_Elephants_.
All the elephants which were exported from Point de Galle were caught
in ancient, as well as in modern times, in that tract of country which
extends from Matura to Tangcolle, in the south of Ceylon, and which,
from its being famous for its elephants in his days, is described by
Ptolemy in the map he made of Ceylon sixteen hundred years ago as the
_elephantum pascua_. The trade in elephants from Ceylon, which used to
be lucrative, is now completely annihilated, in consequence of all the
petty Rajahs, Foligars, and other chiefs in the southern peninsula of
India, who used formerly to purchase Ceylon elephants as a part of
their state, having lost their sovereignties, and being therefore no
longer required to keep up any state of this description. A gentleman
who has a plantation at Candy, it is understood, recently introduced
the use of elephants, in ploughing, with great advantage.--_Trans.
Asiatic Society_.
* * * * *
_The Fennecous Cerdo_.
[Illustration: Fennecous Cerdo.]
This beautiful and extraordinary animal, or at least one of its genus,
was first made known to European naturalists by Bruce, who received it
from his dragoman, whilst consul general at Algiers. It is frequently
met with in the date territories of Africa, where the animals are
hunted for their skins, which are afterwards sold at Mecca, and then
exported to India. Bruce kept his animal alive for several months, and
took a drawing of it in water colours, of the natural size, a copy of
which, on transparent paper, was clandestinely made by his servant.
Mr. Brander, into whose hands the _Fennecus_ fell after Bruce left
Algiers, gave an account of it in "Some Swedish Transactions," but
refused to let the figure be published, the drawing having been
unfairly obtained.[3] Bruce asserts that this animal is described in
many Arabian books, under the name of _El Fennec_, which appellation
he conceives to be derived from the Greek word for a palm or
date-tree.
The favourite food of Bruce's Fennec was dates or any sweet fruit; but
it was also very fond of eggs; when hungry it would eat bread,
especially with honey or sugar. His attention was immediately
attracted if a bird flew near him, and he would watch it with an
eagerness that could hardly be diverted from its object; but he was
dreadfully afraid of a cat. Bruce never heard that he had any voice.
During the day he was inclined to sleep, but became restless and
exceedingly unquiet as night came on. The above Fennec was about ten
inches long, the tail five inches and a quarter, near an inch of it on
the tip, black. The colour of the body was dirty white, bordering on
cream colour; the hair on the belly rather whiter, softer and longer
than on the rest of the body. His look was sly and wily; he built his
nest on trees, and did not burrow in the earth.
Naturalists, especially those of France, were long induced to suspect
the truth of Bruce's description of this animal; but a specimen from
the interior of Nubia, and preserved in the museum at Frankfort, has
recently been engraved; and thus the matter nearly settled by the
animal belonging to the genus _Canis_, and the sub genus _Vulpes_; the
number of teeth and form, being precisely the same as the fox, which
it also resembles in its feet, number of toes, and form of tail.
For the above engraving we are indebted to the Appendix to the
important and interesting Travels of Messrs. Denham and Clapperton. It
is therein described as generally of a white colour, inclining to
straw yellow; above, from the occiput to the insertion of the tail it
is light rufous brown, delicately pencilled with fine black lines,
from thinly scattered hairs tipped with black; the exterior of the
thighs is lighter rufous brown; the chin, throat, belly, and interior
of the thighs and legs are white, or cream colour. The nose is
pointed, and black at the extremity; above, it is covered with very
short, whitish hair inclining to rufous, with a small irregular rufous
spot on each side beneath the eyes; the whiskers are black, rather
short and scanty; the back of the head is pale rufous brown. The ears
are very large, erect, and pointed, and covered externally with short,
pale, rufous brown hair; internally, they are thickly fringed on the
margin with long grayish white hairs, especially in front; the rest of
the ears, internally, is bare; externally, they are folded or plaited
at the base. The tail is very full, cylindrical, of a rufous brown
colour, and pencilled with fine black lines like the back. The fur is
very soft and fine; that on the back, from the back to the insertion
of the tail, as well as that on the upper part of the shoulder before,
and nearly the whole of the hinder thigh, is formed of tri-coloured
hairs, the base of which is of a dark lead colour, the middle white,
and the extremity light rufous brown.
[Footnote 3: We did not know that such unpleasantries as Chancery
injunctions were part of African law; perhaps sand may not be removed
from the desert "without leave of the trustees," like scrapings from
our roads.]
_Fossil Turtle_.
A beautiful and perfect fossil of the sea turtle has recently been
discovered in an extensive stratum of limestone, four fathoms water,
called the Stone Ridge, about four miles off Harwich harbour. It is
incrusted in a mass of ferruginous limestone, and weighs 180 lbs.
_Apples_.
