Habits of the Boat Fly. 557 



are compelled, by unavoidable engagements, to scribble at 

 midnight), " Dormit Homerus." 



The communication appended to my essay in Vol. VIII. 

 (p. 450 — 453.) from the pen of Mr. Brown, after which refer- 

 ence is made by Mr. Denson to a narrative from my pen, 

 published in the New European Magazine, has brought us 

 previously into close quarters. I shall be extremely happy, 

 when time allows, to enquire into the connexion between the 

 Nevis hurricane of August 17. 1827, and the Alpine storm 

 he experienced on August 26, 27. of the same year. There 

 is no doubt of the possibility of the connection, and I have 

 little of the 'probability. Some facts, which I hope, if I live, to 

 mention at Liverpool in September, will confirm the attempt I 

 have made to establish a positive connection between distant 

 portions of the atmosphere, deranged by terrestrial action, 

 Mr. Brown will render me an essential service, if he will be 

 so good as to register any great instances of atmospherical 

 or terrestrial convulsion which he may observe in Switzer- 

 land, and communicate either privately or publicly. It is only 

 by the accurate testimony of various observers simultaneously 

 at work, that the truth or fallacy of any such hypothesis can 

 be tested. The Meteorological Society will, I trust, do much 

 towards this end. 



There is a more curious error in the paper alluded to by 

 Mr. Brown, than those above noticed. The first sentence, in 

 the " addition," commenced at the bottom of p. 449. (Vol. 

 VIII.) , ought to have been the last. It was so written, but, 

 by a mistake in the printing-office, was not so published. — 

 W. B. Clarke. Stanley Green, August 1. 1837. 



Geology. — Count Vargas de Bedemar, who has made the 

 geology of Madeira and the Azores his peculiar study, has 

 availed himself of a short residence in Lisbon to publish a 

 pamphlet, bearing the title Resumo de Observacoes Geologicas 

 feitas ri Huma Viagem al Ilhas da Madeira, Porto Santo, e 

 Acores, nos Annos de 1835 e 1836, in which he gives a list 

 of the rocks found in those islands; and, from the existence 

 of primitive clay slate in the islands of Graciosa and Flores, 

 draws the conclusion, that not all these islands owe their ex- 

 istence to volcanic action, but that some must be considered 

 as the remains of an ancient continent which has been over- 

 whelmed by the ocean. The count has again set out for the 

 Canaries, to ascertain whether the occurrence of primitive 

 rocks there will confirm his hypothesis, and give it a greater 

 extent. 



Habits of the Boat Fly (Notonecta glauca).- — I once re- 

 sided near a pond which was formed for the use of ducks and 



