bone, the hydrogene, oxygene, and azote of M. Lavoisier's hool. The curious inquirer will wish to be told on what principle M. LAMARCK supposes compounds to be formed, since he denies the existence of elective attraction among primary particles. On this head, we shall translate part of his own summary: No existing compound contains its constituent or elementary principles in their natural state. They are deprived of their freedom, and of all or most of their proper faculties. Some are extremely modified. No principle or element can have a tendency to lay itself under restraint, nor to enter into a state of combination. This is repugnant to reason, and therefore impossible. If any elements have been forced to quit their natural state, and to combine for the formation of a compounded body, they have not done it of themselvesthey have not imprisoned and modified themselves by virtue of any tendency to that effect :-but they have been constrained by a peculiar external agent. The elements that have been forced into a state of combination have necessarily a tendency to disengage themselves. This tendency has an energy depending on the nature of the elements existing in combination, or the state of combination in the compound which holds them. Every essential particle has a natural tendency to self-destruction, since its constituent elements really tend to extricate themselves from their state of combination-but this tendency, sometimes repressed and sometimes on the contrary ready to act on the slightest provocation, presents many degrees of intensity, according to the nature of given compounds. Chemical actions, known under the name of solutions, first produce the destruction of compounds, and afterward give rise to a new compound, resulting from the union of such of their principles as have not flown off, or separated themselves in some way. Solutions take place from the tendency to decomposition in the essential particles of compounds--a tendency which must be very powerful in one at least of the compounds; and which, being partially carried into effect, on the whole produces in the state of the elements of the compounds some diminution of concentration or accumulation.' Now let him who has read thus far read on and wonder: All the compounds, observed on our globe, are owing, directly or indirectly, to the organic faculties of beings endowed with life. These beings, in fact, form all the materials of the compounds, as they have the power of forming their own substance. To form it, one division, viz. vegetables, has the power of effecting the first combinations, which they assimilate to their own substance. The residues, and the spoils of bodies that have been endowed with life, serve for the uninterrupted production of all the mineral and inorganic matters that are any where to be discovered. This production is an evident result of the alterations and decompositions which these residues and spoils successively undergo. In a word, this produc 14 tion tion is a continual analysis, performed by Nature, of these spoils of living bodies, and minerals and inorganic substances are but the results of it.' The complete (or native) metals differ but in one respect from the other products of that analysis which Nature is perpetually carrying on. They They are owing to circumstances that occasion theaddition of carbonic fire to appropriate earthy compounds, which this operation metallises.' For the modus operandi, according to which the organic tribes subdue and yoke together the reluctant elementary principles of creation, we must be permitted to refer to the Memoirs;and we cannot promise the severe reader great satisfaction there. The quotation which we have given contains the outline of a philosophical romance, which in some hands might have turned out, at least, amusing:-but M. LAMARCK is not a Buffon. We cannot, however, but sympathise with him when we read how he was treated by his brethren of the Institute : It was (he observes) for the interest of science, and advantageous to myself, that my philosophical principles should be there discussed in detail and severely scrutinized. I hoped to derive much information from the debates, to which the reading of my memoirs would naturally give rise; and I promised myself to turn it to good account :—but I was deceived in my expectations. The effect of my readings in the first class of the Institute was quite different from any thing that I could have conceived. Without doubt, what I underwent on that occasion signifies little to the reader. He has nothing to do with the contempt and odium with which I was received by the overbearing and interested members of the class; nor with the constant refusal of the chemists to discuss any of the questions proposed in my memoirs, though most of them were altogether new. All that I will say is, that, perceiving that my readings (which they interrupted under different pretexts) were disagreeable to several of my colleagues; and having certainly no intention of disobliging them, nor of mortifying any one; I ceased to solicit the continuation of the readings. I did not even finish the fourth memoir, though I had begun it.' This modesty is commendable; more especially in a Frenchman, and in the case of his own system. We hope that in proportion as M. LAMARCK was the less obtrusive on this occasion, the more indulgence he will hereafter experience. The volume contains a variety of elaborate tables, composed for the elucidation of the author's opinions on all the subjects enumerated in the title. APP. REV. VOL. XXIII. Pp ART. ART. XI. Theorie de la Terre, &c. i. e. The Theory of the rected and enlarged. 8vo. 5 Vols. Paris. 1797. Imported by De Boffe, London. l. 5s. sewed. IN N the Introduction to this extensive and multifarious work, M. DELAMETHERIE has thus stated his design: Although our knowlege is not sufficiently advanced for a complete theory of the globe, yet the mass of facts collected by observers is so considerable that we can pronounce with certainty on various points. We have satisfactory probabilities on others:-but there are some which still require new observations and experiments. By composing a history of the earth, in which the points that are ascertained, those that are probable, and those that are doubtful, shall be carefully distinguished, the philosopher may advance this branch of science. Observers will confirm the first, and rectify the last. Their steps will be the surer. Such is the end which Í have pro posed to myself.' Of these five volumes, the first and second contain the mineralogy; the third, speculations on the powers and properties of matter; the fourth and fifth alone are dedicated to the theory of the earth. It appears, therefore, that we have two or three distinct works under one title. We shall make observations on each in their order.. M. DELAMETHERIE appears to have taken real pains with the first of his subjects. He devotes nearly 60 pages to preliminary considerations on the colour, transparency, lustre, hardness, and similar sensible or physical qualities of minerals. After the example of M. Werner and others, he has endeavoured to render these qualities more characteristic by a sort of scale. It is to be regretted that we have no means of fixing any of the points of these scales. Such, however, may be discovered: but, on account of the endless variety of composition, they will always be attended with uncertainty when applied to the discrimination of minerals. As an example of the manner in which M. DELAMETHERIE proposes to designate gradations in sensible qualities, we may take part of his article lustre. • I have expressed by 10,000 the most intense degree of this quality. The colourless and spotless diamond has of all known minerals the brightest lustre. 