within the limits of Rensselaer county, New York. It appears to issue from every part of a low hill, comprising four or five acres of ground; for wherever there is water it bubbles through it. It issues abundantly from the hill through three springs from the clear gravelly bottoms of each. Probably the gas accompanies the water from a considerable depth, for the springs are not influenced by the wet seasons. The underlying rock appears to be sparry limestone, but the detritus here is very deep.—Silliman's Journal, xv. 234.

2. Native Sulphuric Acid.—Professor Eaton has described the natural occurrence of sulphuric acid in large quantities, both in a diluted and a concentrated state, in the town of Byron, Genessee county, ten miles south of the Erie canal. The place has been known in the vicinity, for seventeen years, by the name of the sour springs. The place consists of a hillock 230 feet long and 100 broad, elevated about 5 feet above the surrounding plain; its greatest extent is north and south; it consists of an ash-coloured alluvion, containing an immense quantity of exceedingly minute grains of iron pyrites: it is mostly covered with a coat of charred vegétable matter four or five inches thick, and black as charcoal; the same kind of matter extends on all sides, from the base of the hillock over the plain. Its charred state is caused wholly by the sulphuric acid. Several holes have been dug in the hill, which now contain turbid dilute sulphuric acid; also the depressions donsthe meadow ground around it. The strength of the acid increases in a time of drought: when Professor Eaton examined it much rain had recently fallen, and the acid was very dilute in most places, but it was strong in some, and appeared to be quite concentrated and nearly dry in the charred vegetable coat. In this state it was diffused through the whole piece of ground, which presented the charred appearance to the depth of twelve or fifteen inches, and in some places three or four feet. But it was every where the strongest at

surface.

In wet spring seasons it appeared that adders-tongue, and some other plants, flowered on this hillock sooner than on the adjoining grounds; but as soon as the spring rains began to decline, then the vegetables withered away, and appeared as if scorched. rauge

About two miles east of this place is another sulphuric acid spring, still more remarkable in one respect. The quantity of water from the spring is in sufficient quantity to turn a light grist-mill, and yet there is so much sulphuric acid present in it, that the stream will constantly redden violets, and its water coagulate milk. Several other sour springs were mentioned as existing in the neighbourhood. It is supposed that the sulphuric acid is produced in some way by the decomposition of the pyrites in the soil.-Silliman's Journal, XV. 239.

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3. Native Sulphuric Acid.-The formation of sulphuric acid from sulphuretted hydrogen gas has been observed by M. Egidi, in a natural

grotto, in the department of Aquasanta. A powerful disengagement of sulphuretted hydrogen takes place there; the gas, in contact with the atmosphere is gradually decomposed, producing water and sulphur; sulphites are soon found, and then sulphates, and finally, sulphuric acid, which, as it passes over the walls, gradually dissolves the earth and oxides which it meets with.-Gior. di Fisica, 1827, p. 484.

4. Large Rock Crystals.-Gigantic crystals of smoky quartz are found in the vicinity of Paradise river, a few miles from Bridgetown, in Nova Scotia. They occur in the masses of granite, or imbedded in the alluvion which forms the banks of the Anapolis river. One was found weighing 120 pounds; another weighs 90 pounds, and presents gradations of tint from light topaz, through clove brown, into an opaque smoky colour, almost black. Long, slender, prismatic crystals of black schorl traverse its surface, and penetrate three or four inches deep into its solid substance. The extreme length of the crystal is 19 inches; its diameter, at the base, 12 inches; its six lateral planes are 9 inches in length to the acuminating planes, one of which, being unduly extended, is 12 inches in length, and nearly replaces the two adjoining ones.-Silliman's Journal, xv. 209.

1965. Extraneous matters in Quartz Crystals.-Professor Eaton says, that the students of Rensselaer school have, during the summer of last year, found numerous quartz crystals in the calciferous sandrock, one mile north-east from the school, which were terminated by six-sided pyramids at each end, and containing anthracite coal. They found two specimens which contained a liquid, and one which had a piece of coal floating in the liquid.-Silliman's Jour. xv. 362.

