The skins of birds, with their plumage, may be preserved by tawing them with alum, which will give them all the elasticity of glove leather; and if stuffed with judgment, they will have a very natural appearance. Most of our collections are only skins stuffed, without any preparation, which is the cause of their dry and shrivelled appearance. But for birds that are truly valuable | necessary adjustments, it must be and rare, such as the Chinese peacock, placed in a stove heated to 180° of pheasant, the golden oriole, the large Fahrenheit, and must remain there emerald bird of Paradise, &c., no ex- till all its moisture is evaporated; it pense should be spared that would in may then be removed, and the artifiany measure contribute to their pre- cial eyes placed in the sockets. servation. To those who have not seen these rare and beautiful birds, no adequate idea can be given. The dazzling splendour, richness, and harmony, of their inimitable plumage, together with their native elegance, at once completely annihilates every attempt at description. Those, into whose hands these beautiful birds may come, should, at all events, make use of æther, and in the same manner as already directed for small birds, with this difference only-after the first evaporation, which for birds of a small size is sufficient, a second, and even a third injection of æther, should be applied, according to the size of the bird. Large land birds, viz. from the peacock to the jay, may be preserved in the following manner, provided they have been recently killed, and are free from putrefaction.-Wrap the body of the bird in a broad bandage of cotton cloth, which is intended to prevent the plumage from being injured during the operation. The intestines are to be drawn out at the rectum, and also the heart, liver, and lungs, &c.; after which, warm water must be introduced, to wash away the coagulated blood, and other impurities. The eyes also are to be extracted, and the brain scooped out at the sockets; after which, the cavity of the skull must be well stuffed with cotton, moistened with a saturated solution of arsenic in water. The neck of the bird should now be stretched out, and a piece of strong wire passed down the throat, and brought out at the rectum. Then, with a piece of whalebone, force a little cotton, previously damped with the arsenic solution, in such a manner and quantity as to give it its natural form. After which, proceed to stuff the body, taking care to make the bird appear more plump than when alive. The rectum is now to be sewed up, and the bird put into its natural form. It must here be observed, that the wire must be of sufficient strength to retain the form into which the bird must be put; by which means the neck may be raised, or bent into any position which fancy may suggest, After these Let the skins be taken off the birds in the following manner: make a cut from below the thighs to the rectum, and with a sharp knife separate the rump from the body, leaving only as much as will secure the tail; then turn the bird out of its skin, in the same way in which rabbits are skinned, leaving the legs a little above the knees attached to the skin of the thighs: the wings must be separated close to the body underneath the skin, and thus proceed till you come to the head. The head must be separated from the neck, at the last vertebre joining the head, and the brain carefully taken out. The skin, which is now inside out, must be washed with warm water, to separate the coagulated blood from its surface. The cavity of the skull may now be stuffed with cotton which has been moistened with the arsenic solution; in the mean time, provide a strong solution of alum in water. The water should boil, and the alum be added in a state of powder, till the water will dissolve no more. When cooled to nearly that of blood heat, the skin should be well washed over every part with it. Then take a piece of flannel, and soak it in the alum solution, and wrap the skins up in it, and let them remain for half a day, at which time they may be taken out, and partially dried. this state, the skins will be covered with small crystals, which must be rubbed off. Then, with a sponge wetted with the arsenic solution, wipe over the whole surface of the skins, and allow them to dry as before. Then provide two small pieces of wood, of proper dimensions, suitable to the size of the bird, the ends of which wood must be fitted into the holes in the thigh bones, and of sufficient In length to reach into the body of the | cient number of data for mathematical bird, to give firmness to the attitude in which it may be placed. Proceed in every respect as has been pointed out before, taking care not to omit the wire, as by the artfully bending of this, the character of the bird is given, which is peculiar to the species. Sea-fowl of every description, from the albatross to the widgeon, should be preserved by this last method, on account of the large quantity of oil which they contain, not only in their muscular mass, but in their bones also, which becomes exceedingly rancid and offensive. Although I have given these various methods, all of which will be found to answer the purpose of the naturalist; yet much depends upon the fancy and taste of the operator. The wings may be artfully extended by concealed wires, by which many beautiful and pleasing attitudes may be given by the judicious observer of nature. ON THE UTILITY OF THE MATHE- [Concluded from col. 760.] It will perhaps surprise your correspondent to be told, that these studies may sometimes prove of singular service