ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 247, 11 December 1847, Page 2

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Munificence of the Queen Dowager — Among the numerous acts of munificence of her Majesiy the Queen Dowager she has agreed for the purchase oft pipce of land contiguous to the Watermen and Lightermen's Aimshouses at Penge Common, near Sydenhara Surrey, upon which it is her Majesty's intention to erect and endow a college for the reception of a certain number of the widows of naval officers. Her Majesty has also presented a donation towards the erection of a church on the ground attached to the above named aimshouses. The Morning Chronicle newspaper has announced its intention of reducing its price to fourpence. This will compel the rest of the daily press to follow.

Rumoured Resignation or the Pope. — The Ausburg Gazette contains a strange report that the Pope wished to resign the Papal chair. The motive hinted at is his desire to draw out of his meditated reforms. Reduction in the Price ot? Bread. — Yesterday there was a fall of one halt-penny in the price of the 4lb loaf of bread, and most of the bakers' shops in the metropolis bore placards, inscribed '* Glorious news — Down again/ the charge being Bd. and B£d. for the best bread, and 7d. and 6|<l. for country bread. The high-priced bakers ond those who give credit charging 9d. and 9^.

Fever in Ireland. — The Sub-Sheriff of Rosccmmon (Mr. M alone) is dangerously HI of fever. At Limerick there are at present three Roman Catholic clergymen in fever. In Cork there are $31 cases of fever in the hospitals. At Belfast, Surgeon M'Cleary died of this complaint on Wednesday. — The present exceedingly hot weather is not likely to abate this awfui scourge.

Early Wheat. — Some fine ears of wheat, fully shot, were left at our office a few days ago, plucked in the neighbourhood of Stramltown, between Belfast arid Holywood. Tiuy are but average specimens of the crops from which they were taken. All the crops, including potatoes, in the same neighbourhood, are of unusual luxuriance, and considerably more forward than at this time last year.

Dublin, July 11. — There is very little excitement or heat in the political world, even on the verge of a general election,; and , Mr. John -o'Comiell Waving resigne4 his claims^ to the representation ot the city it would seem that the silting members might be regarded as safe, even without a contest. However, the belief in well informed circles is, that Sir U illiam Somerville, the Under-Secretary. lor Ireland, and Mr. Roe, the- distiller, will contest the representation on behalf of the Whig interest. Beyond all question, the most interesting contest will be that for the University : and although Me. Shaw is backed very urgently by the Primate Beresford, who has necessarily great power over the clergy, he is likely to be beaten. The will of Mr. O'Connell has just been proved in the Prerogative Court here. The personal property is sworn to be under £25,000 and he has, among other bequests, left £1000 to Mr. Ray, the Secretary to the Repeal Association. The heat to-day is intense, beyond an East India temperature ; and the geuial showers that are interspersed during the day add to the almost certain realisation of a glorious harvest*

Military Intelligence. — The Vacant Colonelcies. — The Commander-in-Chief h*s filled the Colonelcies of the 45th foot and the 72hd Highlander, vacant by the deaths of Sir Fiizroy Maclean and Sir Colin Campbell, agreeably to the following arrangement : — Sir Cojia Halkett goes from the 31st foot to the 45th/ wfiich has a double battalion; Lieut. -General the Hon. Otway Trevor, succeeds to the vacancy in the 31st; Lieut, -General Sir Neil Douglas changes from the 81st to the Highlanders, and the consequent vacancy in the former is filled up by the appointment of Major-General Thomas Evans, late of the 70th foot. The Hon. Otway Trevor commanded the Coldstreams at the battle of Salamanca, for which he holds a medal ; and General Evans is stated to have seen more rough service than any other officer in the array. He was forty- five years abroad, and has had honorable mention made of his name in the Gazette on ten different occasions. The appointments will be' gazetted either tonight or on Friday next.

The 31st Foot. — This distinguished regiment will have the honour of receiving their new colours from the bands of Sir Harry Smith,, under whom they served during the Sutlej campaign. The standards will bear the Indian commemoratives. — Globe, July 13.

Royal Artillery. — Captaiu G. W. Bingbam's company' (Bth battalion) are under immediate orders to embark on board the Athol for Ceylon, to relieve Captains Fitsmayer's and Pickering's companies, which have, been absent from .Woolwich since October, 1 832. The officers who will accompany the troops are Captain Bingham, 2nd Captain

H A Campbell, Lieutenants R. C. Connell, R. B. M'Crea F. W. C. Ord, and P. D. Margesson ; Lieut. E. £. R. Dyneley, who ha* exchanged with Lieutenant Gregory, also leaves by the same vessel to join Captain Burnaby's company at the Cape of Good Hope. Surgeon J. E. Williams also accompanies the troops to Ceylon, to relieve Surgeon R. Tenpleton, M. D. Brevet Major Turner has received the appointment of Master of the Horse to the Earl of Clarendon, Lord- Lieutenant of Ireland, and has left Woolwich to assume his office at Dublin.

