Natural History, 449 



eleven, on the evening of Dec. 1. It generally appeared as a light 

 resembling twilight, but shifting about both to the east and the 

 west of north, and occasionally forming streams which continued 

 for several minutes and extended from 30 to 40 degrees high. The 

 light on the horizon was not more than 12 or 15 degrees in height. 



7. Composition of the Mud of the Nile. — ^The composition of the 

 deposit from the Nile waters, according to the analysis of M. John, 

 is sand, water, and clay coloured with a little oxide of iron, with a 

 few grains of quartz, and mica, 76 parts ; carbonate of lime, 10 parts ; 

 carbonate of magnesia, 1 part; oxide of iron, 3 parts ; sulphate of 

 lime, 3 parts; extractive soluble in carbonate of potash, 5 parts, 

 with a little extractive soluble in water. The latter substances ex- 

 plain the fertilizing property of this deposit. The specimen analysed 

 was taken from off a wall disinterred at Thebes. 



According to M. Regnault a portion of a deposit from Nile water, 

 taken out of a canal, five hundred toises from the river, and dried in 

 the air, contained 11 parts of water, 6 of carbon, 4 of silica, 4 of 

 carbonate of magnesia, 18 of carbonate of lime, 48 of alumina.^ 

 Journal du Bus Rhin. 



8. Method of preserving Seeds Jit for Vegetation. — Fill an old 

 cask half full of earth, put the seeds as near as possible to the mid- 

 dle of the cask, then fill the latter entirely with moist earth, pressing 

 it down, and finally closing the cask so that neither air nor water 

 may enter it. Keep it from contact of sea water. In this manner 

 seeds may be brought from the East Indies or New Holland in a 

 state of perfect preservation and fit to vegetate. — Gardener's Mag. 



9. Preparation of Grain and Seeds by Chlorine. — M. Remond 

 has been convinced, by numerous trials, that grain of all kinds, 

 maize, the seeds of cruciform plants, potatoes, &c., by treatment 

 with chlorine, are very much increased in vegetative power, are 

 sooner ripe, and produce a crop three or four times as great as that 

 obtained under ordinary circumstances. His process is, to steep 

 the seed for 12 hours in river water, (never in well water,) then 14 

 or 1 5 drops of a strong solution of chlorine is to be added for each 

 litre (two pints) of water, the whole well mixed, and the mace- 

 ration of the seed continued for six hours longer in the sun light, 

 and under a bell-glass, or, for want of a bell-glass, under a cover 

 made with oiled paper. The seed is then to be separated from the 

 liquid on a cloth, and, for the convenience of sowing, mixed with a 

 sufficient quantity of cinders, sand, or dry earth. When sown, the 

 water of maceration is to be poured over the ground. 



When possible, it is advantageous to water the ground once or 

 twice at long intervals with water acidulated by muriatic acid, and 

 in the same proportions as those mentioned. In addition to this 

 process the ground must be cultivated in the ordinary way.*-— C<m- 

 rier de V Jin.— Bull. Univ. D. x. 192, 



