for his main. The immense crowd which surrounded the table, prevented me for a time having any clear or distinct view of the process of the game. The noise was great and incessant; an eternal kind of disputation appeared to be kept up, with an unabated vigour of lungs that astonished me. A confused jargon of the most incongruous sounds and unintelligible phrases fell on my uninitiated ear. "Make your bets, gentlemen "-“ Now, Sir, your main "Seven's the main "Seven-eleven's a nick "Deuce ace out" "Five's the main "-" Seven to five" -"the odds are six to four"- "Who gives on doublets ?" -"Cinque lauded ' -"Die down," and fifty other exclamations and observations with which most of the party appeared perfectly conversant, but which to my untutored mind appeared as Hebrew to a Hottentot. My friend acquainted me that it would be difficult to give me any correct idea of this technical phraseology, without witnessing the operation of the dice from which it all emanated. After the lapse of an hour, during which I vainly attempted to form in my own mind some opinion of the game, some of the party, eased of their money made their way from the scene of misfortune, and enabled us to approach within observation of passing events; and my friend directed my attention to a person who had in his hand a wooden small box, in which he placed two dice, and after rattling them well within the box, called seven's the main, which call was repeated by one of the persons officiating at the table, called the groom-porter, after he had first called upon the company to make their bets, which they did by placing their money on one or other of the two compartments into which the table is divided, and marked In and Out. The former indicating the success, the latter the failure of the person throwing the dice. No sooner had the main been called by the groomporter, than he proceeded to mark it by placing the ivory piece bearing thereon the number 7 before him, within the whole view of the persons at the table, and with a view to prevent all subsequent disputes. The castor then threw the dice, which turned up 4 and 2, making together 6. This number was immediately marked by the other croupier at the table, and it was then subsequently announced that the castor had six to seven, and that the odds were six to five. This was cursorily explained to me by my friend to mean that the castor having called 7 and thrown 6, the latter number became his chance against the original number called, and there being 6 ways of throwing the 7 against 5, by which the 6 might be accomplished, the odds were consequently 6 to 5 against the six. "The whole principle of this game," said my friend, " may be illustrated by any one throw; and though apparently presenting much variety and complication to a novice, is based on the simple circumstance of there being 36 throws on the dice. On the throwing any particular number against any other number named or required, are calculated with mathematical accuracy, the odds or chances

in favour or against the player. The person who had the box in hand continued to throw them out and replace them, until the groom-porter announced 6 with doublets, the castor's in;' this done, he and his opposite assistant proceeded to draw the losing stakes, and to pay the receiving side-a task which appeared to me to require much readiness of hand, and quickness of head— for the money was placed in a most irregular manner. Some had taken 6 to 5, others 12 to 10, 18 to 15, or 25 to 30; and that in shillings, half-crowns, or crowns, as they fancied to settle, and pay, which appears to be the work only of a minute or two with these adroit professors. All these being paid, the castor again called his main, and the same ceremony repeated by the groom-porter, the dice were again thrown, but not with like success; for the groom-porter announced, "Deuce ace out;" and immediately drew all the money on the In department without making payment to those who had backed the Out. This my friend informed me was the advantage of the game to the banker at French hazard, and was about equal benefit with the 31 apres at rouge et noir. The box continued to pass round the table in rotation, some taking it, others declining so to do, and preferring to make their speculations on the operations of others, a course usually adopted by experienced hands at crowded tables, where there is little fear of tricks without detection, but which should be avoided by all means in every other case, for it is reported to be a well known fact, that some hundreds of persons have been plundered solely by betting on the hands of other persons in preference to their own, by which means they have become the dupes of sharpers and their confederates. As the general events of the game occurred, I obtained some partial explanation, and a promise that at leisure he would fully instruct me in its developement. My attention was, however, here as at the rouge et noir table directed to the parties forming the group. I was particularly attracted by one or two individuals who risked rather largely, their respective stakes, averaging from ten to twenty pounds on each event the one was smoking his cigar during the whole of the performance with a degree of ease and nonchalence that I could not but admire; his appearance and manner were characteristic of the gentleman, although he broke out occasionally into the most unqualified oaths, by way, I suppose, of adapting himself to the classical language of his surrounding associates, whom, in his better moments, he doubtlessly held in the contempt which was their due. This gentleman, I was informed, graced the class of baronets; had inherited a large fortune, which had gone to enrich the great demon of St. James's Street, who, now that he had no more to lose by his equally worthy committee-men, were desirous of excommunicating him from their brother club; but the baronet is a man of spirit, as he is a man of the world, and is not to be led by the nose by a set of mercenary ninnies, who are

worse than contemptible. He is as independent in mind and manner as he was once, and still deserves to be, in fortune; follows his own free course and pleasure, drives his coach, smokes his cigar, cracks his bottle, and shakes his elbow as the maggot bites, and cares not, as he himself most emphatically expresses it, a damn for any one. Near to this soul, was a person playing his pound or two, and that in a very cool deliberate manner, that peculiarly distinguished him from others; he did not take the box, but betted on other hands, and usually backed the castor out. On inquiry, I was informed that this person was a Jew; had long been on the town as one of the most anxious and expert players at billiards, hazard, backgammon, &c., and that he had amassed a sum of money thereat sufficient to enable him to live independently in the neighbourhood of Belgrave-Square; but that latterly, certain speculations at races had diminished his means, and that he had again taken to his old occupation. This person is said to be the most perfect master of his art, in all the qualifications of dice, and is ever on the alert to enter the lists when advantage offers; he actually has about him large sums of money to create confidence, and is said to have employed agents at most of the hazard houses to send for him express at any hour of the night, when any person appeared who was considered or known to be a fit subject for fleecing. He has been known to get up at three o'clock in the morning, fresh as a lark, from his slumbers, and ere the morning light to have realized his thousand pounds. It is told of him once, however, that being so summoned from his slumbers, he as usual made his way to the scene of action with his £1000 or £1,500 in purse, and returned minus the whole sum, having met with as keen a hand as himself, who had conveniently brought his own bones with him, or in other terms, introduced his own dice, with which he was content to keep the box until he had completely finished off his Jew Better.

