Notes On Literature, Science, And Art.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , AND ART .

A . r . utiGK . vi'ic has gouo the round of tho daily papers , which states that the profits of the recent amateur performance at the Lyceum Theatre amounted to £ 100 , which will be . divided between the / two families for whom the members ofthe "Savage Club" so generously exerted themselves .

Pagnerre , the Republican Tails publisher , has brought out a fifth volume of the new and spirited French translation of Shakspeare , by I'Vancois-Victor Hugo , a son of the celebrated novelist , dramatist , and poet , and who was the first translator of Shakspeare ' s Sonnets into I'Veneh . As explained in a former publication . Al . Hugo classifies Shakspeare ' s lays ¦ on a new princile . Thus'Vol . III . was entitled

p p , ' ¦ ' bcs Tyi-ans . " and comprised "Macbeth , " "King John , " and " Richard III ; "' Vol . yf ., the first section of ¦• ' Lo Jaloux , " contained ¦ Troiliis and Cressicki , " Much Ado about Nothing , " and tho ¦ " ' Winter ' s Tale . " Vol . VI . will be published in the course of April . M . Thiers has just delivered to the printer the first sheet of Vol . XVII . of the •'" 'Histi . iire du ( . ' onsul .-it et de l'f- ' inpire . " The third volume of the

" Memoires do M . Guizot" is to appear iu a week or ten days , and will , ifc is said , be equal in interest to the first two . Tho Critic is responsible for the following assertion : — "A virtual though not [ an express continuation , if rumour is to lie believed , of Lord Maeaulay ' s History of England , may lie expected one of these days from the editor of the Cornhill Magazine . A History of the Reign of Queen Anne , is actually talked of and written about as likely

to proceed from the pen of Mr . Thackery . 'Well , Mr . Th .-iekeiy has shown in his "Ksmoiid" that he understands the politics of Queen Anne ' s reign as well as its literatm-e . " A subscription is on foot for the erection of a memorial window to Mis . Hemans , fco be placed in tho church where she lies buried—that of St . Anne , Lublin . The estimated cost is ; £ 250 of which about one-fifth has been already promised to lead the subscription .

A remarkable trial has just Leon concluded in Leipsic , namely , that of n Dr . Lindner , Professor in the University of that town , who has been convicted ot ! tbe crime of stealing and mutilating some of the books and MSS . in the public library . The sentence passed upon him is a severe one , bub not disproportionate to the aggravated nature of his crime . —six years' imprisonment , with hard labour ' ¦ Let the delinquents in fche British Museum Reading Room take warning in time by this example , since the law in this country is , we ' believe . fully as severe as

that of Saxony with respect to such offences . Afc the Loyal Society ' s last meeting , Sir Benjamin Crodie presided as usual . A list of candidates for election into the Society was read : they amount to forty-nine . The following papers were read , " Ou the KIcafcrieal Phenomena- ivhich accompany . Muscular Contraction , " by Prof . Matteucci . " An Inquiry into the Muscular Movements resulting from the Action of a Galvanic Current upon Nerve , '' by ' Dr . Radclifl

" Account of a Thunder-Storm ivhich occurred in Brussels on the HHh of February last , " in a letter from , tlie British Minister at Brussels . On Monday week , at the Royal Institution , the chair was taken hy William Pole , ICsq ., the Treasurer . Thomas Farmer Baily , George Francis . Brown , Joseph Brown , Stephen Busk , Charles "William Franks , John Peter Gasslot , jun ., Thomas Greg , Thomas John Kent , Bobert M ' oraut . John Charles Salt , Edward Woods , Esqrs ., and Rev . George

Godwin Pownall Glossop , A . M ., were duly ducted members ; and Mr . Arthur Puller , John Morgan , and "William Salmon , were admitted , members . Tbe secretary announced that the following arrangements had been made for the lectures after Easter : Seven lectures "On the Structure , Habits , and Affinities of Herbivorous Mammalia , with especial reference to certain Species now living in the Zoological Society's Gardens , Regent's-park , " by T . Spencer Cobhold , 51 . 1 ') ., F . L . S . ; Eight lectures ' ¦ ' On seme Recent

Researches in Physical Geography aud Geology , " by David T . Ansted , E < q .. M . A ., E . R . X . ; Eight lectures " On some Itesults ofthe Association of Heat with Chemical Force , Practically Applied . " by P . A . Abel . Esq ., Director ofthe AVar Department , Royal Arsenal , "Woolwich . On tho 1 st instant , at the Society of Antiquaries , J . Bruce , Esq * Vice-president , was in the chair . Sir J . Hamiier , Hart ., and 51 c . G .

