the Pô; from the extreme variation or great variety existing in the different strata of sand, pebbles, and vegetable earth, which now form the banks of that wonderful river; from the number of beds of maritime and fluviatiles, or river shells, which lie in some places distinct or separated, and in others confusedly mixed together, from Cremona to the sea: in fine, from the progressive diminution which the velocity of the waters of the Pô experience, in proportion as the lower valley of Lombardy enlarges and gets nearer the sea; I conclude or deduce the following consequences. 1. That that part of the valley, which lies eastward of Cremona, cannot owe its origin or increase but to the quantities of earthy matter continually brought down and deposited by this river, which, to all appearances, were formerly infinitely more considerable than at present. 2. That the sea once covered this fertile plain; and that the greatest part of Lombardy may be considered as an encroachment made on that element, by a quantity of fragments detached from the primordial and secondary chain of mountains, which were at first hurled by the sea in its last retreat, and then carried along by the waters of the Pô, which in some degree still continues to deposit them, as before mentioned, by meansof the frequent inundations caused by the overflowings of the Pô in the confines of Ferrara and Bologna, which are increased by the eagerness of the inhabitants of those provinces, who unfortunately attempted to restrain the waters of that formidable river too soon by banks, dykes, &c.

II. From the direction of the valley of Lombardy, and of all the se

condary ones which terminate in it; from the extreme difference in the elevation of the head of these secondary valleys situated at the foot of the Alps, and likewise from their number, compared to those on the west and south-west of the same mountains; from their irregular form, number, and great degree of abruptness, which exist likewise in the secondary and tertiary mountains on the eastern side of the granitic peaks, in comparison to those of the same order on the western: in short, from the calcareous chain of hills which surround all Lombardy: I think I may venture to conclude: 1. That the motion of the sea, in its first mutation or change, had a direction tending nearly from west to east. 2. That at first it rose to a great height, which appears to be fully proved by the calcareous matter, containing maritimeshells, now found lying on some of the primitive rocks of the Alps. 3. That its motion and retreat, or subsiding, were at first extremely rapid. 4. That the seas having rose above the plains which form the high valleys of the Alps, it afterwards precipitated itself towards the east, and dug by its weight and velocity the valleys which are at their feet, mutilating and chamfretting the secondary mountains which intercepted its passage. 5. That the sea, having in process of time abated in its motion, had by its sediment formed the schistus and secondary mountains, which describe a kind of zone to the plain of Lombardy: in short, 6. That it is evident, that the sea remained or stopped a much longer time on the western side than on the

now lie isolated on the summit of several high calcareous, schistous and sandy-hills in Piedmont, to which they have not the least analogy, I am naturally led to believe, 1. That the soil of the upper part of the valley of Lombardy was, when still covered or submerged by the sea, nearly as elevated as the summit of those hills are at present. 2. That these granitic masses were most probably driven on the top of those hills by the accelerated action of the sea, as I have previously observed in a former part of my work, and left in that isolated state by the same current, which, by gradually furrowing the soil in various directions, formed an innumerable quantity of small irregular valleys, which have however, in general, their salient or prominent angles uni. formly opposed to the concave ones. IV. From the extreme degree of cold particularly experienced on the Cols de Tende, Finestre, and Argentera, &c. though less elevated than Mont Cenis, I draw the following conclusion. viz. That the height and degree of elevation of the mountains, above the level of the sea, have less influence than that which they have above their valleys, in order to the absolute determination of the kind of climate which exists on their summit; provided, however, their height does not exceed one thousand or twelve hundred toises, that being nearly the zone in which the snow is per

manent.

V.. From the irregular inclinations or directions so generally found in the beds or strata of the secondary mountains, and from their abrupt. - ness, breaks, and quantity of heterogeneous matter so frequently con

tained in their cavities, I am of opinion, 1. That those mountains could not have given way and sunk, except at the time when their summits were entirely submerged by the sea: indeed this supposition appears to be fully elucidated, by the calcareous matter containing marine fossils, which generally fill the vacuum formed by the different breaks of those mountains, and which is likewise sometimes found on their summits. 2. That they could not have thus broken or separated, but from the effect of subterraneous caverns formed in the interior of the globe, the vaults of which, from being progressively over-charged by a continual accumulation of calcareous particles deposited by the sea, have sunk or given way, as, I flatter myself, I have in a former part of this work clearly demonstrated.

