Camillus Paderni, Nic. Banni, Franz. Lavega, Phil. Morghen,' Nic. Billi, and Rocc. Porri. To each plate the learned Editors have alfo added proper explanations, intended as well for thofe who may not have the fatisfaction of viewing the originals, as for the direction of fuch as may have fo defirable an opportunity. There are also a great number of fmaller plates inter perfed, as head and tail-pieces, throughout the volume: to which is alfo annexed, a chart of the Gulph of Naples, and the adjacent country; the frontifpiece at the fame time reprefenting an elegant portrait of the monarch to whofe munificence and tafte we owe fo diftinguished a work, and to whom it is, with great propriety, infcribed. Saggi di Differtazioni Accademiche, publicamente lette nella nobile Accademia Etrufca, dell' Antichiffima citta di Cortona. Tom. 7. That is, Differtations read at the Academy of Cortona. 4to. Rome 1758. The diftinguished merit of the former publications of this academy, cannot give an higher idea of the prefent, than it really deferves. But as this volume has been, from unavoidable accidents, fo long delayed, many pieces are contained therein, that are already generally known. There are nevertheless fome papers that, as far as we remember, are quite new; particularly a differtation of M. Calzabigi, on two marbles, dug up at Herculaneum, the one a bas-relief, and the other a monochromaton, so well preferved that the fineft ftrokes of the pencil remain unimpaired, while the characters cut into the marble are barely legible. A learned member of this academy has alfo obliged the public with remarks on Mr. Cary's differtation on the mirrors of the antients; which piece, together with many others, equally curious, are inferted in this collection. Hiftoire de l'Academie Royale des Sciences et Belles Lettres. Annie 1757. That is, The Hiftory of the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Belles Lettres; for the year 1757. 4to. Berlin. Printed for Haude and Spener. Amidft that variety of refearches entered into by the members of this famous academy, there are none more generally interefting than fuch as they have agreed to rank in the clafs of Experimental Philofophy. The articles ranged under that head, in the prefent volume, are the following. 1. Confiderations on the globe; by Mr. le Comte de Redern. This is the fecond part of a memoir, written by the fame gen tleman; containing, among other things of lefs note, a narrative published formerly by the famous traveller Quiros, and preTerved in the collection of the brothers de Bry. 2. Experiments on the confervation of blood and other fluids, for many years, in vacuo; by Mr. Eller. Many experiments of this kind have been already made, but we know of none more accurate and convincing than those of Mr. Eller. Who affures us he hath kept milk, wine, and human blood, under an exhaufted receiver, for upwards of fifteen years, i. e. from 1744, to the latter end of 1756; when on re-examining the state of thofe fluids, he hardly found any alteration to have happened in them. The milk, indeed, had undergone a very small change of its flate, by the feparation of its cream: and the wine (Burgundy and Champagne) had depofited a very small fediment of tartar. The blood was neither diminished in quantity, nor altered in colour or confiftency; but perfectly resembled what is juft drawn from the vein: and, what is ftill more furprizing, its component particles were found to have retained their spherical form, as appeared on examining them by a microscope. 3. An effay on a new fpecies of metal, known by the name of Platina del Pinto; by Mr. Margraaf. The abilities of this academician, for making the most difficult chymical experiments, are univerfally acknowleged: but as those which were made by Dr. Lewis, and publifhed in the 48th volume of the Philofophical Tranfactions, have rendered the Platina generally known in England, our Readers, we prefume, have the lefs curiofity to enter into the particulars of this article. 4. New obfervations on the Epidermis, or fearf-fkin, and the brain of the negroes; by Mr. Meckel. In the ninth volume of this hiftory were publifhed fome of Mr. Meckel's former observations, which he made on the diffection of a negro: another body having fince fallen into his hands, he has thought proper to carry his enquiries ftill farther. He is of opinion that there may be a fluid, conveyed by the nerves, from the brain to the extremities; and that fuch a fluid is the occafion of the blacknefs of the fkin of negroes: obferving, that there is a very manifeft difference in the colour of the brain of a negro, and an European. That of the former, fays he, is of a blackifh yellow, while that of the latter is white. He obferves alío, that the blood itself differs in blacks and whites: for, inftead of ftaining linen of a red colour, the blood of negroes will turn it black. 5. Remarks on certain circumftances, wherein the fubjects of the Animal, refemble thofe of the Vegetable Kingdom; by Mr. Gleditich. This article relates to the great fimilitude there is between 12 between the propagation of plants and animals. The remarks are well worthy the ingenious botanist, their author. We have a treatife in English on the fame fubject, by Dr. Parfon's. See Review, Vol. VI. p. 367. 6. Chymical experiments on a fulphureous earth, of a peculiar kind, discovered near Tarnowitz, in Silefia; by Mr. Lehmann. This earth of Tarnowitz is defcribed as a light body, of a whitish grey colour, that hath a fmell like a mixture of oil of turpentine and oil of vitriol, when compounded with a defign to produce an artificial fulphur. 