CONVERSATIONS ON GEOLOGY. No. III. (Continued from page 21. PAPA. Well, Miss Polly, what makes you afraid of geology teaching you infidelity? MARY. Oh, I was reading a short time ago, that it taught us different things from what the Bible does, and thus weakens our faith in the Bible. PAPA. Why, surely you don't think that I am an infidel? MARY. No, I know you believe the Bible to be God's word; but still, everybody might not have as firm a belief as you have. PAPA. Very true; but that is their fault. I hold every one, who, professing to be a Christian, yet neglects to make himself certain that the Bible is God's Holy Word, to be culpable in the extreme, for he is willingly rendering himself an easy prey to the attacks of the infidel whenever he chooses to present himself. Geology and the Bible do not contradict each other. The Bible, says an eminent divine, was not designed to teach science; and so, I would advise you, if you are not already fully convinced of it, to examine anew the evidence on which we receive the Bible as God's Word, and not heeding attempts to identify scientific theories with the Mosaic account of creation. Study at once both the book of God's Word and the book of God's works, and, as Lord Bacon advises, "Do not unwisely mingle or confound these learnings together." MARY. Well, papa, I almost changed my mind yesterday, and had half determined to come and hear the next conversation you had on geology; for I heard Stephen and Willy talking about amethysts and other stones, and I thought there could not be much harm in knowing about such things; besides, I should like to know how to tell a real stone in a brooch, for there are such numerous imitation ones now. PAPA. I am glad you have heard some part of what I told your brothers, for it will enable you to understand what I have to tell you to-day. We have had to talk about two classes of rocks, the Plutonic and metamorphic. *The Rev. John Cumming, D.D. STEPHEN. I do not remember hearing about the Plutonic rocks, papa. PAPA. Why, granite is a Plutonic rock. Pluto, with the ancients, was god of the lower regions, and the granite rocks are often called Plutonic, because they are thought to have been formed by fire, at great depths below the surface; so we have learnt two divisions of the rocks, Plutonic or igneous, and metamorphic or changed. Now above the metamorphic rocks come what are called the aqueous or sedimentary rocks; that is, as I have told you, rocks formed by being deposited as sediment in water. They all contain the remains of organic beings; that is, they have preserved in their layers the remains of shells, or reptiles, or sea-weed, or plants and trees, or even of large animals, as the elephant and hippopotamus; and therefore they are called fossiliferous or fossil-bearing strata. These fossiliferous strata are said to be not less than eight or ten miles thick in Europe. MARY. Why, nobody has been down eight or ten miles into the earth; so how do they know what there may be there? PAPA. I was just going to explain that point. All the strata that have been deposited from water, must originally have been deposited horizontally; but we find them in slanting positions, and turned and uplifted in all sorts of ways. The lowest rocks are sometimes brought to the surface, and thus, by combining together the results of observations made in different places, geologists have made out the regular succession of the strata from granite upwards. Had the rocks remained as deposited, we should have known very little about them; indeed, the greater part would have been quite unknown to us, for the greatest perpendicular descent man has yet made into the earth's crust does not exceed half a mile. Now, Willy, I have told you three general facts about the crust of our earth. Can you tell me what they are? WILLY. Why, papa, you told us that granite formed a framework for the other rocks, and that those other rocks had been formed upon the top of the granite, and that they had been twisted up and down. PAPA. Yes; that is since they were deposited. Well, now we come to consider what force has twisted these rocks up and down, and sometimes made vertical what was originally horizontal. Now these forces were subterranean. You know that heat expands bodies; well, we have in the interior of our earth a constant source of heat. Heat applied to some rocks would cause them to expand, while applied to others, to clay for instance, would make them contract. WILLY. You don't call clay a rock, do you, papa? PAPA. Yes, geologists call all large masses, rocks, of whatever they may consist. To proceed, however. You will thus see that the mere contraction or expansion of extensive beds of rock would cause great elevation or subsidence in the surface materials of the earth's crust. But besides this slow elevation or subsidence, we find that strata have sometimes been violently broken through, by the eruption of red hot rocks; and here we find a fourth kind of rock, the volcanic, so called from their being the product of the agencies of volcanoes. You have often seen pictures of the basaltic pillars of Giant's Causeway. Well, those pillars are examples of volcanic rocks, and the bluish-looking stone they use to macadamize the roads with, about here, is another volcanic rock, called trap. Trap and basalt are the products of ancient volcanic agency, and pumicestone and lava of recent action of a similar kind. So that all the rocks composing the crust of the earth are divisible into four groups, Plutonic, volcanic, metamorphic and aqueous. Á RARA AVIS.