VI. From the number of mountains formed of grés, or sand-store, marne, or marl, and pudding-stone, which lie on others of different species, such as granite, rock-stone, &c. which likewise vary as to the reciprocal inclinations of their strata; also, from the irregularity and extreme verticality in the strata of the mountains of schist, which even form a right angle with the horizon; in fine, from the general disorder or confusion which appear so conspicuous in the secondary and tertiary mountains, situated towards the west and south-west chain of the Alps, I am led to believe: 1. That the wonderful changes which our globe has experienced are entirely owing to the effects of fire, and water, which have, at different epochs, powerfully and visibly acted either together or separate. 2. That the

the continents have likewise been *exposed to similar revolutions; and, in short, that the last great débâcle, or bouleversement, is not, by se- veral centuries, of so remote a date as has been generally supposed.

VII. From the sandy hills which compose the valley described in the eighth chapter, containing different species of marine fossils, and which are as if enclosed or wedged in the midst of high calcareous mountains, which do not contain any; from the direction of this valley, which tends from north to south: from the petrified trees likewise found ten feet below the soil of the same valley, in the environs of Nice, resting on calcareous beds, the roots of which contained in their ramifications a quantity of marine fossils; I am induced to conclude, 1. That the sea, in its slow and gradual retreat, must have formed an extensive gulph in the neighbourhood of Escarene; and that the calcareous mountains, above alluded to, served as its eastern and western boundary. 2. That the summit of the sandy hills, which now form the inner valley, indicate as nearly as possible the elevation of the bottom of the gulph at that period. In fine, that the waters having afterwards effected their retreat in that place, from north to south, bad, as it were, traced out the valley, which has since been finished by the draining of that part of the sea which had been accidentally retained in some of the higher valleys, in consequence of having broken, by its weight and action, the calcareous barrier which for a time retained it.

VIII. From the abrupt state of the calcareous mountains which border the Mediterranean coast

from Nice to Savona; from their extreme height or elevation; from the depth of the sea which washes their basis; as likewise from the direction of the rivers and valleys of that part of the chain, which is in general from north to south, and the vast number of gypsum quarries which are within a mile or two of the coast; I am led to suppose, 1. That the major part of the secondary and tertiary chain of the Alps still remains covered by the sea. 2. That it appears probable that those mountains may extend to the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. In fine, that a number of these calcareous mountains owe their abruptness to the last retreat of the sea, which had, by insensibly undermining their basis, occasioned part of their mass to detach and fall into the water, from their not having at that period acquired the same degree of consistence which they now possess.

IX. From not having been able, with the greatest care and attention, to trace or discover the least indication of volcanic operations from La Bouchette, near Genoa, to Mont Viso, in Piedmont, which are the two mountains which terminate the maritime chain, I think myself authorised to say that there does not appear to have existed any volcanos in that part of the Alps, except in the valley of Fontaine du Temple, mentioned in the last chapter, and which, from not having been able properly to investigate, I cannot to a certainty venture to give my opinion.

These are the conclusions I deduce from the foregoing premises and which I offer to the consideration of the public with some diffidence dence, sensible of the difficulties which attend the structure of all the theories of the earth; but if I should be thought to have failed in any of my inferences, I have still the satisfaction to know that, without any view to system, I have endeavoured faithfully to collect and to record natural facts, of which others may probably make a better use than I have made myself, and to which the attention of scientific men may not unprofitably be directed. It is not for me to pronounce how far I have succeeded; but as Sir William Hamilton's object has been to trace the operation of fire in the formation of the great features of nature, so it has been mine to trace and to notice the operation of water; and, perhaps, when the power of these two mighty elements is duly considered, great light will be thrown on a subject hitherto imperfectly investigated.

I shall be happy should my works, with their embellishments, be allowed the honour of standing as an invitation or introduction to the study of that part of the Alps, where the few flowers and ears of corn which I have gathered may serve as a specimen of their richness and fertility, as a field of science, and whose harvest I must leave to be reaped by others more conversant than myself in the philosophy of natural history.