EXPOSITOR.

LINES.

WHEN through the world in fortune's search

We take our ardent way,
Bright Expectation lights her lamp.

To guide us with its ray:

But ere the expected treasure's won,
Dark clouds begin to rise;

And the bright light that led us on,

Faints, glimmers, sickens, dies.

ON HIBERNATION.

THE consideration of the effects produced by cold on animals naturally leads to the curious and important property of Hibernation. This term is applied by naturalists to that state of torpidity or lethargy in which some mammiferous animals of our climate, the dormouse, for instance, pass nearly the whole of the cold season. When in this state, the animal appears cold, incapable of all motion, and passes three or four months without eating, drinking, or breathing. During the lethargy, the animal has an orbicular or bent position; the muzzle applied against the abdomen, the hind feet carried forwards, the fore feet placed against the breast, the ears lying upon the sides of the head, the eyes firmly closed, the whole body drawn together in a lump, and the tail rolled all round the body. A slight excitement does not waken the animal, but a powerful one does.

There are several circumstances with regard to hibernating animals, which in themselves are extremely curious. The first of these is, that animals subject to hibernation differ in scarcely any thing from other animals, being nearly allied to them, which are not subject to it; for besides the dormouse, the lerot, the muscardine, &c. for example, which hibernate, we find the rat, the dormouse, the squirrel, and many others of the same family, do not hibernate. Hibernating animals appeared to be dispersed, and, as it were, vaguely distributed among families the most unlike each other. In our climates, it is during winter that these animals experience their lethargy; but under the torrid zone, which also has its sleeping animal, the taurec, it is during the periods of the greatest heat that this animal becomes torpid. These are only a few of the curious details and unusual effects which this astonishing phenomenon presents.

Hibernation presents two distinct kinds of lethargy. In the first of these, the imperfect lethargy, the respiration is suspended and renewed by turns, every three, four, or five minutes. In the other, which may be termed the perfect lethargy, respiration entirely ceases, and the circulation is likewise impeded. To prove the truth of this assertion, many philosophers have submitted various torpid animals to the action of deleterious gases, which would infallibly have proved fatal had respiration been continued in the slightest degree, and the results were always such as to place beyond the possibility of doubt the total suspension of respiration during the perfect lethargy.

The property of hibernation in animals, although exceedingly curious in all the circumstances that belong to it, is truly wonderful in its preservative power; a power which maintains the existence of the animal, not only as well as if all its vital actions were in full operation, but if the observations of some naturalists

are to be credited, even under some circumstances in which the animal could not live were its ordinary vital actions in complete play. The state of hibernation itself seems to be produced in order to preserve the animal from the operation of temporary causes, such as states of temperature, climate, &c. which would otherwise be fatal to it. While these states continue, the usual vital processes are either wholly suspended, or go on in an extraordinary slow degree; as soon as the torpor passes away, these vital actions are renewed, and the animal springs into life and vigour with renovated power, safe during the whole period of its suspended animation from the influence of physical agents, not only in their ordinary state of energy, but as has just been stated, in an extraordinary degree of intensity.

The loir, or fat dormouse, which in winter falls into a torpid state, illustrates what may be considered as the lowest degree of hibernation. These creatures possess so little animal heat, that it scarcely exceeds the ordinary temperature of the air; their torpor ceases with the cold; a very few degrees of heat will re-animate them, and if they are kept during the winter in a warm room, they will continue active the whole season; they will then move about, eat, drink, and sleep, at intervals, like other animals. When the cold approaches, they roll themselves into a ball, and in this state may be found in hollow trees or clefts of rocks, or in holes in walls exposed to the south; they may be taken and rolled about without rousing them; nothing, indeed, seems to awaken them from their lethargy but gradual heat; if exposed suddenly before a fire, they die; resuscitation can only be effected by degrees. In this state, however, though deprived of the capability of movement, with the eyes closed, and in an apparent state of death-like indifference, they possess a feeling of pain; a wound or burn causes them to contract, and to make a slight sort of convulsive leap, which they will repeat several

imes.

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From experiments performed by various philosophers, it appears that the hibernating, or lethargic state, takes place only within certain ranges of temperature; that either too high or too degree prevents it from coming on; that the torpor is always most profound when the temperature is at from 5 to 7 degrees above zero, and that a more intense cold even revives the animal to activity. These experiments show in the most beautiful manner how completely this singular condition, scarcely to be distinguished from that of death, is under the regulation and control of the vital principle, that principle inducing the state when the cold is at a certain degree, but preventing it from coming on, and even rousing the animal from it when it has actually supervened, if the intensity of the cold increase. The subject being one of such vast importance and interest, we shall resume our consideration of it in our next.

G. T. F.