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16. Large Crystal of Beryl.—A crystal of beryl is mentioned in Silliman's Journal of extraordinary size. It came from Ackworth, N. H. It had no perfect termination, was nine inches in its transverse diameter, and weighed forty-seven pounds.-xv. p. 358.

7. Nature of Vegetable Microscopical Spicula.--Microscopical investigations have enabled M. Raspail to observe certain spiculæ in Pandanus, the Orchis, Scilla, &c., and to determine their nature: those above, and all those which are about of a millemeter (.004 of an inch) in length, and 3 (.00013 of an inch) in diameter, are hexaedral crystals of phosphate of lime: the crystals of the tubercles of the iris, which are about of a millemeter (.013 of an inch) in length, and (.0008 of an inch) in width, are rectangular crystals of oxalate of lime. The magnifying powers by which these results were obtained was from 1000 to 2000 diameters. These crystals have usually been mistaken for microscopical hairs.-Bull. Univ. B. xv. 369.

8. Meteoric Iron in Provence.-M. Hericart de Thury read a

letter to the Academy of Sciences from M. Brard, in which the latter states, that there has existed a mass of iron in the commune of Lacaille, in Provence, for a long time, which there is every reason to believe is of meteoric origin.-Oct. 13th.

9. Fulgorites in Westphalia.-The very curious vitrified tubes: which have been remarked in sandy soils, and attributed to the action of lightning, have been seen formed, and forming, at Senna, in Westphalia. The surface is a turfy soil, but beneath that occur various sands, which have been traced to the depth of 90 feet whilst digging for a well. Where the superficial vegetable earth has been removed the wind evinces great power over the sand, carrying immense quantities to some distance. Here and there are deep bogs; and it appears that the sand-tubes, or fulgorites, are most abundant upon the edges of these bogs, and where the sand is uncovered. These tubes, or conduits, sometimes pass downwards vertically, sometimes horizontally, but most usually in oblique directions, dividing in their course into many branches.

In proof of the opinion that these tubes are formed by lightning, MM. Brandes and Echterling, to whom the above observations are due, state, that a violent storm happened on the 29th of April, 1825; in this situation they went with other persons to the place where the storm had been active, and found the ground furrowed horizontally and vertically in such a way, that the sand at the edges of the furrows was vitrified, and formed tubes, or natural conduits, exactly like those found in other parts of this country.-Bull. Univ. A. x. 350.

10. Earthquakes in Holland.-Earthquakes have been very rare in Holland, only ten were on record previous to last year; but during 1827 as many as three occurred; one on the 23rd of February, the second on the 21st of March, and the third on the 3rd of December.

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11. Parhelia, &c.-The following account of appearances in the atmosphere is given by a Moscow Journal:-On the 4th of February a phenomenon equally extraordinary and magnificent was observed at Kiaihta, iu Siberia. At sunrise, the cold being extremely severe, luminous rays, known in Siberia by the name of the sun's ears, were perceived on both sides of that planet. At ten o'clock in the morning the rays changed into parhelions. An immense whitish column, similar to a comet's tail, issued from the sun, which had already risen to a great elevation, and took the direction of the west; there was formed throughout the whole extent of the heavens a regular circle, at the circumference of which were seen seven images of the sun, pale and without rays, situated at nearly an equal distance from the sun and each, other. The sun, moreover, reflected on the atmosphere four large white circles disposed so as to form a pyramid, and of which two were circumscribed

in the above-mentioned circle, whilst the other two were in the part of the horizon opposite to the sun. It was remarkable that there should have been four circles in the large one; but one of them was effaced by the brightness of the sun, and of another only half could be seen resplendent with the colours of the rainbow. The pheno menon continued until nearly noon.

