there is also a terrestrial globe, which shews the quarter, the half-hour, and the minutes. There is also the skull of a dead man, and statues of two boys, whereof one turns the hour-glass, when the clock hath struck, the other puts forth the rod in his hand at each stroke of the clock. Moreover, there are the statues of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, and many observations of the moon In the upper part of the clock are four old men's statues which strike the quarters of the hour; the statue of Death comes out at each quarter to strike, but is driven back by the statue of Christ, with a spear in his hand, for three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, that of Christ goes back, and that of Death strikes the hour, with a bone in his hand, and then the chimes sound. On the top of the clock, is an image of a cock, which twice in the day crows aloud, and claps his wings. Besides, this clock is decked with many rare pictures; and, being on the inside of the church, carries another frame to the outside of the walls, wherein the hours of the sun, the courses of the moon, the length of the day, and such other things, are set out with great art.-MORRISON's Itinerary.

FINE CLOCK AT LYONS.

It is

In the magnificent cathedral, dedicated to St. John, at Lyons in France, is a most curious clock, justly cele brated for its surprising mechanism and motions. placed in an aisle near the choir. On the top stands a cock, which every three hours claps his wings and crows thrice. In a gallery underneath, a door opens on one side, out of which comes the Virgin Mary; and from a door on the other side, the Angel Gabriel, who meets and salutes her; at the same time a door opens in the alcove part, out of which the form of a dove, representing the Holy Ghost, descends on the Virgin's head. After which they return in again, and from a door in the middle comes i a figure of a reverend father, lifting up his hands, and giving his benediction to the spectators. The days of the week are represented by seven figures, each of which takes place in a niche on the morning of the day it represents, and continues there till midnight. But perhaps the greatest curiosity is an oval plate rked with the mi

nutes of an hour, which are exactly pointed to by a hand reaching the circumference, which insensibly dilates and contracts itself during its revolution. This curious clock cannot be supposed to be so perfect in all its motions as it was formerly, and yet it has suffered as little as can be expected in a long course of years, through the care and skill of those appointed to look after it.

It appears by an inscription on the clock itself, that it was repaired and improved by one Nourison, in 1661; but it was contrived long before that time by Nicholas Lipp, a native of Basil, who finished it in 1598, when he was about 30 years of age. After which, it is said he had his eyes put out, by order of the magistrates of Lyons, that he might never be able to perform the like again. But this is so far from being true, that the magistrates engaged him to fix at Lyons, by allowing him a considerable salary to look after his own machine. The oval minute motion was invented by Mr. Servier, and is of later date.THOMPSON's Travels.

BEAUTIFUL CLOCK AT LUNDEN.

THE cathedral of Lunden, in Sweden, is a magnificent structure, and has a very lofty spire, which serves as a mark for sailors, being seen at a great distance.

The altar of this church is a beautiful piece of work; but what most engages the attention of a stranger is its curious clock, which, from the number of its movements and figures, may vie with those of Lyons and Strasburgh. Every hour two horsemen come out and encounter, and a door opens which discovers the Virgin Mary sitting on a throne with her divine infant in her arms, and the Magi with their retinue marching in order, and presenting their gifts, two trumpeters sounding all the time of the procession. This clock, besides the hour, shews the month and day, and every festival throughout the year.-SMITH's Wonders.

CLOCKS IN THE FORM OF CHARIOTS

SURPRISING as the mechanical wonders just described may seem to be, they appear to be excelled by two clocks

made a few years since, by an English artist, and sent as a present from the East India Company to the Emperor of China.

These clocks are in the form of chariots, in which are placed, in a fine attitude, a lady, leaning her right hand upon a part of the chariot; under which is a clock of curious workmanship, little larger than a shilling, that strikes, and repeats, and goes eight days. Upon her finger sits a bird finely modelled, and set with diamonds and rubies, with its wings expanded in a flying posture, and actually flutters for a considerable time on touching a diamond button below it; the body of the bird (which contains part of the wheels that in a manner give life to it is not the bigness of the sixteenth part of an inch. The lady holds in her left hand a gold tube, not much thicker than a large pin, on the top of which is a small round box, tc which a circular ornament set with diamonds, not larger than a sixpence, is fixed, which goes round near three hours, in a constant regular motion. Over the lady's head, supported by a small fluted pillar, no bigger than a quill, are two umbrellas; under the largest of which a bell is fixed, at a considerable distance from the clock, and seeming to have no connexion with it; but from which a communication is secretly conveyed to a hammer, that regularly strikes the hour, and repeats the same at pleasure, by touching a diamond button fixed to the clock below. At the feet of the lady is a gold dog, before which, from the point of the chariot, are two birds, fixed on spiral springs, the wings and feathers of which are set with stones of various colours, and appear as if flying away with the chariot, which, from another secret motion, is contrived to run in a straight, circular, or any other direction. A boy that lays hold of the chariot behind, seems also to push it forward. Above the umbrella are flowers and ornaments of precious stones, and it terminates with a flying dragon set in the same manner. The whole is of gold, most cuiously executed, and embellished with rubies and pearls.

