t PERCA 2. Major fubargentea maculata, pinnis nigrantibus. Thefe two Fishes are fo like each other, that it is neceffary to be well acquainted with the different appearances of both, to be able to diftinguith the one from the other with any certainty. The firft feldom exceeds feventeen inches in length, but the other frequently grows to be three feet and a half, or better. The head is of an oblong conic form, bony, and pretty fharp at the point; but the lower jaw is fome what longer than the upper: the mouth or rictus is very large; the jaws in proportion to the head, and well furnifhed with teeth, of an oblong lanceolated form, whereof the two foremoft pierce through fo many fockets formed in the tip of the upper jaw, while the others lodge on either fide of the oppofite teeth. The tongue is of an oblong figure, rough, and denticulated; and the branchioftegeous membrane fuftained by feven officles. The aperture of the gills is very wide; the eyes large, the iris of a filver white; the body long and tapering, pretty tumid, and flightly covered with fmall fcales. The pectoral fins are of an oblong make, and placed near the bronchial apertures; but the ventrals are more remote. The dorfal fins are two in number, the foremoft of which is fuftained by five pointed radii, and fituated in the fore-part of the back, but the other is placed oppofite to the anal, which it refembles very much, both being nearly of the fame fize, and of a triangular figure. The tail is forked; and the lateral line ftretched almoft in a direct line from the upper part of the bronchial aperture, or opening of the gills, to the middle of the tail. They are filhes of prey, and feldom fpare any thing that comes in their way; but the laft fpecies is very ravenous, and being much larger than the other, is more remarkable for its daring attempts. They are both firm and palatable fishes, and much efteemed by many people.-But it may not be amifs to obferve, for the information of ftrangers, that however palatable these fish are, many difagreeable confequences attend the eating fome of them, particularly the larger fpecies; fuch as violent vomitings and purgings, pains in the extremities, and fometimes a general itching eruption on the skin; many of them, indeed, are perfectly wholesome and pleasant; but tho' the cooks ufe feveral methods to diftinguifh fuch as are called poisonous, yet they are fometimes deceived. The *The common experiment is, to put a filver spoon, or a dollar, into the kettle with the fifh, and if the filver is not difcoloured, the fish is esteemed good. Z 3 more more secure way of dreffing, is to caveac them; i. e. cut in fices, and fried in oil, and afterwards put into a pickle of fpiced vinegar. benoitasm 18 Joda The third chapter is employed in defcribing Reptiles: these are divided under Serpents, Lizards, Tortoife, and Frogs. We shall felect the annult ofquosd T • CHAMÆLION 1. Major cinereus, cauda in fpiram invo• luta, pedibus pentadactylis unguiculatis, digitis duobus tribufque coadnatis et oppofitis.stīcijas, regi The large grey Chamalion. od boligsened, safe I have taken the liberty of defcribing this creature under . its ancient appellation, having feparated it from the Lizard kind, on account of the peculiar form of the head, and difpofition of the toes; which, with fome other remarkable particularities, both in its mechanifm and genus, distinguish 'fufficiently from the reft of the tribe. it The head is large and bony in all the fpecies of this genus: the fockets of the eyes very deep; the jaws befet with teeth; and the bone that covers the forehead stretches a good way back over the neck and fhoulders. The body is moderately large, and thicker than most of the lizard kind, in proportion to the length. The tail winds downwards in a fpiral form; and the toes are difpofed like thofe of parrots, in two oppofite bundles, which enables it to hold itself very fteadily on the fmaller branches of trees, where it chiefly <keeps. This fpecies is a native of Africa, and was brought to Jamaica from the coaft of Guinea. It is extremely flow in its motion, though it chiefly fupplies itself with food from the most nimble tribe of infects; [flies] but whatever Nature has denied it in agility, feems to be abundantly supplied in mechanifm; for its flow and eafy motion renders it but little fufpected at a distance; and when it comes within a certain fpace of the object, it ftretches out its tail, poifes its body, and fixes itself fo as to meet but seldom with a difappointment in its attack: when all is ready, it uncoils its ⚫ long, flender mufcular tongue, and darts it, as it were, < with fuch unconceivable swiftness, that it hardly ever fails of its prey. But though the flownefs of its motion alone would 'naturally prevent any fufpicion in thofe agile little bodies, while it keeps at a diftance, it adds another piece of mechanifm to the former, and changes its colour conftantly with its ftation, putting on the fame hue and complexion with every fprig or branch, &c. on which it fixes itfelf." Among 3 Among the feathered tribe, to which the fourth chapter is devoted, few are more curious than the Polytmi; four forts of these are mentioned. POLYTMUS I. Major nigrans aureo varie Splendens, pinnis binis uropigii longiffimisque? The long-tailed, black-cap'd Humming-bird of Edw. t. POLYTMUS 2. Medius nigrans aureo fubfplendens, pinnis POLYTMUS 3. Viridans aureo varie fplendens, pinnis bi- Regulus omnium minimus, &c. Barr 146. 