7. An enquiry into the phyfical caufe of Electricity; by Mr. Euler, the younger. The very ingenious author of this paper was fomt time fince honoured, by the imperial academy at Peterfburgh, with the prize adjudged to the best Writer on this fubject. Certain phænomena, fince obferved, however, were fuppofed by many to overturn his whole hypothefis: in the prefent enquiry, therefore, he endeavours to fhew, that, on the contrary, those very phenomena still more and more confirm the truth of his former theory. 8. An account of an Ancurism of the Aorta; by Mr. Roloff. This is a particular, and apparently a very exact recital of the case of an unhappy man, who, at the age of fifty, was afflicted with an incurable aneurism of the aorta; under which he languished, in extream mifery, from the beginning of May 1756, to January 1757. As it would break in two much upon our plan to dwell longer on this work, for the prefent; we fhall referve a farther account of it to another opportunity. Memoire Hiftorique et Litteraire, fur le College Royal de France, par M. l'Abbé Goujet. That is, Hiftorical and Literary Memoirs of the College-Royal of France. 4to. Paris. Printed for Lottin, the elder. The College-Royal is frequently confounded with the Univerfity, and miftaken by ftrangers for the fame inftitution; whereas it is a diftinct fociety, and has a different foundation. It was originally eftablished by Francis the Firft, who appointed profellors of the learned languages, and the fciences, to teach and read lectures in their refpective claffes, gratis; while, in the University, the profeffors used to be paid by their pupils. It is fome years fince our Author acquainted the Public with his defign of adding to his numerous writings, the Memoirs now published. To do him justice, however, the delay of their pub Bb 3 lication lication feems to have been owing to his defire of rendering hi work the more compleat; and, indeed, it may be juftly esteemed as good an hiftory of the progrefs of the fciences, from the revival of letters in France, as ever was offered to the Public. Hiftoire de la Republique de Venise, depuis fa fondation jusqu' a préfent; par Mr. l'Abbé L***. That is, The Hiftory of the Republic of Venice, from its foundation to the prefent time. 3 vols. 12mo. Paris, for Duchefne. 1758. This history is the work of the Abbé Laugier, is dedicated to Cardinal de Bernis, and bears an excellent character among the Literati at Paris. Hiftoire des Mathematiques; par Mr. Montucla, de l'Acadamiz This, we are informed, is a very judicious work; giving a particular and accurate relation of the rife and progrels of the Mathematics; and a regular account of the principal difcoveries which have, from time to time, been made in the fciences. The whole interfperfed with occafional anecdotes, relating to the lives and conduct of the most celebrated mathematicians. The Nobility fuch as it ought to be. 12mo. Paris, for Lottin, the elder, 1758. The political controverfy, which fome time ago employed the pens of the Chevalier d'Arc, and M. L'Abbé de Coyer, hath, it Teams, given rife to the work before us; which is a well-written, fenfible piece, publifhed with a view to fhew the miftakes and falfe reasonings to be met with in both the effays of the above Writers. La Nobleffe Commercante & la Nobleffe Militaire. For fome account of this controverfy, fee Review, Vol. XVIII. p. 252. LITERARY NEWS. THE HEY write from Paris, that great intereft is making to obtain a repeal of the arret, publifhed the 8th of March last. enjoining a total fuppreffion of the Encyclopedia; and that the: are great hopes of fucceeding. In the mean time, however, that work is condemned by the Pope; as we learn alfo, is the famous treatise De l'Esprit, of Mr. Helvetius. From Dantzic we are informed, that the celebrated Naturalift Mr. Klein, has published propofals for printing by fubscription, a confiderable work, entitled, Jac. The. Kleinii Stemmata Avium, quadraginta tabulis illuftrata. The method by which this Author propofes to diftinguish the feveral fpecies of birds in this performance, is confined to the heads and feet: which comprehend all the specifical characters. He obferves alfo, that thofe Ornithologifts, who would model the curiofities of their cabinets, on the fame plan, might do it at an infinite less expence, and with much greater fecurity against the injuries of time, than by the prefent method of preferving the form of the birds entire. The price of this work, containing forty plates, and twelve fheets of prefs-work, will be two French crowns. Subfcriptions are taken in by Holle at Leipzig, and Profeffor Titius at Wittemberg." A treatife on the long expected comet hath appeared in the German language, at Leipzig; wherein the Author pretends to be certain of his having feen it, and traced it in its way, from the 25th of December laft, to the 27th of January. He hath alfo conftructed a table, agreeable to the theory and his own obfervations; by which it appears it would reach its perihelion on the 14th of March, and be visible above our horizon the beginning of May. We fhall extract the latter part of his table, that, if our Readers may not have feen it before our Review reaches their hands, they may know whereabout to look for this important phænomenon. I ime. Longitude. Latitude. Right Afcenfion. Declination. 1 May 28° 50 m 31° 18 South. 165° 15' 21 5 126 9 28° o South. 161 8 20 15 156 59 11 35 16 44 7 48 We fhall take leave of this article with obferving, that we hear the fame comet has been feen at Turin, Drefden, and fince at Paris. |