Account of the Buffalo of America, by Mr. Turner; from Letters and Papers on Agriculture, selected from the Correspondence of the Bath and West of England Society, Vol. VII.

THE HE American Buffalo is, if 1 mistake not, the bison of Button,

Immense herds of this animal roam at large, in interior America. From Green River to the Mississippi, the shores of the Ohio are lined with them. The hunters are too apt to destroy them wantonly: a circumstance, much to be regretted, and not to be prevented. Frequently have I seen this fine animal killed; and, excepting the tongue and the tallow, left on the ground a prey to the tigers, wolves, and eagles. The boss on the shoulders of the buffalo is, as well as the tongue, extremely rich and delicious, -superrior to the best English beef. It is usual to cure the tongues, and transport them to New Orleans; where they are sure to meet with a good market.

There is a singular, an affecting trait in the character of the buffalo, when a calf; and my feelings have severely felt it. Whenever a cow buffalo falls before the murdering lead of the hunters, and happens to have a calf, the helpless young one, far from attempting an escape, stays by its fallen dam, with signs expressive of strong and active natural affection. The dam thus secured, the hunter makes no attempt on the calf, (knowing it to be unnecessary) but proceeds to cut up the carcase: then laying it on his horse, he returns towards home, followed by the poor calf, thus instinctively attending the remains of its dam. I have seen a single hunter ride into the town of Cincinnate, between the Miames, followed in this manner, and, at the same time, by three calves, who had lost their dams by this cruel hunter.

Since I have expressed a wish to see the buffalo domesticated on the English farms, I will now mention a fact concerning it, within my own knowledge. A farmer, on the great Kenhawa - Kenhawa, broke a young buffalo to the plough; having yoked it with a steer taken from his tame cattle. The buffalo performed to admiration. Enquiring of the man, whether he had any fault to find with the buffalo's performance, he answered, there was but one objection to it: the step of the buffalo was too quick for that of the tame steer. "My friend," said I, "the fault lies not in the buffalo, but in the - steer: what you term a fault in the ✓ former is really an advantage on Cits side." Till this moment, the man had laboured under one of those clouds of prejudice but too common among farmers. He had taken the ox of his father's farm, as the unit whence all his calculations were to be made,and his conclusions drawn: it was his unchangeable standard of excellence, whether applied to the plough or to the draught. No sooner was my observation uttered, than conviction flashed on his mind. He acknowledged the superiority of the buffalo.

But there is another property in which the buffalo far surpasses the ox:-his strength. Judging from the extraordinary size of his bones, and the depth and formation of his chest, I should not think it unreasonable to assign nearly a double portion of strength to this powerful inhabi-tant of the forest. Reclaim him, and you gain a capital quadruped for =the draught and for the plough: his - activity peculiarly fits him for the latter, in preference to the ox.

Account of the River Tigris; from Ouseley's Persian Miscellanies.

lord of the four rivers of Paradise, which an ingenious traveller* explains by ". Iuphrates, Tigris, Araxes, and Indus;" although in another place, he acknowledges his uncertainty, whether these were the streams that watered that happy garden; that the Euphrates and Tigris were the principal rivers of the terrestial Paradise, is allowed by all writers. The Jihoon, or Oxus, as we have just seen, is supposed by some to have its source there, but as to the river Shihoon, as written in the specimen, I must confess my ignorance. I cannot affirm that it means the Araxes, which rises in Armenia, to the west of the Caspian sea; and I should rather imagine that the points over the first letters were superfluous, and that it signifies the Shihoon, or ancient Jaxartes, between which, and the lower part of the courses of the Jihoon, or Oxus, lies that country called Transoxania formerly, and by the modern Asiatics, Mawer'-ul Neher, "the land beyond the river."

But so little has been done on the geography of those countries, and so ignorant are we still of the exact situation of the rivers which we speak of, that a most learned writer takes particular occasion to remark the peculiar obscurity which yet hangs about them; and even the celebrated orientalist, M. D'Herbelot, only tells us, that perhaps ("peut-être") the Shihoon is only another name for that river, which the "Antients called Jaxartes, and the Arabs write Sihoon."

Of the river Tigris, so celebrated by the Greek and Latin writers, the ancient name is no longer used, and it is now called Dejleh; the

etymology