500 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



stop on the flowers, their flight was low and uniform ; the width 

 of the column was about ten or fifteen feet. 



Borrelli at Turin observed a similar circumstance with the 

 same butterfly, at the end of March in the same year. They also 

 flew from south to north ; the air was filled in the places where 

 flowers abounded, and at night the plants were covered j their 

 number diminished after the 29th of March, but some continued 

 to appear until June. M. Huber, who describes these and similar 

 appearances (which are not uncommon,) supposes that the portion 

 seen in Switzerland may have been a part of the column which 

 passed over Turin. 



The caterpillars of these butterflies do not live in society, and 

 are isolated from the time they leave the eggs. — Mem. de Geneve^ 

 iii. 247. 



11. Nature of those Gelatinous Substances supposed to fall from the 

 Atmosphere. — One of these gelatinous masses, which being found 

 in meadows are often supposed to have fallen from the atmosphere, 

 was taken to Dr. Brandes, who examined and made out its nature 

 with considerable certainty. It equalled about 2J cubical inches, 

 was white, and resembled swelled tragacanth ; it was covered 

 in several places with a fine skin, which had burst here and there, 

 and allowed a bulky gelatinous mass to protrude. The bursting 

 bad occurred from swelling caused by the absorption of moisture. 

 Where entire, it showed a vermicular appearance, of the thickness 

 of a quill, having the figure of an intestine. The back was marked 

 by a tender vessel of a dark brown colour. In a dry place the 

 substance shrunk, became yellowish brown and tough, like glue, 

 and at last horny ; 20 grains were reduced to 4 grains by desic- 

 cation. Being moistened with water, it swelled up to its former 

 size and colour. 100 grains boiled in 3 ounces of water converted 

 the whole into a tremulous mass when cold. 100 parts gave 

 18.8 of gelatinous substance, 1.2 phosphate of lime and phosphate 

 of soda, and 80 of water. 



This substance Dr. Brandes concludes to have been the spawn 

 of a Umax rvfus, or some other species ofUmaXy swelled by water; 

 and the supposition was confirmed, on finding, in a portion of 

 the substance placed in a cup for a few days, a little naked snail, 

 {Umax) about a (juarter of an inch long. The spawn, although 

 small at first, swells by moisture, and hence the reason why these 

 substances are usually found in meadows and moist situations. 

 M. Brandes then considers and reconciles the observations of 

 MM. Buchner and Schwabe with those of his own. — Phil. Mag. 

 N. S. iii. 271. 



12. Ancient Olives and Oil discovered at Pompeii.— Mr. Ramage, 

 speaking of discoveries at Pompeii, says, " the most curious 

 discovery of all is, that of two glass vases, one of which contained 

 olives, with the oil in which they had been placed eighteen 



