X NOTES BY THE EDITOR 



ordinary oxygen. Therefore, in order that ozone or nascent oxygen, 

 obtained by phosphorus, should act as an energetic oxidizer, it is neces- 

 sary that it should not be in presence of nascent oxygen produced from 

 oxygenized water. Thus, an acid loses its acid properties in presence 

 of a base, and reciprocally ; and ozone, affected with a sign -j- loses 

 its oxidizing properties in the presence of ozone of the sign . 



The new classification of Reptiles, as proposed by Prof. Owen, in 

 a paper laid before the British Association at its last meeting, must be 

 regarded as one of the most important of recent contributions to 

 Natural History. The sub-class of Reptiles, which was formerly 

 divided into four orders, the Professor now proposes to divide into 

 thirteen. This revision has resulted from the study of the fossil forms 

 which have been found in such abundance in the secondary strata of 

 the earth's surface. At the head of the Reptile Orders he places an 

 extinct form, Archegosaurus, and in the lowest Order the Batra- 

 chian Reptiles (the toads and frogs). He still retains these amongst 

 the reptiles, on account of the difficulty of distinguishing between 

 them and the Chelonia, or tortoises and turtles. At the same time, the 

 Professor acknowledges his inability to distinguish between the Ba- 



o / o 



trachia and the next group of animals, the Fishes. 



The investigations of Prof. Faraday on Electricity, recently com- 

 municated to the public through the Royal Institution, seem to 

 almost conclusively settle the question as regards the nature of this 

 subtle agent, and must be considered as one of the memorable 

 scientific incidents of the year. 



During the past year the Exploring Expedition, despatched in the 

 spring of 1853, by Lady Franklin, under Capt. McClintock, R. X., 

 has returned, bringing relics, and definite information respecting the 

 lost navigators. The details of the expedition are briefly as follows : 

 - " After visiting Beachy Island where it was known Sir John 

 Franklin passed his first winter, Capt. McClintock continued his 

 course down Peel's Sound, in the direction of the magnetic pole, and 

 established his winter position at the entrance to Bellot Strait, in a 

 snug harbor, which he called Port Kennedy. To Lieut. Hobson he 

 allotted the search of the western shore of Boothnia to the magnetic 

 pole, while he himself went southward, toward Lhe same point, in 

 the hope of communicating with the Esquimaux, and obtaining such 

 information as might lead us at once to the object of our search. 

 His success Avas quite complete, and entirely justified his foresight. 

 He started on the, 17th of Febiuai-y, and in eleven days he fell in 

 with a party of the natives, from whom he learnt that, several years ago, 

 a ship was crushed by the ice off the north shore of King William's 

 Island, but that all her people landed safely, and went away tq the 

 Great Fish River, where they died. From this band of Esquimaux 

 he obtained many relics. On a second journey, a month later, he met 

 with other natives, and from them received information of another 



