of upland pasture grounds, are its favourite haunts, and we have seen and heard it among clumps of sycamore trees, near farm houses. White's description of the habits of this beautiful bird is celebrated for correctness; and is the more valuable, as it is the result of personal observation. There is no bird, he informs us, whose manners he has studied more than those of the goatsucker. "Though it may sometimes chatter as it flies, yet in general it utters its jarring note sitting on a bough; and I have watched it for many a halfhour as it sat with its under mandible quivering. It usually perches on a bare twig, with its head lower than its tail. This bird is most punctual in beginning its note (a note like the jarring hum of a spinning wheel) exactly at the close of day; so exactly that I have known it strike up more than once or twice, just at the report of the Portsmouth evening gun. It appears to me, past all doubt, that its notes are formed by organic impulse, by the parts of its windpipe formed for sound, just a cat's pur. You will credit me when I assure you, that as my neighbours were assembled in a hermitage on the side of a steep hill, where we drink tea, one of these churn owls came and settled on the cross of that little straw edifice, and began to chatter, and continue his note for many minutes; and we were all struck with wonder to find the organs of that little animal, when put in motion, give a sensible vibration to the whole building." When the male is gambolling in the air with his mate, he frequently utters a shrill squeak. In its powers of wing, the goatsucker scarcely yields to the swallow, especially when giving chase to chaffers and moths, which constitute its food. The inner edge of the claw of the middle toe is deeply serrated, or furnished with a comb-like apparatus, by means of which the bird cleans the long stiff bristles which fringe the margin of its wide mouth. The eyes are full, dark, and large. It breeds on the ground, making no nest, generally among fern; but often in more exposed situations. Its eggs are two in number, and of a white colour, marbled with yellowish brown and grey. It need not be said, that the old account of this bird, with respect to its draining the udders of goats, is fabulous; the goatsucker attends cattle, goats, and sheep, attracted by the flies which are

their tormentors, and which it is busy in catching. Alas! how ready is man to defame even an innocent and useful bird!

But hark! the jar of the goatsucker warns us to return; we must conclude our discursive remarks; when we meet in June, we shall renew our theme, the wisdom and the power of God as seen in these his lower works, often neglected by man; but in the contemplation of which, the highest angelic intelligence might wonder and adorc.

UNDESIGNED COINCIDENCES OF
SCRIPTURE.-No. III.

SOME presumption that the last four books of the Pentateuch were really composed by an eye-witness, at the time of the transactions, arises from their describing the nation and the lawgiver, in circumstances totally different from any which ever existed, before or after that peculiar period; from their adapting every incident, however unimportant, every turn of expression, however minute, to these peculiar circumstances.

The Jews are supposed to have left the land of Egypt, and not yet possessed themselves of the land of Canaan: in this interval, the nation was all collected together, never before or after; it then dwelt in tents, never before or after; no one possessed any landed property or houses; no local distinctions, no local tribunal could then exist: these, and a variety of other circumstances of the same nature, necessarily attended this peculiar situation. Now such is the nature of the human mind, that though it may be easy to imagine a peculiar situation of fictitious characters, and describe their conduct in this situation with sufficient consistency, as in a poem or a fiction entirely unconnected with reality; yet when characters that have really existed, are described in circumstances entirely, or even partly fictitious; when it is necessary to combine a considerable degree of truth with a certain portion of fiction; when it is necessary to describe this unprecedented and fictitious situation, not merely in general terms, but in a very minute detail of facts and regulations; to connect it with particular times and places, and persons, to combine it with subsequent events, which were real, and with the laws and customs which the writer himself lives under, and which prevail through an

extensive nation,—then, indeed, it requires no ordinary ingenuity, and no common caution, to preserve a perfect consistency; never once to suffer the constant and familiar associations, which perpetually obtrude themselves upon the mind from present experience, to creep into our language or sentiments, when we wish to describe or relate facts suitably only to past experience. Nay, admit that all this may possibly be done, it certainly can be done only by great care and art; and it is, I should conceive, next to impossible, but that this care and art should somewhere or other betray itself in the turn of the narrative or the expression.

