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inventor offered to go into details confidentially with one or two of the distinguished officers present. In answer to a question from Sir Henry Hardinge, the inventor stated that without a battering train he could transport on a mule’s back the means of destroying the strongest for tress in Europe. No doubt this is very startling, but, hearing what we have, we cannot pronounce it impossible; and as in every particu lar the inventor has done what he has undertaken to accomplish, it is only fair to give him credit for the performance of more than has yet been disclosed. The existence of these tremendous powers is placed beyond all doubt, and the inventor asserts them to be completly under his control, which, from what our informant has had an opportunity of observing, he believes to be really the case. The instrument that wrought so terrible an effect on Saturday, lifting into the air a boat weighing two and a half tons, and filled in with five and a half tons of solid timber, and displacing at least fourteen or fifteen tons of water was only 18 lb. weight. Our informant has handled it and kicked it round a room when charged with its deadly contents, so portable and at the same time so safe is it—a point of vast importance, when we remember the daily accidents that are occurring from the detonating shells now used in our service. At Acre most of those employed burst before they reached their object, and they are liable to explode when rolling about a ship’s deck, as was proved by the fatal accidents on board Her Majesty’s ship Medea, off Alexandria, and the Excellent, at Portsmouth, and are dangerous to carry in a common ammunition cart on a rough road. Whether Lord Melbourne will condescend to examine into this matter, and secure these mighty powers for this country, or permit them to pass into the hands of our enemies, is more than we can venture to predict, but about which we cannot think England will remain indifferent. The inventor has requested us publicly to return his thanks to Mr. Boyd for his great krndness in permitting him the use of his grounds not only on this but on several occasions.—Times. IMPROVED TIRE OF A RAILWAY WHEEL. Annexed is a small sketch of a section of the tire of a railway wheel, showing a new mode of fixing the outer tire. Many accidents, particularly to the machinery of locomotive en gines, have occurred from the bolts (which are used in general, but in my improvement are not necessary) breaking, and allowing the tire to work off laterally, and to come in contact with the working gear. The improvement consists in having a groove turned out of the wheel, and a corresponding tongue on the inside of the tire, as shown in the sketch, which prevents the possibility of the tire coming off, but by its break ing, a contingency which but seldom happens. H. W. Manchester, Feb. 4th, 1841. Railway Times. HISTORY OF THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY By THOMAS ROSCOE, Assisted in the Historical Details by Peter Lecount. Sir—In your last number a communication appears from Mr. Lecount, animadverting on the use of his name in the above work, and also on the publishers for not paying him for his services. Having had the entire direction of the publication of this book, I feel it necessary to say that these statements are grossly incorrect, and that I am ready to prove this when called upon. Mr. Lecount says “ after page 321 had nothing whatever to do with it, and my name being connected with it is a perfect hoax upon the public.” So far from this being correct, I can produce scores of pages of Mr. Lecount’s manuscript which are printed in various parts of the volume! It is extremely unpleasant to bring forward the names of gen tlemen, and I will here merely remark, that the manner in which his name is printed on the title page of the volume, was agreed to by him self, in my presence, at the suggestion of his solicitor at Birmingham! Indeed if it were improperly used, an injunction could readily be ob tained to restrain such an imposition on the public—but Mr. Lecount finds it easier to write scurrilous remarks, than establish that which has no foundation in truth. By implication he charges the publishers with breach of agreement, wilfully mis-stating facts. He says, “ what I furnished for that work although done under a written agreement, has never got me a sight of sixpence of the publisher’s money.” If such were in reality the case, Mr. Lecount would not be long in claiming his right. I deny, in un qualified terms, any treatment of Mr. L. otherwise than the most honourable. For what services he rendered, he was remunerated by having a pamphlet of about 100 pages printed, which was afterwards “ wasted,” a single copy only being kept to prove the fact of its hav ing been printed; and I have now before me, in Mr. Lecount’s hand writing, a memorandum of the cancelling of the original agreement which was for a pecuniary consideration. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Warring Webb. Castle Street, Liverpool, February 18, 1841. ERRORS IN SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. Sir—It is a little surprising that a few of the most gross and palpa ble errors as represented in some of the Plates, both in the old and new editions of “ Tredgold on the Steam Engine,” should have remained so long unnoticed, particularly in Europe, where so very many skilful and scientific mechanics are continually poring over works in every department of science. The first and only error, I shall non draw your attention to, is on plate No. 11, where, in the figure of a steam engine pumping water from a mine, the pump rod is connected with the piston rod i, h, to produce a parallel motion in both it and the pump rod, which exhibits a profound ignorance of mechanics, on the very face of it, (as there delineated) for though the piston rod will move parallel, the lifting pump rod at the other end of the beam will not. I have heard of a London waiter getting a quart of wine into a pint decanter, but never heard of the diagonal of a square (or of a parallelo gram) being crammed into either diameter of it. I have heard also of a man who affirmed that nothing was impossible, and that he could bile his own ear off; but after repeated contortions of the head and other attempts and trials, he gave it up: observing, however, that he knew it could be done with a sudden jerk. Perhaps a diagonal can be crammed into the square, as represented in the figure alluded to, in Europe, but to us ignorant folks in the Western World it looks rather “slanting dicular,” makes us rather sceptical, and indeed seems impossible to accomplish, even with a sudden jerk : but, like our inquisitive neigh bours, the Yankees, if it can be done, we are “ kind a’ curious” to know how. As books of science are generally published to instruct the unlearned or uninitiated, it would be as well to have the figure 5, on Plate X (A) engraved so as to be understood, because as there represented, it now requires a person who already understands his business, to understand how to construct the parallel motion as there represented. The same figure is repeated in the following plate, No. X (B). If the insertion of this little inquiry is not inconsistent with your sense of duty to the public, please to notice it in your useful publica tion, and you may perhaps hear again from, Your very obedient servant, Robert Rational. British North America, January 20, 1841. REVIEWS. Papers on Subjects connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Vol. IV. London: Weale, 1840. We mentioned in our last our favourable impressions as to the manner in which the character of this interesting work is maintained, and it gives us pleasure this month also td bear further testimony towards it. The volume is appropriately preceded by a memoir of the pro fessional life of the late Thomas Drummond, from the pen of Captain F 2