ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.· A catalogue of the members has been published, which includes 1291 names, besides corresponding members. The museum in Bruton Street has received, and is daily receiving, valuable additions, as is the garden in the Regent's Park. The extent of this garden has been, in consequence of the various donations and purchases, considerably increased, and several neat and appropriate structures are now erecting for the abode of different specimens. It is a gratifying circumstance that these specimens are, for the most part, clearly and distinctly named, with the native country of the animal added. We could wish to see a greater variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants introduced, and equally clear names and geographical indications placed at them also. Why should it not, as far as practicable, be a botanic garden as well as a zoological garden? It is much to be regretted that those who first designed the plantations of the Regent's Park seem to have had little or no taste for, or knowledge of, hardy trees and shrubs; otherwise, as we have before remarked, this park might have been the first arboretum in the world. Instead of the (about) 50 sorts of trees and shrubs which it now exhibits, there might have been all the 3000 sorts, now so admirably displaying their buds and leaves, and some of them their flowers, in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges at Hackney. A walk round that arboretum, at this season, is one of the greatest treats which a botanist can enjoy, and a drive round the Regent's Park might have been' just as interesting. It is not yet too late to supply this defect, and the expense to Government would be a mere bagatelle. The Zoological Society, in the mean time, might receive contributions of herbaceous plants, and be at the expense of planting and naming them.

Linnean Society. March 3. Read. A continuation of Mr. Don's paper on the Compósitæ of South America.

March 17. Read. A paper on the fig trees of Jamaica, by James Mac Fadyen, Island Botanist: communicated by H. T. De la Beche, Esq. F.R.S. &c. This paper describes six species indigenous to Jamaica. The genus is divided into two sections, accordingly as the fruit is sessile or pedunculated. Under the first are enumerated F. Simpsòni and F. cordifòlia; under the second, F. jamaicénsis, F. víridis, F.americàna, and F. lentiginosa. The author states that the four species are new, and that the characters of the rest had never before been properly investigated.

Some remarks by Mr. Bicheno on the geographical and geological distribution of the plants of Britain were also read: and the reading of Mr. Don's paper was continued. The head and horns of a remarkable species of the buffalo (Bós A'rni) from India, and also a variety of the fallow deer (Cérvus Dàma), were presented to the Society's museum. The Meeting then adjourned for a month.

April 7. Read. A paper by the Rev. Patrick Keith; the object of which was to prove that the sap of plants has the power of producing buds; or, at least, that this is the case in a great number of trees. We should say, it is the case in all trees which will stole when cut over by the surface, or which will produce suckers or shoots from the root, as Pyrus, Prùnus, Cratæ`gus, Ulmus, Tília, &c. Mr. Keith illustrated his paper by a drawing of a fragment of lime tree, in which two young shoots were protruded from the lip of a wound. We have now before us a piece of a shoot of the common elm of about 18 in. in length, and half an inch in diameter, in which four such shoots are growing from the lip of the cut or section, on the upper end. This elm stick, as it may be called, was put into a crystal jar, as a perch for our Ràna arborea (p. 79.) on the 16th of January last; there is a little water at the bottom of the jar, which

keeps it moist. It has not thrown out a single fibre, nor formed much of a callosity at the lower cut or section; but at the upper section the callous is large with four small shoots, and the different buds in the natural bark have pushed from 2 to 4 in. in length. The stick and the frog were examined by several physiologists at the London Institution, March 31st. Mr. Keith alluded to the opinion of the writer of the article Vegetable Physiology, in the Library of Useful Knowledge (No. xiv.), on this subject, as being inconsistent with the facts stated. The circumstance of the

common thorn and of the elm and many trees producing shoots from cuttings of the roots is, in our opinion, quite decisive of the power of the sap or blood of plants to form buds generally; but some trees require a more powerful excitement to do this than others, and some, as the pine and fir tribe, are exceptions.

Geological Society.-Jan. 16. Read. An Appendix to Mr. De la Beche's paper on the Geology of Nice, by the Rev. W. Buckland, D. D., &c. After bearing testimony to the correctness of the description given by Mr. De la Beche of the immediate neighbourhood of Nice, the author communicates his own observations made along the high road from that city to the Col de Tende, for the distance of about fifty miles.

