little exertion behind the scenes here. There has been nothing, during the month that they have been open, worth seeing, excepting Mr. Charles Kemble in "The Inconstant," which is now a twice-told tale, and Mr. Young's round of leavetaking characters. Mr. Young is so respectable an individual, that when he announces that it is his last season, we believe it, and we are sorry for it; the more so as we really think him improved of late years in his acting. He has emerged a little from his classical coldness, and his performances have been the better for it.

The only novelty during the month has been a one-act piece called "Wanted a Genius." The piece itself is scarcely worth criticism, being one in the hacknied style of disguises, for the purpose of exhibiting the talent of little Miss Poole, who is certainly one of the most amusing artists of the present day; and what renders her acting still more delightful is that there is nothing forced-no appearance of schooling all natural, and apparently the produce of her own genius, unassisted by tuition. In this piece she personates a Savoyard, a sailor, and a jockey, in such a manner as to keep the audience in perfect good humour through a very indifferent piece.

The "Fra Diavolo" of Auber, and Braham, are announced at this theatre.

Since the majors have afforded us so little to say of them, we must devote a few lines to the minors.

The Haymarket has closed after the first unsuccessful season that the theatre has experienced these twenty years; yet the management has not been deficient in exertion, or in the production of new and entertaining pieces. It might be imagined that this was in part owing to the absence of Liston, but that the only night he did play produced the worst receipt of the whole season.

Madame Vestris has opened her Olympic under the happiest auspices, and her new decorations and new pieces bid fair to carry her through a successful season. Liston here seems to be in his element, and has already appeared in two new characters, in both of which he has been very successful. The first, which is the Dominick we have before mentioned, is quite a novel attempt for him; and now that he is quite at home in the character, the piece bids fair to be a permanent favourite with the public here, though it has failed in other theatres.

Mathews and Yates, undaunted by having lost the lions, for which their treaty was so far advanced that they were actually preparing the stage for their reception, have already produced three new pieces with decided success-"The Sea Serpent,' one of those productions which Yates is so fond of, and which depend upon scenic effect; Victorine," a translation from the French, and decidedly one of the prettiest pieces which has been transplanted from Paris for years; and a burlesque upon the lions at Drury Lane.

Victorine; or, I'll Sleep upon it," is quite a novelty in its construction. It is literally the representation of a dream instead of a reality. The heroine is solicited in marriage by a tradesman in her own humble sphere, and dishonourably pursued by a roué in the upper ranks of life. She is so far induced to listen to the proposals of her would-be seducer, that she says she will sleep upon it. She accordingly does sleep; and the audience are presented with the view of all her adventures, after having submitted to the views of her profligate lover. At first she appears in all the luxury of high keeping; she then gradually descends till she reaches the lowest grade of society, and is upon the point of drowning herself in despair, when she wakes and finds the whole to be a dream. She accordingly determines to marry her humble lover, and is thus preserved by her dream in the paths of virtue. There is a moral in this piece, and an ingenuity in the manner of conveying it, that pleased us much; and Mrs. Yates's acting, particularly her waking scene, is admirable.

The burlesque is a good-natured quiz upon the beasts at Drury Lane, in which Reeve plays a lion, Wilkinson a tiger, and Buckstone a kangaroo; while the property-room furnishes elephants, leopards, monkeys, swans, pelicans, &c. As we have given the prologue, which is an apology for beasts acting the parts of men, we must also give that which was spoken here by way of apology for men acting the parts of beasts :-

PROLOGUE TO THE BURLESQUE UPON THE BEASTS.

'Tis now the mode for clemency to sue,
When four-legg'd things perform the work of two.
Truly, excuses may be wanting when
Brutes on the stage usurp the place of men :
But strange the whim my woman's fancy suits,
To plead the cause of men who act like brutes;
Who, not content with the two legs they wear,
To play their parts put on another pair.
But Jove himself, if ancient story's true,
Bas acted every part in Nature through-

The bull, the eagle, or the swan he'd play
On shortest notice, and as well as they.
"Tis nothing new; see, all our modish rakes

Have learn'd their parts in making ducks and drakes:
Whilst every fable tells us, if we choose,
The game of life is only fox and goose:
And all perceive, in these degenerate days,
To play the brute men find a thousand ways.
Without the lion's nobleness, his wrath
Is felt; while reptiles cross our daily path,
Some will assume the wily serpent's form,
And sting the bosom they pretend to warm;
Like the sleek boa round a female's charms-
Not the first serpent in a woman's arms.
The whisker'd beau will imitate the ape,
The cunning lawyer take the fox's shape,
And men we know in company by scores
At nightly parties voted monstrous bores.
Pigeons and rooks the midnight gamester sees,
And we poor actors know that there are geese :
Their voice to save Rome's Capitol had powers,
But, ah! their hiss may soon diminish ours.
But still our hearts are guileless all within;
Our fierceness shows no deeper than our skin.

