ficiently accurate for common purposes, which any of your readers may pofsefs, by setting the twelve following plants in a row in the order here set down, all of which are either indigenous or naturalized in Great Britain, and seven of them grow wild in Scotland, which I have distinguished by the letter (S.) before the hour indicated in the margin.—If the sketches given in these two letters excite your correspondents to treat the subjects hinted at, it will give pleasure to Imp. corps of Nbl Cadets in St. Pete burg. ARCTICUS. A VEGETABLE GARDEN CLOCK WITH TWO VEGE Hours TBLE BAROMETERS. of As there are but ten of the Eqninoxial opening plants which open at stated hours, the two or first on the following list, are taken from fbutting those which but at a given hour. To this curious vegetable time piece, a couple of vegetable barometers may be added, which act upon similar principles, and are likewise sufficiently accurate for the gardener and farmer. The first barometer is the African mary-gold, or CALENDULA pluvialis. If the African mary-gold opens not its flowers in the morning about seven o'clock, you are sure to have rain that day, except it is to be accompanied with thunder. The second barometer is the Siberian sow thistle, or SONCHUS Sibericus. If the flowers of the Siberian thistle keep open all night, you are sure of rain next day. TWO CURIOUS FACTS RESPECTING NATURAL HISTORY. SIR. To the Editor of the Bee, YOUR correspondent M. has mentioned a pretty curious phenomenon, in vol. 13 p. 286 of the Bee, which you have explained in the most satisfactory manner. I will beg leave to add a similar fact, to which, though I had it from the most undoubted authority, some years ago, I could not give the full afsent of my mind, till I read the above paper. It will serve, at least, to corroborate your opinion. A knife found in the heart of a growing tree. Two men in Rofs-ihire being employed, sawing some large fir trees, observed a long black streak in one of the planks, pretty near the center, where, Oct, 16. on examining into the cause, they found, to their no small surprise, a large knife inclosed, of a kind very much used in this country of old, which could not be accounted for, but in the manner you mention. It will no doubt, be urged as an objection to the truth of this, that, as iron is of a corrosive nature, the knife would have been consumed with rust, during the very long time it must have lain there; it was however, far from that, though a good deal rusted. I suppose it would have continued to rust, till the tree closed about it so as to exclude the air, but afterwards, that it would not consume any This however, is but a conjecture. more. A much more wonderful fact than the above (to me at least) fell under my own observation a few days ago, which I would willingly see inserted in the Bee, if you thought it might serve any good purpose; or, if there is any thing new to you in seeing Muscles in the heart of solid stone. A gentleman in one of the most northern parishes in this county having occasion to burn some lime, was carrying the lime stone from an adjacent island, in the sea, below flood mark. Upon breaking the stones, to prepare them for the kiln, they were found to contain several living muscles, some of them. about the size of French beans. I was on the spot, saw the phenomenon, but could not explain it. I need not mention the queries that would occur to a superficial naturalist, like myself, upon seeing the above. I have only further to add, that every muscle, at whatever distance it was from the sea, had a communication with it, by a very small hole quite through the stone. I am, Sir, Sutherland, May, 93. Th. R. Ν THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY READING, LINES ADDED BY MR HASTINGS TO MUKLE'S LUSIAD. For the Bee. IN the tenth book of the Lusiad of Camoens, the goddefs predicts to Gama the future conquest of the Portuguese in India. After detailing the heroic actions of Pacheco, the laments his fate in the following pafsage, to which Mr Hastings, continuing the predictions to his own times, added the succeeding lines, which are distinguished by inverted commas. The additional thoughts are marked with single com mas. The lofty song, for palenefs o'er her spread, The nymph suspends, and bows the languid head; "Yet fhrink not, gallant Lusian, nor repine "Where'er succefs th' adventrous chief befriends, "Death bath murder'd sleep," they cry, 'As starting from their troubled couch they rise- Her all is gone, And she, poor helplefs innocent is left alone. Then starting from her trance, the rapid flies, If such the scenes which recollection brings 'Dearly is bought the pomp and wealth of kings!' And though ambition's mignions this may GLORY call Shall JUSTICE fheath her sword, nor let it on the dazzling culprit fall.' TIMOTHY HAIRBRAIN. THE DRUM. I HATE that drum's discordant sound, Of tawdry lace and glittering arms; To march, and fight, and fall in foreign lands. I hate that drum's discordant sound, THE WAY TO GROW RICH. Two tradesmen, in converse, were striving to learn, |