associate them with that recorded at Gezah, in fit; and some experiments have been made, which order to call the attention of those who have op- show that this is the case, the plate becoming portunity of making further research into this in-visibly redder over those parts on which the vibrateresting matter. Mr. H. Strickland remarked, that the instances of gigantic birds, both recent and fossil, enumerated by M. Bonomi, though interesting in themselves, had little or no mutual connection. The artists of ancient Egypt were wont to set the laws of perspective and proportion at defiance, so that the fact of the birds here represented being taller than the men who were leading them by no means implied the former existence of colossal birds in Egypt. Indeed, in this very painting the foot of a human figure is introduced, probably that of a prince or hero, whose proportions are as much larger than those of the birds in question as the other human figures are smaller. He considered the birds here figured to be either storks, or demoiselle cranes, or egrets, all of which are common in Egypt. The gigantic nests found by Mr. Burton on the coast of the Red Sea deserved further examination; but the size of a nest by no means implied that the bird which formed it was large also, for the Australian Megapodius, a bird not larger than a fowl, makes a nest of enormous proportions. ting globule played. Several experiments were made in proof of this necessary cooling to produce ebullition. The red-hot plate, with its spheroidal drop, was removed from the spirit-lamp, and after a minute or two, the water began to boil, and was rapidly dissipated in steam. Ammonia and ether were shown, although so exceedingly volatile, to act in the same manner; the ether, however, being decomposed whilst in the vibra tory condition, in the same manner as it is by the action of platina wire, forming a peculiar acid. Iodine put upon the heated plate became fluid, and revolved in the same manner as other fluids, no vapors escaping whilst the high temperature of the metal was maintained; but when allowed to cool to the point of dull redness, it was immediately dissipated in violet vapors. The nitrate of ammonia fused on the glowing hot plate, and vibrated with great energy; but on cooling the capsule, the salt entered into vivid combustion. The repulsive action was shown by plunging a lump of silver at a glowing red heat into a glass of water. As long as its bright redness was maintained, there was no ebullition; but as it slowly cooled, boiling took place. In this experSAVINGS BANKS.-Mr. G. R. Porter read aiment, it appeared as if the glowing metal formed "Sketch of the Progress and Present Extent of around itself an atmosphere; and the contiguous Savings Banks in the United Kingdom."-After surfaces of the water appeared like a silvered a few preliminary remarks on their political and plate. The application of the principles involvmoral value, he stated that these institutions owed ed in these phenomena to the tempering of mettheir origin to Miss Priscilla Wakefield, who in als was then explained. If a metal to be temper1804 induced six gentlemen residing at Totten- ed is in a highly incandescent state, the necessaham to receive deposits from laborers and ser- ry hardening will not take place on plunging it vants, paying 5 per cent. as interest. Four years into water. It is therefore, necessary that a cerlater eight persons, half of whom were ladies, tain temperature should be observed. Experitook upon themselves the same responsibility at ments were made to show that the repulsive Bath. The first savings bank regularly organ-power of the spheroidal fluid existed, not merely ized was formed at Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire; its success led to many imitations, so that before any legislative provision had been made for their management, there were seventy savings banks in England, four in Wales, and four in Ireland. In 1817 an act was passed to encourage banks of savings in England and Ireland, but it was not extended to Scotland until 1835. FREEZING IN RED-HOT IRON." Experiments on the Spheroidal State of Bodies, and its Application to Steam Boilers, and on the Freezing of Water in Red-hot Vessels," by Prof. BoutignyProf. Boutigny, who made his communication in the French language, first proceeded to show that a drop of water projected upon a red-hot plate does not touch it; but that a repulsive action is exerted between the plate and the fluid, which keeps the latter in a state of rapid vibration. At a white heat, this repulsion acts with the greatest energy, whilst it ceases, and the ordinary process of evaporation takes place at a brown-red heat. The temperature of the water whilst in the spheroidal state is found to be only 96°, and this temperature is maintained so long as the heat of the plate is kept up. To bring this water to the boiling point, (to 212°,) it is therefore necessary to cool the plate. These phenomena are explained by M. Boutigny on the supposition that the sphere of water has a perfect reflecting surface, and consequently that the heat of the incandescent plate is reflected back upon between it and the hot plate, but between it himself. The It was beautifully performed by M. Boutigny, in the following manner :-A deep platina capsule was brought to a glowing red heat, and at the same moment, liquid sulphureous acid, which had been preserved in the liquid state by a freezing mixture, and some water, were poured into the vessel. The rapid evaporation of the volatile sulphureous acid, which enters into ebullition at the freezing point, produced such an intense degree of cold, that a large lump of ice was immediately formed, and being thrown out of the red-hot vessel, handed round to the com- Caddo, and as such Catawba also. The quespany in the section. AMERICAN LANGUAGES.