12. Vegetation in Air at different Pressures.-M. Dobereiner took two equal glass vessels of 320 cubic inches capacity each; in these were put portions of the same earth in which two portions of barley had been sown, and moistened to the same degree. The air was now exhausted from one vessel until the pressure equalled 14. inches of mercury, and in the other it was condensed until the pressure equalled 56 inches. Germination took place in equal times, and the leaflets were equally green; but at the end of 15 days the shoots in the rarefied air were only 6 inches long, but in the condensed air from 9 to 10 inches. The former were expanded and soft, the latter rolled round the stem and solid: the former were wet on their surface, and especially at the extremities; the latter nearly dry. "I am disposed," says M. Dobereiner, "to believe that the diminution in the size of plants, as they rise on mountains into higher regions, depends more on the diminution of pressure than of heat." The phenomenon of drops of water on the leaves in rarefied air calls to mind the relation of a young Englishman, who, whilst passing through Spanish America as a prisoner, remarked, that" on the highest mountains of the country the trees continually transpired a quantity of water, even in the driest weather, the water falling sometimes like rain."-Bib. Universelle.

13. On the influence of different organic and inorganic substances upon Plants, by M. E. A. Zeller.-The experiments that had been made upon this subject have been repeated by M. Zeller, and many others added to them. He found that it was not poisons only which exerted an injurious action upon plants, but also very many other substances, such as gentian, volatile oils, valerian, camphor, rhubarb, ipecacuanha, emetic tartar, &c. Plants yielding poisons or etherial oils, faded and dried when they were made to absorb the substances produced by themselves. Narcotic substances, the bitter and volatile oils, and alcohol, exercise their influence upon the principal vessels of the plants, and then gradually extend it to the circumference of the leaves: the nitrate of baryta, emetic tartar, and many other salts, on the contrary, first act at the circumference of the leaves, then on their central parts, on the leaf stalk, and the stem. Sensitive plants lose the power of contracting their leaves by the action of laurel water, opium, and nux vomica. Camphor makes them contract, and then they no longer dilate again. Poisons do not act upon monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants in the same manner: many amongst the latter suffer severely. Coniferous plants

are but little sensible, and the same is the case with fatty plants, and those with hard leaves. Plants which have suffered the action of poisons without perishing, lose their leaves, and of the branches which have suffered, most of them shoot forth with new vigour. The influence of rain and dew seems advantageous to them. All salts are injurious when used in large quantity, but, when used in small quantity, they importantly assist the powers of vegetation.Bull. Univ. B. xv. 369.

14. Poisoning of Plants by their own juices.-In consequence of the experiments made by MM. Marcet and Macaire Prinsep, on the effects of poisons on plants, the latter was induced to examine what would take place if a plant producing poison was acted upon by its own product. The experiments were made with Datura Stramonium, Hyosciamus Niger, and Momordica Elaterium i. Recent branches of these plants, placed in solutions of from one to five grains of their respective extracts in one ounce of water, soon faded, and died in two hours; whilst similar branches, in water containing as much gum, underwent no change. ii. Branches plunged into water mixed with the recent juice of the plants suffered in the same way. iii. Plants of the above-named kind growing in pots, when watered with solutions of the extract taken from their own branches, soon faded and died.

Hence it appears that, as poisonous animals may be destroyed by their own poison, so is the case with vegetables. M. Macaire Prinsep thinks that either the extract becomes poisonous by changes effected upon it by the air, or else that different vessels in the plant contain different products. As to the action of air, he says, that the recently expressed juice of all these plants, when put into confined portions of air, absorbed oxygen, and gave out an equal volume of carbonic acid; but, then, the juices of other plants do the same. Mem. de Genève.

15. Method of obtaining Roses of all kinds twice in the year.— The following directions, by M. Douette Richardot, are to enable the amateur to gather as fine roses in September as he did in the preceding June. i. Immediately after the first flowering, the shrub is to be deprived of every leaf, and those branches which have borne roses cut so that only two or three buds shall remain. The cutting of the weaker branches may be in a less degree. If the weather be dry when the leaves are removed, it will be necessary to thoroughly water the stem, for several days, with the rose of the watering-pot: in this way, the sap will not be arrested. ii. Then the brush is to be used, and the rose tree well cleansed by it, so that all mouldiness shall disappear: this operation is very easy after an abundant rain. iii. The earth about the rose tree is to be disturbed, and then twentyfour sockets of calves' feet are to be placed in the earth round the stem, and about four inches distant from it. The hoofs of young