Dr. Buckland infers that the lower part of the calcareous deposit near Nice is the older Alpine limestone; as is the opinion of M. Risso. On the authority of that gentleman, Professor Buckland remarks that near the source of the Var the older Alpine limestone contains gypsum, with sulphur and salt springs; and he thinks it probable that the gypsum found near Vinaigre and Requiez, and at Cimiez, belongs to this formation, rather than to the younger Alpine limestone, to which Mr. De la Beche refers it. A similar developement of the new red sandstone is seen between Toulon and Frejus, accompanied with gypsum, saccharine dolomite, rauchwacke, and conglomerate.

Read, also. Observations on the mountain Ben Nevis, and on some other places in Scotland.

ART. III. Natural History in the English Counties.

KENT.

A Male Spermaceti Whale, Physèter catòdon (katō, below, odous, a tooth; teeth in lower jaw only) Lin. Sir, Most of your readers are acquainted with the character of the whale, his voracity, strength, and enormous size; but few of them can have had, or probably ever will have, an opportunity of seeing this truly gigantic and stupendous fish. Such an opportunity, however, has lately occurred. A male spermaceti whale had, for some weeks, been observed moving around the coasts of Essex and Kent, when, on Monday last (Feb. 16.), it was perceived near Whitstable (a small fishing-town, about six miles from Canterbury), in an apparently exhausted and debilitated state. Some fishermen, therefore, went boldly in quest of him; and, after a short but perilous hunt, drove him within half a mile of the shore, where the wearied animal, having in vain attempted to escape, rolled himself on his back, and almost instantly expired. He measured 62 ft. in length, and 16 ft. in height; a size, I believe, by no means large, some having been caught in the northern seas upwards of 100 ft. Two harpoons were found sticking in his back, which seemed to be very much bruised, owing, probably, to the shallowness of the water in which he had been so long confined. The stench arising from the dead body was almost intolerable, and was smelt at three miles' distance from the sea. I might here enlarge on the curious method of cutting the flesh, extracting the oil, &c.,

but I have already trespassed too long on your valuable pages, and shall, therefore, merely observe in conclusion, that the plates and descriptions, by Bewick and others, are, as far as I could judge from a short but minute inspection, perfectly correct. I am, Sir, &c. - Perceval Hunter. Kingstone Rectory, near Canterbury, Feb. 19. 1829.

Capture of a Cachalot on the south Coast. On the 15th of February a fine spermaceti whale was captured at Whitstable; and such an occurrence being very rare on our coasts, at your request I proceed to state the information respecting it which I have been able to collect; truly regretting, from the imperfect knowledge of these giants of the waters possessed by our naturalists, that none appear to have been able to avail themselves of so excellent an opportunity of removing the many doubts and difficulties respecting the external figure and anatomy of the animal.

The only detailed account of its capture which has been presented to the public has been given in the Essex Herald, and that is in some particulars at variance with others, derived from persons who profess to have been eye-witnesses.

According to the first authority, the whale was seen approaching some dredging boats in comparatively shallow water, and the fishermen instantly went in pursuit. Being unprovided with weapons, they threw their anchors on him; and the crew of one boat, of 11 tons' burthen, had the temerity to sail over him; upon which he rose and lifted it above the surface. In this strange warfare fortunately no injury was sustained, except by the whale, whose back retained the traces of the vessel's passage. The fishermen for a long time persevered, and at length harassed him so much that he was driven into shallow water, on the Grass Bank, upon which he threw himself on his back; in which position he continued to bellow loudly until he expired. With the night tide he was floated by a warp upon the rock.