-Dr. R. G. Latham "On the Ethnography of the American Languages." He opened by explaining the extent of the Esquimaux tongues, by pointing out the character of their locality as being the one that we should naturally expect to find transitional to the Fo language of America and Asia, stated, however, that they had been cut off on both sides by broad lines of separation. These lines he considered exaggerated. Between them and the Athabascan, between the Athabascan and Coolock, between the Coolock and Oregon, between the Oregon and Californian, he could draw no definite lines. The Californian passed into the Mexican, the Mexican into those of South America. On the other hand the Curile, Corean, and Japanese tongues were akin to the Esquimaux, so were the Siberian. He was satisfied that the commonplace view was the true one; viz., that the Esquimaux languages connected the Old and New Worlds. He further added that the glossarial affinities of the Polysynthetic tongues were as real as their grammatical analogies. The American minister remarked that the divisions of Dr. Latham did not agree with those recognized by the American scholars. He observed that the languages of the United States were classed in eight divisions; that between these there was certainly a general affinity such as between the more distant languages of the Old World; that the difference between the American tongues was not so great as to make against the general unity of the human race: but that still it was so great as to render the processes by which alliances were shown between them, convertible towards showing alliances between any other languages whatever. He did not see what sense Dr. Latham gave to the word affinity, and desired to see the details by which the eight isolated classes were run into each other, and the particular facts by which the current divisions were broken down. The contrast between the grammatical analogy and the glossarial differences of the American tongues was generally recognized. Dr. Latham, however, instead of explaining it, denied its existence.-Dr. Latham replied, that he had abstained from details merely on the score of time; that he would now enter on them but briefly; that he must be excused if he supposed that they were but partially acquainted with the details of transatlantic scholars in this department, but that he would now take up the subject in special regard to the attention which the honorable minister had paid to his statements from the point where they had left it. He differed with Gallatin and others, but he owned that he combated them with weapons which they themselves supplied. He spoke with praise upon the pains taken by the American War Department to procure the Indian vocabularies. In respect to the Natchez, Uche, Attacapa, Adaine, and Chetimacha vocabularies, he believed that Gallatin himself only meant his groups to be provisional. The division, however, between the Algonquin and Iroquois groups was considered real. This he broke down. Both were allied to third languges, e. g. the Eskimo. Both could be shown allied to each other, if we dealt with many dialects en masse. The Cherokee was tion between the Creek and the Choctah tongues, was one of definitions only. Exceptions might be taken to his modes of indirect and collective comparison, but he believed them to be legitimate and recognized instruments of criticism. LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE.-" On the Nebula 25 Herschel, or 61 of Messier's Catalogue," by the Earl of Rosse.-Lord Rosse exhibited to the Section what he called his working plan of this nebula, and explained his method. He first laid down, by an accurate scale, the great features of the nebula as seen in his smallest telescope, which, being mounted equatorially, enabled him to take accurate measurements; he then filled in the other parts, which could not be distinguished in that telescope, by the aid of the great telescope, but as the equatorial mounting of this latter was not yet complete, he could not lay these smaller portions down with rigorous accuracy; yet as he had repeatedly gone over them, and verified them with much care, though by estimation, he did not think the drawing would be found to need much future correction. Sir J. Herschel said he could not explain to the Section the strong feelings and emotion with which he saw this old and familiar acquaintance in the very new dress in which the more powerful instrument of Lord Rosse had presented it. He then rapidly sketched on a sheet of paper the appearance under which he