Thus shaped as brutes who ne'er were brutes before,
Our bears and lions set you in a roar ;

While I in cat's-skin purr for your applause,
Although my articles have no such clause.

A new star-system we have brought to light,
And these the stars we here present to-night :-
Leo, our lion, is an ancient stager,

And our great bear shall be the Ursa Major
In each dramatic part, the Dog-star's rage

In every puppy that can tread the stage.
Your kind applause once gain'd without alloy,
And we'll jump out of our false skins for joy!

MISCELLANEOUS, PHILOSOPHICAL, &c.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INSECTS.-Entomology has of late years become a very favourite study to this, the late improvements in the construction of microscopes have greatly contributed. Some persons are inclined to consider this science as trivial; and others regard it with disgust: for there can be no doubt but that nature has implanted in us an instinctive horror of that part of the animal creation which is destined to devour us, sooner or later, alive or dead. The love of the study of nature, however, frequently overbalances these considerations, and many individuals, well worthy the name of philosophers, have devoted no inconsiderable portion of their time to the study of entomology. That insects perform some important office in the general system of animated matter has never been doubted; but the precise and important function allotted to them, has perhaps never been very clearly understood. It is this, which it is the object of the present communication to attempt to explain. The importance of this little race of animated beings is so great, that if it could be suddenly annihilated, the remaining part of animal and vegetable life, even man himself, would shortly follow. To understand the truth of this proposition, it is necessary to consider the following train of reasoning on which it is founded. Let us suppose a series of animals and vegetables A. B. C.D. &c., each in succession feeding on the others; that is, let A eat B; B, C ; and so on; and it is obvious that such a system can only be of finite duration, unless the last term E can reciprocally eat A. This great end is accomplished by means of insects

This is not intended to apply to man in a civilized state: his ingenuity would probably overcome the difficulty; in fact a great part of the science of agriculture consists in judiciously preparing and burying beneath the surface of the earth the remains of organized matter; for it must be recollected that plants feed chiefly by means of their roots.

2 Suppose the lion to feed on the ox, and the ox on the grass; this must soon come to an end, unless there were some means by which the grass can feed on the lion.

and reptiles-they perform it by reducing every fragment of animal or vegetable matter into a state fit for application to the roots of plants-sometimes dragging down the particles bodily under the surface of the earth, but more commonly by preparing them to be readily washed down by rain. Thus do vegetables feed on animals who feed on each other, and finally again on the vegetables themselves.

This theory is exemplified in the natural history of fishes. The great mass of the ocean is uninhabited, for fish as to their food are terrestrial animals; their existence depending on the animal and vegetable matter floated down to them by our rivers. A little consideration will show us, that if the ocean were filled with fish only eating each other, they would have a very finite existence; but it is comparatively uninhabited, because there is no insect creation similar to that explained above to provide for their reproduction.

G.

KING'S COLLEGE.-The ceremony of the public opening, which took place on the 8th ult. was, in despite of the tempestuous weather which prevailed, well attended. In keeping with the principles of the Established Church exclusively, on which its claim as a public school is founded, the inauguration began with the celebration of divine service. The service was followed by an impressive discourse from the Bishop of London, who insisted with earnestness on the great importance to society at large, as well as the individual pupil himself, of imbuing the mind of youth with a sense of moral responsibility, as well as of storing it with worldly wisdom. To this discourse succeeded an address from the Principal of the College, in which he enlarged upon the topics already mooted in the reverend prelate's sermon.

