000 to $4,000000.

And she is still and rapidly adding more ships to those already possessed, and multiplying the number of those engaged in this warfare with the monsters of the deep.

This business, with its rapid and prosperous growth, brings to the city large numbers of sailors, and with them many of their vices. But, the New York Commercial Advertiser states, their moral condition is not neglected. Able and faithful preaching is provided for them. The monthly concert of prayer for them is always attended by numbers and with interest. Almost every ship that sails from

the place goes on strictly temperance principles, and most of them are supplied by their owhers, with choice and well selected libraries for the sailors. A "sailors' home" already is, or is soon to be provided for them. And an admirable custom is kept up by some of the ship owners "of having divine service on board their ships the last Sabbath they remain in port, thus sending forth the vessels with their hardy crews, on a voyage of two, three or four years, consecrated by the prayers of the man of God, and hallowed by religious influences."-Salem Gazette.

The

"There were giants in those days."-The Nashville papers give an account of the skele ton of a human being, eighteen feet in length, or height, when he was alive, and weighing about 1500 lbs. It was found in Williamson county, sixty feet below the surface of the earth, and is in perfect preservation. bones of one thigh and leg measure six feet Six inches, the head capable of holding about a bushel, the eye-sockets about the size of a large coffee cup, and the teeth weighing from three and a half to six pounds. A doctor is engaged in putting the skeleton together, which will soon be ready for exhibition.

A bronze equestrian statue of Wellington is in progress, and is soon to grace the west end of London. A part of the horse is already cast, and a pompous description of the operation is given in the English papers.The metal ran into a large pit wherein the mould was deposited. The whole seventeen tons, for this part of the horse, was run in half an hour, in an even flow. Five weeks are required for the mass to be sufficiently fixed and cooled, during which, it is said, the artists will be in a constant state of suspense as to the result of the operation. The two principal workmen employed on the occasion were Frenchmen; and this, the English journals speak of as a "curious" circumstance. They stirred up the liquid metal," they say, "with perfect nonchalance, apparently heedless about its originally having been cannon taken from the armies of their country, in order to form a statue of Wellington."

The Government of the Duchy of SaxeCoburg has just published a decree, declaring that in future the sittings of the States will be public.

Although we nave given numerous notices of the eyes of animals, especially of the human eye, in many of our magazines between numbers 22 and 30, we hardly need to apprehend that our readers can yet desire that we should wholly abandon that important and copious topic. Some of them may find it useful to examine themselves on the names, nature and uses of the several parts of that curious and complex organ, here exhibited to view with great distinctness in a magnified sketch, referring to some of the passages above alluded to. Without repeating them, we will add here a few remarks on the position of the eyes, and certain other points worthy of consideration, which we extract

from Richerand's "Elements of Physiology," chapter 7, section 105, &c.

66

The eyes, the seat of sight, are so placed as to command a great extent of objects at once, and enclosed in two bony cavities, known by the name of orbits. The base of these cavities is forwards, and sloped obliquely outwards; so that their outward side, cot being so long as the others, the ball of the eye supported on that side only by soft parts may be directed outwards, and take cognizance of objects placed on one side, without the necessity of turning the head.

In proportion as we descend from man in the scale of animated beings, the shape of the base of the orbits becomes more and more

oblique; the eyes cease to be directed forward; in short, the external side of the socket disappears, and the sight is directed entirely outward. Thus, as the physiognomy derives its principal character from the eyes, its expression is absolutely changed. In certain animals very fleet in running, such as the hare, the lateral situation of the organ of vision prevents them from seeing small objects placed directly before them; hence, those animals, when closely pursued, are so easily caught in the snares laid for them.

The more or less dark color of the hairs of the eyebrows renders that projection very well adapted to diminish the effect of too vivid a light, by absorbing part of its rays.— Hence we depress the eyebrows, by knitting them transversely, in passing from the dark into a place strongly illuminated, which causes an uneasy sensation to the organ of sight. Hence, likewise, the custom which prevails with some southern nations, whose eyebrows are shaded with thicker and darker hairs, of blackening them, that they may still better answer the purpose for which they are intended.

The eyelids are two moveable curtains, placed before the eyes, which they alternately cover and uncover. It was requisite that they should be on the stretch, and yet capable of free motion. Now both these ends are accomplished by the tarsal cartilages, which are situated all along their free edges, and of the muscles which enter into their structure. The cellular tissue which unites the thin and delicate skin of the eyelids to the muscular fibres, contains, instead of a consistent fat, which would have impeded its motion, a gelatinous lymph, which, in excess, constitutes the cedima of the eyelids. The tissue of the eyelids is not absolutely opaque, since, even when strongly drawn together, and completely covering the globe of the eye, one may still discern, through their texture, light from darkness. On this account light may be considered one of the causes of awakening; and it is of importance to keep in the dark patients fatigued by want of sleep.

The removal of the eyelids, (a mode of punishment in use among the ancients, especially the Carthaginians,) is followed of necessity by want of sleep. The fluids are determined to the affected organ, which suffers from incessant irritation; the eyes in

flame; the inflammation spreads towards the brain; and the patient expires in dreadful agony. When Ectropium of the eyelid uncovers a small part of the ball beneath it, the spot, exposed to the continual action of the air and light, becomes inflamed, and then comes on an ophthalmia, which can be cured only by drawing close together the separated parts.