had been accustomed to see it, which was a nucleus surrounded by a ringshaped nebulous light, with a nebulous curve stretching from one part of the ring to nearly the opposite. This had very strongly suggested to his mind what our system of stars, surrounded by the milky way, dividing into its two great branches, would appear if seen from a sufficient distance. But now this nebula is shown in such a way as greatly to modify, if not totally to change, former impressions. In the first place, under the examination of the more powerful instrument the nucleus became distinctly resolved into its constituent stars, which his telescope was not powerful enough to accomplish; and it now turned out that the appearance which he had taken for a second branch of the ring, was a nebulous offshoot, stretching from the principal nebula, and connecting it with a neighboring much smaller one. This was to him quite a new feature in the history of nebulæ. The general appearance of the nebula, as now presented, strongly suggested the leading features of the shell of a snail rather than a ring. He felt a delight he could not express when he contemplated the achievements likely to be performed by this splendid telescope; and he felt no doubt that, by opening up new scenes of the grandeur of creation, it would tend to elevate and ennoble our conceptions of the great and beneficent Architect; the raising of our thoughts to whom should be the aim of all our researches, as the advancing of our knowledge of Him, and the grateful tracing of the benefits and blessings with which He has surrounded us, was the noblest aim of all that deserved the name of science. HEAT OF SOLAR SPOTS." On the Heat of the Solar Spots," by Prof. Henry, of Princeton College, New Jersey.-Sir D. Brewster read an ex tract of a letter which he bad just received from of the principal craters and other leading features Prof. Henry, who had recently been engaged in a being first laid down on the smooth surface from series of experiments on the heat of the sun, as Messrs. Beer and Maedler's micrometrical measobserved by means of a thermo-electrical appara-ures and charts. The diameter of the model is tus applied to an image of the luminary thrown on 12 inches 8 lines (Rhienland measure), or one a screen from a telescope in a dark room. He 10,000,000th part of the moon's actual diameter. found that the solar spots were perceptibly colder The scale of heights is, however, necessarily enthan the surrounding light surface. Prof. Henry larged to double this amount, as otherwise the realso converted the same apparatus into a telescope, lief would be too low for distinctness. The mateby placing the thermo-pile in room of the eye-rial is a composition of mastic and wax, and the glass of a reflecting telescope. The heat of the whole is worked out in such perfection of detail smallest cloud on the verge of the horizon was in-as to represent every visible crater and mountain stantaneously perceptible, and that of a breeze four peak-nay, even the minuter lines of elevation or five miles off could also be readily perceived. which streak the so-called seas, &c, in their true forms and conventional proportions. In consequence, when properly illuminated, and placed he was. FOG RINGS." On Fog-rings observed in Amer-at 30 or 40 feet distance, and viewed through a ica," by Sir D. Brewster. This paper had been communicated to Sir D. Brewster by Sir John P. Boileau, respecting a fog bow which had been seen in January, 1808, by Sir George Ross, when off the Montgomery Reach, in the Potomac, in Virginia Early in the morning a milk-white fog came on, so thick that the captain of the packet found it necessary to anchor, not knowing where About half-past eleven he came up to Sir George, and remarked that they should have all clear soon," for the fog-eater was come." The captain explained himself by pointing to the head of the vessel, where there was visible a ring of thicker white fog than that in which they were enveloped, apparently about 60 feet in diameter, the belt of the ring appearing about 2 feet broad Within this ring was another, 2 feet in diameter, suspended in its centre, and with prismatic colors. It lasted about 20′ or 30', when the fog cleared away. There was a severe frost on the following day. good telescope, the artificial is scarcely distinguishable from the real moon. The delicacy and precision of the work can only be appreciated by a microscopic examination. In fact, the whole model is stated by Madame Witte to have been executed with the aid of magnifying glasses. Sir J. Herschel accompanied his explanation of this model with several remarks on the physical constitution of the moon in respect of climate, atmosphere, moisture, &c., and compared its surface with the chart of part of Mount Etna, lent him for that purpose by Baron von Waltershausen, and with a drawing of his own of one of the principal craters as seen in his 20-feet reflectorplacing the volcanic character of the ring mountains beyond all doubt. By the aid of a large chart by Messrs. Beer and Maedler, several of these, such as Aristarchus, Tycho, Kepler, Copernicus, &c., were pointed out, and their peculiarities described-their places on