Monthly Memoranda in NATURAL HISTORY.

NOTWITHSTANDING the severity of the weather in November last, the season has not hitherto, upon the whole, been more rigorous than our average winters. In that severe storm a Whimbrel (Scolopax Phocopus) was found on the beach near Aberlady, apparently in a posture of repose, with the head under the wing, but frozen to death! The whimbrel, it may be remarked, resembles the Curlew or Whaap, but is smaller, and has the bill less bent; and it is a much less common bird. Besides the single Little Auk, or Greenland Ratch, formerly mentioned (in the December Magazine,) as having been taken at Luffness, three others were about the same time found in the neighbourhood; they were kept alive for some hours, but all of them soon spontaneously died. A small flock of them, therefore, appears to have been forced into our frith by the rigour of

that snow storm,

The winter has been distinguished rather for the violence of the gales that have occurred. In the beginning of December, during a strong breeze; a Bottlenose Whale (Delphinus bidens,) twenty-one feet long, was stranded near Goulon Point, in East Lothian. The country people instantly stripped off the blubber, leaving the krang or carcase to those who should come after! A number of aquatic birds seem to have been wrecked on the shores of our frith by the fury of the winds and waves. Between Caroline Park to the westward and Gossford 'to the eastward, the followwing sorts were strewed along the beach several Scouts, or Marrots, (Colymbus Troile;) Razor-bills of Coulternebs, (Alca Torda ;) and some young Herring-Gulls, (Larus fuscus.) Several small Coal-fish appeared also to have been dashed ashore.

Jan. 2. 1808.-A good many specimens of the Cuttle-fish (Sepia Loligo,) have of late been cast ashore in

different parts of the coast of the frith. Some of them have been found still in life, though in an exhausted state. This is the O-fish, or Sleeve-fish, of our fishermen. Its numerous arms or tentacula, with bell-shaped cirrhi, render it a hideous looking creature. It is the animal which has been celebrated from antiquity for its bag of inky matter, by diffusing which in the water, it is said to be able to confound its enemies and effect its escape. It is gregarious, and when one is forced ashore in a storm, more may be expected at the recess of the next tide. It is edible, and some parts of it are said to be a dainty even to the gulosiores; but its appearance is certainly not prepossessing. It is more common here than the Sepia octopus, which is sometimes found in dredging for oysters in our frith; or than the Sepia officinalis, the large bone of which is occasionally cast upon our

shores.

Jan. 5.-Jack-snipes (Scolopax Gallinula,) which visit our neighbourhood every winter, are at present pretty common. They are smaller than the common snipe; and they sit very close, so that they seem to allow a person almost to tread on them before they spring.

Jan. 7,-9.-The mercury in the barometer has stood at the mark Set Fair for these three days.

Jan. 15.-Garvies, (Clupea Sprattus) are taken at this season, in large quantities, in the Forth above Queensferry. They are of a larger size than the spratts of the Thames, and probably of a different species. They are seldom brought to the Edinburgh market.

Germany exhibits the appearance of one continued wood, with only a few interstices of open land. The Hercynian forest extended in length at least sixty days journey; how much farther was unknown; since no man in those days had ever reached the extremity of it.

If it be certain, however, that these extensive forests have existed, it is still more certain that they exist no longer. By far the greater part of them have perished, from the operation of various causes; and it appears to be out of their wrecks, when left to rot on the ground, that the great beds of moss have been formed.

The extent to which cultivation has been carried in Modern Europe, is evidently the grand cause which has occasioned the destruction of its woods. At the same time, it does not seem probable that trees, cut down from this motive, would give rise to moss. This would take place only in cases where the wood was left lying on the ground. Thus all trees, after a certain period, would decay by age.A new growth, indeed, then springs up in their room; but the decayed wood is left to rot; and a succession of similar depositions would form a soft mossy soil, unable to support the weight of large trees, especially when shaken by the tempest. Accordingly, in many places two, sometimes three tier of roots are found lying perpendicularly in moss. These trees are generally in the direction opposite to that from which the reigning winds in any country proceed.

