Sensitive Plant.

Mr. Burnet and Mr. Mayo have found, that at the moment the sensitive plant is touched, so as to occasion motion, it changes colour.  They have also found that when a sensitive plant has been made to droop, the part in which the moving power resides is blackened, so as to absorb the light of the sun; the restoration of the plant to its natural state is much longer in taking place.

Indian Mills.

In India, granite is hewn into hand-mills for grinding corn; two or four of which are a load for an ass or a bullock, and are thus carried to the bazaar for sale.  These are the primeval mills of all countries, which are mentioned in Scripture, and are still common among all uncivilized nations.

Musk.

Dr. Davey, by some recent experiments, has proved that when musk, in admixture with quicklime, smells of ammonia, it is impure or adulterated; and further, that, to preserve it well, it should be made perfectly dry; but when it is to be used as a perfume, it should be moistened.

Loch Lomond.

Mr. Galbraith has recently determined the quantity of water annually discharged by the river Leven from the basin of Loch Lomond to be about 59,939 cubic feet per minute.  Now, as 36 cubic feet of fresh water are very near equal to a ton, this gives 1,665 tons per minute; and, supposing the year to be 365 days, 5 hours, 40 minutes, the annual discharge, at that rate, will be 877,295,085 tons.  But as the river was rather below its average height, one-third may be added to this result; and we have about 1,200,000,000, or twelve hundred millions of tons per annum.

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MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF ALL NATIONS.[8]

    [8] From sources entirely original.

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SCOTCH MARRIAGES.

Our English love-smitten lads and lasses are pretty generally aware of the facility with which the most awful and holy of all engagements may be contracted in North Britain.  They sometimes make the experiment in their own persons; and, “by the simplicity of Venus’ doves,” old boys and old girls have been known to follow, as fast as post-chaises, horses, and lads could carry them, close upon the heels of their juniors, (bound on the same errand,) to the blissful land o’ cakes and matrimony.  An English gentleman, known to the writer, was making a few purchases in a shop, wherein stood three or four other customers.  A man and woman entered, and the former, addressing the master of the shop and his aforesaid customers, used, as he took the woman’s right hand, words to this effect:—­“Witness, ye that are here present, that I (N. or M.) take this woman (N. or M.) for my wedded wife.”  In like manner the sposa desired all present to witness that she took the man for her wedded husband, with her own full acquiescence in, and approbation