the model being fixed by the aid of brass circles, representing the moon's equator and meridians. This work, it is understood, will be submitted to the inspection of the Astronomical Society, on the resumption of their meetings in November. Speaking of the climate of the moon, Sir J. Herschel considered as probable the attainment of a very high temperature (far above that of boiling water) by its surface, after exposure to unmitigated and continual sunshine during nearly a whole fortnight. The moon therefore, when at the full, and for a few days after, must be, in some small degree, a source of heat to the earth; but this heat, being of the nature rather of culinary than of solar heat, (as emanating from a body below the temperature of ignition,) will never reach the earth's surface, being arrested and absorbed in the upper strata of an atmosphere where its whole effect will necessarily be expended in the conversion of visible cloud into transparent vapor. The phenomenon of the rapid dissipation of cloud (in moderate weather) soon after the appearance of the full moon, (or of a moon so nearly full as to appear round to the unassisted eye), which he stated himself to have observed on so many occasions as to MODEL OF THE MOON.-Sir J. Herschel ex-be fully convinced of the reality of a strong tenhibited a model of the globe of the moon in relief, dency in that direction, seemed to him explicable expressing the form and elevations of its moun- only on this principle. On the conclusion of Sir tains as seen in a good telescope. This beau-J. Herschel's explanation, Baron von Waltertiful and exquisite work he stated to be the per-shausen entered into further particulars of the formance of a Hanoverian lady, Madame Witte; nature of the volcanic phenomena on the surface modelled by her from actual observation through an excellent Fraunhofer telescope, in a small observatory at the top of her own dwelling-house; the selenographical positions and general contours SOUNDS UNDER WATER.-"On the sounds produced by one of the Noonectidæ under Water," by Mr. Ball. He stated, that the fact having been mentioned to him some two years since, he had not had an opportunity of testing the observation until within the last few days, when a specimen was brought to him in an ordinary jelly glass; it was, he believed, the Corrixa affinis. When suspended in the water, about four inches below the surface, it emitted three short chirrups, and then a long, cricket-like sound. It appears, the sounds are emitted in the evening and night, and are so loud that they may be heard in an adjoining room, and are continued during the night. Mr. Ball stated, that time did not permit him to make any accurate observation; but he thought the matter so curious, that he noticed it with the view of attracting the attention of entomologists, in the hope of obtaining an explanation of the manner in which this noise is produced under water. of Etna, as represented in the elaborate chart above alluded to, of the environs of Nicolosi, and pointed out many particulars of resemblance to the lunar volcanoes. MR. LYELL described the appearance he had noticed on the shore of the Bay of Fundy, where the tide rises and falls 60 or 70 feet, leaving extensive surfaces of red mud, which after a succession of low tides became baked by the sun and filled with cracks, so that slabs can be taken up and examined upon these he found impressions produced by a shower ten days before, ripple marks, and the foot-prints of a sand-piper. The lamination of the sand represented successive tides, and when split open exhibited similar markings to the first. One of these slabs he had presented to the British Museum, where it was exhibited in illustration of the slabs of red sandstone, with fossil foot-prints of birds, from Connecticut. The explosions were not simply the effects arising from the mixture of gases, but from the combustion of the coal-dust and coal-gas which the first explosion made. In the fatal case at Haswell, the place where the accident originated had been ascertained; and the progress of the fire could be traced on the scorched beams and props of the galleries, and the deposits of coke made from the coal-dust which the explosion raised. To this circumstance the great force of the explosion was due, and not to the first escape of gas A similar explosion had been known to take place in a cotton-wadding manufactory, the whole atmosphere of the place being fired by means of the particles of cotton in it. The great source of danger was the mental condition of the miners. With regard to the present race this was so hopeless, that noSUBSIDENCE OF THE LAND." On the subsi- thing could be done for them; although smoking dence of the land at Puzzuoli," by J. Smith, was strictly forbidden, they had been known to Esq. When the writer visited the temple of Ju- contrive to light their pipes in dangerous workpiter Serapis at Puzzuoli, in March, 1819, its floorings even from the Davy lamp; and Mr Faraday was elevated about six inches above the level of had himself on one occasion sat down with an the sea; but on the 11th of May in the present open candle to watch the preparations for blastyear, it was covered to