it notwithstanding, essentially, both by its habits and external form. The boiquira is marked across the back by dark brown transversal lines, a little diagonal, terminated, on each side, by a spot almost round, of the same colour. The back of the other serpent is covered with parallelograms or lozenges of a browner colour than the rest of the body, and terminated by a yellow border.' The danger of approaching the rattle-snake, we are told, has been greatly exaggerated. M. de B. had an opportunity of ascertaining a curious fact; viz. that, on an alarm being given, the young rattle-snakes conceal themselves in the body of the female, into which they enter by her mouth: During my convalescence, I took a walk every morning in the neighbourhood, and one day when I was following a pretty broad path, I perceived, at a distance, a serpent lying across the road in the sun. I had a stick in my hand, and drew near to kill it, but what was my surprize, when, in the moment that I was about to give the blow, the reptile perceived me, coiled upon itself, and opened its large mouth, into which five serpents, which I had not till then observed, because they were lying along its body, rushed into the gulf which I had conceived opened for myself. I retired to one side, and hid myself behind a tree, the reptile had crawled a few paces, but, hearing no farther noise, and not perceiving me, stretched itself out afresh. In a quarter of an hour the young ones came out again. Satisfied with this observation I advanced anew towards the animal, with intention to kill it and examine the interior of its stomach; but it did not permit me to approach so near as it did the first time, the young ones entered with still greater precipitation into their retreat, and the boiquira fled into the grass. My satisfaction and astonishment were so great that I did not think of following it.' The author next gives an account of the mode of hunting for rattle-snakes in their holes; and he describes accurately the arrangement of the young teeth of these reptiles, destined to supply the place of those which fall out annually. The bladder for lodging the poison, and the notches in the fangs through which it is conveyed, are also described and delineated. The paper concludes with some strictures on Linné's arrangement of serpents, and with the proposal of a new one. An Enquiry into the comparative Effects of the Opium Offici narum, extracted from the Papaver somniferum, or White Poppy of Linnæus, and of that procured from the Lactuca sativa, or common cultivated Lettuce of the same Author. By John Redman Coxe, M. D. &c.-From a variety of experiments, both on the human subject and on amphibious animals, Dr. Coxe infers that the opium produced from the lettuce is identically the same with that which is derived from poppies. Besides diminish C3. diminishing the price of opium, its extraction from lettuce would, in Dr. Coxe's opinion, become a very profitable species of culture. Experiments and Observations on the Atmosphere of Marshes. By Adam Seybert, M. D.-The experiments of this gentleman have led him to conclusions which rather differ from those of former investigators. He supposes that marsh-air contains a large proportion of carbonic acid gas and of oxygen; and that the hydrogen, which is obtained by the surface of stagnant water, is produced by a decomposition of the water, and of the putrifying animal and vegetable substances contained in it. -Dr. S. is also of opinion that marshes are designed by Providence to support the balance among the component parts of the atmosphere, by correcting the effects of vegetation, which might ultimately overcharge the air with oxygen. An Essay on a new Method of treating the Effusion which collects under the Skull after Fractures of the Head. By J. Deveze, Officer of Health, of the first Class, in the French Armies.In cases in which the discharge of effused fluid is prevented by the adhesion of the dura mater to the skull, at the sutures, Dr. Deveze recommends, instead of making a fresh opening with the trepan, a separation of the adhering membrane from the skull by means of a blunt probe. An Answer to Dr. Priestley's Considerations on the Doctrine of Phlogiston, and the Decomposition of Water; founded upon demonstrative Experiments. By James Woodhouse, M. D. Professor of Chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania.—This accurate and well-written paper contains a satisfactory solution of the difficulties started by Dr. Priestley, in the two essays which open this volume: but, as it would lead us far beyond our limits to follow Dr. W's train of argument, we shall only notice a new fact which he has ascertained; viz. that turbith mineral, instead of being a pure oxyd of mercury, contains sulphuric acid, and may be regarded as a sulphate of mercury. We refer those readers, who may have been staggered by Dr. Priestley's objections to the new theory, to a perusal of this memoir for a complete settlement of the question. Memoirs on the extraneous Fossils denominated MammothBones: : principally designed to shew, that they are the Remains of more than one Species of non-descript Animal. By George Turner. It had been generally imagined that the bones of the Mammoth were only to be found in the northern parts of America. Mr. Turner, however, informs us that a considerable deposit of them has lately been discovered in South 15. Carolina. Carolina. He is of opinion that the various bones, which have been supposed to belong to this animal, ought to be referred to two distinct species; one of which he conceives to have been carnivorous, the other herbivorous. The parts, he, says, which mark the remains of a second species, are a grinder exclusively belonging to graminivorous and herbivoTous animals, and two tusks, differently fashioned. Mr. T. thinks that both these species of incognita have long. since perished. From some Indian traditions, joined to the uncommon appearances at the Great Bone Lick, he is inclined to believe that the Mammoth united to his uncommon bulk and strength, the agility of the tyger. A Description of the Bones deposited, by the President, in the Museum of the Society, and represented in the annexed Plates. By C. Wistar, M. D.