-There is a hen in the possession of Mr. Brennan, of St. John's Market, Perth, which exhibits the appearance of two distinct birds, according to the side which is presented to the specta tor. On one side she appears to the spectator a duck-wing game hen, with small wattle and green leg; on the other she has the plumage of the dark-spotted China fowl, with long wattle and blue leg. On the leg last alluded to she has a large spur; on the other merely a bud. By poultry-fanciers she is considered a great curiosity. REVIEW S. The People's Service of Song; a Tune-book for the Pew. Pianoforte and Full Score Edition. Ward and Co. We have much pleasure in recommending this work to all lovers of sacred music. The harmonies have been revised by George Hogarth, Esq., author of "Musical History," and the whole is under the careful editorship of John Curwen. Some very valuable information, connected with the formation of choirs in places of worship, is contained in the preface to this new edition. The "People's Service of Song," rests its claims to public acceptance on the following qualities. First, and chiefly, on its close adaptation to the hymns in actual use; and, secondly, on the popular character of the melodies introduced; while the noisy and trifling tunes are excluded, those bold, lively, and elegant melodies, which are so plainly required by the spirit of our hymns, are carefully retained. Thirdly, on the simplicity and " singable" character of its harmonies; these will be found not only rich and tasteful, but also homogeneous with the character of the melody, "flowing," and within the reach of ordinary voices. The Glass and the New Crystal Palace. by GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. London. J. Cassell. Another illustrated pamphlet in the good cause of temperance from that prince of caricaturists, George Cruikshank. It is pleasing to see with what ease the veteran artist wields his pen in the conflict with ardent spirits, and how triumphantly he consigns them to darkness and contempt. "A calculation," he says, "has been made, that 40,000 drunkards die every year in this country. The bulk of these come, certainly, from the lower orders, which includes thieves and other vagabonds, male and female. It also includes the artisan, the labourer, &c., with numbers of women of the same class; there is also a large number continually falling off into habits of intemperance through the drinking usages of society; that, altogether, there is scarcely a family in the country which has, not more or less, directly or indirectly, suffered at some SO time or other, from the effects of these dangerous drinks.” Mr. Cruikshank's remarks against the Sunday traffic in intoxicating liquors are conclusive and just, and we sincerely hope the legislature will provide some remedy against this flagrant evil and desecration. Mr. Cruikshank notices with great praise, the efforts that are being made in the management of the New Crystal Palace, to provide against the indulgence of intemperance by the visitors. All communication with public-houses in the neighbourhood will be cut off, so that any person going out of the grounds will not be allowed to re-enter, nor will they be able to return by their railroad to town. We are delighted to see that strong endeavours are being made in the proper quarters for an abatement, would we could say an abolition, of that crushing evil, intemperance. It is a fact we cannot acknowledge without shame, that England, of all other countries, seems most addicted to this vice. Nowhere abroad (and we speak from experience, having lived for several years in most parts of Europe), have we beheld the degrading scenes of intoxication, which a few minutes' walk in any of the streets of London will realize. THE POSITION OF YOUNG PRAC- FORTE. escapes general attention, viz., the nature of the music now in vogue. A pianoforte, with six octaves and a half, has a certain extent; the body is continually bending backward and forward, in positions contrary to the regular development of the figure; the body leans forward, or to the right, or to the left, according to the passages to be studied, whether the upper or lower octaves. These bad positions are essentially injurious to the shape, and therefore to the perfection of beauty. Herz, and composers of the same school, in whose music there is more display than harmony, have created so many difficulties, that great perseverance alone can Overcome them. Hummel and Beethoven's music is much better adapted for youthful study, not requiring such continual efforts, or destroying the natural equilibrium of the body when seated. We are aware that the continual motion necessary may be considered as a species of gymnastics; but we must not judge from the attitudes of public performers, who play the most difficult pieces with surprising ease and brilliancy; we must watch growing girls, practising one line or a single bar over and over again, for a considerable time, while seated in the same awkward position. The great object of muscular gymnastics is to exercise the pectoral muscles, to enlarge the chest, and throw back the shoulders; can all this be effected by crossing the hands, so that the left hand plays the treble, while the right hand plays the bass? We leave our readers to judge for themselves. THE basis of support is enlarged in the front when persons are seated; and it is then natural to lean forward, unless there While writing these observations, we be some support for the back. The ob- chanced, at an evening party, to hear a servations already made on an erect atti- fashionable young lady play a very diffitude are applicable also to being seated, cult piece of music. She evinced great as far as regards the superior part of the taste and execution, and must have pracbody; but owing to the inequality of the tised constantly to have attained so great basis, the abdominal muscles are faa degree of proficiency; her performance tigued when this station (position) is too was loudly extolled, and she deserved all much prolonged. These simple indica- possible praise; but her figure had been tions plainly prove that forms and stools sacrificed. She was quite crooked, and this are not calculated for children; and it is deformity, if not actually caused, had unsurprising that they could have become doubtedly been