the depth of 18 inches at ing, and when he inquired for the gunpowder was low water, and 28 at high tide; the sea being told he was sitting on it. Mr Faraday took an calm at the time. The custode of the building opportunity, also, of expressing his firm convictold Mr. Smith that this change was progressive, tion of the safety of the Davy lamp when properamounting to 14 English inch per annum. The ly used, and of its being a complete and practical cicerone, too, who had exercised his profession for contrivance, to which he would willingly trust 30 years, said he knew a difference of at least 3 his own life, as he had already done on many ocfeet six inches in the height of the sea upon the casions. piers of the Bridge of Caligula, giving the same amount of subsidence yearly. There were, sides, many similar proofs in the partly submerged houses and causeways of Puzzuoli. The of Galvanic Electricity on the Germination of forations of the Pholades in the columns indicate Seeds," by Prof. E. Solly -In a series of experia former period, during which the temple remain-ments, in which the seeds of barley, wheat, rye, ed submerged at a stationary level; and contemporary accounts state that, by an instantaneous movement, it was lifted to some height above the sea, which receded nearly 200 spaces, leaving an immense quantity of fish, which were collected by the inhabitants. This took place in October, 1538, immediately before the elevation of Monte Nuovo. be per GERMINATION OF SEEDS." On the Influence turnips and radish were exposed to the influence of a feeble current of electricity, the plants came up sooner and were healthier than others that had not been electrified. On the other hand, a number of experiments on other seeds had given opposite results-proving, either that the germination of some seeds was retarded, whilst that of others was facilitated by electricity, or that the effects observed in both cases were accidentalOut of a series of 55 experiments on different seeds, 21 appeared in favor of electricity, 10 against it, and 25 showed no effect whatever; and in carefully counting the whole number of seeds in the entire series, there were found 1,250 of the electrified, and 1,253 of the non-electrified. In conclusion, Prof. Solly stated that he felt doubtful whether the effects observed were really due to the influence of electricity. AURORA BOREALIS.-"On the Origin of the Aurora Borealis," by the Rev. G. Fisher.-The author professes to establish the following proposition: The principal displays of the aurora occur near the edge or exterior limits of the frozen sea, where the process of congelation goes on with the greatest rapidity. The aurora is an electrical phenomenon, and arises from the positive electricity developed by the congelation of humid vapors and the consequent induced negative electricity of the surrounding portions of dry atmo- QUEEN BEES.-Mr. Westwood made some resphere. It is the accompanying indication of the marks on Entomology -After shortly noticing restoration of the electrical equilibrium, which is the general economy of the hive bee as to the proeffected by the intervention and conducting pow-duction of queens and the swarming of casts, he er of minute frozen particles, which particles are contended, from the analogy between the circumrendered luminous by the transmission of the elec- stances connected with the latter event and those tricity, and thereby give rise to the phenomenon which accompany the swarming of ants, gnats, of the aurora." white ants, mayflies, &c.-1st, That the swarming of insects has for its principal object the union of the sexes; 2d, That, from analogy with other insects subject to swarming, it is to be inferred that that species does not differ in this respect from other swarming species; and, 3d, That it is the newly hatched, and not the old queen which leads off the swarm. MINING ACCIDENTS.-Prof. Faraday said, the subject of mining accidents had long occupied his attention. The more he pursued the inquiry, the more he was disheartened at the apparent hopelessness of finding out any good general remedy. directions, east and west, is due to the double movement of the earth. There are mensual variations somewhat difficult to determine. In winter, the influence of the south is the greatest possible; in summer, the influence of the north is most sensible. As to the influence of the east, it is the weakest in summer, and the strongest in spring and autumn. The horary variations are more decided. The north directions are more numerous towards midnight, and least in the morning; as to the east, they are most numerous in the morning, and least in the evening; from the south they are most frequent in the morning; lastly, from the west there are more in the evening. In the third part of his memoir, the author first occupies himself with the magnitudes of the shooting stars; he calls every meteor which presents a sensible disc a shooting globe, and reserves the name of shooting stars to the meteors which have an aspect analogous to the fixed stars and planets. He calls them of the first magnitude when they have the brilliancy of Venus or of Jupiter; of the second magnitude when they re REMARKS ON SHOOTING STARS. BY M. COUL- which he divides the horizon, proceeding in the VIER-GRAVIER.