Mr. D. commences his labours with a defcription of the small conic tumuli, that are frequently discovered in this island, and which, we are told, are productive, when neatly and correctly explored,' of many curious and valuable data.

These tumuli*,' it is added, are generally found on barren ground; on commons, moors, fometimes on parochial grounds near vilJages, of no great name or importance in hiftory. When difcovered on cultivated land, their cones, or congeries have been levelled by tillage; and it is only by a cafual discovery with the plow, or the accidental ufe of the fpade or pickaxe, that the contents of these interments have been found. They feldom exceed thirty-three feet in diameter; the smallest thirteen; the medium twenty-three; and the largest thirtythree. They are raifed of earth, fometimes excavated from a spot of ground near the range, and fometimes very neatly fashioned, with the circumjacent fod raifed from the plane their height was originally proportioned to their circumference; but time has compreffed their cones, and in many places laid them almoft level to the furface of the ground. They are generally furrounded with a narrow trench, which feems to have been fashioned from a funeral fuperftitious cuftom, and not applied to the common or ordinary intent of fepulchral decoration. The cift in which the body was depofited, is not always of the fame depth; fometimes it does not penetrate the native foil more than half a foot; but when the body has been sumptuously buried, it will exceed ten feet.'

Fig. 1. Plate 1. p. 3. reprefents an horizontal fection of a tumulus opened on Chatham lines, in feptember 1779. The head of the body, which had been a male adult, was placed towards the fouth. The nine other figures in this plate confift of an iron spearhead, and umbo of a fhield, the metal reduced to a calx, and liable to be difunited by the fmalleft preffure; an iron ftud with a pin in the centre; a brafs buckle; a bottle of red earth, found at the feet of the skeleton ; a thin plate of iron, apparently belonging to the umbo; a knife, iron ftuds, and an iron fword, the blade from the handle measuring thirty inches.

The fecond tumulus examined by our author was fituated at fome distance from the former, and contained a variety of articles.

Fig. 9. (p. 2.) reprefents a filver fpoon, ornamented with gar nets, the bowl perforated, and washed with gold, which is in fome places much worn off.' This is conjectured in a note, to have been a magical inftrument, and it is fuppofed, that thefe tumuli relics' have been introduced into this ifland from the east Several fhards and pebbles, which are by no means natives of the chalk,' and which are fuppofed to have been intentionally thrown in with the body, were found here. Mr. D. confiders it as not improbable, that the custom here alluded to furnished Shakespear with this line in Hamlet:

"Shards, flints, and pebbles fhould be thrown on her."

*They are mentioned by Richard of Cirencefter as the graves of the Britons; Sepulchrum tumulus ex cefpitibus eregit. Cap. 111. p. 8. Sect. 23. which the fequel will prove them to be, and raised about the fifth century.'

• Thofe

Thofe perfons,' he adds, who committed fuicide, being deprived of the chriftian rites of burial, were perhaps interred after this manner, peculiar to the pagans.'

In tumulus IV (p. 4. fig. 5. and 8.) were found a glafs cup, of a deep green colour, fuppofed to contain the aqua magica, and a cryftal ball, alfo made ufe of in magical incantations.

Fig. 1. No. 1. p. 5. is a reprefentation of a beautiful circular fibula, compofed of a thin fillagre plate of gold on a plate of filver, 1 inches diameter, and of an inch in thicknefs is the whole fibula, but the gold plate does not extend beyond the four fmall hemifpheres."

Fig. 1. 2. and 3. No. 2. plate 5. are fpecimens of beers, not unlike thofe ufed at prefent in fome of our manufactures. They are fupposed to have been depofited in the fifth century, and on this conjecture Mr. D. grounds an attack on that fuperficial dazzling writer, le fieur Voltaire,' who fays in Diction. Philof. chap. on Luxury, ⚫ the invention of fciffars, or fheers, is not certainly of remote antiquity. It is to be obferved however, that Voltaire's language is fo very loose and indeterminate, that it defies conviction; for who can affix any precife idea to the term remote antiquity?' Tumulus xiv. The author received the drawings of the magnificent relics,' found in this tumulus, from a friend. The fibula, or broach, (No. 6 and 7. Pl. 10.) is here fuppofed to be the moft elegant fepulchral relic difcovered in Britain."

Under the title of Mifcellanea Antiqua are exhibited a variety of other fepulchral relics. We fhall here mention a few, found in the graves of women: (Pl. xvIII. fig. 1.) a brafs box containing thread, from a barrow at Shepherd's-well, or Sibertfwold; (fig. 7.) a brafs needle, from a barrow at Kingston; (fig. 9.) an ivory comb, and, (fig. 10.) a large indian cowry, from the range of barrows at Kingfton, Burham downs, &c. Plate xx. fig. 6. represents an iron in ftrument to curl the hair, and fig. 10. a metal Speculum.

The small. campaniform barrows in clusters' are attributed to a colony of greek chriftians, who, in A. D. 668, came into Britain in order to inftruct the faxon youth.

