286 Miscellaneous. 



in the various relations of teacher, hospital physician, and friend ; — 

 one of whom it may be truly said, that while he was eminently 

 conspicuous as a successful and able Professor, he was not less di- 

 stinguished by his candour, straightforward conduct, scrupulous 

 honour, and unswerving rectitude. — J. H. B. 



Dr. J. W. Meigen. — This celebrated entomologist died in his 82nd 

 year, on the 11th of last July, at Stolberg, near Aix-la-Chapelle. — 

 Bot. Zeitung, Sept. 12. 



SHOWER OF DUST AT ORKNEY. 



Saiidwick Manse, Sept. 19, 1845. 



On the morning of the 3rd inst. there was a fall of dust resem- 

 bling Roman cement over all Orkney, and probably Jutland also ; 

 at least it extended as far as Lerwick, the capital of these islands, as 

 it fell on the sails of a French sloop-of-war which was in that bay at 

 the time ; and by all the intelligent people here as well as there, it 

 is thought to be of volcanic origin, and to be the produce of a burn- 

 ing mountain in Iceland. 



We were disposed to ascribe it to Mount Hecla then, but the 

 French officers and savans, who had just returned from Iceland, think 

 it more probable that it is from another mountain, which, though 

 not so celebrated as Hecla, was threatening an eruption when they 

 left that country. I have not yet heard of its extending to other 

 counties in Scotland, but think there is little doubt of the fall of 

 some on the N.E. of Caithness, whether observed or not. Some 

 people in different parts of Orkney had clothes out bleaching on the 

 preceding night, and they were not a little distressed to find them 

 covered with the dust next morning ; but it seemed so much like 

 common dust from a road, that they were more disposed to blame 

 their neighbours for the trick than Hecla, or any of its neighbours. 

 I am told that it was observed floating on the surface of the sea that 

 morning, and it could be collected from flag-stones, glass, or leaves 

 of cabbage, and other plants, for some days after. I do not know 

 the duration of the fall, but a medical man who had occasion to be 

 out between 3 and 4 o'clock that morning was much distressed with 

 the dust in his eyes and on his face, which could not have arisen from 

 the ground, as it was too wet at the time ; and it also fell on board 

 of ships and fishing-boats, much to the annoyance of the fishermen. 

 Iceland lies about 500 miles N.W. of this, and the wind for some 

 days previous had been from that quarter. This may appear a long 

 way for the ashes to be carried through the air, but such cases are 

 not unprecedented, and Dr. Barry, in his ' History of Orkney,' men- 

 tions a similar occurrence about eighty years ago, which was known 

 by the name of " the black snow." The weather for several days 

 before was fine ; the barometer being high and steady, about 30'27, 

 and the daily average height of the thermometer from 57 to 52. 

 Some people observed a sulphureous smell in the atmosphere a few 

 days before. C. Clouston. 