-Hitherto, says the author of the order north, east, south, west, is as follows:-74, memoir, shooting stars have not been the object 90, 82, 91, 114, 6, 70, 79, 63, 34, 29, 28, 33, 28, of observation sufficiently regular, and continued 35, 64; which shows that a much greater numduring a time sufficiently long, to enable any ber of stars proceed from the east than from the general law to be obtained. It is true, it has west, and nearly as many from the north as from been supposed to be ascertained that there are the south. The author thinks that the difference determinate epochs in which these meteors ap-between the number of stars observed in the two pear infinitely more numerous than on ordinary occasions; but the periodical returns to which they had been thought subjected begin to appear problematical, and perhaps they never would have been admitted, had, in the first instance, an endeavor been made to ascertain the apparitions every night of the year. A labor like this, it is true, would have been very wearisome, and doubtless it is this which has discouraged observers. For my own part, occupied since 1829, with researches of this kind, to which I devoted myself with a particular object, I have since pursued them for themselves, and since 1841, I have kept regular registers of my observations. For this purpose I found it necessary to avail myself of the assistance of M. Chartiaux, who observes one half of the heavens whilst I am engaged with the other; I write down each apparition myself, as well those which my assistant announces with a loud voice as those which I see myself. In this manner it is impossible to make a double entry, which, on the contrary, is almost inevitable when, several persons observing at once, each separately notes that which he perceives in the portion of the sky which is allot-semble fixed stars of the first magnitude, and so ted to him. I might perhaps thus explain the on. Among 5302 meteors, the author has countextraordinary number noted by four persons ed 8 shooting globes, and 80 shooting stars of the who simultaneously observed in the same place. first magnitude; whence it follows, that if no In general, observers have chosen their time to obstacle were opposed, an observer would see make these researches; with respect to us, it is one shooting globe per week, and one shooting star only a clouded sky that can interrupt our obser- of the first magnitude every night of eleven hours. vations, to which we return, whatever may be Shooting stars have generally the same color the hour of the night, whenever the state of the as the fixed stars. Sometimes this color changes sky permits. My registers furnish me, from the to yellow, then to bluish and to greenish, in promonth of July 1841 to the month of February portion as the meteor approaches the horizon. 1845, with 5302 shooting stars observed in 1054 Among all these meteors there are some which hours. I have grouped, in the different tables are red, which move slowly, and have a globular which my memoir contains, these observations, form analogous to that of a billiard-ball colored so as to be able to deduce from them results rela-red. The author thinks that they play a partive to the greater or less frequency of these meteors according to the hours of the day, months, and years. With reference to this last point, I do not pretend to draw any conclusions from researches which do not extend in a regular With respect to the trains which some stars manner beyond four years; but for the horary leave behind them, they cannot be compared and mensual variations, I believe that I have with smoke, but rather with a shower of sparks already succeeded in ascertaining two general analogous to that of rockets. The train comlaws. Thus, in each month comprised between mences and terminates with the star which has the winter and summer solstices, the mean num-produced it, but it persists one or two seconds after ber of shooting stars for one hour is sensibly the same; and this also takes place during the six other months; but with this difference, that for the latter the mean is nearly double what it is for the others, and the change is effected, as it were, without transition For the horary variations, on the contrary, there is a gradual change; and from six o'clock in the evening, which is the hour of the minimum, the number of apparitions continue to increase until six o'clock in the morning, which is the moment of the maximum. ticular part. Lastly, he distinguishes others which become extinguished at the moment of their greatest brilliancy, as if they were plunged in a mass of water. the disappearance of this star. Sometimes the At the conclusion of his memoir the author has given a catalogue of the most remarkable In the second part of his memoir the author shooting stars, with the indication of the characoccupies himself with the directions of the shoot-ters they have presented. Before passing to the ing stars The distribution of 1000 of these me- theoretical part, he announces some historical teors relatively to the sixteen angular spaces into researches on the subject.-Lit. Gaz. |