CURIOUS AUTOMATONS.

It is said that Archytas of Tarentum, 400 years before Christ, made a wooden pigeon that could ; that chi

medes also made such automatons; that Regiomontanus made a wooden eagle that flew forth from the city, met the emperor, saluted him, and returned; also, that he made an iron fly, which flew out of his hand at a feast, and returned again after flying about the room. That Dr. Hook made the model of a flying chariot, capable of supporting itself in the air. Many other automatons have been exhibited in the present age, some of which we shall describe hereafter. Some figures have been formed that could write, and perform many other actions in imitation of animals. M. Vaucanson made a figure that played on the flute; the same gentleman also made a duck which was capable of eating, drinking, and imitating exactly the voice of a natural one; and, what is still more surprising, the food it swallowed was evacuated in a digested state, or considerably altered in the principles of solution; also the wings, viscera, and bones, were formed so as strongly to resemble those of a living duck, and the actions of eating and drinking shewed the strongest resemblance, even to the muddling the water with its bill.

M. Le Droz, of La Chaux de Fonds, in the province of Neufchatel, has also executed some very curious pieces of mechanism; one was a clock, presented to the King of Spain, which had, among other curiosities, a sheep that imitated the bleating of a natural one,—and a dog watching a basket of fruit, that barked and snarled when any one offered to take it away; besides a variety of human figures, exhibiting motions truly surprising.

Another automaton of Droz's was the figure of a man, about the natural size, which held in the hand a metal style, and, by touching a spring that released the internal clock-work from its stop, the figure began to draw on a card; and, having finished its drawings on the first card, the figure rested, and then proceeded to draw different subjects on five or six other cards. The first card exhibited elegant portraits of the king and queen, facing each other; and the figure was observed to lift its pencil with the greatest precision, in the transition from one point to another, without making the least slur.

AUTOMATON CHESS-PLAYER.

THIS astonishing piece of mechanism was the invention of Wolfgang de Kempelen, a Hungarian gentleman, and aulic counsellor to the royal chamber of the domains of the emperor in Hungary in 1769.

The room where it is exhibited has an inner apartment, in which appears the figure of a Turk, as large as life, dressed after the Turkish fashion, sitting behind a chest of three feet and a half in length, two feet in breadth, and two feet and a half in height, to which it is attached by the wooden seat on which it sits. The chest is placed upon four castors, and, together with the figure, may be easily moved to any part of the room. On the plain surface, formed by the top of the chest, in the centre, is raised an immoveable chess-board of handsome dimensions, upon which the figure has its eyes fixed; its right arm and hand being extended on the chest, and its left arm somewhat raised, as if in the attitude of holding a Turkish pipe. which originally was placed in its hands.

The exhibitor begins by wheeling the chest to the entrance of the apartment within which it stands, and in face of the spectators. He then opens certain doors contrived in the chest, two in front, and two at the back, at the same time pulling out a long shallow drawer at the bottom of the chest, made to contain the chess-men, a cushion for the arm of the figure to rest upon, and some counters. Two lesser doors, and a green cloth screen, contrived in the body of the figure and its lower parts, are likewise opened, and the Turkish robe which covers them is raised; so that the construction both of the figure and chest internally is displayed. In this state the automaton is moved round for the examination of the spectators; and to banish all suspicion from the most sceptical mind, that any living subject is concealed within any part of it, the exhibitor introduces a lighted candle into the body of the chest and figure, by which the interior of each is, in a great measure, rendered transparent, and the most secret corner is shewn. Here it may be observed, that the same precaution to remove suspicion is used, if requested, at the close as at the commencement of a game at chess with the

automaton.