ways of the same colour as the body; whereas a row of similar projections beneath continue perfectly white, notwithstanding any metamorphosis of the animal.

The general colour of the chameJion so long in my possession, was a pleasant green, spotted with pale blue: from this it changed to a bright yellow, dark olive, and a dull green; but never appeared to such advantage as when irritated, or a dog approached it; the body was then considerably inflated, and the skin clouded like tortoise-shell, in shades of yellow, orange, green, and black. A black object always caused an almost instantaneous transformation; the room appropriated for its accommodation was skirted by a board painted black, this the ehamelion carefully avoid ed; but if he accidentally drew near it, or we placed a black hat in his way, he was reduced to a hideous skeleton, and from the most lively tints became black as jet; on removing the cause, the effect as suddenly ceased; the sable hue was succeeded by a brilliant colouring, and the body was again inflated.

the crocodile to Asia and Africa; but in India the lacerta crocodilus, generally called the alligator, is from five to twenty feet long, shaped like the genus to which he belongs: the back is covered with impenetrable scales; the legs short, with five spreading toes on the fore feet, and four in a straight line on the hinder, armed with claws: the alligator moves slowly, its whole formation being calculated for strength, the back-bone firmly jointed, and the tail a most formidable weapon: in the river he eagerly springs on the wretch unfor tunately bathing within his reach, and either koocks him down with his tail, or opens a wide mouth for his destruction, armed with numerous sharp teeth of various length; by which, like the shark, he sometimes severs the human body at á single bite: the annals of the Nile and Ganges, although wonderful, are not fabulous. The upper jaw only of the alligator was thought to be moveable; that is now coinpletely disproved: the eyes are of a dull green, with a brilliant pupil, covered by a transparent pellicle, moveable as in birds: from the heads of those of large size, musk is frequently extracted.

ELEPHANTS.

(From the same.)

The largest elephants are from ten to eleven feet in height, some are said to exceed it; the average is eight or nine feet. They are fifty or sixty years before they arrive at their full growth; the female goes with young eighteen months, and seldom produces more than one at a birth, which she suckles until it is five years old;

its natural life is about one hundred and twenty years. The Indians are remarkably fond of these animals, especially when they have been long in their service. I have seen an elephant valued at twenty thousand rupees; the common price of a docile well-trained elephant is five or six thousand; and in the countries where they are indigenous, the Company contract for them at five hundred rupees each, when they must be seven feet high at the shoulders. The mode of catching and training the wild elephants is now well known; their price increases with their merit during a course of education. Some, for their extraordinary qualities, become in a manner invaluable; when these are purchased, no compensation induces a wealthy owner to part with them.

The skin of the elephant is generally a dark grey, sometimes almost black; the face frequently painted with a variety of colours; and the abundance and splendour of his trappings add much to his consequence. The Mogul princes allowed five men and a boy to take care of each elephant; the chief of them, called the mahawut, rode upon his neck to guide him; another sat upon the rump, and assisted in battle; the rest supplied him with food and water, and performed the necessary services. Elephants bred to war, and well disciplined, will stand firm against a volley of musquetry, and never give way unless severely wounded. I have seen one of those animals, with upwards of thirty bullets in the fleshy parts of his body, perfectly recovered from his wounds. All are not equally docile, and when an enraged elephant retreats from battle,

nothing can withstand his fury! the driver having no longer a come mand, friends and foes are involved in undistinguished ruin.

The elephants in the army of Antiochus were provoked to aght by shewing them the blood of grapes and mulberries. The history of the Maccabees informs us, that "to every elephant they ap pointed a thousand men, armed with coats of mail, and five bundred horsemen of the best; these were ready at every occasion; wherever the beast was, and whithersoever he went, they went also; and upon the elephant were strong towers of wood, filled with armed men, besides the Indian that ruled them."

Elephants in peace and war know their duty, and are more obedient to the word of command than many rational beings. It is said they can travel, on an emergency, two hundred miles in fortyeight hours; but will hold out for a month, at the rate of forty or fifty miles a day, with cheerfulness and alacrity. I performed many long journeys upon an elephant given by Ragcbah to Colonel Keating; nothing could exceed the sagacity, docility, and affection of this noble quadruped; if I stopped to enjoy a prospect, he remained immoveable until my sketch was finished; if I wished for ripe mangos growing out of the common reach, he selected the most fruitful branch, and breaking it off with his trunk, offered it to the driver for the company in the houdah, accepting of any part given to himself with a respectful salam, by raising his trunk three times above his head, in the manner of the oriental obeisance, and as often did

he

Montgolfier's Process for making White Lead. By Messrs. Cle

ment and Desormes.