7. The long-tailed green Humming-bird, of Edw. t. 33. The little Humming-bird of Edw. t. ult. All the birds of this kind are easily distinguished by their very delicate make, various gloffy colours, fmall fize, long flender arched bills, very fhort legs and thighs, and twift eafy flight. They live chiefly upon the nectar of flowers, which they fip upon the wing, and pafs from one bloffom or tree to another, with inconceivable agility. They are naturally very gentle; but when they neftle they grow fierce, and are frequently obferved to chace the largest buds that come near their haunts, with great fury; and this they can ⚫ do the more readily, as their flight, which is extremely quick, enables them to attack their adverfary in every part of the body, and continue an equal progreflive motion alfo: but they generally attack the eyes, and other tender parts, and by that means put the others in great confufion, while they endeavour to make off. The motion of thefe little birds is extremely nimble, flying frequently backwards and. forwards, to and fro, in an inftant; and that, often, with their bodies in a perpendicular pofition; but as they return from thefe chacing combats, their flight is fo fwift that you ⚫ cannot obferve them, nor know what courfe they take, but by the rushing noise they make as they cut through the air. They make their little nefts chiefly of cotton, or the down of fome other plants, intermixed with a few hairs, and a little fine mofs, and fasten them generally to some small branch of an orange or lemon tree, where they are well covered by the foliage and larger branches.' 军 yQuadrupedes are the fubject of the fifth chapter, in which the most extraordinary thing is, that our Author fhould rank Z 4 the the human fpecies among this clafs of animals, under the ti tle of Anthropomorphites. Having gone thro' the two first parts of our Author's work, we naturally expected the third, as it is promifed in the title, and expressly diftinguifhed in his preface. Thefe are commonly the laft printed; and if it was not intended to give this part, why was it mentioned? The Doctor, by way of apology, tells us at the end of this volume, that he would willingly have added the three differtations; but as [his work] has already fwelled to the bulk he defigned, and that the feafon of the year is too far advanced to finish the whole this year, he determined to publifh the Civil and Natural Hiftory alone; leaving thofe, with another on Worm-fevers, &c. which will make a small volume in 8vo. to be printed the ensuing feafon.'-But is this keeping his word with his fubfcribers? pay, is not every one who buys this book, upon the credit of its title-page, deceived in his purchase? In fhort, what would have been highly culpable in a jobbing bookfeller, is more inexcufable in a fcholar, and a gentleman.. We shall here take leave of Dr. Brown; without troubling our Readers with obfervations on the inaccuracies of his ftyle; or attempting to be witty upon his Irifhifms. We have given pretty large extracts, and his defects will be fufficiently obvious to an intelligent Reader. Continuation of Voyage d'Egypte et de Nubie, par Monfieur F. L. NORDEn. H AVING, in our laft, given an account of what this Author has faid concerning the pyramids and obelisks in Egypt, we return to his defcription of Old Alexandria. The wall, with the towers that surround it, are in a very ruinous condition. The towers are not all of the fame fize or form; fome are round, others fquare. The wall likewife, is higher and thicker in fome places, than in others; in general about thirty or forty feet high, and twenty thick: the whole is very maffive. The pillars have not fuch capitals as would induce one to believe them the work of the age of Alexander. The wall does not feem to have inclofed fo large a space as, according to all accounts, the old city muft have covered; and the whole appears fo much in the tafte of the Saracens, that our Author cannot think of any other people for the architects. The bodies of the pillars were, without doubt, taken from the ruins of Alexandria, probably from Cleopatra's palace; but but then it must be owned, that Barbarians only could apply them to the purposes they were made to ferve in these buildings, viz. to fupport the infide of the towers belonging to the wall that inclofed the city. A 7 Within the walls are feen nothing but ruins, except a very few mofques, churches, gardens, and fome cifterns; which laft are kept in tolerable repair, to fupply the city with water. Near Cleopatra's obelisk may be feen the churches of St. Mark and St. Catherine, in which fervice is performed by Copts and Greeks. They have nothing to recommend them but their names; and are fo gloomy, dirty, and full of lamps, that they rather refemble the temples of fome demon, than the houfe of God. There is nothing that deferves notice in St. Mark's, but an old wooden chair, in which that Evangelist is faid to have fat. In the other church, St. Catherine's, is fhewn, with great veneration, a bit of the pillár upon which, it is pretended, that Saint was beheaded; and they fay, that fome red spots which appear on it, were drops of her blood. Not far from this church is a hill raised from the rains of the city, and called St. Catherine's mount; there is alfo another of the fame fort and fize. They have both been fo often turned over, as to appear like a heap of duft; and nothing more is now found, except, when washed by the rain, fome antique feals, cameos, and other little curiofities: for the Saracens, like the Goths and Vandals at Rome, picked out the gems from the rings, and flung them away, that they might have the gold by itself. Our Author fays he faw a great many of these ftones, but none that were well cut. P Before we take our leave of the city, we muft obferve, that there are fome pillars of granite, without capitals, larger at the bafe than at the top, and one third hidden under ground. They ftand in the way that leads to Rofetta, and may have formed a colonnade, or portico, for fhelter, before the houses. Having pafled the gate of Rofetta, you come to that stately monument called Pompey's pillar. It is the greatest and moft magnificent column the Corinthian Order has produced. The fhaft is one entire piece of granite, the capital is likewife one piece of marble, and the pedestal a greyish ftone, not unlike flint. Our Author refers his Readers to the plate he has given of this pillar, for its dimenfions; but they are omitted. The foundation on which this noble column, and its pedeftal, are fupported, has been damaged by an Arabian, who fufpecting that a treasure had been buried under it, attempted to blow up the whole; but being a bad engineer, failed in his defign, and only drove out four stones, making a void space of about three feet. |