Mechanical Science. 1 G3 



attached in America to the phenomena of moving rocks, described 

 in a former page of the Journal *, Mr. C. A. Lee, who first called 

 attention to them, was induced to examine them more minutely, and 

 by noticing their situation and appearance accurately both before and 

 after winter weather, ascertain decidedly the cause of their trans- 

 portation. He says, " being fully convinced that the rocks were 

 moved by the agency of the ice, in the month of December 1823, 

 I took the distance of one of the largest to a tree on the shore. 

 In the month of January 1824, there were several very cold 

 nights, during which the ice was heard to roar not unlike the dis- 

 charge of a cannon. I visited the spot immediately after, and 

 was no longer in doubt respecting the true cause of the movement 

 of the rocks. On most of them the ice was piled up several feet 

 in height, projecting from the side of the rock next to the main 

 body of the ice, towards the shore. Some which did not oppose 

 so strong a resistance were evidently displaced, and the one in 

 particular which I measured was moved several inches, although 

 very firmly fixed in the stones and gravel. During the past win- 

 ter the rocks have moved but very little, owing to the mildness of 

 the season. From Dec. 1823, to Feb. 1825, the rock above men- 

 tioned has moved two feet and a half, which is much less than in 

 former years, for the same reason ; besides, it has now become 

 more deeply imbedded in the gravel, and the full force of the ex- 

 panding ice is not exerted upon it." 



Mr. Lee, who dates from Salisbury, says, that since the first 

 notice taken of them in 1822, the effect and the cause have been 

 recognised in many places, and by many persons, and that no 

 doubt now exists as to either. In the mountain pond of Salis- 

 bury, the rocks within reach of the ice are annually moved towards 

 the shore, and have formed an artificial dyke of considerable extent. 

 He objects to Mr. Wood's explication founded upon the carrying 

 power of the ice, and states correctly that the ice generally melt$ 

 first around the rocks ; which are in this way soon loosened from it 

 on the occurrence of a thaw. — Silliman's Journ. ix. 239. 



; 



4. Etruscan Vases. — The following are the conclusions arrived 

 at by Professor Hausman, during an inquiry into the composition 

 of these vases : 1. That the manufacture of earthen vases, appro- 

 priated to funeral occasions, had been widely propagated at a re- 

 mote period of antiquity, with little deviation from a general plan, 

 in so far as regards their principal circumstances. 2. That these 

 vases have been formed with much particular diversity in regard 

 to less important circumstances, such as the quality of the clay 

 employed, and differences in the forms, ornaments, and paintings, 

 not only in different countries and at different times, but also in 



* Vol. \\x. p. 868. 

 M 2 