The course of education to be pursued in the School attached to the College, is said to be as follows:

"The course of education will partake of a liberal and useful character, adapted equally to professional and commercial pursuits. It will be founded on the systematic inculcation of the soundest principles of religion and morality; and will comprise the Greek, Latin, French, and English languages; Writing, Arithmetic, and Elementary Mathematics; History and Geography, ancient and modern; General Literature, Elocution, and Composition. The Hebrew, German, and Italian languages, the Principles and Practice of Commerce, Natural Philosophy, Drawing, &c. will be taught out of the course.

By the system of examinations, both public and private, and the distribution of prizes, it is anticipated that an honourable spirit of emulation will be excited and cherished in the minds of the Scholars.

"The age of admission will not be under 9 years.

"The hours of attendance will be from 9 till 3, from Michaelmas to Lady-Day; and from 9 till 4 during the remainder of the year. On Saturdays the school will

close at 1 o'clock.

"The vacations will consist of six weeks in August and September: one month at Christmas; and ten days at Easter.

"There will be annually a public Examination, and distribution of prizes awarded by the Council.

"A Register will be kept by the Head Master of the attendance, employments, and general conduct of the pupils, from which periodical reports will be transmitted to their friends.

Every class will come under the examination and tuition of the Head Master. "A Library will be gradually formed for the use of the Pupils.

"The terms for the course of tuition specified will be Fifteen Guineas annually to a pupil nominated by a Proprietor; and Eighteen Guineas to one not so nominated, with One Guinea as an entrance-fee.

"The Head and Second Masters will receive Boarders on Terms sanctioned by the Council."

LONDON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL.-The Council of this University have at length complied with the wishes of many of the proprietors, by determining to introduce within the walls of the University, the School which was established last year under the auspices of Lord Brougham, Lord Auckland, Viscount Sandon, and other members of the council. The rapid success of this seminary has equalled the expectations of its most sanguine friends, and has proved how much it was wanted in that part of the metropolis. The system of the School unites the study of the Greek and Latin classics, with a liberal course of education in the modern languages, &c.; and with satisfaction we perceive, that while the former is pursued with equal vigour as in our public schools, the system of discipline, which too frequently disgraces the latter, is superseded by punishments found to be equally effective, without degrading the offender or rendering him callous. The removal of the School to the University is announced to take place at Christmas.

METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL

Kept at Edmonton, Latitude 51° 37′ 32" N. Longitude 3' 51 West of Creenwich. The warmth of the day is observed by means of a Thermometer exposed to the North in the shade, standing about four feet above the surface of the ground. The extreme cold of the night is ascertained by a horizontal self-registering Thermometer in a similar situation. The daily range of the Barometer is known from observations made at intervals of four hours each, from eight in the morning till the same time in the evening. The weather and the direction of the wind are the result of the most frequent observations. The rain is measured every morning at eight o'clock.

MECHANICAL AND USEFUL ARTS.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE STEAM-ENGINE, BY WILLIAM MORGAN, ESQ., OF YORK TERRACE, REGENT'S PARK.-The discovery here is to produce a perfectly rotatory motion from the action of a piston whose oscillation is but partial. Suppose the piston of a steam-engine, particularly one of those for which Elijah Holloway procured a patent, oscillates within a cylinder, in a semicircular action; or suppose it performs a greater or a smaller proportion of a perfect revolution. In this case it would be a manifest advantage, applicable to a variety of purposes, which engineers and mechanics will at once comprehend, to procure from this imperfect revolution of the piston, a perfect rotatory motion. This may be done in several ways. By a chain or strap secured to a drum round the piston, and to a beam, at the further end of which is a crank, two oscillations of the drum round the piston, and, relatively, of the beam, will complete a perfect revolution of the wheel at the end of the crank. The same effect may be produced by cog-wheels in the drum and moveable beam, and by other means. The improvement claimed by this patent is, the production of perfect rotatory motion from the partial oscillation of the piston of a steamengine. The means of producing this are various, and the patentee lays no claim to any express apparatus for the purpose. A beam attached to a knee or joint fastened on to the piston, and describing one portion of a circle, at the end nearest to the piston, and another portion at its opposite extremity, may have a crank affixed to it in such wise, as to produce the same effect.

