quarters, nearly, in some places. In one line ascending from the part of the rock nearest the river, there is a Tortoise; a spread Eagle, executed with great expression, particularly the head, to which is given a shallow relief; and a child, the outline of which is very well drawn. In a parallel line, there are other figures; but among them that of a woman only can be traced. These are very indistinct. Upon the side of the rock, there are two awkward figures, which particularly caught my attention. One is that of a man, with his arms uplifted, and hands spread out, as if engaged in prayer. His head is made to terminate in a point; or rather, he has the appearance of something upon the head, of a triangular or conical form: near to him is another similar figure, suspended by a cord fastened to his heels. I recollected the story, which Father Hennepin relates of one of the missionaries from Canada who was treated in a somewhat similar manner; but whether this piece of seemingly historical sculpture has reference to such an event, can be only matter of conjecture. A Turkey badly executed, with a few other figures may also be seen. The labour and the perseverance requisite to cut those rude figures in a rock so hard, that steel appeared to make but little impression upon it, must have been great; much more so, than making of enclosures in a loose and fertile soil.

B. S. Barton, M. D. one of
the V. P. of the A. P. S.

Yours, &c.

JAMES MADISON,

No. XXVII.

Supplement to the account of the Dipus Americanus, in the IV. Vol. of the Transactions of the Society. See No. XII.

Read Dec. 16th, 1803.

IN the 4th volume of the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, I have given an account of a new species of Dipus, or Jerboa. When that paper was presented to the society, I was not able to say, with absolute confidence, though I thought it highly probable, that the animal which I described was one of the lethargic species of Glires, or those species which pass the winter-season in a torpid state. I have now completely satisfied myself, that the Dipus Americanus does go into the torpid state, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia.

In the month of August, 1796, one of these little animals was brought to me from the vicinity of this city. It was put into a large glass jar, where I was so fortunate as to preserve it for near four months. Though it made many efforts to escape from its confinement, it seemed, upon the whole, pretty well reconciled to it. It continued active, and both ate and drank abundantly. I fed it upon bread, the grain of Indian corn (Zea Mays), and the berries of the Prinos verticillatus, sometimes called black-alder.

On or about the 22d, of November, it passed into the torpid state. It is curious to observe, that at the time it became torpid, the weather was unusually mild for the season of the year, and moreover the animal was kept in a warm room, in which there was a large fire the greater part of the day and night. I sometimes roused it from its torpid state; at other times it came spontaneously out of it. During the intervals of its waking, it both ate and drank. It was frequently most active, while the weather was extremely cold in December: but when I placed the jar upon a thick cake of icc, in the

open air, its movements or activity seemed wholy directed to the making of a comfortable habitation out of the hay with which I supplied it. It was sufficiently evident, however, that the cold was not the only cause of its torpid state. It was finally killed by the application of too great a degree of heat to it, whilst in its torpor.

During its torpor, it commonly laid with its head between its hind legs, with the claws or feet of these closely applied to the head. Its respiration could always be perceived, but was very slow.

The fact of the torpidity of this little animal is known to the gardeners and others near the city. They call it the "seven-sleepers," and assert, that it is frequently found in the earth, at the lower extremity of the horse-radish, and other perpendicular roots. Does it use these as a measure of the distance to which it shall go in the earth, to avoid the influence of the frost?

I have said, that the Dipus Americanus becomes torpid in the neighbourhood of this city. But this, I believe, is not always the case. During the winter-season, this little animal and another species, which I call Dipus mellivorus, take possession of the hives of bees, in which they form for themselves, a warm and comfortable habitation, having ingeniously scooped away some wax. The materials of its nest are fine dry grass, down or feathers, and old rags. It lives upon the honey, and seems to grow very fat upon it. I believe two individuals, a male and a female, commonly inhabit one hive. They sometimes devour the greater part of the honey of a hive.

The circumstance just mentioned is not altogether uninteresting. It plainly proves what I have, long since, asserted, that the torpid state of animals is altogether" an accidental circumstance," and by no means constitutes a specific character. The same species becomes torpid in one country and not in another. Nay, different individuals of the same species become torpid, or continue awake, in the same neighbourhood, and even on the same farm.

BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON.

No. XXVIII.

Hints on the Etymology of certain English words, and on their affinity to words in the languages of different European, Asiatic, and American (Indian) nations, in a letter from Dr. Barton to Dr. Thomas Beddoes.

DEAR SIR,

Read Oct. 21st, 1803.

YOU were pleased to observe, that you take much interest in my inquiries concerning Indian dialects. It is partly on

this account, but much more from the attention which it is well known you have devoted to the subject of etymology and language, that I trouble you with this letter.

In the course of my inquiries into the languages of the Americans, I have discovered many instances of affinity between the words of Asiatic and American nations, and those of the English. These affinities are sometimes very striking. Of themselves, they have, I think, some value: but when they are taken in connection with innumerable other facts, they seem to establish this important point, which I have not a doubt will, ultimately, be the opinion of all philosophers, either that all the existing nations of the earth are specifically the same, or (for I do not positively contend, with Blumenbach and Camper, that all mankind constitute but one species), that the ancestors of all the present races of men, were once much more intimately associated together than they are at present.

In adducing the words (or rather a small portion of them) to which I have alluded, I do not deem it necessary to be very methodical. I shall distribute them into three heads, viz. nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

SECTION I.

1. Tinder. "Any thing eminently inflammable placed to catch fire." Dr. Johnson derives this word from the Saxon.

In the language of the Irish, Tinne, and in the Erse of Scotland, Teine, is fire. The Welsh, the Cornwallians, and the people of Little-Brittany, call it Tan. These are all of the Celtic stock. Other Celts of the old world call it Tan, and Dar. Several of the North-American tribes unite the two last mentioned words into one. Thus the Delawares, or LenneLennape, call fire, Tendcu, Tindey, Tindai, Tainda, and Twendaigh: the Pampticoughs, Tinda, and the Sankikani (as early as 1633) Tinleywe.In the language of the Nanticokes (a North-American tribe), Tind is fire. This is precisely the English verb, to kindle, to set on fire.

2. Peat or Turf. Of this well known substance, so common in the northern parts of the old and new world, where it is used as fuel, Johnson has not attempted to give us the derivation. But I find, that the Naudowessies, or Sioux-Indians, of North-America, call fire Peta.

N. B. The language of this great tribe abounds in Finnic words.

3. Morass, a fen, bog, or moor. According to Johnson, from the French Marais. Perhaps, however, this word may be better traced to the Permian word for the sea, Morae, or to the Gipsey-word Moros, the sea.

4. Map, a geographical picture. From Mappa, Low-Latin. Johnson. Several of the Asiatic tribes call the earth, Ma. Such are the Permians, above mentioned, different tribes of Vogoulitchi, or Vouguls, who inhabit the Oural-mountains. The Gipsey name (or rather one of their names) is Poo, or Pu. Does it not seem, that the Latin Mappa and the English map, are composed of the Ma and the Poo, which I have mentioned? But what is remarkable, the Chilese of South-America actually call the earth Mapu.

5. Valley, a low ground, a hollow between hills. Vallee, French; Vallis, Latin.-The Kartalini, one of the nations of Mount-Caucasus, call a valley, Velee: the Miamis, of NorthAmerica, Walaich-kach-ki-kai.

6. Star. One of the luminous bodies of the heavens. The Persian and Bucharian word is Stara: the Aganske, Sturee. The Osetti call it Stela, which is very similar to the Latin.