Another grand cause was the cutting down of forests. This appears to have been chiefly effected by the Romans, and to have been one of their great means of securing their conquests. It was, as it were, the demolition of the enemy's fortresses. It deprived them of the opportunity both of retreat and of ambuscade. During the short intervals of peace which they enjoyed, the legions, and sometimes

the inhabitants of the tributary pro vinces, were actively employed in this operation. Roman coins, utensils, and remains of their works, have been discovered deep in many mosses.

The following particulars are given with regard to Scottish mosses.

vered in Scotland. I mention a few Many Roman coins have been discoinstances; others will occur to the reader. They ought to be recorded.

In Possil moss, near Glasgow, a leathern bag, containing above 200 silver coins of Rome were found.

In Dundaff moor, a number were discovered about forty years ago.

In Annan moss, near the Roman Causeway, an ornament of pure gold was discovered.

Many utensils, of Roman workman. ship, have likewise been found in these

Ochtertire.

A

In moss Flanders a similar implement was found. A Roman' jug was found in Locher moss, Dumfries-shire. pot and decanter, of Roman copper, was found in Kirkmichael parish, in the Roman bronze, were discovered in the same county. Two pair of vessels, of

moss in Glenderhill in Strathaven ; and in the Isle of Sky a chest of Roman arms was found under moss.

The remains of Roman works have been also found deep in these mosses. Many of these must have been executed be fore these mosses had a being. In the Dullatur bog some Roman altars were discovered when the great canal was dug; these are lodged in the University of Glasgow, and may still be seen. a moss in the immediate neighbourhood of this a beautiful Roman altar dedicated to the nymphs, was found: It is still standing at Nethercroy, in the parish of Cumbernauld, near the spot from whence it was dug. In Ardennis

In

a beautiful marble altar was found dedicated to Diana. P. 38.

It is remarkable, that scarcely any antiquities have been found belonging to any other nation except the Romans. There seems therefore no reason to doubt that many, if not

most

most of the forests of Europe, were ruined by that people.

Other causes, however, seem in particular cases to have caused the ruin of forests. Many have been consumed by fire; and here too Mr R. shrewdly suspects the Romans to have been concerned. Others have been overflowed by the sea; some even have gradually decended from mountains into the adjacent vallies. Of all these accidents Mr R. gives a considerable number of instances..

Our author seems thus to have fair ly proved that decayed wood is the grand cause which originally led to the formation of mosses. But there appears also reason to believe, that moss thus formed, after being dug up, grows again, and that often with sur prising rapidity. This second operation takes place even where there are no trees or ligneous plants what ever, of which therefore it must be wholly independent. It appears to be produced by aquatic plants, which grow up from pits dug in moss,provided these pits contain standing water, If the pits be either dry, or have a stream of water running through them, there is no renovation. This se condary moss is softer, lighter, and less compact than the old, but it is equally inflammable. Sometimes whole lakes are thus converted into moss; and the moss thus formed is generally in a semiliquid state; hence destructive accidents sometimes take place. The moss accumulated in a particular spot, when it finds an outlet, overflows the adjacent country, carrying with it trees and cattle, houses and inhabitants. Again these large beds, when the mosses are cut out of them, are often converted anew into lakes.

Upon the whole, the view given by Mr Rennie appears to'us to be very able and satisfactory. He discovers more extensive information, and more accurate thinking, than are usually employed upon such a subject. His work is also enriched by large comJan. 1808.

munications from M. de Lue, the celebrated Genoese philosopher, with whom he appears to carry on a regu lar correspondence. The style, with the exception of a few passages, where he aims at too high a tone, is as good as the subject seems to require.— What we chiefly object to is the rage he shews for division and subdivision. Thus at the end of every essay he gives what he calls General Conclusions, where not only a recapitulation is given of what was said before, but new matter is introduced under each head; thus forming a double series of essays on the very same subject. Not only is every chapter divided into sections but these sections are divided into undersections, and these undersections into still more minute divisions. We object also to the quotation of his numerous authorities in the body of the work, rather than by references to the bottom of the page, which would both leave the text unencumbered, and might themselves be made more minute and precise. These faults, however, are subordinate, and do not affect the essential merits of the work. We are glad to understand that Mr R means to prosecute these researches. He announces three other essays on the chemical properties of moss, and the changes which it undergoes. We are rather surprised to find nothing said as to the best mode of cultivating and rendering it useful; but this is perhaps reserved as the subject of subsequent essays.