es in his old age, he continued free of every appearance of vanity or ostentation. He retained to the last, the same plain and unassuming simplicity in his carriage, his dress, and his manners, which he had observed in his early and more obscure years. His figure was vigorous and manly; and the expression of his countenance spirited and intelligent. His whole appearance, indeed, exhibited so characteristic a model of what national partiality conceives a Scottish highlander to be, that his portrait has been repeatedly copied. An admirable likeness of him was painted a few years ago, for the Hon. Mr Maule of Panmure, M. P. for Forfarshire, by Mr. Raeburn: and he has been introduced

into the View of a Highland Wedding, by the late ingenious Mr Allan, to whom he was requested to sit for the purpose.

In this picture, too, Mr Allan has preserved an admirable likeness of Donald Gow, the brother of Neil, his steady and constant violoncello; and without whose able and powerful accompaniment Neil could scarcely, in his latter days at least, be prevailed on to play a note.

Such was the person to whose memory this brief biographical tribute has been thought due. It is paid, unsolicited, by one who had full and frequent opportunity to judge of his character. He had often listened to Neil Gow, while delighting the gay by his music he had seen him often in the midst of his family; and he had conversed with him, when, in sickness, he was anticipating the near approach of death.

Neil Gow was born in Strathbrand, Perthshire, of humble but honest parents, in the year 1727. He died at Inver, near Dunkeld, on the 1st of March 1807. He was twice married; first to Margaret Wiseman, by whom he had a large family: the second time to Margaret Urquhart, by whom he had no children.

Besides his son Nathaniel, already

mentioned, he left another, John, who has long resided in London, and is also distinguished and admired, as inheriting much of his father's musical taste and power of execution. Two other sons, of equally eminent musical talents, William and Andrew, died before their father, a few years ago; but not till after they had completely established their reputation as true descendants of Old Neil. On the whole, a family of such celebrity in our national music, as that of the Gows, Scotland is not likely soon to witness again; and we trust, that those of them, who yet remain, may long be preserved to us.

Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural` History Society.

AT the meeting of this Society on

Saturday the 14th January, Dr T. Thomson read an interesting des cription and analysis of a particular variety of Copper-glance from North America.

At the same meeting, Dr J. Barclay communicated some highly curious observations which he had made on the caudal vertebræ of the Great Sea Snake, which exhibit in their structure some beautiful provisions of Nature, not hitherto observed in the vertebræ of any other animal.

And Mr P. Neill read a copious and interesting general account of this new animal, collected from different sources, especially letters of undoubted authority, which he had received from Orkney. He stated, however, that owing to the prevalence of tempestuous weather, the head, fin, collar-bone, and dorsal vertebræ, promised to the University Museum some weeks ago, had not yet arrived; but that he had received a note from Gilbert Meason, Esq. (the gentleman on whose estate in Stronsa the sea snake was cast) assuring him that they might now be expected by the first vessel from Orkney, In the

mean time he submitted to the Society the outline of a generic character. The name which he suggested for this new genus was Halsydrus (from hals the sea, and hydros a water snake); and as it evidently appeared to be the Soe-Ormen or Serpens marinus magnus, long ago treated of by Pontoppidan, in his Natural History of Norway, he suggested that the specific name might, with propriety, be H. Pontoppidani.

ing article I am indebted to the attention of Captain LASKEY of the 21st Militia,-a keen and successful investigator of objects in different departments of natural history, and who, during his residence in our neighbourhood, has added a long list of new species to our Scottish conchology, chiefly discovered by dredging in the Frith of Forth*.]

12. A pair of Snow Buntings (Emberiza nivalis,) caught alive near Carnwath last month, having been sent to Mr Wilson, Col

tory.

Jan. 2. 1809. THE Heath Thrush of Lewin, one of our rarer migratory birds, was shot near Port Seton Barracks, East Lothian. This bird, according to Lewin, considerably resembles the songthrush in colour, but it is perfectly distinguished from it by its make: the tail is half an inch shorter; and the neck is not so long: the body, however, is a good deal thicker, so that it exceeds the song-thrush in weight: a short black bar appears on each side of the eye, and it is whiter under the chin. The Port Seton specimen measured, from the bill to the tail, 12 inches, and from tip of wing to wing 20 inches. It seems to have been a straggler; Lewin remarking that this species generally arrives about the end of March, and leaves us in au

tumn.

