Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 001.djvu/189

1817.] hand, by a judicious plan of selection, reserves a due space for the discussion of important subjects, while it is overloaded with no useless and lumbersome matter. Its plan is sufficiently extensive to embrace every thing useful in history, literature, and science, but not so extensive; and herein lies its excellence, as to admit of the tedious and perplexing tautology, which is unavoidable when the same subject is brought under the view of the reader, in different articles, and in various forms. The respectable names which appear in the list of its contributors were, from the first, a pretty sure pledge of the ability with which it would be conducted; and the pledge has been fully redeemed. Many of its leading articles may be held forth as the best treatises which have appeared on their respective subjects; and the plan very properly adopted of having every article an original communication, marked by the signature of its author, has excited among the contributors a very beneficial emulation, and conferred on the work a uniformity of excellence of which none of its rivals can boast.

Our notice of the articles which this half volume contains must be extremely brief; and this we are the less disposed to regret, as there are not many of them which can be supposed to be very generally interesting. The first in order is, the natural history of reptiles. Under the term reptiles, it is observed, naturalists have generally comprehended all those tribes of oviparous animals commonly called amphibia, including both oviparous quadrupeds and serpents; but in this article it is proposed to consider only the first order, reserving the history of the serpent tribes for the article. The account which is given of these animals, and of the history of the science, is methodical, clear, and comprehensive; accompanied with a full list of references, which will be found very useful to those whose attention is directed to this department of zoology. The reptile tribes are distributed into three orders, Chelonians, Saurians, and Batracians. The first order comprehends turtles, of which there are six species, and tortoises, of which there are fifty-two species. The second order comprehends crocodiles, dragon, basilisk, tupinambis, guana, flying-dragon, agamas, stellios, chameleons, geckos, anoles, lizards, takydrome, scinks, efts, and chalcides. The third order comprehends the hylæ or tree frogs, rana or common frog, bufo or toad;—these constitute one family, called the batracians, without tails; the other family (or tailed batracians) consists of the salamander, proteus, and siren. In treating of the anatomy and physiology of these reptiles, the author gives a clear and comprehensive account of their motions, sensation, digestion, circulation and absorption, respiration and voice, secretion and excretion, integumation, generation, and hibernation.

is the next article of importance. The plan proposed is, first, to point out and explain the various advantages of the study of history; secondly, to enumerate those branches of study which ought to be entered upon, previous to, or contemporary with, the study of history; thirdly, to give a brief and rapid sketch of the order in which ancient and modern histories may most conveniently and advantageously be read; fourthly, to point out the order in which the history of particular countries may be read, so that they may be illustrative of one another; fifthly, to notice the different species of history, besides what is emphatically called history. Notwithstanding some defects, this article may be perused with considerable advantage by those who wish to commence a regular course of historical reading.

The account of the province of is full of important and interesting information. Indeed the geographical articles of this Encyclopædia are distinguished in general by the extensive and accurate knowledge which they display, and by a happy discrimination, which rejects all extraneous matter, without omitting any thing that it is useful to know. The languishing state of manufactures and commerce in that once flourishing country, affords a striking exemplification of the vicissitudes of national prosperity. We have no room for details; but, as a proof of the declining condition of the country, we may state, that, since the year 1732, the population of this province had, even previous to 1796, decreased by one thirteenth of the whole; that, except the internal trade with Germany, its commerce is almost annihilated; that many