Excerpt from Bulletin of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick, Vol. 4 A few words to define what is meant by law, before entering upon my subject. The term law is understood to mean or infer a force which causes similar results under similar conditions. In calling it a law we, however, merely state a fact, we do not reach nor explain the source of the fact. This principle is manifested or acknowledged in the realm of matter, in organic life, in intellectual and moral phenomena. Thus in matter we accept the fact that liquids ever tend to take a level position. Numerous observations establish the fact, and we regard it as one law of their condition. In calling it a law, however, we do not explain the source of that fact. Looking into it further, we find that owing to gravity, or, in other words, the attraction of a large mass of matter, the earth for instance, every molecule of a liquid is virtually acted upon equally and is forced to take its place until each molecule of the upper layer occupies the same distance from the attracting body. This is, however, a mere statement of a fact. So also it is with the law of gravity. Gravity is a term only, it signifies the result of observations upon matter. We are led by many observations to recognize the sense of weight, and this eventually drives us to the conclusion that the idea of weight arises from an unseen force which draws matter towards matter. Further observations lead us to conclude that attraction is in relative proportion to the masses and their distance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Boston Journal of Natural History, Vol. 4: Containing Papers and Communciations Read to the Boston Society of Natural History, 1843 44 Enumeration of the Fishes of Brookhaven, Long Island, with Remarks upon the Species observed By illian O. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. 4: 1851-1854 At the conclusion of Dr. Warren's paper a letter was read by the Secretary, addressed to him by Mr. E. G. Squier, corroborating Dr. Warren's view of the true character of the so called "Aztec Children," containing the following statement: - "The Commandant of the Port of La Union, in the State of San Salvador, Central America, informs me that they were born somewhere near the town of Santa Ana, in that State, of parents, one of whom certainly, if not both, was dwarfed or deformed and imbecile. The Indians residing in the vicinity of Santa Ana are civilized, and centuries ago adopted Spanish customs and the Spanish language. So far as I could discover from a few words of their ancient language which came into my possession, they belong to the Cholutecan or Chorotegan stock, which, before the conquest, extended over a part of San Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, but which was chiefly concentrated around the Gulf of Fonseca." Mr. T. T. Bouve read descriptions of a number of new species of fossil Echinoderms, from the Lower Tertiary rocks of Georgia, among others of the following: Catopygus patelliformis. Oblong-ovate, and rather pointed posteriorly. Superior face conico-convex, and forming with the inferior an acute margin. Ambulacral areas, narrow. Anus, transverse. The width of this species in proportion to the length, is as 7 to 10; height to length as 9 to 20. Description of characters from specimens in the collection of the Boston Society of Natural History. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Boston Journal of Natural History, Vol. 5: Containing Papers and Communications Read to the Boston Society of Natural History, 1845-7 The present Gulf Stream carries forward, we know not how many miles, the mud and other detritus furnished by the Am azon, the Mississippi and other streams, and the lighter mate rials are often stranded 'on the north-west coast of Scotland. At the same time the solid substances have doubtless formed a deposit upon the bed of the ocean over a large part of the area it has traversed. Thousands of living shells are annually cov ered by the sudden deluges of mud near the shores; while those at a greater distance live more quietly, or are perhaps able to escape from this overwhelming destruction. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

A modern exploration of ancient wisdom relating to psychoactive plants. The ancient ritual drink used in religious ceremonies and known as soma in India and as haoma in the Zoroastrian tradition is praised in the highest terms - as a kind of deity - in both Zoroastrian and Vedic texts, which date from around 1,700 - 1,500 BCE. It is said to provide health, power, wisdom and even immortality. Many theories have been published about the possible botanical identity of this 'nectar of immortality', a plant which appears to have psychedelic/entheogenic properties. Matthew Clark spent several years researching and travelling widely in his quest of soma and in his fascinating, original and highly readable book, Clark reviews scholarly research, explores mythology and ritual and shares his extensive knowledge of psychoactive plants and fungi. The author suggests that the visionary soma drink was based on analogues of ayahuasca, using a variety of plants, some of which can now be identified.