Now an attentive perusal of the Pentateuch will, I doubt not, prove that it is written without the least appearance of art or caution; and it is certain beyond all doubt, that its facts, sentiments, and language, are adapted to the peculiarities of the situation which have been noticed. The present tense is constantly used in speaking of the facts in the wilderness: "I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt:" the future, in speaking of any thing to be done in the land of Canaan, Exod. xxxiv. 11-13, 23. "I drive out before thee the Amorite and the Canaanite :-take heed to thyself lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: but ye shall destroy their altars: thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders.”

Thus also it is perpetually supposed in every direction as to public matters, that the whole congregation could be collected together at the shortest warning. (See Lev. first nine chapters, also x. 5.) We are told of dead bodies "carried out of the 'camp,' " of victims on particular occasions being (Lev. iv. 21; viii. 17. Numb. xix. 9) burned without the camp: this peculiarity of situation mixes itself with every circumstance of the narrative, directly and indirectly, in express terms, and by incidental allusions, and always without any appearance of art or design.

But to proceed to compare the direct narrative with the recapitulation. We may observe, that a variety of circumstances which it was natural and necessary to notice, on the entrance of the

Jews into the land of their inheritance, occur for the first time, in the last address which Moses delivered to the people on the borders of Canaan: then, and not before, does the legislator speak of the place which the Lord should "choose to put his name therein," Deut. xii. Then, and not before, does he add to the precepts concerning the observance of the three great feasts, that they were to be celebrated at that holy place: then, and not before, does he enjoin the Jews to bring their offerings, their sacrifices, their tithes, and the firstlings of their flocks, and of their herds, to the same holy place, and not to eat them in the gates of their own cities; and (Deut. xiv. 24) if that house of the Lord should be too far from them, to turn their offerings into money, and employ that for the celebration of the religious festivals, at the place which the Lord should choose. Now also does the legislator add to the rules relating to the Levites, that which gave them a right of migrating from any other city, and joining with those who were employed in the service of God, at the place which he should choose, Deut. xviii. 6.

Thus also, in recapitulating the regulations of the civil law, the legislator now, for the first time, introduces the appointment of judges and officers in the different cities which they should inhabit, Deut. xvi. 18; xix. 11; xxi. 18, and fixes the right of appealing, in difficult cases, from these judges to the high priest and his assessors at the place which the Lord should choose; and determines what the elders of each city may finally decide on, and the manner in which they should examine the cause; as in the instances of an uncertain murder, Deut. xxi.; of the rebellious son; and in the ceremony of taking or refusing the widow of a brother who had died childless. The city, the gate of the city, the elders of the city are now frequently introduced, never before.

We may also observe, that in this last address, when the people were going to attack the great body of their enemies, and as they conquered them were to inhabit their land; different circumstances are mentioned, suited to this new situation. The causes which were to excuse men's going to war, are now first stated, Deut. xx. 5, having built a new house, planted a new vine

yard, or betrothed himself to a wife;' all of which supposed a separation of the people from the common camp of the whole congregation, in consequence of their possessing the promised land. Now also the rules about besieging cities, about not destroying such trees around them as were good for food, are specified much more minutely than before, because now sieges would be frequent, Deut. xx. 10, 19. Now also Moses enlarges more frequently and more fully than he ever did before, on the (Deut. vi. 3, 10; viii. 7; xi. 10; xv. 4) fertility and excellence of the promised land: this was natural; such a topic at an earlier period, would have increased the murmurings and the impatience of the people at being detained in the wilderness; whereas, now it encouraged them to encounter with more cheerfulness, the opposition they must meet with from the inhabitants of Ca

naan.

These general and obvious features of difference, which distinguish the last book of Moses from the preceding ones, when compared with the evident artlessness and simplicity of the narrative, seem to result from truth and reality alone. Such differences were natural, nay unavoidable, if these books were really composed by Moses, who was the witness of the facts, and the author of the laws which these books contain; they would be much less likely to occur, if any other man were the author, even if he were an eye-witness; and they are totally unlike the general detail of a remote compiler, or the laboured artifice of fiction and forgery.- Graves.

OLD HUMPHREY ON THE SKIES.