The tears are a muco-serous fluid, rather heavier than distilled water, and saltish, changing to a green color vegetable blues, and containing soda, muriate and carbonate of soda, and a very small quantity of phosphate of soda, and of lime. All the Saline parts amount to only about one hundredth part of the whole.

Of all the organs the eyes are the most developed at the time of birth. In sleep, the eyeballs are naturally drawn upwards. That is the state of rest. In faintness, and other cases of insensibility, while the eyelids are left partly open, we are apt to imagine this position of the balls a symptom of agony. It is important to know the fallacy of this idea.

The first printing press in our country. The first printing press set up in North America, arrived at Boston in 1638, and was put in operation at Cambridge. The first printing press in Boston was established in 1667. The first press in Pennsylvania, was established in 1687, in Philadelphia, or rather Kensington, near the tree under which Penn made his treaty with the Indians. The first newspaper in the country was the Boston News Letter, commenced in 1704. It lived until 1776. In 1719 the Boston Gazette was established, and in the same year the Philadelphia Weekly Mercury. In 1721, James Franklin, Benjamin Franklin's Brother, commenced the publication in Boston, of the New England Weekly Courant." A file of this paper is preserved in the library of the Mass. Historical Society. In 1725, the first newspaper, the New York Gazette," was commenced in this city by William Bradford.There was no daily paper published in New York until after the Revolution: now there are fifteen!

A house near Westminster Abbey, in which Caxton printed his first book, fell down the other day to the great consternation of the inhabitants. Eng. pap.

A letter from Naples states, that the King has given permission to have a railway constructed from Capua to the Roman frontier, near Caprano.

A BALLOON IN THE CLOUDS. The beautiful form of a balloon made on the common plan, the success of the daring aëronaut, with the interesting observations he has an opportunity to make, mingled with the awful thought of moving in so frail a vehicle at such a distance from the earth, always render a picture like this an object of peculiar attention. After all the attempts which have been made to improve balloons, particularly so as to steer them at will, no material change has yet been introduced, in the form or appendages, for many years.

Among the most daring and successful aëronauts was one of our own countrymen, Mr. Durant, who, overcoming many obsta cles, succeeded not only in the construction of several balloons with his own hands, but in making voyages in the air from this city, twelve or fifteen years ago. Some simple descriptions of his observations made in the course of them, gave us, we recollect, more definite ideas of certain phenomena, than we had derived from any books we had read on the subject.

"The aspect of the earth beneath," said he, "after I had gained a considerable height, was that of a basin, the surface appearing to be most gradually raised on all sides towards the horizon. The difficulty I found in recognizing places, was, however, greater than I had expected: for I have passed over places in New Jersey familiar to me in childhood without recognizing them. This I attribute to the change of the point of view, from a horizontal to a vertical one.

The echoes of my voice from the ground astonished me very much. On seeing two men below, I called out to them: How far is it to Aquackanock?' Aquackanock!' replied they, in a tone that led me to think they

were mocking me; and I addressed them several times, end as often heard perfect echoes of my own voice, before I suspected the origin of the sound that reached my ears, being much vexed at their supposed unkindness and impertinence."

The clearness with which the same gentleman described his various situations while in the air, and the measures he often took to rise, to descend, to catch his anchors in the trees, to disengage his frail bark from entanglement, and to prevent the kind assistants (whom he generally met with wherever he came to the ground) from doing injury instead of rendering aid, made every interview with him highly interesting.

Ronge. His entry into the City of Worms, so celebrated during the time of Luther's Reformation, is described by the late foreign journals as truly imposing. It is said that he was followed by thousands and tens of thousands, who greeted him with continued shouts of joy. Two of the most noble citizens (one an Israelite) voluntarily offered their residence for a place of worship, where the Reformed Catholic divine service should be performed. The inhabitants, Catholics and Protestants, undertook to arrange the place, and succeeded in changing it into a well-adorned temple, with galleries and other accommodations. The number of persons wishing to attend was so large, however, that it was found necessary to resort to another expedient, and on the very day of its performance a tent was erected in the open air, in which more than 15,000 persons could listen to the words spoken on the occasion by the great Reformer, and which, though simple, and without any oratorical ornament, were very impressive, and produced a great effect on the multitude, of his hearers:

Since Luther's time, such a multitude of people never assembled here, and thousands of persons will now spread the seed of the new Church far and wide. It was a most interesting sight to see the reformer of the 19th century addressing the people with overwhelming power, in the very marketplace where Luther did so three hundred years before.

At Darmstadt, also, great crowds assembled to welcome him, where he addressed them from the balcony of the hotel, a few minutes after his arrival, thanking them in the most tender expressions, for the sympathy they evinced for the cause of reform.

Dock Railway-It is proposed to lay down in Liverpool rails to cross the docks upon moveable bridges, which are to be built of sufficient strength. Branches are to be laid along each side of the dock, and double lines will run under the sheds. The work is to be performed by horses.