THE first operation consists in forming the lead into sheets. He found from experience, that by running the metal on ticking, the sheets might be made of any thinness, and varied at will, by inclining the frame a little more or less. The surface then becomes a little irregular, and full of points; which is favourable to the oxidation that follows. On this operation we need not insist, the process being already well known.

The second operation consists in oxidizing and carbonizing the lead. The following is the disposition of the apparatus:

M. Montgolfier had a common chemical reverberatory furnace, in which he burned charcoal. The chimney on its dome was four or five metres high, and, taking a horizontal direction, was introduced into an opening in the end of a cask (which lay on its side) a little above its centre. Some vinegar was put into the lower part of this cask, and towards the centre of its other end was adjusted another tube, equal to the chimney,

and communicating by its other extremity with a large rectangular case in which were suspended the sheets of lead, alternately high and low, that the air might pass entirely over their whole surface. The other end of this case had an opening to allow the redundant gas to escape. The case had a cover, which could be removed at pleasure, for the purpose of placing the sheets of lead on small pieces of wood prepared to receive them.

The air from the furnace, being thus made to pass through the cask containing the vinegar, by communicating heat to the vinegar carries it off in vapour, and passes with it through the case containing the sheets of lead, which of course are exposed to the action of acetous acid, of carbonic acid from the combustion of the charcoal, and of oxygen and azote, or atmospheric air which has escaped the action of the fuel, a. d which may be augmented at pleasure by leaving holes towards the middle of the chimney to admit fresh atmospheric air. Thus are combined all the circumstances necessary to the production of carbonate of lead -oxygen, carbonic acid, vinegar, and heat.

In a short time the sheets of lead become charged with a coat of carbonate. If their entire conversion into carbonate at a single operation is not intended, they are withdrawn from the case, and suspended in water: the white lead readily detaches itselt, and falls to the bottom. If the sheets are left till wholly converted into carbonate, still they must be put in water; and, besides, the deposit must be levigated to separate the metallic particles which may have escaped oxidation, and which would tarnish the white colour.

On Bread made from a Mixture of Wheat Flour and Potatoes. By H. B. Way, Esq.

Sir, I have sent to the Society of Arts, &c. a loaf of bread made from a mixture of wheat flour and potatoes. The principle I have adopted from a publication of Edlin's, and I have now got it in such perfection, that I and my family prefer it to bread made wholly of wheat flour. It has the valuable property of keeping many days longer in a moist state, which, in the country, where it is impossible to get fresh bread or yeast every day, and where persons can perhaps only conveniently bake once a fortnight, is a very great advantage. I had many prejudices to encounter in the first attempts I made, and I think great merit is due to my servant, Hannah Peters, for her perseverance and success, both in the making of it, and management of my oven in baking it, as both she and my neighbours were originally much prejudiced against my experiments in this line. I annex, for the Society's VOL. LV.

inspection, a statement of the cost and saving by the use of potatoes, and I hope, by degrees, this method will be extensively practised. I am sure, if the subject is noticed in the Society's volume, it will greatly contribute thereto. This is the second year that I have constantly used this mixed bread, from the latter end of October to the latter end of May; and I assure you that it is a matter of great regret to my whole family, when, from the scarcity of potatoes, we commence the use of bread made wholly from wheat.

I am very respectfully,
Dear Sir,

Your obedient humble servant,
H. B. WAY.

Bridport Harbour,

March 10, 1812.

To C. Taylor, M.D. Sec.

Process for making Bread from Potatoes and Wheat Flour, as practised under the direction of H. B. Way, Esq. March 10, 1812.

Sixteen pounds of potatoes were washed, and when pared weighed' twelve pounds. After boiling they weighed thirteen pounds, and were then mixed, whilst warm, with twenty-six pounds of flour; the potatoes were bruised as fine as possible, and half a pound of yeast added. Four quarts of warm water were added to the mixture of potatoes, yeast and flour, and the whole well kneaded together, and left two hours to rise, and then weighed forty-six pounds and four ounces. The whole made six loaves and two cakes, which were baked at two separate times, in my iron oven, eack baking taking two hours. The six loaves and two cakes, the day after being baked,

2 K

weighed