I WILL not inquire if you have ever been moved by the appearance of the heavens above you, for that would be almost like asking if you have eyes to see, or hearts to feel. Rather will I take it for granted at once, that you are among those who, now and then, look up to the beautiful clouds, with emotions of interest, thankfulness, and delight, fully convinced, that, even when neither sun, moon, nor stars, are visible, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork," Psa.

xix. 1.

The little attention that is paid to the sky by country people, who rarely re

gard it, except for the purpose of ascertaining the weather, has often puzzled me. Never yet did I witness a ploughboy standing still to admire the rising sun, nor his master gazing with delight on the setting beam. And yet, for all this apparent inattention to the beauties of creation, on the part of country people, I am well persuaded that, without knowing it, they do feel to some extent the beauty of the earth and the heaven; for, if you remove them from their rural neighbourhood, they manifest an unsettled state of mind, and a yearning after their accustomed scenes.

As for myself, from a very child, the heavens above me have appeared an unequalled exhibition of varied beauty that I gaze on with the liveliest emotion. At this moment I could describe ten or a dozen skyey scenes that are impressed on my memory, so vividly, that I seem to get young while I think of my sky-gazing moments. Come, you shall judge whether or not my descriptions are faithfully drawn. You must allow me a little latitude in my fancy and language; our phrases must be expected to be somewhat glowing when we speak of sunbeams.

There is a clear blue sky, when the cloudless firmament imparts a tranquil cheerfulness, a peaceful gladness to the gazer. The wide-spread azure canopy, from the zenith to the horizon, presents the same unwearied, yet lightsome character lovely is the blue expanse, and lovely the light that mingles with it so harmoniously. Beneath such a sky as this the Christian walking abroad, lifts up his admiring eye, with confiding thankfulness. "The Lord," says he, "is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident," Psa. xxvii. 1, 4. When it pleases the Father of mercies to give confidence and cheerfulness to the hearts of his people, he can do it if he pleases as effectually by the aspect of the heavens, as by employing the angel Gabriel for his messenger.

There is a mountainous sky, where, from a sea of ether, rise eminences of all kinds, hill, and cliff, and craggy steep ; pile above pile they recede, and fade away in the dimly-descried distance. The eye and the heart may revel in such a scene as

this, till a voluntary tribute, to such unequalled beauty, rolls down the cheek, and the words break forth from the tongue, "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise,' Psa. li. 15. The winds hurry on the pointed hills, and the sun comes and goes, giving a fitful variety to the goodly group of moving mountains, till a giant eminence is seen advancing.

"Vast, huge, and high, the mountain mass is given

To lift from earth its awful height to heaven :
Wrapt round with gloom it sails along, and now
A sunny glory gilds its burning brow.'

There is a peaceful sky, so delightfully calm and quiet, that you cannot look upon it without thinking of angels, and happiness, and heaven. The blue expanse is not vivid; the motionless clouds are not silvery-white; neither is the sunbeam seen upon them; but all is sweetness and repose. The heart is made soft, and the eye inclined to be tearful, when such a canopy is above us. It may be, that the days of our childhood come gently stealing over us, and the soft voice of our mother teaching us to lisp our evening prayer; or, perhaps, we hold communion with the spirits of those we love, who are gone to glory, imagining their peaceful joys and uninterrupted repose. An hour spent thus, is more profitable to the heart, and grateful to the affections, than a day of feverish impulse, and thoughtless joy.

There is a fleecy sky, where the feathery flakes of one part of heaven lie lightly on the blue beyond them, while another part of the firmament exhibits "the beauteous semblance of a flock at rest.” The musing mind is led on by such a scene to quiet and consolatory thoughts. The thorny cares of the day are unconsciously extracted, oil and balm are poured into the heart, and rural associations embody themselves in the words, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want," Psa. xxiii. 1. When we turn our eyes heavenward, our hearts often follow in the same direction.

wards it comes, and yet onward, till suspense becomes painful. The firmament seems, even by its portentous stillness, to proclaim that the tempest, in his strength, is about to walk abroad.

