Natural History in Ireland, 493 



' Strathpeffer Water. — These wells are situated in the vaHey of Strath- 

 peffer, near Dingwall, in Ross-shire. The spring seems to originate in the 

 new red sandstone, and not far from Ben Wevis, one of the most conspi- 

 cuous mountains in the north of Scotland. When the temperature of the 

 air was eo'^. Dr. Thomson found that of one of the springs 39° and of the 

 other 39f °. The upper well was obviously the strongest, and had a smell 

 of sulphuretted hydrogen gas, with a specific gravity of 1*00 193. The im- 

 perial gallon was found to contain 



Sulphuretted hydrogen gas - 26*167 cubic inches. 



Sulphate^ of soda - - 67-770 grains. 



Sulphate of lime - - 39*454 



Common salt - - . 24*728 ; 



'r Sulphate of magnesia - - 6*242 



138*194 



Hartfell Spaw. — This spring arises from the base of Hartfell, about five 

 miles from the village of Moffat. The water is quite transparent, and free 

 from smell ; the taste sweetish, and astringent ; the specific gravity 1*0007. 

 Dr. Garnett says, the rock from which it originates possesses the characters 

 of alum slate. One thousand grains of the water contain 



Sulphuric acid - - . 0*276 grains. 



Muriatic acid - - - - 0*269 



Protoxide of iron - . - 0-306 



Lime - - - - 0*291 



1*142 



Second Moffat Chalybeate. — This water is described as running in consi- 

 derable quantity down the face of a mountain. It is of a red colour, and of 

 a harsh, astringent, chalybeate taste, having a specific gravity of 1*00965. 

 It reddens vegetable blues. An imperial gallon contains 



Sulphuric acid - - - 437*559 grains. 



Peroxide of iron - - - 236*410 



Alumina - - - 34984 : 



'08-953 



Diluvial Remains. — Among a collection of fossils and other curiosities, 

 in the possession of Mr. David Buist, land-surveyor, Perth, is the lower 

 jaw-bone of a shark, with the teeth entire and in good preservation, found 

 below the surface of the ground, in the inland part of the county of Perth. 

 Mr. Buist is silent as to the locality, expecting yet to find some other 

 remains of the skeleton near the place. {Dundee Courier, May 9th.) \ 



Art. IV. Natural History in Ireland, 



Rare Bird. — It is now above 20 years since, in visiting my friend Mr. 

 Lane at Roxton, I found him in his garden endeavouring to shoot a strange 

 l)ird, which had, for several days previous, been making sad^havoc among 



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