Of the Bogs hi Ireland. 361 



properties and powers of combination ; but differing from 

 them, in being for the most part decomposable by water ? 

 On this idea muriatic acid may be considered as having hy- 

 drogen for its basis, and oxymuriatic acid tor its acidifying 

 principle. And the phosphoric sublimate as having phos- 

 phorus for its basis, and oxymuriatic acid for its acidify- 

 ing matter. And Libavius's liquor, and the compounds of 

 arsenic with oxymuriatic acid^may be regarded as analo- 

 gous bodies. The combinations of oxymuriatic acid with 

 lead, silver, mercury, potassium, and sodium, in this 

 view would be considered as a class of bodies related more 

 to oxides than acids, in their powers of attraction. 



It is needless to take up the time of this learned society 

 by dwelling upon the imperfection of the modern nomen- 

 clature of these substances. It is in many cases con- 

 nected with false ideas of their nature and composition ; 

 and, in a more advanced state of the inquiry, it will be ne- 

 cessary for the progress of science, that it should undergo 

 material alterations. 



[To be continued.] 



Th 



LXVI. Of the Bogs in Ireland. 



e first Report of the Commissioners appointed by 

 Parliament to inquire into the nature and extent of the se- 

 veral bogs in Ireland, and the practicability of draining and 

 cultivating them, has just made its appearance. It consists 

 of seven folio pages, and an Appendix containing, 1. In- 

 structions of the Commissioners to their Engineers — 3 pages: 

 2. Names of the Engineers, Surveyors, Clerks, and other Of- 

 ficers appoiuted and employed by the Commissioners ; with 

 their Salaries and Rewards — 1 page: 3. Account of all Sums 

 of Money paid by or under the Authority of the Commis- 

 sioners^- 1 page : 4. Report of Mr. Richard Griffith, jun. 

 Civil Engineer, on the Practicability of draining and im««. 

 proving a Part of the Bog of Allen — 41 pages. It is ac- 

 companied with a Map of Part of the Bog of Allen ; trans- 

 verse Seetions of Lullymore Bog; a Section of a subter- 

 raneous River in Lullymore Bog ; and a Section of a Turf 

 Bank in Timahoe Bog. 



The commissioners, after some preliminary observations, 

 state, that in forming their opinions on the points connect- 

 ed with their inquiry, they derived their principal assist- 

 ance from the Great Ordnance Survey of Ireland, executed 

 by General Vallancey, the Chairman of their Board, h 

 being the only map which defines either the situation or 



boundaries 