There is an iceberg sky, whose mountainous masses, lit up by the sunbeam, for purity, whiteness, and brightness, would shame the very snow on the head of Mount Blanc. This kind of sky wonderously affects me, filling my mind with exalted conceptions of the unsullied purity, and immeasurable power of the Eternal. There is every conceivable degree of repose and excitement in such a sky, varying as it does, from the calm and lustreless vales of snow at the base of the pointed crags, to the unbearable blaze that rests on the summits of their sunny peaks. A Christian man may indulge his imagination among these icebergs of the sky: he may fancy that he will kneel in abasement at their feet, to pray, "God be merciful to me a sinner," Luke xviii. 13. Or, that he will climb the highest height, and, stretching his arms towards heaven, cry out like Thomas, in the glowing language of faith, and joy, and ecstacy, My Lord and my God!" John xx. 28.

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There is a stormy sky, when the gathered artillery of heaven is at length ready to pour forth its thunders. The huge black clouds can no longer bear each other's weight; the lurid glare in the south gives a deeper gloom to the frowning sky; the wind rises, and, in fitful sweeps, whirls round and round, bending the giant trees, while the big drop falls heavily, here and there, on the thick foliage. Thus, for a moment, the tempest withholds his rage, toying with the things of earth, till, all at once, the lightning launches itself from the ebon clouds; crash comes the thunder clap, as if it would rend in twain the heavens, and down comes the drenching deluge from above! Fearful is this by land, but unutterably fearful where the tormented waves of mighty ocean, lashed into fury by the winds, rise in resistance to the storm.

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THE APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION.

But before we proceed to the immediate object before us, it will be desirable to answer a question, which will, no doubt, be proposed by many of our readers. "To what purposes can the invention be applied?" Mr. Spencer has given a cautious, and we believe, a correct reply to this interrogation.

"I entertain no very sanguine notions as to the future general application of this method of operating upon the metals, more especially copper. This must be entirely left to the practical engraver and printer.

"The question will then be-Is it cheaper and better than the methods in common use? It may now be answered, Give it a fair trial: the way is pointed out, practice will no doubt enable you to improve upon the methods which suggested themselves during the experimental investigation detailed in the following pages; and most probably may realize an extended field of practical utility for the peculiar mode of operation which has been the result.

"I feel assured, however, that in the arcana of many trades and branches of art, this process will be found an important addition; supplying, as it does, a means of producing a cast or a die in hard metal, without the agency of heat or pressure, and in extreme perfection and well defined sharpness. Nor, I need hardly observe, is its application confined to copper only.

"In addition to the applicability of this process, in procuring fac-similes of coins or medals, with all the lineal sharpness of the original; perfect copies may be obtained of bronzed figures, nor do they require chasing when taken out, nor do I apprehend inconvenient limitation as regards their size.

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Assuming it to be advantageous to publishers of music to have their plates in relief; by this process they will be enabled, in the original engraving, to have them so.

"I have seen nothing in wood engraving that might not be produced in copper, in relief, by this means; the chemical plates might possibly require retouching to a small extent: but, with careful manipulation, twenty or thirty plates might be taken from one mould.

"I may mention that the advantage of being able to produce a given effect from a plate in relief would be very considerable, as ten printed impressions

may frequently be taken in the time occupied by producing one by the ordinary method from a copper-plate. Plates in relief might also frequently be printed off in the body of the work, which, in point of economy, would be a very considerable advantage.

"In the formation of that important implement in the manufacture of printing types, the matrix or mould, advantages in the adoption of this operation appear to present themselves. And I am assured by the printers of this pamphlet, that it gives fair promise to supply several important desiderata in the art of printing, and in its attendant operations, more particularly in the stereotype process.

"In general, I feel convinced that it exhibits many promising indications of utility, should no obstacles in a pecuniary point of view present themselves, on occasion of attempts to extend the application of the discovery."

Such are the prospects entertained of the advantages to be derived from the use of voltaic electricity in taking metallic impressions, forming moulds and in other ways working upon metals.

HISTORY OF THE INVENTION.

With the voltaic, or as it is sometimes called, the galvanic battery, many of our readers must be acquainted, either from having seen or used it. It consists of plates of the two metals copper and zinc, acted upon by some liquid. The form commonly employed in the present day is that represented in the accompanying diagram. c is a cylin