As the author's reafoning is at leaft fpecious, if not fatisfactory, we fhall here transcribe a fhort paffage relative to this curious fubject.

• If any connection can be thus applied from the discoveries in these graves, to this colony of greek chriftians, the difficulty to affign the relics in queftion to their right owners will be cleared up, and the moft perfect and confiftent analogy produced. This fuggeftion will be found as fingular as it is curious, and the hiftoric relation will affign a fatisfactory reafon why thefe fmall tumuli in clufters have been found more generally in Kent, than in any other part of the kingdom. The circular fibule, of fuch fingular and fuperior beauty to other discoveries of this nature; the glafs mofaic pendant ornaments in plate xx1; the Eaft-india fhells; beads of fingular workmanship; go. thic art in the fibulæ plate 11 and xv; glafs veffels fimilar to thofe described by Paulus Arringhius, in his Roma Subterranea, Lib. 111. c. XXII. p. 297; and which in our barrows may have ferved for fimilar purposes; and every other fepulchral relic defcriptive of the fame mode of inhumation among the primitive chriftians in the greek and roman empires, prove the relics to be of eaftern origin. The affinity of the ornaments of the Morlach women in the grecian islands

to

to thefe relics, which modern travellers have proved, by the infular fituation of the inhabitants, to have been preserved, without much variation, from the byfantine period to the prefent day, will be alfo a frong voucher for this conclufion. The cuftom of magical and fuperftitious ceremonies, fo uncommonly prevalent in the greek islands, will alfo apply in the most fatisfactory manner, to the undoubted difcoveries of fimilar relics in the small conic tumuli; and which ceremónies hiftory has produced every decifive reafon for concluding were introduced among the rites of the primitive christians. Impofing arts of fuch influence among an unlettered and ignorant people, would readily find their value in fafcinating their minds, and rendering them more open to the chriftian converfion. The magical ufe of the cryftal ball, frequently found in thefe tumuli, were evidently brought from the caft; whence Paracelfus and Dr. Dee, in the time of Charles I. were firft fuppofed to have introduced them; but proved in the course of this work to have exifted in this country ages before this period. The coin of Clovis, found in a barrow of the cluster of Sibertswold (plate xx), will introduce a chain of facts to establish a similar coincidence of customs with the french nation at this period of his enquiry, and to atteft their faxon claim. This coin will also establish a fimilar analogy of fepulchral relics between those discovered at Tournay, fo often mentioned in this work, and those which are found in this country. Ethelbert, the first faxon chriftian king, a descendant of Hengift, 150 years after his arrival in Britain, married the lady Bertha, daughter of Clothaire the firft king of France; a pious chrif. tian princefs, whom the king permitted before his converfion to adhere to her perfuafion, and to entertain bishop Luidheard in her fuite, which were all compofed of chriftians. Clovis, a chriftian prince, the first founder of the french monarchy, died anno 511; feventy-one years before king Etheldred's converfion, which appears to have followed foon after his marriage with queen Bertha. This pendant coin, of fingular rarity, adorned with a loop, therefore evinces its having been worn by a christian at this period, and fupports the argument in favour of a faxon and french intercourfe. From the valuable difcovery of these curious coins, a period could be thus affigned to these fmall barrows in clufters; a proof established of their chriftian claim, and a fure ground difcovered, on which the antiquary can raise other arguments to found a hiftory of our more ancient barrows. The period of time we may thus recapitulate from A. D. 582, of Ethelbert the first faxon king's converfion to A. D. 742, the period when cemeteries were connected to religious edifices; hence 160 years will be the longeft period of their exiflence, and which will be found to accord with the hiftory of the rife of our early christian establishment.'

Under the title of Sepulchral Remains of the Romans,' we are prefented with fome fpecimens of pottery found in this island, and in the auftrian low countries, which, by their beauty of fhape and exquifitenefs of workmanship, cannot fail to attract the admiration of every beholder. The author on this, as on every other occafion, endeavours to draw conclufions from the analogy to be discovered between fimilar relics, difinterred at different places.

In the work now before us, Mr. D. has difplayed great learning, and indefatigable attention; we have to lament, however, that he has occupied

occupied his leifure moments with overturning the hypothefes of others, rather than eftablishing any precife fyftem of his own. The plates, which are numerous, seem to have been executed in aqua-tinta by himself, and convey a very correct idea of the objects ineant to be delineated.

TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES.

ART. 111. Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal Society of London, for the Year 1793. Part I. 4to. 258 p. 14 plates. Price 8s. fewed. Elmfley. 1792.

Art. 1. contains an account of trvo rainbows, feen at the fame time, at Alverftoke, Hants, July 9, 1792. By the rev. Mr. Sturges. Communicated by William Heberden, M. D. F. R. S.-This phenomenon, Mr. S. informs us, appeared during a thunder storm, the fun fhining bright, and low in the horizon towards the north-weft. Each of the rainbows was attended by a fecondary one, faint indeed, but still difcernible. The two primary rainbows formed a curvelinear angle, of which the inferiour fide was the longer and the more permanent.-The obferver conceives that the fuperiour arch was formed by the reflection of the fun from the fea, which, being at the time calm and fmooth, acted as a fpeculum, and produced the image of the inferiour bow.

