is defcribed, in all its varieties, with great precifion, and very comprehenfively; the theory and conftruction of FIRE-Engines, with the gradual improvements and mode of application, are particularly defcribed, and illuftrated by corref ponding figures. The editor has alfo fubjoined, in a distinct article, an account of various other methods propofed for extinguishing fire. But what we confider as the principal improvement in this branch, is, the defcription of the different fteam engines. We can find no account of any fimilar machine in the old edition; fo that the whole appears to be the work of the prefent editor, and it is executed in his ufual manner. A machine of this kind, whether we regard its very 'powerful effects, the fimplicity of the contrivance, and its uniform motion, independent of affiftance, is one of the greatef of human inventions, and one of which England may with juftice boat. Captain Savary's original idea was undoubtedly taken from the marquis of Worcester; but the extent to which it has been fince carried, the improvements which have been made, and the number of machines which have been fince erected, would have exceeded the most fanguine expectations, even of that wild enterprizing mechanic. The machines made by Bolton and Watt are now preferred, and are undoubtedly the moft fimple, and managed with the leaft expence of fuel. The whole article relating to Water is written with great accuracy, and it adds to the credit of Dr. Rees, that no eagerness to reach the conclufion could make him leffen his diligence, or remit his attention. The branches of fcience which relate to water, viz. Hydrography and Hydrostatics, are executed with great care.

In Ichthyology are many new articles; and the fishes are arranged according to the fyftems of Artedi, the father of Ichthyology, as a fcience, and his follower Linnæus. The editor feems to have been defirous of rendering this work popular, as well as inftructive to fcientific readers. With this view he has not contented himself with the defcriptions of the ichthyologift, but has interspersed a variety of useful obfervations on the migration of herrings, falmon, &c. on the ftructure of fish-ponds, with the method of breeding and feeding fifh for the table, on the history and practice on fisheries, &c.

On infects there is much new information. The article of ANTS is newly arranged, and much additional instruction is inferted. The management of bees is equally improved; and their natural history explained more fatisfactorily than in the former edition. We fhall extract our author's account of M. Schirach's Observations.

It has been generally fuppofed, that the queen bee is the only female contained in the hive; that the drones are the males by which fhe is fœcundated; and that the working bees are neutral, or of neither fex. But M. Schirach has lately established a different doctrine, which has been alfo confirmed by the later obfervations of Mr. Debraw. According to this writer, all the working or common bees are females in difguife; and the queen bee lays only two kinds of eggs, viz, those which are to produce the DRONES, and thofe from which the working bees are to proceed; and from any one or more of thefe, one or more queens may be produced; fo that every worm of the latter or common kind, which has been hatched about three days, is capable, under certain circumftances, of becoming the queen, or mother of a hive. In proof of this doctrine, new and fingular as it may feem, he alledges a number of fatisfactory and decifive experiments, which have been fince verified by thofe of Mr. Debraw. In the early months of the fpring, and in any preceding month, even fo late as November, he cut off from an old hive a piece of that part of the comb which contains the eggs of the working bees; taking care, however, that it contained likewife worms which had been hatched about three days. He fixed this in an empty hive, or box, together with a portion of honey-comb, &c. or in other words, with a fufficiency of food, and building materials, or wax, for the ufe of the intended colony. He then put into, and confined within the fame box, a fufficient number of common working bees, taken from the fame or any other hive. As foon as the members of this fmall community found themfelves deprived of their liberty, and without a queen, a dreadful uproar enfued, which continued generally, with fome fhort intervals of filence, for the space of about twenty-four hours; during which time it is to be fuppofed they were alternately meditating and holding council on the future fupport of the new republic. On the final ceffation of this tumult, the general and almost constant refult was, that they betook themselves to work; first proceeding to the conftructing of a royal cell, and then taking the proper measures for hatching and feeding the brood inclosed with them. Sometimes, even on the second day, the foundations of one or more royal cells were to be perceived; the view of which furnished certain indications that they had elected one of the inclosed worms to the fovereignty. The operation has been hitherto conducted in the houfe. This new colony may now be fafely trufted in the garden, if the weather be warm, and have the liberty allowed them of paffing out of the box; of which they instantly avail themselves, and are feen in a fhort time almost totally to defert their new habitation. In about two hours, however, they begin to re-enter it. We fhould not neglect to obferve, that if they fhould be placed near the old hive, from which they were taken, they will very often attempt to enter it, but are as conftantly repulfed by their former com

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panions and brethren. It is prudent, therefore, to place them at a diftance from the mother state, in order to avoid the inconveniences of a civil war. The final refult of the experiment is, that the colony of the working bees thus fhut up, with a morfel of common brood, not only hatch it, but are found, at the end of eighteen or twenty days, to have produced from thence one or two queens; which have apparently proceeded from worms of the common fort, pitched upon by them for that purpose; and which, under other circumstances, that is, if they had remained in the old hive, there is reason to suppose would have been changed into common working bees. In the prefent inftance, the common worm appears to be converted by them into a queen bee, merely becaufe the hive was in want of one. Hence we may jufly infer, that the kingdom of the bees is not, if the expreffion may be used, a jure divino or hereditary monarchy, but an elective kingdom; in which the choice of their future ruler is made by the body of the people, while fhe is yet in the cradle, or in embryo; and who are determined by motives of preference which will perhaps for ever elude the penetration of the moft fagacious naturalifts.

