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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



are of small dimensions, and so eaten away 

 by rust that they evidently belong to a very 

 remote period. A writer in the Presse is 

 of opinion that these little farms date back 

 some 2,000 years, and that then the climate 

 of Bavaria was very moist ; for such treat- 

 ment of the soil in the present comparative- 

 ly dry climate of that country would lead to 

 the destruction of the crops by drought. It 

 is a little ourious that the writer makes no 

 mention of any agricultural or other imple- 

 ments being found ; but perhaps closer in- 

 vestigation will bring such objects to light. 



Recent Meteorites in France and Italy. 



Several members of the French Academy of 

 Sciences have written for that body accounts 

 of two or three meteoric masses lately seen 

 to fall in France and Italy. On July 23d, at 

 about half-past five, on a still afternoon, 

 with clear sky, and the sun shining brightly, 

 there was heard at Lance (Loir-et-Cher) a 

 violent report, succeeded by a rumbling. A 

 "fiery lance" was observed by a land-owner 

 of Lile-Bouchard to shoot across the sky 

 with great swiftness. En route it divided 

 into two meteors, which continued for some 

 time to move parallel. At Tours they were 

 also observed, and described as bottle- 

 shaped, and of an orange color. One of 

 these meteorites was found near Lance by 

 M. de Tastes. It weighed about 103 lbs., 

 and had penetrated into the earth to a depth 

 of 5 feet 9 inches. It broke to pieces on 

 removal. The other meteorite was soon 

 after found, some 7| miles south of the 

 first. It was of the same character as 

 the first, but weighed only a few ounces 

 and had penetrated about 20 inches. The 

 large piece is of an unequal spheroidal 

 shape, with rounded surface, and covered 

 with a crust as if by fusion. The fracture 

 is black, showing globular structure, and 

 numerous small spheroidal grains. Here and 

 there are small metallic grains, yellow in 

 color. Specific gravity 3 80. In water it 

 yielded a very small quantity of chloride of 

 sodium. There is not a trace of salts of 

 potash, nor any sulphates or hyposulphates. 

 Dissolved in nitric acid, a silicate was found, 

 consisting chiefly of magnesium and pro- 

 toxide of iron. Spectrum analysis seemed 

 to indicate the presence of copper; but 

 there was no calcium, barium, or strontium. 



Carbon was absent, but, as usual, cobalt 

 and nickel accompanied the iron. On the 

 evening of August 8th, at 8 minutes past 

 11, a meteorite was seen at Rome, Velletri, 

 and other places. But a more interesting 

 one was observed by Padre Secchi at Rome, 

 August 31st, at 5.15 a. m., mean time. A 

 globe of fire was observed, well marked and 

 a little red in color. Its progress was at 

 first slow, but it gained speed, and left be- 

 hind it a luminous train like a cloud lit up 

 by the sun. On reaching its highest point, it 

 suddenly expanded, and finally disappeared. 

 Three or four minutes afterward a tremen- 

 dous detonation was heard. It was like a 

 mine-explosion, and was followed by a roll- 

 ing sound, as of file-firing. A fragment of 

 this meteor was picked up and found to be 

 very ferruginous, hard, and covered with a 

 crust. The extreme distances at which the 

 meteorite was seen are 93 miles apart. 



An Efficacious Disinfectant. A writer 

 in the Chemical News offers some useful 

 hints on disinfectants, which may be of in- 

 terest. After a long-continued series of ex- 

 periments, he pronounces sulphate of alu- 

 minium and hydrochlorate of alumina very 

 powerful disinfectants and antiseptics. Their 

 solubility and harmlessness render their use 

 admissible under all ordinary circumstances. 

 The chloride and sulphate of iron have the 

 same action as the above, and, further, they 

 absorb the sulphuretted products of decom- 

 position. For this reason these salts are 

 the most efficacious of disinfectants. But 

 there is one objection to their use, viz., 

 that the iron would injure any vegetation 

 with which the disinfected matter might 

 come in contact. The writer recommends, 

 as the best of all disinfectants, for general 

 use, a solution containing hydrochlorate of 

 alumina, with a small quantity of chloride 

 of iron. The hydrochlorate will do all the 

 work of a disinfectant and antiseptic, while 

 the chloride will absorb the sulphuretted 

 compounds. 



Atmospheric Pressure and Vegetable 

 Growth. M. Bert, whose observations up- 

 on atmospheric pressure and animal life we 

 have already noted, has been making ex- 

 periments upon the influence of pressure 

 on vegetation. From these it would appear 