Art. 2. A defcription of the double horned rhinoceros of Sumatra. By William Bell, furgeon in the fervice of the Eat-India company at Bencoolen. Communicated by fir Jofeph Banks, bart, P. R. s.-The fhape of this animal is much like that of the hog. The colour is generally of a brownish ash; under the belly, between the legs and folds of the kin, a dirty, flesh colour.-The head much refembles that of the fingle horned rhinoceros: the eyes are fmall, and of a brown colour. It has no appearance of armour, as is obferved in the other species of this animal.

Art. 3. A defcription of a species of chatodon, called by the malays ecan bonna. By William Bell, furgeon, &c.-This fish is broad, flat, and of a lead colour: the belly is flat, white, and in fome places tinged with green. The eyes are a bright yellow. The body is covered with fmall femicircular fcales. It's length is generally about eighteen inches.-The skeleton is very fingular, many of the bones having tumours of confiderable fize. Thefe, in the first which Mr. Bell diffected, he fuppofed to be exoftafes arifing from difeafe; but on diffecting a fecond, he found precifely fimilar tumours in the correfponding bones. What can be the use of these tumours, Mr. B. obferves, it is difficult to fay: but that they are natural and not adventitious is fufficiently evident; for the fishermen informed him, that they are invariably found in this fith. They are of a spongy substance, are easily cut, and fall of oil.

Art. 4. An account of fome difcoveries made by Mr. Galvani of Balagna, with experiments and obfervations on them. In tavs letters from Mr. Alexander Volta, F. R. S. profeffor of natural philofophy in the uni verfity of Pavia, to Mr. Tiberius Cavallo, F. R. S.-Galvani's experiment, on which Volta's observations are founded, was as follows.—He took a frog, and having nearly feparated the back bone from the rest of the body, left the thighs attached to it only by the crural nerves, which he laid bare. The animal thus prepared he placed either in

contact,

contact, or nearly fo, with fome metal or good conductor, or, which he found answer ftill better, between two fimilar conductors, one of which was turned towards the thighs or one of the mufcles, the other towards the fpine or nerves. In this pofition the electric fluid was tranfmitted through the animal, and at every fpark of the corr ductor the thighs were violently shocked, contracting and darting forward with furprifing activity.It was this experiment, fays Mr. V., which led to the great difcovery of animal electricity, pertaining not only to animals whofe blood is cold, but to others alfo. From this and fome other experiments, it appeared evident to Mr. G., that the electric fluid tends inceffantly to pafs from one part to another in a living fubject, and likewife in limbs after amputation, if they poffeffed but a fmall degree of vitality; that it tends to pafs from the nerves to the muscles, and converfely; and that muscular motion is owing to this tranfmiffion of the electric fluid. This theory, Mr. V. conceives, is to be admitted only in part; and delivers it as his opinion, founded on a variety of experiments, that the mufcles are only mediately affected by the fluid-that their motion is entirely owing to it's action on the nerves, which, being moved by the electric current, communicate the motion to their proper mufcles. To show, that it was by no means neceffary to make the discharge between the nerves and mufcles as Mr. G. fuppofed, Mr. Volta made the following experiment. He compreffed with a pair of pincers the fciatic nerve a little above it's infertion into the thigh, and applied about half an inch higher a piece of metal to the nerve detached from it's adherent parts, and supported by a thread, a plate of glafs, or any other nonconductor. Then placing on the pincers a Leyden phial, containing a very fmall charge, he formed a communication between the pincers and the piece of metal; and though the charge was not fufficient to produce the smallest fpark, it convulfed the mufcles of the leg and thigh.-That the baring of the nerve is not neceffary to produce thefe convulfions, Dr. V. fhows by the following experiment. He applied a piece of tin foil to the back of a living frog, and a piece of money (for the metals must be different) under it's belly, and by forming a communication excited the fame convulfions, though not fo forcibly as when the nerve was bare. Similar effects were in the fame way produced in birds, hares, dogs, and other fmall quadrupeds; nay, what is more furprifing, in detached mufcles and parts of mufcles.-From a variety of experiments of this nature, Dr. V. apprehends, that all animals, which have diftinct members, diftinct articulations, with muscles proper for the motion of thofe mufcles which are called flexors, are fubject to fuch electrical influence; but that worms and other infects, which have a vermicular motion, and have no fufficiently diftinct members and articulations, are not fimilarly affected by it. He proceeds to advance a theory, of the truth of which, he fays, he entertains but little doubt. It is that all thofe muscles, over which the will has any power, are capable of being convulfed by the electric fluid: but that those muscles, over which the will has no direct power, as those of the ventricle, inteftines, &c. are not affected by it, when employed as already mentioned, that is, by fmall fhocks of artificial electricity, or by the feeble current produced by different pieces of metal.-İn confirmation of this theory he fays, that a piece of mufcular flesh, cut from the thigh of a lamb, killed about half an hour before,

though