PROTECTION OF FIREMEN.-On the 4th of April, M. Gregori communicated some details of the experiments recently made in Italy by the Marquess Origo, commandant of the firemen at Rome, with a view to guarantee them from the effects of entering houses while a prey to conflagration. Acting on the received opinion that

the Romans employed a mixture of clay and vinegar to extinguish flames, he tried that mixture in every manner, but it produced no satisfactory result. He then dipped two complete suits of firemen's dresses, including boots, gloves, and two cowls, made of the same cloth as the dresses, in a solution of sulphate of alumine and sulphate of lime, and when dry, saturated them with soap water. Two firemen were clothed in these dresses, and their faces covered with incombustible masks, covered with cloth saturated with a saline solution; the openings for the eyes were covered with a web of amianthus, and small damp sponges were placed in their mouths and ears. Thus protected, they entered a house, 23 feet long and 3 feet wide, filled with burning wood, which they traversed ten times without the slightest injury. Their clothes were not damaged, although they had remained fifteen minutes exposed to the action of the flames. The only effect produced on the men was the increase of the pulsation from 70 to 125. These dresses cost but two pounds sterling each; and are therefore, in that respect, more eligible than those composed of amianthus, as recommended by the Chevalier Aldini. M. Origo also extinguished flames of considerable violence by playing on them with the solution of sulphate of alumine and clay, by means of a common engine.-Academy of Sciences of Paris.

CEMENT FROM IRON-FILINGS.-M. Mailtre, having reflected upon the action of vinegar in the preparation of the cement, known as mastic le limaille, which is made of iron-filings, garlic, and vinegar, so proportioned as to form a mass of moderate consistency, proposed to substitute for the vinegar sulphuric acid, diluted with water, in the proportion of one ounce to a little more than two pints of water, and to reject the garlic as useless. This alteration was soon adopted by all to whom he communicated it in Paris, and will save in Paris alone more than ten thousand francs annually. This cement is there employed to close the seams of stones with which terraces are covered. The iron-filings becoming oxidized, occupy a larger space-their oxidation being facilitated by the action of the acid, and the joints become exactly closed.-Mechanics' Magazine.

SHOWER-BATH OF JOHN LÉE BENHAM, OF WIGMORE STREET, Middlesex.-This bath is cylindrical in form, about 7 feet in height, and 2 feet 6 inches in diameter. Its principle of action is upon that of the pressure of a column of water upon various pipes containing valves, which the bather opens according to his own discretion. These project the fluid in minute fountains from every quarter of the machine upon his person. If a topical bath be required, it may be obtained by a partial opening of the valves. When in full action, the shower will continue about five minutes this however may be prolonged indefinitely by means of a forcing pump within the room, which the bather himself can work with facility. A small apparatus is appended to the machine, affording the means of administering either a warm or steam bath. Independently of its mechanical contrivance, the principle upon which the proprietor claims a preference in favour of this over other showerbaths is, that its stimulating properties are unattended by that partial obstruction in the circulation of the blood, which, from the heavy pressure of the water upon the body, the latter not unfrequently produce.

BORING THE EARTH.-On the 20th of June a letter was read from M. Jobard of Brussels, announcing that he had brought to perfection a new machine for boring the earth to any depth, and through any soil. He stated that his plan had been tried with the greatest success in the neighbourhood of Marienburg, where he had rapidly attained a depth of seventy-five feet through an inclined rock of phylade, mixed with argillaceous flints. By a process something similar, though less perfect, wells have been dug in China to a depth of from 2,000 to 2,800 feet, through solid rock. M. Jobard anticipates the greatest advantages to geognosy from his discovery; and, with the usual enthusiasm of projectors, looks forward with confidence to the period (not far distant) when we shall be as well acquainted with the centre of the earth as we now are with its surface.—Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of Paris.

NEW PATENTS.

J. Perkins, of Fleet Street, in the City of London, for his improvement on his former patent, dated July 2, 1831; making the same applicable to the evaporating and boiling of fluids for certain purposes. August 27, 1831.

B. Aingworth, of Birmingham, for an improvement in the making and constructing of buttons. August 30, 1831.

J. J. Jaquier, of Castle Street, Leicester Square, Middlesex, for improvements in the machinery for making paper. Communicated by a foreigner. August 31, 1831.

H. G. Dyar, of Panton Square, Middlesex, for an improvement in tunneling, or method of executing subterraneous excavations. September 5, 1831.

G. Forrester, of Vauxhall Foundry, Liverpool, for improvements in wheels for