Quadrature of the Circle. M. Scamarella, a Venetian Geometrician, announces that he has solved the problem of the quadrature of the circle, and that he is ready to demonstrate it incontrovertibly to all the mathematicians in the world. According to M. Scamarella, the superfices of a circle is equal to three-fourths of the same diameter. It is also equal to the square of the circumference multiplied by half the radius, estimating their ratio as 7 to 21 and not 7 to 22, as Archimedes taught. SWITZERLAND. Conducting Power of Tin-plate. AT a late meeting of the Helvetic Society of Natural Sciences at Bále, M. Pictet gave a detailed report of a remarkable descent of lightning upon a house at Geneva, which had no conducting apparatus: but the roof of which was covered with tin plates, and provided with gutters and pipes of the same metal in communication with the earth. The event proved the great importance and preservative property of the metallic covering used in the construction of the houses at Geneva. It is without doubt to this circumstance that can be specially attributed, the rarity of accidents which are produced by lightning in that city. New Patents Sealed in 1822. To Robert Knight, of Foster-lane, London, ironmon ger, and Rupert Kirk, of Osborne-place, Whitechapel, Middlesex, dyer, for their process for more rapid chrystalization, and for the evaporation of fluids at a comparatively low temperature.-Sealed May 9th.--2 months for Inrolment. 1 To Henry Septimus Hyde Wollaston, of Clapton in the county of Middlesex, merchant, for a bolt or fastening, particularly applicable as a night bolt.-Sealed June 4th. -2 months for Inrolment. To William Huxham, of Exeter in the county of Devon, ironfounder, for certain improvements in the construction of roofs.-Sealed June 4th.-6 months for Inrolment. To Henry Colebank, of Broughton in Furness, in the Parish of Kirkley, Ireleth, in the county of Lancaster, tallow-chandler, for a new and useful engine lately constructed by the deponent, and now in his possession, for the purpose of cutting, twisting and spreading of wick, used in the making of candles, by which a great saving of manual labour is accomplished.-Sealed June 4th.2 months for Inrolment. To William Feetham, of Ludgate-hill in the City of London, stove-maker, and furnishing ironmonger, for certain improvements on shower baths.-Sealed June 13th. 6 months for Inrolment. To Denny Gardner, of Edmund-place, Aldersgatestreet, in the city of London, manufacturer, for a stay particularly applicable to supporting the body under spinal weaknesses, and correcting deformity of shape. Sealed June 13th.-2 months for Inrolment. To Joseph Wass, of Lea Wharf, in the parish of Ashover, in the county of Derby, millwright and lead smelter, for an improvement which prevents the ill effects to vegetative and animal life that has hitherto been occasioned by the noxious fumes and particles that arise from smelting or calcining lead ore, and other pernicious minerals. -Sealed June 15th.6 months for Inrolment. N.B. All the above calculations are made to Mean or Clock Time. METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL, 1822. LITERARY NOTICES, &c. Literary notices of works in hand should reach us by the twenty-second of the month at latest. A NEW Part of the Transactions of the Geological Society is in the press and is expected to appear in a few weeks. The price of the Geological Transactions will in future be considerably reduced, the Society having recently taken upon itself the expense and risk of the publication, and consulted economy by the adoption of a fuller page and the substitution of lithographic plates for engravings on copper. We trust, however, that the lithographic substitutes will do more credit to the arts than some which have latterly come under our notice. Mr. JAMES PATERSON, road-surveyor, Montrose, is about to publish a supplement to his Treatise on Roads, consisting of a series of letters and communications addressed to the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Highways of the Kingdom; and containing an enquiry into the nature and excellencies of what is called Mr. M'Adam's system of roadmaking;-how far he is entitled to the merit that he arrogates to himself, and which is generally attributed to him in regard to it, bis errors and defects pointed out, as also to what merit he is really entitled. The third part of Mr. RHODES's Peak Scenery, or Excursions in Derbyshire, is, we understand, on the eve of publication. These Excursions are illustrated with a series of beautiful engravings by Mr. COOKE, from drawings recently made by Mr. CHANTREY, R. A. Canova, the celebrated Italian Sculptor has, it is said, just finished an admirable group, of Mars and Venus, which is designed for his Majesty George the Fourth. It being at length decided that London Bridge shall be taken down, it is proposed that the new bridge be erected as near as possible to, and not exceeding 170 feet from the west side of the present bridge, and to afford a clear water way of not less than 690 feet. It is to be faced with granite and to consist of five arches; the central arch to rise 23 feet above high water mark at an average spring tide. The acclivity of the roadway to and over the bridge is not to be steeper than one foot in 26 feet. It is designed that this bridge shall be worthy of the Metropolis and the present cultivated state of science; due regard being had at the same time to economy and convenience. As little sacrifice of property as possible at both ends of the bridge for the formation of the necessary approaches, will be made consist ent with the character of so important an entrance to the city of London. Inland Navigation.-It is said that above 30,000 men are now employed upon the grand canal from the Texel through North Holland to Amsterdam. The marshy soil under the water is removed by means of nets, and above 1000 small vessels are daily employed in carrying it away. The depth of the canal is fixed at twenty-five feet, that the largest East and West India men may be able to reach Amsterdam without unloading any part of their cargo in the Texel. This canal will be above fifty miles in length; and will probably cost 100 millions of Dutch florins. An engraving by C. Heath, from West's painting of Christ Healing the sick, is just finished. The reports of connoisseurs inform us that it is a credit to the arts. The Horticultural Society held its anniversary dinner on the 4th of June, at the Freemasons' Tavern, before which nearly 1000 persons were admitted to view the dessert, which was arranged in a separate room, and was of the most splendid description. Among the delicacies, the strawberries raised by Mr. KEEN of Isleworth, called the Charlotte and the New-Seedling were greatly noticed for their size and beauty. The flavour of these are also, it is said, truly delicious. New Compass.-MR. WILLIAM CLARK of Chatham, has invented a compass on an entirely new principle. The needle consists of four arms or poles placed at right angles and uniting in one common centre. Two northern poles are secured to the N. W. and N. E., and the two southern poles to the S. E. and S. W. points of the card, which places the four cardinal points right between the angles of the needle, and allows the card to point north and south as heretofore, the cards now in use answering the purpose. This compass has, it is said, been tried under different circumstances, and as far as can be ascertained by the experiments already made, is allowed to possess the principles of polarity and stability beyond those of any compass now in use. We learn from Naples, that M. PEPE, has discovered a method of preserving metals, such as iron, copper, &c. from the effects of both air and water, by covering them with a metallic coating, which cannot be removed without the file, and which, when polished, becomes as white and as brilliant as silver. M. Pepe is printing a tract on this important discovery. THE London JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. No. XX. Recent Patents. To AUGUSTUS APPLEGATH, of Duke Street, Lett's Town, Lambeth, Surrey, for certain Improvements in Printing Machines. UNDER this patent there are two improvements; the first of which consists in supplying the printing ink to the form of types, stereotype plates, or blocks, by two sets of inking rollers, acting partly on one side of the pressing cylinder, and partly on the other; by which means, as the form passes to and fro, it receives its supply of ink without being carried out to a considerable distance, as is the case in other printing machines, where the form is inked entirely on one side of the pressing cylinder, and where it must be made to travel with considerable speed in order to pass entirely under the inking rollers. By this improvement, the form traverses a shorter distance than usual, and, hence, the |