to the ladies. But, after talking so gravely on the subject, that I may not appear to be joking, I shall merely refer him for satisfaction on this point, to No. 1, of the third volume of a periodical publication, entitled "the Leeds Correspondent," in which he will be informed, " that a considerable change (for the better) has taken place, in one of the most genteel female circles, in a certain town of Yorkshire, by the adoption of philosophical and mathematical amusements in their select parties." p. 28, It will be observed, that in the enumeration of the various branches of mixed Mathematics, no mention is made of the very important and useful sciences of electricity, galvanism, and chemistry :—and an inference may perhaps be drawn from thence, in favour of that side of the controversy on which it is maintained, that useful knowledge is absolutely independent of the Mathematics. But these sciences are yet comparatively in their infancy; and their theory with respect to first principles, being built chiefly on conjecture, does not supply a suffi inquiry to proceed upon. Whether they will ever become, like most of the other sciences, a part in the train of Mathematics, is matter of doubt; but Sir H. Davy, whose name, as an authority on this point, it is quite enough to mention, expects they will; and seems to look forward to the union as " a consummation most devoutly to be wished." I am sorry, that not having his works at hand, I am deprived of the opportunity of giving you his opinion in his own words: but your readers may find it somewhere near the end of Vol. I. of his "Elements of Chemical Philosophy." I now proceed to your correspondent's second query. 2dly. He asks, have these sciences any tendency to promote the cause of Christianity?" The charge insinuated against them in this query is a very serious one; and yet I intend to say but little in reply to it. For, if the querist means at all to identify the cause of Christianity with the cause of general civilization and improvement, an answer to the charge, considered in reference to this connection, has already been given in the preceding observations. But if, which I judge to be most probable, he refers chiefly or solely to the diffusion of the doctrines of the New Testament, and to the salvation of the human soul, I for one, protest against this mode of trial, as irrelevant. Or, at least, if Mathematics are to be tried upon this question, let every art, and every employment of life, be immediately summoned to the same tribunal. The interests of Christianity, it will be said, (and very truly to a certain extent) may be promoted without the study of the Mathematics; yes, and so they may too without the mechanical arts of shoemaking and weaving. And if the former are to be discarded, because the Divine Wisdom has not been pleased to appoint them as immediate instruments by which the world is to be morally renewed, let every thing that cannot claim this honour, be swept out of society along with them. Let every art and every employment, that has not a direct tendency to promote the spread and influence of revealed truth, and to save souls from death, be banished from the world, as a busy and profane intruder on the invention and industry of man. No matter, how much the present constitution of society may office, he has then too little time to be disorganized in consequence of study them to any purpose, and he their expulsion; excepting only the must be content to have such an acemployments subservient to the art of quaintance with them, as amounts to a printing, and the use of such books as knowledge merely of their terms and are peculiarly adapted to the Christian definitions, together with as many of minister, together with as much of the leading propositions in each sciship-building and navigation as may ence, as may be gathered from the be sufficient for the transportation of popular compendious publications of bibles and missionaries, into distant the day. For, highly as I estimate the countries, let every thing be scouted. importance of an acquaintance with Away at once with music, and sculp- these sciences, I am very far from ture, and poetry, and painting; away | considering them as worthy, in such a with every thing else which merely case, to take the precedence of other adorns or sweetens human life; and studies. I allow, that it is not so let us descend, in the simplicity of our much the business of a Christian mihabits and engagements, as nearly as nister to know every thing, as to know we can, to a level with the beasts that those things which aim more directly perish. at the peculiar objects of his calling ; and I can even admit, that in some cases they are to be neglected altogether; particularly, when there is either a decided aversion, bias to these studies; because in the former case they will be attended with very little profit, and, in the latter, the mind will be in danger of a criminal absorption in them, and an attention to them, inconsistent with what is due to more important avocations. this account, I can easily forgive the late Rev. Dr. Buchanan, for complaining so heavily of being obliged to yield so great a share of his attention to these studies, as he was compelled to do, during his residence at Cam| bridge. It is surely quite a sufficient apology, in behalf of studies which are in other repects of any service, that they do not obstruct the progress of Christianity; and the establishment of such an apology, ought to shelter them from Christian persecution. As much as this at least, may be said in defence of Mathematics. Indeed, with