The conclufions drawn by M. Schirach, from experiments of the preceding kind, very often repeated by himself and others with the fame fuccefs, are, that all the common or working bees were originally of the female fex; but that when they have undergone their laft metamorphofis, they are condemned to a state of perpetual virginity, and the organs of generation are obliterated; merely because they have not been lodged, fed, and brought up in a particular manner, while they were in the worm ftate. He fuppofes that the worm, defigned by the community to be a queen, or mother, owes its metamorphofis into a queen, partly to the extraordinary fize of its cell, and its peculiar pofition in it; but principally to a certain appropriate nourishment found there, and carefully administered to it by the working bees, while it was in the worm fate; by which, and poffibly other means unknown, the developement and extenfion of the germ of the female organs, previoufly existing in the embryo, is effected; and thofe differences in its form and fize are produced, which afterwards fo remarkably diftinguish it from the common working bees.'

Dr. Rees very properly obferves that M. Schirach has been too hafty in his defcription, in reprefenting the queen bee as capable of laying eggs, before her connection with the drones, which in reality never happens. He has alfo confirmed, by a variety of obfervations, an opinion fuggested by Maraldi and Reaumur, that there are drones of the fame fize as the common hees. Thefe drones, which confume lefs honey than the larger ones, ferve the purpose of supplying the early brood; but when the larger fpecies appear, in April, they are destroyed.

Liquors

Liquors furnish an extenfive department. CYDER, MEAD, METHEGLIN, MUM, QUASS, TOCAY, VINEGAR, and WINE, are articles which have been greatly improved. Mr. Henry's method of making artificial yeast is alfo defcribed; and though Mr. Henry's reasoning on the fubject of fermentation is erroneous, the artificial yeaft promifes to be of fervice.

In Lithology there are many additions. Those which relate to the DIAMOND are very fatisfactory. The various fyftems of lithology are fhortly mentioned; but his collection. is incomplete, independent of its not containing, from the time of publication, M. Daubenton's very extenfive system. The latest cryftallographers are not mentioned.

In Logic we obferve among the new articles, and those to which valuable additions have been made, ABSTRACTION, DEMONSTRATION, IDEA, IDENTITY, INDUCTION, INTU ITION, METHOD, MODE, PROPOSITION, REASONING, SOPHISM, SYLLOGISM, WHOLE.

In Magnetifm we find an accurate account of Nairne's dipping needle, and of the different kinds of artificial magnets. This part of the subject is very complete. The comparison between electricity and magnetifm is lefs fo; Epinus's theory, which is, in many respects accurate, and in every one ingenious, is only flightly hinted at.

Manufactures afford very numerous and extenfive articles. In thefe branches there have been many improvements; and we may expect a proportional number of additions. We fhall enumerate the fubjects which are improved, and enlarge a little on those which are particularly curious. BLEACHING, CANDLES, CHARCOAL, CHOCOLATE, and DELF WARE, are articles which are fomewhat extended. The latter, even with the additional articles of GLAZING, to which we are referred, is more short and incomplete than we wished, espe cially as our countrymen have lately fo much improved it. The Staffordshire wares are described almoft at the end of the article of Pottery; but the account is unfatisfactory, and a little incorrect: the editor refers to Porcelain, where no notice is taken of this new manufacture; but

Opere in longo, fas eft obrepere fomnum.'

The article of ENCAUSTIC PAINTING is, on the other hand, much improved: yet, fince it was written, the fubje&t has been greatly elucidated, and imitations have been produced, little inferior to the ancient painting. The articles of DYING, ENAMELLING, ENGRAVING, ETCHING, FOUNDERY of printing Letters, the conftruction of FURNACES, and the art of GILDING, are improved. The different methods of gilding are very accurately and fatisfactorily detailed. The next obje

of great importance, in an account of manufactures, is GLASS, Its hiftory is related; and, to the art of glazing, we perceive pretty numerous additions. We fhall extract a part of the history of this invention, as a specimen of our author's talents in this department; and it shall be the part which relates to the introduction of the manufacture in England, which is now arrived to fo great perfection, as to be a confiderable article of commerce, and, what may appear a folecism in politics, to which it has probably arrived in confequence of the high duties impofed on it.

According to venerable Bede, artificers fkilled in making glafs were brought over into England, in the year 674, by abbot Benedict, who were employed in glazing the church and monaftery of Weremouth. According to others, they were first brought over by Wilfrid, bishop of Worcester, about the fame time. Till this time the art of making glass was unknown in Britain; though glass windows did not begin to be used before the year 1180: till this period they were very scarce in private houses, and confidered as a kind of luxury, and as marks of great magnificence. Italy had them first, next France, from whence they came into England.

Venice, for many years excelled all Europe in the fineness of its glasses; and in the thirteenth century, the Venetians were the only people that had the fecret of making crystal looking-glaffes. The great glass-works were at Muran, or Mu rano, a village near the city, which furnished all Europe with the finest and largest glaffes.

The glass manufacture was first begun in England in 1557: the finer fort was made in the place called Crutched Friars, in London; the fine fint glass, little inferior to that of Venice, was first made in the Savoy-houfe, in the Strand, London. This manufacture appears to have been much improved in 1635, when it was carried on with fea-coal or pit-coal, instead of wood, and a monopoly was granted to fir Robert Manfell, who was allowed to import the fine Venetian flint glasses for drinking, the art of making which was not brought to perfection before the reign of William III. But the first glass plates, for looking-glaffes and coach-windows, were made in 1673, at Lambeth, by the encouragement of the duke of Buckingham; who, in 1670, introduced the manufacture of fine glass into England, by means of Venetian artists, with amazing fuccefs. So that within a century paft, the French and English have not only come up to, but even furpaffed the Venetians, and we are now no longer fupplied from abroad.

The French made a confiderable improvement in the art of glas, by the invention of a method to caft very large plates, till then unknown, and fcarce practifed yet by any but themfelves and the, English.

That court applied itfelf with a laudable industry to cultivate and improve the glass manufacture. A company of glass

men