A Whitstable boatman at Billingsgate has communicated to me the following additional and rather varying particulars: - The whale was first observed in shallow water (on the 11th) off the Essex coast. He was immediately attacked by two boats, the men in which trying to kill or disable him, commenced by destroying his sight, and also thrust a sharp bar of wood into the abdomen, which, by the agonised efforts of the animal, was instantly and forcibly ejected, followed by a large quantity of blood. They then attempted to secure him by two very strong cables, and with another fastened a small anchor to his tail. The cables were speedily snapped, and the leviathan broke from his pursuers, but only to meet a more certain fate on the opposite shore. The Whitstable men were more fortunate, the whale becoming stranded upon their coast, and assisting to destroy himself by his tremendous efforts to escape into his native element from the incessant persecutions of his new enemies, who endeavoured to kill him by wounds in every accessible part of his body. The noise of his floundering upon the shingles was compared by our informant to that of all his bones being broken, which, added to his bellowing, was as terrible to the ear as the sight of so vast an animal, exerting his utmost power in a struggle for existence, was to the eye. It was the opinion of this person that he ultimately died from the exhaustion occasioned by his unavailing efforts. The first intention of the captors was merely to disable him, and tow him up alive to London, where they would doubtless have reaped from his exhibition a rich reward for their perilous exertions.

Mr. Gould, who went to Whitstable some days after the death to secure and prepare the skeleton for the Zoological Society, has kindly favoured me with all the information he was able to procure on the spot. He was informed that the whale was left by the tide in only 8 ft. of water on the Essex coast, in which situation he was seen by the master of a French ship, who immediately put off to attack him. He was then so much exhausted by beating about in shallow water, as quietly to suffer a small cable to be

attached to his tail, and thus promised to become an easily conquered prize. He was forthwith fastened to the vessel and taken in tow. In about half an hour, however, the tables were turned, the deep water having by that time so much renovated his power, that it was soon apparent he was the stronger swimmer of the two, as he actually towed the ship stern foremost a considerable distance. This trial of strength between two such large floating bodies, so slightly connected, could not last long; the cable broke, and he regained his liberty. Respecting his ultimate capture and death, Mr. Gould's account differs but little. The whale lay upon his side, and not upon his back; which position Mr. Gould thinks it impossible for him to assume, from the sharp ridge of the dorsal line. His death was promptly effected by a seaman in the preventive service, who had served on board a whaler, thrusting a spear in a proper direction, and putting an instantaneous stop to his sufferings.

This whale, which was a male, belongs to that subdivision of the cetaceous animals which are distinguished by their heads being, in appearance, enormously disproportioned to their bodies, occupying about one third of the entire length. Of these there are only two genera, the Physèter, or cachalot, and the Balana, or whalebone whale; and it is to the former that the individual in question belongs. Although these huge monsters of the deep are found occasionally in almost all seas, and migrate, in a limited manner, at particular seasons, they very rarely approach the temperate coasts of Europe, their principal locality being the Frozen Ocean. The following instances of their so doing are, however, on record: - A cachalot was seen off the Kentish coast in 1769; during the life of Sir Thomas Brown (who died in 1774), a very large one was stranded on the coast of Norfolk; in March, 1784, thirty-two young ones were cast on shore, during a violent gale, near Audierne, in France; and, about twelve years ago, a small one was captured in the river Thames, just above Gravesend.

The present subject of consideration may be considered as nearly full grown, being 63 ft. in length, and 36 ft. in circumference. In Griffith's translation of Cuvier's Règne Animal, upwards of 70 ft. is mentioned as their usual length, and 52 ft. 3 in. as their circumference; yet, I believe, they are seldom captured exceeding in size the subject of the present article; and it is rather singular, unless a different species had been measured, that Mr. Griffith assigns 15 ft. as the length of the lower jaw, which was precisely that of our smaller specimen. The whale in question yielded 9 tons of oil and a considerable quantity of spermaceti: much of both was, however, unfortunately lost, by oozing out of the wounds, in the interval between its death and flencing, as the cutting up is termed by the whale fishermen. The value of the oil is stated to be 80l. per ton, making the animal worth 720/., exclusive of the spermaceti. As soon as the prize was secured, the fortunate men despatched one of their comrades to town, to offer it for sale for 2007. It is said that he succeeded in his mission, but, by some accident, not returning at the time expected, it was sold to Messrs. Enderby and Sturge, of Thames Street, for 60 guineas, the first purchaser relinquishing his claim; and coppers being erected on the beach by Mr. Sturge's men, the operation of cutting up and boiling the blubber commenced five days after its death: but, even in that short interval, the internal parts had become so insufferably putrid, that the intestines, which were three cart-loads, were carried away and spread on the fields as manure. Mr. Gould afterwards examined these exuviæ, in the hope of discovering ambergris, but was disappointed. This recalls to mind the quaint observation of Sir Thomas Brown upon a similar occasion, as quoted by Dr. Shaw in his General Zoology (vol. ii. part ii. p. 500.): "In vain it was to rake for ambergriese in the paunch of this leviathan, as Greenland discoverers and attests of experience dictate that they sometimes swallow great lumps thereof in the sea, insufferable fœtor forbidding that enquiry; and yet, if, as