Gilbert Scott , were elected fellows , ill " . S . Stone exhibited and commimieated an account ; ofthe discovery of Anglo-Saxon Remains , near Witney . The Hon . II . Marsham exhibited and described some curious Sialic Axes used by the . natives of Brazil . Mr . J . II . Parker exhibited a series of drawings taken from wall-paintings in 1 'harlgrove Church , Oxon , and read a description and illustration of them by Mr . William Burgess . At the last mec-tin , ! " ; of the Zoological Society , Mr , Gould presided ,

Dr . Crisp read a paper on the causes of death of animals , ivhich have died in tho Society ' s gardens during seven years , as deduced from postmortem examinations made by himself , accompanied by tabulated series of the results . Mr . Sclater pointed out the differences , between the Punjab sheep living in the Society ' s gardens ( Oris c >/ cloeeros of Hutton ) , of the Sulimani range of hills , and the Shapoo of Ladakh , which he regarded as the true Oris rignii These observations were illustrated

by the exhibition of a . numerous series of the heads and horns oi the four known species of wild sheep of Northern India . Mr . Bartlett read some notes on the breeding of bears in the Society's menagerie . The Secretary exhibited , ou the part of Mr . Alfred STewton , a specimen of llirnndo liicolor of North . America , shot iu England , from the collection of the late . 1 . Wolley , jun ., Esq . Dr . Giinthur communicated a paper entitled "' - ' Contributions to the Knowledge of fche Himalai-an

Reptiles , " founded principally on the large collections of reptiles made by the Brothers Sehlagintweit during their travels . Among them were several interesting forms , some of which were new to science . Dr . Giinthur distinguished three several zones of altitude for tho division of the Himalayas according to their reptilian fauna—each of which contained characterie species . Dr . Gray communicated the characters of a new form ot ! snakes of the family Boidxe , proposed to be called

Clmjscnix . ' llatem . after 5 Ir . Bates , its discoverer , from the . Upper Amazon . Papers were also read by 5 lr . W . IT . Pease , on forty-three new species ot ! shells from the Sandwich Islands ; ancl Dr . Pfi-iffer , ou new land shells in the Curaing ' r . m Collection . A committee of gentlemen has been funned for the erection of a , portrait-statue of Dr . Priestley , amongthe distinguished men of science , in tho con-odor of the new Museum at Oxford . 5 fr . Stephens is spoken of as the sculptor . An interesting collection of all the known portraits of Dr . Priestley has been formed for the occasion at Dr . "Williams ' s

Library in lied Cross-street . They exhibit him at various periods of life , the best are , a picture by W . Artiuid , engraved iu line by T . Holloway , and a profile medallion by "Wedgwood . A life-size , sketch of : tho Doctor , seated , is a truly unfavourable specimen of Fnseli : it has been engraved by C . Turner , in lS 3 ( i . The most pleasing and benevolent looking portrait , is one belonging to Mrs . Parkes , a copy from one by Gilbert Stuart : it exhibits him at an advanced age in his

own thin , grey hair , whilst all the other pictures show him in a powdered wig with little curls , which gives a certain degree of formality . The wig seems afc all events to afford certain characteristics well adapted for sculpture . Among the members of the committee are , Professor Graham , the Master of the 31 'int , James Yates , Esq ., Dr . Priestley , Joseph Parkes , Esq ., the Secretary of the National Portrait , Gallery , the Rev . J . James Taylor , and Ashton Bostock , Esq ., Secretary .

"At . Colnaghi's , " says tho Press , " wo have seen a noble portrait of Tennyson , in tho painting of which , we understand , 5 tr . Watts has had all tbe advantage of intimate personal intercourse . For ourselves we always desire to think of the rjoefc as rendered in 5 f . r . Woolner ' s Lust of subtle sensitive lines and flowing luxuriant locks . This is our ideal . Mr . Watts has given us a more vigorous reality—somewhat the heail of a- patriarch and a puritan rather than the poet of Elaine and CEiione ,

The friends of Mr . Tennyson , however , are well pleased , and thpy propose to engrave the work for private distribution . " Mi-. Foley , TLA ., has in hand a statute of one of the Brothers iu Coinus .- this is understood to lie intended for Ins diploma work upon election as Royal Academician . A sketch by Hogarth , which has never been engraved , was sold at Messrs . Christie and 5 lanson ' s last week ; the subject being a man staymaker , fitting a pair of stays on a lady . Her husband and a group of persons are included in the design , which is executed iu brownish colour only .

TIIF . GAS COMPANIES A > : II THKIU CU-N ' SI ; . IIEHS . —Tho complaints which arise on every side of the bad supply of this great necessary , of its inferior quality , and of the superciliousness of the companies and their agents , would perhaps he modified if consumers ivould take some slight pains themselves to obviate the existing evils . Many of these annoyances might be got rid of by the use of the new " gas regulator , " which is tho invention of . Mr . Judkin , of Ludgate-sti-eet , and is the best filing

of the kind brought out yet . ft is easily adjusted , admitting of no variation in the pressure , securing a purer and uniform light , and effecting an average saving of from 25 to 40 per cent ; . The advantages over other regulators are—simplicity of construction , greater efficiency in opera ,-I on , and non-liability to get oufc of order .