eciENTirrc news. I55 



gives reason to hope, that the productions of art in thii 

 respect will soon imitate exactly those of nature, so as to 

 afford us a new source of wealth. 



A (Committee has also examined the late Mr. Bachelier* Preservative 

 composition of a preservative mortar. 



The progress of mineralogy has not been great. Mr. New diamond 

 Guyton however has made known a new crystalline form of ^'^^' * • 

 the diamond, and has made some valuable experiments on 

 the tenacity of metals. 



From the researches of Mr. Sage it would appear, that Substitute for 

 the chrysolite of volcanoes, when powdered, may be sub- ^^^^Y* 

 stituted for emery. All the artists that have used it have 

 expressed themselves satisfied with it. 



The observations from which geology can draw the most Fossil animaK 

 important conclusions are no doubt those relating to fossil 

 animals, particularly such as have lived on the earth. Mr. 

 Cuvier has continued his inquiries into this subject. Jointly 

 with Mr, Brongniart he has concluded his mineralogical 

 geography of the environs of Paris; and he has since ex- 

 amined the bony breccice of the coasts of the Mediterranean. 

 These singular rocks, which are found at Gibraltar, near Bony brec- ^^ 

 Terruel in Arragon, atCette, at Antibes, at Nice, in Corsica, '^'*' ' " ^ 

 on the coasts of Dalniatia, and in the island of Cerigo, have 

 been formed in fissures of compact limestone,which constitues 

 the principal part of these countries, and are all composed 

 of the sanie elements; which are numerous fragments of 

 bones, and of the surrounding limestone, confusedly united 

 together by a brick-coloured cement. All the bones belong^ 

 to herbivorous animals, most of them known, and even still ^.*^ 



living in these places. These are mingled with freshwater 44^; » 4^ - >►- 

 shells; which lead to the supposition, that the brecciae are 

 posterior to the last abode of the sea pn our continents, though 

 very ancient with respect to us; since we have no indication of 

 si^ch brecciae being fornied in the present day, and some of^ 

 them, as those of Corsica, include unknown animals. 



Bones of animals of the order glires are contained also in Bones in *11a^i 

 alluvial, soils. They have been found in the bogs of the 

 valley of la Somme, with horns of stags, and heads of oxen ; 

 and in the vicinity of Azof, near the Black Sea. These 

 bones belonged to animals of the genus castor ; some much 

 resembling those of the common beaver; others, which .^^ 



for»q 