-This paper contains an anatomical description of these curious bones, which cannot be understood without the plates. It proves that the Mammoth, or animal incognitum, must have been provided with claws. Some farther particulars respecting this animal have lately been published in our Philosophical Transactions. See Rev. for March last, p. 33. [To be continued.] ART. III. Specimens of Literary Resemblance in the Works of Pope, Gray, and other celebrated Writers; with critical Observations: In a Series of Letters, by the Reverend Samuel Berdmore, D D. late Master of the Charter-house School. 8vo. pp. 127. 45. Boards. Wilkie. 1801. TH Fer. HIS volume contains a formidable attack on Dr. Hurd's "Marks of Imitation," and we believe that most readers will deem it successful. From the agreeable manner, indeed, in which Dr. Berdmore has treated the points of discussion, we cannot help wishing that he had extended his views to the subject of literary imitation in general: but this would havę been transgressing the limits which he assigned to himself. In a strain of lively and ingenious raillery, he has detected the sources of Dr. Hurd's explanation of Virgil's invocation to Augustus, in the 3d Georgic; and he has shewn that the discovery, of which that learned critic assumed the merit, was nothing more than an obvious interpretation of the poet's words, which had been previously given by different commentators. As it seldom happens that so amusing a morceau of criticism passes through our hands, we shall follow the author's own arrangement with more minute attention than we usually devote to such small productions. C 4 Dr. Berd Dr. Berdmore refers, in his first letter, to an essay published in the Adventurer, containing several instances in which Pope had borrowed the thoughts of Palingenius, and other writers, for his Essay on Man; and he intimates a suspicion that Dr. Hurd afterward availed himself, without acknowlegement, of these very quotations, in his Letter on the Marks of Imitation an allegation which the passages produced appear satisfactorily to establish. The letter concludes with two examples of imitations from Ovid, by Mr. Pope on which we must beg leave to remark, once for all, that none of our poets has laid preceding writers more lar, ely under contribution than Pope; and that the margins of his piges might easily be filled with references to original authors, to whom most of his brilliant passages may be traced. We have already taken occasion to mention in our review, that the celebrated simile of the spreading circles of water, which has been generally reckoned original, was taken from a poem by Donne. In the second letter, Dr. Berdmore digresses to a consideration of the introductory stanza of Mr. Gray's Progress of Poetry, where we have these admirable lines: "Now the rich stream of music winds along, Deep, majestic, smooth, and strong, Through verdant vales, and Ceres' golden reign: Headlong impetuous see it pour; The rocks and nodding groves rebellow to the roar." The great excellencies of the sublimest poetry are here united with an ease and elegance, which give to the composition so much the air of an original, that none of Mr. Gray's editors, or commentators on his works, seem to have suspected an imitation Mr. Mason, who appears to have been sufficiently assiduous in bringing together every sentiment, or expression, from other authors, bearing resemblance to any part of the writings of his respected friend, has produced no parallel to this exquisitely beautiful passage. Mr. Wakefield has also given us an edition of Mr. Gray's poems, enriched with many valuable and interesting notes: in which he professes "not to be sparing of quotations from the poets," and conceives " no author to be a more proper vehicle for remarks of "this sort, at once useful and entertaining, than Mr. Gray:" yet, in all his extensive range through the fields of classic lore, he notices only one or two light resemblances. Having thus taken the liberty of introducing Mr. Wakefield, I cannot suffer so favorable an opportunity to escape me, without returning to that candid and discerning critic my warmest thanks, in which I am persuaded I shall be joined by every friend to genius, and lover of the Muses, for his very able and spirited defence of the British Pindar against the illiberal attacks of a prejudiced commen tator; tator; whose puerile strictures on these divine poems certainly cast a shade on his literary character. Even Dr. Johnson himself, willing, as he evidently was, from whatever cause, to degrade the high character which Mr. Gray de servedly held, of an original writer, with uncommon powers of fancy and invention, and, therefore, ever on the watch to detect any latent imitation, has been able to discover no instance of similar compo sition. Now allow me to submit to your consideration the following lines, which I am inclined to believe you have already in imagination anticipated, from one of the sublimeft odes in Horace : Quod adest, memento Componere æquus. Cætera fluminis B. III. O. 29. With this stanza before us, will there not arise in the mind something like suspicion, that Mr. Gray, when he wrote the fine lines quoted above, had his eye on Horace? Allow me to mark the principal features of resemblance. We have in each poet a stream, applied by the one to the various forms of poetry, by the other, to the vicissitudes of human affairs, with especial reference to political revolutions. It is conducted by both, first in a course of placid serenity, then in torrents of rapid impetuosity; and marked at the close, by the same striking and impressive consequence. "The rocks and nodding groves rebellow to the roar.” Very nearly a verbal translation of the Latin text, "Non sine montium Clamore vicinæque sylvæ." Here is certainly, in these two passages, an extraordinary coincidence of thought and imagery. In addition to which, the varying circumstances, described in both, follow each other exactly in the same order. The attentive reader will, however, discover, under this general similitude, a considerable difference in the mode of compo sition between the British and the Roman Pindar; enough, perhaps you will think, to remove all appearance of direct imitation. It is most probable that Gray, without recurring to the text of Ho. race, has only copied from the traces, which a frequent perusal had left upon his memory. This hypothesis will appear more credible, when we analyse the different forms of composition. While the stream of Horace glides quietly into the Etruscan ocean, with no other distinction than that of gentleness; the stream of Gray winds along with a marked character, appropriate to his subject: "Deep, |