increased, by practising the fashion, particularly for the pianoforte. the pianoforte before the young frame If some authors have considered the was sufficiently strong to resist the power study of the pianoforte as liable to pro- of different attitudes. An oblique posiduce deviations, they may certainly be tion while drawing, playing the harp, or attributed to the use of music stools: pianoforte, may cause a lateral curvature. there exists also another cause, which-Physical Education, by Dr. Riofrey. WONDERS OF ART. THE RUINS OF NINEVEH. NINEVEH, called by the Greeks and Romans Ninus, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, was situate in the plain of Etruria, on the Tigris. The Hebrew and Greek writers concur in describing Nineveh as a very large and populous city. Jonah speaks of it as "an exceeding great city of three days' journey," Jonah iii. 3. The walls of Nineveh are described by Diodorus as 100 feet high, and so broad that three chariots might be driven on them abreast. Upon the wall stood 1,500 towers, each 200 feet in height, and the whole was so strong as to be deemed impregnable. According to the Greek writers, Ninus was founded by a king of the same name. It was the residence of the Assyrian kings, and is mentioned as a place of great commercial importance; whence Nahum speaks of its merchants as more than the stars of heaven. the dissolution of the great Assyrian monarchy, in the eighth century, B. c. Nineveh was taken by the Medes under Arbaces, in consequence of the river demolishing part of the wall. But it appears to have still existed as the capital of On an Assyrian kingdom till B.c. 625, when it was taken by the Medes under Cyaxares. It is but very sparingly mentioned by later writers, and the history of its later fate is not known. Until recently, there has been great uncertainty as to the actual site of Nineveh. Niebuhr and Rich pointed out mounds of ruins which they supposed to mark the site; but the recent researches of Layard and Botta have settled the point. M. Botta, French consul at Mosul, began his researches near that city in 1843. He commenced his operations in an enclosure on the river Tigris, which has long been conceived to be the ramparts of Nineveh, but which are now supposed to have contained only the palace of the Assyrian kings. He shortly, however, directed his attention to Khorsabad, a village distant about five hours north-east from Mosul. Here his discoveries of walls, bas-reliefs, inscriptions, and sculptures, were very considerable. He sent home to Paris a large collection of sculptures and inscriptions, and drawings of a still greater number, many of which have been since engraved and published. A still greater addition to our knowledge of Nineveh has been made by Dr. Layard, who spent a large portion of time in the country, and who has shown the probable relation which the ruins at Khorsabad bore to those in other places on or near the banks of the Tigris. The results are exhibited in the minute details contained in the two volumes of his narrative, in the splendid folio volume of plates published in 1849, and in the sculptures now deposited in the British Museum The results of a second expedition to the site of Nineveh, undertaken for the trustees of the British Museum by Dr. Layard, have recently been published by Mr. Murray, and contain details of some very curious discoveries. At Mosul, Dr. Layard proceeded at once to examine the mounds, particularly those of Konyunjik (which are opposite that town), and where he inspected the excavations carried on after his departure in 1848, by Mr. Ross. Here various sculptures had been found, the majority of which had been much defaced by the fire which had consumed the building they once adorned. On a succession of sculp tures were depicted the whole process of moving the great bulls from the plain on to the mounds, together with the construction of the mounds themselves. Dr. Layard has described the pictures on these slabs, of which all that were capable of being removed have been placed by him subsequently in the British Museum. Upon some of them still remain inscriptions, containing the name of the king who placed them in the Konyunjik palace. This name is ascertained to be that of Sennacherib, probably the chief builder, if not the founder of this edifice. This is a most interesting discovery, as the biblical narrative of occurrences connected with that period is proved to be correct. "The events," says Dr. Layard, "agree with considerable accuracy. We are told in the Book of Kings, that the King of Assyria, in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah, came up against all the fenced cities of Judah and took them,' as he declares himself to have done in his annals. And what is most important, and perhaps one of the most remarkable coincidences of historic testimony on record, the amount of the treasure in gold taken from Hezekiah, thirty talents, agrees in two perfectly independent records. Too much stress cannot be laid upon this singular fact, as it tends to prove the general accuracy of the historical details contained in the Assyrian inscriptions." The great mound of Nimroud presented some interesting discoveries. Our readers have, no doubt, seen the gigantic humanheaded lions in the Assyrian collection, in the British Museum. It was a difficult matter to have these monuments removed, as will be seen from the following account by Dr. Layard: "It was necessary to humour and excite the Arabs to induce them to persevere in the arduous work of dragging the cart through the deep soft soil into which it continually sank. At one time, after many vain efforts to move the buried wheels, it was unanimously declared that Mr. Cooper, the artist, brought ill luck, and no one would work until he retired. The cumbrous machine crept onwards for a few more yards, but again all exertions were fruitless. Then the Frank lady would bring good fortune if she sat on the sculp |