Scientific papers and correspondence intended for publication, should be written legibly on one side only of the paper. Articles thus received will be returned when found unsuitable for the Journal.

Those engaged in Scientific Research are invited to make this Journal the medium of recording their work, and facilities will be extended to those desirous of publishing original communications possessing merit. Proceedings of Scientific Societies will be recorded, but the abstracts furnished must be signed by the Secretaries.

Both questions and answers in "Notes and Queries" should be made as brief as possible; an answer appearing to demand an elaborate reply, may be written in the form of an article.

matter, and in the meantime would be glad to hear from those who will read papers at this meeting, particularly where illustrations are necessary, as by a little Co-operation greater justice to the publication of such papers may be attained.

We may state for the convenience of non-members desirous of being admitted as members, that by paying the fees in advance (eight dollars), before the meeting, member's tickets will be sent, which will secure to new members and nominees the same privileges possessed by old members.

The attention of entomologists is directed to the annual meeting of the Entomological Club of the Association, which will be held at the rooms of the Boston Society of Natural History, on Tuesday, August 24th, at which all interested in entomology are invited to be present.

We notice by the prospectus that the suggestion made at Saratoga to form a sub-section devoted to Physiology and Anatomy will be carried out at Boston, and it is also probable that new sub-sections in Geology and Physical Geography will be formed.

We trust that all interested in science who can attend this meeting of the Association will not fail to be present, and that many new members will enroll themselves and take part in the proceedings.

Independent of the interest attached to the meeting of the Association several excursions have been planned, which will add greatly to the pleasure of those present, and cannot fail to make the trip to Boston one which will be long after recalled by many agreeable remembrances.

To Advertisers.

Terms for advertising may be obtained at the office of Journal, 229 Broadway.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

We direct the attention of our readers to the approaching meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which will be held this year at Boston, commencing at 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning, the 25th of August.

As it is generally believed that the Boston meeting will be the largest and most important hitherto held, we are completing arrangements with the Executive, by which abstracts of all papers read may be printed in "SCIENCE" Contemporaneously with the meeting of the Association, together with a full report of the proceedings; we have reason to believe that such a course will be welcome to the members of the Association, and useful in many respects. In a later number we propose to give fuller particulars in regard to this

A NEW sulphate of alumina (sesquibasic sulphate of alumina) has been prepared by M. Marguerite. One method is by decomposition of alum of ammonia through heat. When the alum is heated to a red heat carefully, there remains after the operation anhydrous sulphate of alumina; if the calcination have been pushed further, there is partial decomposition. The matter held by the water gives a liquor which, concentrated, deposits crystals of the sesquibasate. Ordinary sulphate of alumina, dried and colored gently, gives the same reaction, and the new sulphate can also be got by the wet process. (See Comptes Rendus).

A CURIOUS geological effect has recently occurred in Sicily. On the morning of the 20th May the half of an old château at the seaside, between Catania and Acireale, fell in consequence of alteration of an enormous volcanic rock which had supported it. This rock was about 50m. high and 8om. in circumference; its form nearly cylindrical. It was placed on an older layer of lava, which forms a promontory. The rock is in such a state of disseggregation, that pieces can easily be detached with the hand. The effect seems due to superoxidation of the iron, which it contains in abundance, and to the action of carbonic acid on the calcareous matter in it. The château in question is a very old one, but its walls were entire, and one might visit it in all its parts. Half an hour before the fall, a family of tourists had taken up residence in it, with a view to visiting the Cyclops islands, which rise a short way off.