respect to any hostile interference with each other, Christianity cares nothing about Mathematics, and Mathematics care nothing about Christianity ; as there is nothing in either of them, which the other has any reason to fear, or any tendency to oppose. The objects they respectively pursue, are somewhat different; but the accomplishment of the glorious designs of the one, and the attainment of the useful ends of the other, are perfectly compatible. I shall have occasion, however, to say a little more upon this point in my answer to the third query, and shall therefore leave the general question for a little, to notice its bearing in one particular case, the importance of which, I hope, will be considered as a sufficient apology for the digression. Perhaps your correspondent, when he wrote the second query, wished to ascertain, whether or not it was advisable for a Christian minister to devote his attention to these studies? -a question which has sometimes been proposed to me. Understanding this to be his wish, I should reply; If in the course of early education the mind has been habituated to them, so much the better. But if they have been neglected till the person has arrived almost at the period when he is to enter on the sacred duties of his | or a powerful On 3dly.-In proposing the third query, your correspondent seems to intimate, that the study of these sciences has a tendency to promote scepticism and infidelity. In doing this he has assumed, that a great proportion out of the whole number of Mathematicians are found ranged beneath their standard. Now, Sir, I question the validity of this assumption; and, in support of my protest against it, I inquire-Of those who during the last century have figured on the theatre of infidelity, how many were Mathematicians? 'Tis true, there are D'Alem| bert, Condorcet, and a few others; but for those who were at the same time eminent Mathematicians and rank infidels, we shall find more than an equal number, who were infidels too, though they knew no more of Mathematics than they did of other sciences, and multitudes who knew nothing of the sciences at all. And if any science is to be denounced be ་ cause of its accidental association, in and infidel principles, are their most the case of a few individuals who study decided enemies; and the natural tenit, with principles hostile to Chris- dency of the convictions they produce tianity, alas for many other sciences upon the human mind, is highly fabesides the Mathematics! History, vourable to the authority of the great for instance, harmless as it may ap- truths of revelation. Let Quinctilian pear to be, must be forthwith excom- be heard: "quid quod se eadem geomemunicated; for some of the most re-tria tollit ad rationem usque mundi? in markable historians of recent times have stood in the very foremost ranks of infidelity, as Hume, Gibbon, Volney, and Voltaire, of whom the names are not at all associated with Mathematical science; and Metaphysics must take flight along with it, for being found connected with the name of Hume. The truth is, all kinds of learning are, in this respect, equally in disgrace; or rather they are all clear of blame. They have suffered from being in bad company; but the guilt of that mischief which has been attributed to them, belonged solely to the pride and wickedness of human nature, independently of all accidental connec-thematicians and infidels at the same tions. | qua cum siderum certos constitutosque cursus numeris docet, discimus nihil esse inordinatum atque fortuitum."* Sciences that inculcate such a lesson, deserve much better of the advocates for divine revelation, than to be accused of any alliance with the cause of infidelity. And, in fact, unless the following absurdity can be demonstrated, viz. that they are at the same time friendly and hostile to the same cause, the charge insinuated against them ought on this consideration to be abandoned. Should any one attempt to make out the charge against them, by citing examples of those who have been Ma time; we might oppose example to example. Take, for instance, the illustrious Sir I. Newton, who was at the same time the greatest of Mathematicians, and a most devout and humble Christian; who, though he was so deeply involved in his abstract investigations, as not to know whether or not he had taken his dinner,† yet made it his practice daily to read the Bible on his knees. But, to meet the question fairly ;— Does the study of the Mathematics necessarily induce any tendency to infidelity? In answer to this question, I would plead in behalf of these studies, a claim to the privilege allowed to criminals in a British court of judicature, viz. that until the validity of the charge insinuated against them shall be established by sufficient evidence, they be considered to be inno- The sixth number of your own Macent. Let this be granted, and their gazine supplies another example on triumph against all the open or insi- the same side, from amongst those nuated slanders of their enemies is who are now living;§ and there are perfectly secure. There are but two others very near at hand. The same ways of establishing the proof of their highly respectable individual, to whom guilt; the first is, by demonstrating this country is indebted for the best that, according to the nature of things, treatise in our language, on the subject infidelity and Mathematics are insepa- of Mechanics, and for other matherable, which would be positive evi-matical productions, is also the author dence against them; and the second is, by shewing that they have, in fact, seldom been far distant from each other, an evidence which, at the best, could only be considered as presumptive. No one, certainly, would attempt the former; the utmost any one could do in that way would be, to express his suspicion under the form of an opinion: and, in defence, the friends of Mathematics would oppose opinion to opinion. They would appeal to what I have already quoted as the sentiments of Dr. Barrow; and would even shew that Mathematics, instead of being confederated with sceptical of one of the most popular modern publications in defence of Christianity.