14-4? Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



nomy. — M. Tournal sent a second letter On the caverns containing 

 fossil bones, which he had discovered. — M. Ilaspail read a memoir 

 On the Alcyoneilcc of marshes. — M. Gerard, in the name of a Com- 

 mission, gave a favourable account of the last memoir by M. Vicat. 

 — M. Dugez read a memoir On a monstrous conformation in the 

 heart of a new-born infant. — M. Chevreul gave a detailed account 

 of the recent labours of MM. llobiquet and Colin On the colouring 

 matters of madder. — M.Villermet read a memoir entitled, Statistique 

 des conceptions. — M. Velpeau communicated new researches On the 

 human ovum. 



Jan. 7, 1 828. — Mr. Ivory was nominated a correspondent, in the 

 section of Geometry. 



XXV. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON THE FLUIDITY OF SULPHUR AND PHOSPHORUS AT 

 COMMON TEMPERATURES : BY MR. FARADAY. 



I PUBLISHED some time ago a short account of an instance of 

 the existence of fluid sulphur at common temperatures • and 

 though I thought the fact curious, I did not esteem it of such import- 

 ance as to put more than my initials to the account. I have just 

 learned through the Bulletin Universal for September, p. 178, that 

 Signor Bellani had observed the same fact in 1813, and published it 

 in the Giornale di Fisica, vol. vi. (Old Series.) I also learn, by the 

 same means, that M. Bellani complains of the manner in which facts 

 and theories, which have been published by him, are afterwards given 

 by others as new discoveries ; and though I find myself classed with 

 Gay-Lussac, Sir H. Davy, Daniell, Bostock, &c. in having thus erred, 

 1 shall not rest satisfied without making restitution, — for M. Bellani, 

 in this instance, certainly deserves it at my hand. 



Not being able to obtain access to the original journal, I shall quote 

 M. Bellani's very curious experiments from the Bulletin, in which they 

 appear to be fully described. " The property which water possesses, 

 of retaining its fluid state, when in tranquillity, at 10° or \5° below 

 its freezing point, is well known : phosphorus behaves in the same 

 manner ; sometimes its fluidity may be retained at 13° (centigrade ?) 

 for a minute, an hour, or even many days. What is singular is, that, 

 though water cooled below its freezing point, congeals easily upon 

 slight internal movement, however communicated, phosphorus, on the 

 contrary, sometimes retains i;s liquid state even at 3°, even though 

 it be. shaken in a tube or poured upon cold water. But as soon as it 

 has acquired the lowest temperature which it can bear without solidi- 

 fying, the moment it is touched with a body at the same temperature, 

 it solidifies "so quickly, that the touching body cannot penetrate its 

 mass. If the smallest morsel of phosphorus is put in contact with a 

 liquefied portion, the latter infallibly solidifies, though it be only a 

 single degree below the limit of temperature necessary j — this does 

 not alwavs happen when the bodv touching is heterogeneous. 



" Sulphur 