3. A Wagel Gull (Larus nævius, which, by some naturalists, is suspected to be only a variety of L. fuscus) of an uncommonly large size, was also shot near Port Seton Earracks. When the wings were extended, it measured, in breadth, 6 feet, and, in length, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, it was 24 feet. It weighed nearly nine ounces more than the largest described by Pennant. [For this and the preced

cage ever since; and they continue lively, and are pretty familiar. They eat cole-seed, canary-seed, or hempseed indifferently, with crumbs of bread, or almost any thing offered to them.

18. The Long-tailed Duck (Anas glacialis) was brought to the fish-market, having been caught in the Frith. Dun Divers, wigeons, mallards, wild geese, &c. are very common in the poultry-market at present.

23. By a letter from Alloa I learn, that the shock of an earthquake was distinctly felt there, about 2 o'clock on Wednesday morning, the 18th inst. It seems, from the newspapers, that the tremulous motion and noise were very perceptible all along the base of the Ochils.

GREAT COLD-By the end of December, the large quantity of snow which had fallen in that month, had disappeared from off the ground.The wind, however, remained chiefly at E. and N.E. On 2d January, the cold became pretty severe, and it continued so for several succeeding

days,

Similar communications, in any department of natural history, from observers resident in different parts of the shall be duly attended to in the Monthly country, will be very acceptable, and Memoranda.

tent of half a dozen years. It ought to be stored in a very dry place, and taken out of the package two or three times a year, to be properly aired.

3d, Before roasting, it ought to be carefully picked, and the common sort will be found to contain about oneeighth part of refuse, which is fit for nothing. This refuse greatly injures the flavour and quality of the Coffee, when prepared for drinking.

4th, Great care must be taken not to over-roast the bean, as too much of the fire destroys the flavour; but a competent knowledge of the proper method of roasting can be obtained only from practice and observation.

5th, The Coffee, immediately after roasting, ought to be put into a dry vessel, well stopped until used, which should be as soon after roasting as possible. The stopping it up tight is material to prevent the flavour from escaping.

6th, By those who have delicate stomachs, Coffee ought to be used with as little sugar as the taste will allow, otherwise it may create acidity. 7th, Tea is hurtful to many stomachs, especially at breakfast; and Dr Fothergill not only prefers the use of Coffee at that meal, but favours us with the following recipe, which he adopted himself with great success, finding that tea disagreed with him :"Let Coffee be made in the usual manner, only a third part stronger; let as much boiling milk be added to the Coffee, before it is taken from the fire, as there is water; let it settle; drink it with or without cream, as may be most agreeable." The Doctor observes, that this preparation is much more nourishing and beneficial than the wretched beverage of ordinary

teas.

I conclude with an extract from Dr Fothergill's tract: treating of Tea and Coffee, the Doctor says, "There is one material difference, which ought to turn the scale in favour of the more *...*

general use of Coffee. It is raised by our fellow subjects, and paid for by our manufacturers. Tea, on the contrary, is principally paid for with money." From whence it appears, that whatever may be the taste of our manufacturers, their wives, and daughters, it is most certainly their interest to prefer Coffee to Tea.

Let every man consider what he would be likely to do if trading as an individual-He would probably give a preference to the goods of that person who bought goods from him. The very same rule applies to general trade, and comes home as directly, though perhaps not so apparently at first view, to every individual. If we wish the West India Colonies to take our manufactures, we must take their produce; they cannot take ours otherwise.

I shall only further state Dr Fɑthergill's opinion, that our West India Coffee, if kept as long as the Mocha Coffee, would probably be as good. It requires several years to bring that from Mocha into consumption, which is greatly in its favour whereas the Coffee from the West Indies is generally used when very

new.

Coffee has been raised in hothouses in England far superior to any that ever came from Mocha, which Dr Fothergill ascribes to the great attention that was paid to its culture. If care, in a stove in this country, has such an effect on the quality of Coffee, what would a little attention effect in such a soil and climate as the West Indies. It is to be hoped the repeal of the duties, by inducing greater consumption, will direct the planters'more particular attention to the cultivation of the article, and that, in a few years, we shall be able to produce as good Coffee in our own colonies as that so much vaunted of from Mocha.

I am, Şir, yours, &c..

A. B.