comotives. The report goes on to
say that the apparatus prepared for the purpose was applied to an
exceedingly large locomotive, and succeeded perfectly, first on a level,
and then on an ascent of thirteen milliemes, the steepest in fact of the
line. It was feared that difficulties would arise from the smoothness of
the wheels on the rails,--but no inconvenience was perceptible from that
circumstance.

* * * * *

LORD BROUGHAM has been passing a few weeks in Paris, and the papers
dwell upon the marvellous preservation of his powers, which seem to
baffle the attacks of time. _Galignani_ says he "read at the _Academy of
Sciences_, before a most crowded auditory, a paper on the optical and
mathematical inquiries which have occupied his time during his late
residence at Cannes. His lordship accompanied the reading of this memoir
with numerous demonstrations on the board, and for upwards of an hour
captivated the attention of his hearers. MM. Arago, Biot, Tenard, and
other eminent scientific men were present, and appeared deeply
interested in the explanations of their learned _confrere_. His lordship
spoke the whole time with great animation, and his numerous friends
present were delighted to perceive that he was in such excellent
health."

* * * * *

Mr. ISAAC LEA, of Philadelphia, since his retirement from the house of
Lea & Blanchard, is devoting himself more assiduously than before, to
those scientific pursuits in which he has attained to such well-deserved
eminence. The London _Athenaeum_ has the following notice of his most
recent publication:--

"_Observations on the Genus Unio, &c._ Vol. IV: by ISAAC LEA.
It is pleasant, amidst all the material activity of the United
States, to find ourselves ever and anon called on to bear
testimony to the love of nature, truth, and beauty which there
developes itself. In Mr. Lea's book we have descriptions and
drawings of shells, originally published in the 'Transactions
of the American Philosophical Society,' which would have done
honor to any of the scientific societies of Europe. Such works
can be of interest only to the professed conchologist; but in
his hands they become treasuries of facts by which he works out
the great laws of morphology regulating the animal forms that
he more particularly studies. The shells described in this
volume are for