Paracelsus encourageth, ordure makes the best musk, and from the most fetid substances may be drawn the most odoriferous essences, all, that had not Vespasian's nose, might boldly swear here was a fit subject for such extractions."

Messrs. Enderby and Sturge liberally gave the men 40 guineas in addition to the original bargain, and they also realised 401. by exhibiting the whale on the beach; so that the crews of the boats (which, according to a second account in the Essex Herald, were seven in number) were eventually well recompensed for their trouble and risk. The skeleton was presented by those gentlemen to the museum of the Zoological Society; but government having put in a claim to the "royal fish," the whole proceeds of it are under arrest, and the bones now lie whitening on the shore.

Although resembling a fish in their form and in being entirely confined to an aquatic life, the whales, in common with the dolphins and narwhal, are similar in formation and consequent habits, reproduction, &c., to terrestrial quadrupeds, except that they are deficient in hinder extremities, having only rudiments of the pelvic bones, not attached to the spine, and having some of the muscles proper to the thighs, &c. united to form the tail, which is of amazing power, and so deadly a weapon of offence, that a large boat has been upset by a single blow with it. Their ribs (which are fourteen in number in the spermaceti whale) are of course large, but not remarkably thick. One of them is exhibited in St. Mary's church, Redcliffe, near Bristol, as that of the dun cow slain by Guy, Earl of Warwick! The anterior extremities, although appearing externally like fins, the office of which they serve, are composed of the same bones as those of other Mammàlia, but those of the arm and fore-arm are short and flattened, and the latter possess no power of rotation. The bones of the wrist are also flattened, and joined together by cartilage; there is no opposable thumb, and the phalanges of the fingers are unequal in number.

The heads of these animals offer the most remarkable departures, in form and structure, from the usual type. Both in the whales and cachalots they are of enormous and uncouth size: hence the specific appellation of the latter is Macrocéphalus. In them they are abruptly truncated in front, from which character is derived the common name, blunt-headed. From the head the body tapers gradually to the tail (which is broad, and placed horizontally), having, like fish, no proper neck, the seven cervical vertebræ being very thin, and crowded together so as to form virtually but one bone. From this description of the outline of the animal, it is evident that it is a complete wedge; but, in contradiction to the usual laws of mechanics, this wedge, or cone, moves with its base foremost, and, which is most astonishing, proving how seldom analogical theories should be implicitly relied on when applied to vital action, moves with the most astonishing rapidity, literally glancing through the yielding water like lightning through the air. This shows the utility and application of the powerful tail.

This particular formation of the head affords room for that remarkable deposit of spermaceti which is contained between two large rising plates, composed of expansions of the frontal, temporal, and occipital bones. The space between these plates is divided longitudinally into two parts, which, from their vast size, have been aptly compared to caverns. This peculiar secretion has been ignorantly mistaken for the brain, the place of which it apparently occupies, that organ being very small, and situated far back in the head.

Viewing the cranium, when divested of its integuments, &c., as seen in the beautiful preparation of the skeleton in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, and in one of a head only in the British Museum, this space is not unlike the body of a large gig, or cabriolet. In this the greater portion of the spermaceti is contained in a fluid state during the animal's vitality, and mixed