454 Miscellaneous Intelligence, 



been found completely empty. From this difference the author 

 concludes that hunger is the cause of madness in foxes ; and this 

 agrees with the results which occurred during and after the rigorous 

 winter of 1826-7, when these animals, with many others, suffered 

 from want of nourishment. It is supposed also that the madness 

 of foxes is not contagious until it has arrived at its utmost degree, 

 and that perhaps the disease may depend upon the corruption of 

 the contents of the gall bladder, which is known to become more 

 vitiated the more the disease augments, and which is at the same 

 time thrown into the stomach. — Bull. Uriiv., D. x. 160. 



20. Preservation of Eggs. — Cadet indicated the preserving power 

 of lime-water over eggs immersed in it, and suggested that a solu- 

 tion of muriate of lime would probably answer the same end. Dr. 

 Hopff has verified this conjecture. He finds that eggs fully im- 

 mersed in a solution of thirty grains of muriate of lime in one 

 pound of water, and preserved in a cool place, were as good at the 

 end of a twelvemonth as those preserved in lime-water. — Repertoire 

 de Pharmacie, xxvii. 427. 



Relative to the preservation of eggs by immersion in lime-water, 

 M. Peschier has given most satisfactory evidence of the efficacy of 

 the process. Eggs which he had preserved for six years in this way, 

 being boiled and tried, were found perfectly fresh and good ; and 

 a confectioner of Geneva has used a whole cask of eggs preserved 

 by the same means. In the small way eggs maybe thus preserved 

 in bottles or other vessels. They are to be introduced when quite 

 fresh, the bottle then filled with lime-water, a little powdered lime 

 sprinkled in at last, and then the bottle closed. To prepare the 

 lime-water, twenty or thirty pints of water are to be mixed up with 

 five or six pounds of slaked quick lime put into a covered vessel 

 allowed to clear by standing, and the lime-water immediately used. 

 —Revue Ency. xxxix. 237. 



21. Egyptian Manuscript relative to the History of Sesostris. — At 

 the sitting of the Aix Academy, on the 3d of August, M. Sallier 

 read a report of some very important discoveries in Egyptian 

 history, made at his house, and amongst his Egyptian papyri, by 

 M. Champollion, jeune. The latter gentleman was on his way to 

 Egypt with M. Rosellini, and stopped two days with M. Sallier 

 previous to proceeding to Toulon for the purpose of embarking. 

 During this short period he examined ten or twelve Egyptian 

 papyri, which had been purchased some years ago, with other 

 antiquities, from an Egyptian sailor. They were principally prayers 

 or rituals which had been deposited with mummies ; but there was 

 also the contract of the sale of a house in the reign of one of the 

 Ptolemies ; and finally three rolls united together and written over 

 with fine demotic characters, reserved, as is well known, for civil 

 purposes. 



The first of these rolls was of considerable size, and to M. Cham- 