10,000 then will be the maximum of this quality. The sapphire, the most splendid body after the diamond, is very far from having the same brightness. Hence the lustre of the dia mond being 10,000, I have estimated that of the sapphire at 8000, and that of the ruby at 7500.' The author gives a distinct and agreeable view of the progress and present state of chrystallography. Having traced this curious branch of science from Anaxagoras to Romè de L'Isle, he observes that The most valuable result of De l'Isle's labours consists in his having determined the primitive form of every chrystallized substance, and having proved that all the other forms are only modifications of this: a truth which is the foundation of chrystallography. Gahn went farther. Having broken a dog-tooth (calcareous) spar, he found that the chrystal was entirely composed of small rhombs, like those of the primitive calcareous spar called Iceland spar. • Bergman seized this idea of his pupil; and, as he combined geometry with physical science, he demonstrated that every chrystal is composed of other smaller chrystals, variously piled, but in each case according to certain laws of decrement. These little elementary chrystals are called the constituent particles of a chrystal. In this manner, Bergman developed the mechanical structure of various chrystals. Hauy pursued the idea, and applied it to various chrystallized minerals. He determined the laws according to which the decrements take place, after certain data which he assumed. Several other philosophers have attended to the subject. We may now consider it as certain that every chrystallized substance is composed of particles that have a determinate figure; that these particles are piled or super-imposed on one another, according to laws of decrement or retreat, which are constant in every variety of chrystal; and that the different laws of decrement give all the varieties of form of the same substance.' A speculation concerning the figure of the particles, of which chrystals are composed, is afterward pursued through nearly 20 entertaining pages. Airs, waters, sulphur, and a few analogous bodies, metals, acids, alkalis, earths, neutral salts with stones (pierres), and stony (pierreux) neutral salts, volcanic stones, and fossils, constitute M. DELAMETHERIE's ten classes. To this arrangement, as to others, many objections might be made by a minute critic. It may It may be condemned as a mongrel classification, for the most part chemical, but in other respects without any clear principle. The class of airs, for example, brings together substances altogether dissimilar in their properties; and when we have a class of acids, it is manifestly absurd to place the carbonic acid in another class. Class III., containing sulphur, phosphorus, carbone, coal, and plumbago, has no general title; the want of which is an impropriety:-but the truth is that the author could find no chemical denomination which would not be equally applicable to metallic substances. The one and the other are said to consist (pp.93,94) of an unknown base, combined with the principle of combustion. Both combine with pure air and the causticon to form acids or oxyds. The junction Pp 2 junction of the neutral salts (as carbonate of pot-ash, nitrate of ammoniac) in one class, with breccias, pudding-stones, and flint, seems to be taking great liberties with analogy. Why separate volcanic earthy compounds from other earthy compounds? especially when volcanic sulphur is not classed apart from sulphur of other origin? The substances of the last class should be distributed among the others. Stone-coal, jet, &c. should rank with anthracite ; which, as is remarked, p. 78, will answer the same purpose as ordinary coal.' The author places the diamond in the centre of the earths. After having mentioned the experiments of Lavoisier and Tennant, he strangely observes that these experiments afford a confirmation of the opinion that the diamond is a stone of a peculiar nature.' As editor of the Journal de Physique, M. DELA METHERIE was in the way of philosophical news; and he has availed himself of the advantage. The latest analyses of compound fossils, as those of Klaproth, are accordingly to be found annexed to his species. The accurate mineralogist will find no small pains bestowed on the arrangement of this difficult department; and, in many instances, very successfully. We fear, however, that the example of M. Werner in changing names will lead to much uncertainty in this science. Our author has also imposed, suo jure, a great number of new names. If this practice were for a while perplexing in chemistry,-mineralogy, the student of which cannot at pleasure submit to the examination of his senses the subject of so many synonyms, may be reduced by the caprice of denomination to a state of inextricable confusion. Vol. III. belongs to the high speculative philosophy-la baute philosophie-and has a very remote connection with the theory of the earth. The nature of the subjects treated in this part of the work will be sufficiently exemplified by the titles of the first and last five sections. Of the first particles of matter-of the figure of the first parts of matter-of the proper force of the first parts of matter-of communicated force-of impulse-of the caloric in the celestial spaces-of the luminous fluid-of colours-of the gravific fluid or æther of the spaces between the celestial bodies.-The reader will be curious to know how these abstruse questions are discussed. We shall satisfy him as far as is practicable on our part; and for this purpose we select the author's principal observations on the gravific fluid: Most philosophers now admit that universal gravitation is the effect of a particular fluid :-but what is the nature of this fluid? It cannot be any sort of air, since gravitation takes place in the va cuum |