A gentleman of Staffordshire recommends the preservation of apples for
winter store, packed in banks or hods of earth like potatoes.--
_Communication to the Horticultural Society_.
_Uses of Seals_.
The benefits which the inhabitants of frigid regions derive from seals,
are far too numerous and diversified to be particularized, as they
supply them with almost all the conveniences of life. We, on the
contrary, so persecute this animal, as to destroy hundreds of thousands
annually, for the sake of the pure and transparent oil with which the
seal abounds; 2ndly, for its tanned skin, which is appropriated to
various purposes by different modes of preparation; and thirdly, we
pursue it for its close and dense attire. In the common seal, the hair
of the adult is of one uniform kind, so thickly arranged and imbued
with oil, as to effectually resist the action of water; while, on the
contrary, in the antarctic seals the hair is of two kinds: the longest,
like that of the northern seals; the other, a delicate, soft fur,
growing between the roots of the former, close to the surface of the
skin, and not seen externally; and this beautiful fur constitutes an
article of very increasing importance in commerce; but not only does the
clothing of the seal vary materially in colour, fineness, and commercial
situation, in the different species, but not less so in the age of the
animal. The young of most kinds are usually of a very light colour, or
entirely white, and are altogether destitute of true hair, having this
substituted by a long and particularly soft fur.--_Quarterly Journal_.
_Method of cutting Glass_.
If a tube, or goblet, or other round glass body is to be cut, a line
is to be marked with a gun flint having a sharp angle, an agate, a
diamond, or a file, exactly on the place where it is to be cut. A long
thread covered with sulphur is then to be passed two or three times
round the circular line, and to be inflamed and burnt; when the glass
is well heated some drops of cold water are to be thrown on it, when
the piece will separate in an exact manner, as if cut with scissors.
It is by this means that glasses are cut circularly into thin bands,
which may either be separated from, or repose upon each other, at
pleasure, in the manner of a spring---_From the French_.
_Preservation of Skins_.
A tanner at Tyman, in Hungary, uses with great advantage the
pyroligueous acid, in preserving skins from putrefaction, and in
recovering them when attacked. They are deprived of none of their
useful qualities if covered by means of a brush with the acid, which
they absorb very readily.--_Quarterly Journal_.
_Organic Remains in Sussex_.
A short time since, the entire skeleton of a stag, of very large size,
was dug up by some labourers, in excavating the bed of the river Ouse,
near Lewes, in Sussex. The remains were found imbedded in a layer of
sand, beneath the alluvial blue clay, forming the surface of the
valley. The horns were in the highest state of preservation, and had
seven points, like the American deer. The greater part of the skeleton
was destroyed by the carelessness of the workmen; but a portion,
including the horns, has been preserved in the collection of Mr.
Mantell, near Lewes.
_Stupendous Lizard_.
Mr. Bullock, in his Travels, (just published) relates that he saw near
New Orleans, "what are believed to be the remains of a stupendous
crocodile, and which are likely to prove so, intimating the former
existence of a lizard at least 150 feet long; for I measured the right
side of the under jaw, which I found to be 21 feet along the curve;
and 4 feet 6 inches wide: the others consisted of numerous vertebrae,
ribs, femoral bones, and toes, all corresponding in size to the jaw;
there were also some teeth: these, however, were not of proportionate
magnitude. These remains were discovered, a short time since, in the
swamp, near Fort Philip; and the other parts of the mighty skeleton,
are, it is said, in the same part of the swamp."
_Digby's Philosophy_.
Sir Kenelm Digby was a mere quack; but he was the son of an earl, and
related to many noble families. His book on the supposed sympathetic
powder, which cured wounds at any distance from the sufferer, is the
standard of his abilities. This powder was Roman vitriol pounded. From
this wild work, we, however learn, that the English routine of
agriculture in his time was--1st. year, barley; 2nd. wheat; 3rd.
beans; 4th. fallow.--_Pinkerton_.
_Critics_.
Thought, comprising its enumerated constituents and detailed process,
is the most perfect and exalted elaboration of the human mind, and
when protracted is a painful exertion; indeed, the greater portion of
our species reluctantly submit to the toil and lassitude of
reflection; but from laziness, or incapacity, and perhaps in some
instances from diffidence, they suffer themselves to be directed by
the opinions of others. Hence has arisen the swarm of critics and
reviewers, those clouds that obscure the fair light that would beam on
the mind of man, by his individual reflection, and through his
existence degrade him, by a submission to assumed authority;--a
voluntary blindness, that excludes him from the observation of nature,
and through indolence and credulity render his noblest faculties
feeble, assenting, and lethargic; and delude him to barter the
inheritance of his intellect for a mess of pottage.--_Dr.
Haslam.--Lancet_.
* * * * *