|| And another, who is justly celebrated as the author of an excellent treatise *This same geometry extends its researches to the system of the universe, from which as it shows that the motions of the heavenly bodies are uniformly according to certain laws, it teaches us, that there is nothing in that universe that is not regular, or that could be merely the effect of chance. + See Life prefixed to his Principia, by Cotes. || D. O. Gregory. See his " Letters on Christian Religion." on the subject of Fluxions, is well known to be the warm friend and advocate of the Bible, and proves himself to be at the same time a disciple of genuine science and of true religion.¶ There is indeed one way in which the study of the Mathematics may, like any thing else that is good, be perverted to mischievous purposes, and become subservient to the cause of infidelity. This happens, when the mind, from its habituation to mathematical inquiries, learns to doubt of every thing which will not admit of mathematical demonstration, and feels a disposition in consequence to reject all belief in the truth and authority of Scripture. I am not intending to give an opinion on the question, whether or not any of the important truths revealed in it, are capable of such a demonstration? but certainly, whether capable or not, it ought not to be insisted on. There is enough of evidence, to establish the claims of the Bible to the title of a divine revelation; and when the validity of that title is made good, the truth of its contents will follow as an inference of course. I do not know, however, nor do I believe, that this perversion of the Mathematics is very general; but even supposing that it is, we need not have recourse to so desperate a remedy as their extinction, since it will be quite sufficient to remind the student of them, that he ought not to confound moral or historical evidence with mathematical; and that he must not expect the latter, in cases where there is a sufficiency of the former. Besides, the same objection which lies against the study of the Mathematics, lies with equal force against the use of our corporeal senses. We are not more liable to confound mathematical with moral evidence, than we are to confound the evidence of our senses with that of faith, as may appear from the case of Thomas, John xx. 24-28; and from the frequent occurrence in Scripture, of passages which remind us, that we are to "walk by faith, and not by sight." And if Mathematics are to be abandoned, because, by a perversion of their tendency, they may sometimes mislead us, we ought, for a reason equally as good, to wish ourselves Mr. Professor Dealtry.-See his Treatise on Fluxions, and its character, p. vol. 3. Dr. Hutton's Course; and also his Defence of the British and Foreign Bible Society. destitute of all corporeal senses, and to pray that all connection between our spirits and sensible matter might be eternally dissolved. The cases, in my judgment, are exactly parallel. In the former case, it is mathematical evidence that is required, where only moral or historical evidence ought to be expected; and in the latter, (as in the example of Thomas,) the evidence of the senses is demanded, as a substitute for faith. Let Mathematics and our senses, then, either be retained together, or together be expelled. They are both guilty of the same offenceboth deserving of an equal punishment. I feel great confidence, Sir, in the goodness of my cause, however inadequate my defence of it may be. I am even superstitious enough to believe, that God himself has stamped the mathematical sciences with the seal of His own approbation, as well in other respects, as by allowing some of the most important improvements in them to occur contemporaneously with remarkable events tending to the spread of Christianity; by causing as it were, a light from heaven to shine at the same time on the mathematical and the religious world. It is no argument against this supposition to affirm, that improvements in the Mathematics have been communicated to mankind through the medium of infidels and sceptics. It was the stubbornness and ill-temper of some of the Protestants, not less than their piety and zeal, that furthered the glorious Reformation on the continent; and the establishment of its principles in this country, was effected very greatly through the caprice and wickedness of one of the most dissolute and abandoned princes that ever swayed the British sceptre. The fact is, true science is the handmaid of religion. Satanic influence, and human pride, have indeed, often set them at variance with each other; and ignorance and superstition, have in turns fomented the dissension. But they are beginning now to understand each other better; and the mischievous meddlers in the quarrel, to whose interference its continuance to the present period is principally to be attri buted, are retiring, ashamed and confounded, back to their native darkness. And as superstition gives way on the one hand, and ignorance upon |