Royal Marines. — An augmentation is immediately to take place in the corps of Royal Marines, by which two field officers and six divisional companies (with a full complement of officers) will be added to the strength of the corps. The following officers will be promoted in consequence of this augmentation : — Captains and Brevet-Majors S. Giles and R. Ford to the rank of LieutenantColonels ; and First Lieutenants J. F. Brittain, G. W. Congdon, R. W. Meheux, E. Hocker, F. A. Halliday, S. Fraser, J. Wade, A. Parke, and W. Cosser, to the rank of Captain. — Lieutenant Parke succeeds to the command of the Marine Artillery. — Globe.

Alteration of Military Uniform. — We believe we may confidently state for the information of our military readers, that the following alterations are about to be made in the uniform of officers of infantry regiments : — 1. Forage caps of royal regiments to have a black silk (oak-leaf pattern) band, with present badge, instead of the present scarlet band. 2. The lace on the skirts of the coats to be removed. 3. Gold lace to be worn on the trousers in full dress and scarlet seam in undress. 4. Gold sash in full dress, plain crimson silk in undress. 5. Black leather helmet with burnished ornaments and plume, instead of present chakos. — United Service Gazette.

Extinct Animals. — The Pampas, then, perhaps, presented a condition of vegetation little different from that still characteristic of them ; numerous clumps of forest trees were dotted about at intervals, and the intervening country was covered for the most part by rich and luxuriant vegetation. Other trees probably fringed the margin of those gigantic rivers which still pour out their torrents of water and drain a mighty continent. In the half swampy tracts, or in the pools formed by the shifting beds of these rivers, the Toxodon then dwelt; and over the broad plains the Macrachenia slowly paced. At one spot, numerous bare trunks of trees, stripped of their verdure, rotten and half decayed, or alive again with the bu&y tread of millions of ants and other insects, mark the vicinity of the great leaf-eating tribe. The Glyptodon, with his heavy tread, slowly 'advances under the weight of a thick and cumbrous coat of mail, and finally clears away the half destroyed vegetation. The smaller species of the megatheriod family, each one, indeed, a giant in his way — feed ou the younger and smaller plants, tearing them up by the roots or reaching from the ground to devour their foliage. But presently the Megatherium appears, toiling slowly on from some great tree recently laid low and quite stripped of its green covering. The eaith groans under the enormous mass ; each step bears down and crushes the thickly growing reeds and other plants ; but the monster continues to advance towards a noble tree, the monarch of this primeval forest. " For a while he pauses before it, as if doubting whether having resisted the storms of so many seasons, it will yield even to his vast strength. But soon his resolution is taken. Having set himself to the task, he first loosens the soil around the tree to a great depth by the powerful claws on his fore-feet, and in this preliminary work he occupies himself for a while ; and now oberve him carefully. Marching close to the tree, watch him as he plants his monstrous hind feet carefully and earnestly, the long projecting claw taking firm and deep hold of the ground. His tail is so placed as to rest on the ground and support the body. The hind legs are set, and the animal, lifting itself up like a huge kangaroo, grasps the tree with its fore-legs at as great a height as possible, and firmly grapples it with the muscles of the trunk, while the pelvis and hind limbs, animated by the nervous influence of the unusually large spinal cord, combine all their forces in the effort about to be made. And now conceive the massive frame of the Megatherium convulsed with the mighty wrestling, every vibrating fibre reacting upon its bony attachment with the force of a hundred giants: extraordinary must be the strength and proportions of the tree, if, when rocked to and fro, to right and left, in such an embrace, it can long withstand the efforts of Us assailant." (Owen, on the Mylodon.) The tree at length gives way ; the animal, although shaken and weary with the mighty effort, at once begins to strip off every green twig. The effort, however, even when successful, was not always without danger. The tree in falling would sometimes by its weight crush its powerful assailant, and the bulky animal, unable to guide it in its fall, might often be injured by the trunk or the larger branches. To

guard against some of the risk, the skull, the most exposed part, is found to exhibit more than usual defence against injury. It is more cellular than is usual with other animals, and the inner and stronger plate is covered with an outer table and intermediate walls, to resist a sudden and violent shock. Thus does it appear, that, at a very recent geological period, and perhaps not long before the actual introduction of man upon the earth, a multitude of strange and monstrous animals tenanted various districts ; that each group was then, as it is now, distinct from the rest, although so organised as to perform the same part in nature ; and yet more, that each group possessed certain peculiar characters, exhibiting a relation with the animals still inhabiting the same districts, although the actual species are greatly changed, being modified in forms in proportions, and in habits. It would uot be easy to imagine sets of phenomena more instructive "or more suggestive oi new ideas and new views of creation ; nor could any plan that we can conceive have indicated so clearly the uniformity of action, and the multitude of different means used to bring about the same great end. — Ansted's ancient world.