506 Electric Eel. — Artesian Wells. — Galvanism. 



Electric Eel. — At the last meeting of the Zoological Soci- 

 ety, a living specimen (we believe the first ever brought to 

 Europe), of the electric eel, from the river Amazon, was ex- 

 hibited by a gentleman of the name of Porter. 



Most of the members present had the curiosity to feel the 

 shock given by this animal, the intensity of which varied ac- 

 cording to the mode of handling, or the excitement of the 

 fish. 



This interesting scientific rarity has since been purchased 

 by the proprietors of the Adelaide St. gallery, for public ex- 

 hibition. 



Artesian Wells. — The Moniteur gives an account of the 

 report lately made to the French Academy, by M. Arago, re- 

 specting the Artesian well which the municipality of Paris is 

 now engaged in boring, and which has already been sunk to 

 the depth of 410 metres. The council of the municipality 

 has granted fresh sums, butM. Arago, fearing that they would 

 relax in their zeal if well-founded hopes of a good result were 

 not offered, invited M. Elie de Beaumont to institute a geo- 

 gnostical inquiry into the strata which had been pierced, in 

 order to judge of those through which it would be necessary 

 to bore before water would rise above the surface of the 

 ground. M. de Beaumont believes from the chalk, in which 

 the bottom of the hole now is, being without flint, of a grey- 

 ish green colour, and containing but little alumina, that the 

 operation has been for some time proceeding in the marly 

 chalk which generally forms the stratum immediately under 

 the white chalk. He therefore thinks that only the tufaceous 

 chalk, the chloritic chalk, and that layer of clay which the 

 English geologists call " gault," are yet to be pierced, before 

 the instrument will penetrate into the layer of sand which 

 furnishes such rich springs at Tours and Elbceuf ; and he es- 

 timates the depth to which the instrument must be driven at 

 100 metres more. Though this prospect is rather encou- 

 raging, M. Arago is afraid that the high temperature of the 

 water rising from the depth of 510 metres, and perhaps more, 

 will be prejudicial to its usefulness for most purposes. 



Electrical Telegraph. — Professor Steinheil, of Munich, 

 who is actively and most successfully engaged in perfecting 

 the methods of using galvanism for telegraphic purposes, has 

 made the important discovery that the earth may be used, to 

 a great extent, for conducting galvanic electricity. The ends 

 of the wires used need only be furnished with plates, and be 

 sunk a few inches in the ground, where it is sufficiently satu- 

 rated with moisture. The current may thus be made to tra- 

 verse distances of several leagues, without interruption. 



