158 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



The distilled water soon became slightly acid. The development 

 of the stalks, at first rather more rapid than in the solution of 0001 

 of carbonate of soda, slackened comparatively with that which oc- 

 curred in the last liquor : when this was neutralized by the acid 

 excreted by vegetation, the original quantity of alkali was added. 

 In bitter liquids, the white roots and green stalks were several 

 centimetres long in a fortnight. 



In the solution of 0*001 of tannin, all the radicles gradually ac- 

 quired a brown tint, and were but slightly and imperfectly deve- 

 loped. The plumulae continued whitish, but did not develop any 

 green stalks j there was therefore a strongly marked obstacle to 

 any further development in this liquid. 



M. Payen concludes from the preceding and other experiments, 

 that, 



1st, Tannin, even in small quantity, acts deleteriously on the 

 roots of certain plants : 



2ndly, Acids in small proportion are hurtful to germination: 



3rdly, Alkalies in small quantity are favourable to the progress 

 of vegetation : 



4thly, The saturation of the acidity developed during germina- 

 tion hastens its progress and favours the ulterior development. 



These experiments account for one of the useful effects of lime, 

 of vegetable ashes and calcareous marl, and for the unfavour- 

 able influence of alkalies used in too great quantity, or unequally 

 distributed. — Journal de Chimie Medicate, Avril 1834?. 



DISCOVERY OF PLATINA IN FRANCE. 



M. Villain has informed the Academy of Sciences of the discovery 

 of a great mine of argentiferous galena : it is the mine of Melle, or 

 Mello, situated in the departement de Deux Sevres. The mine 

 contains two varieties of the ore, one with large facets, and the 

 other very brilliant steel-grained ore. The former contains from 

 40 to 66 per cent, of lead : in cupelling the silver M. Villain 

 obtained a blackish residue, which he suspected to be platina 

 and iridium. Some of the samples of galena contained .^.g-Vtnr of 

 its weight of platina, or 100 pounds of the lead should contain 

 1 ounce 7 gros and 46 grains of platina, and it is calculated that 

 the daily product of platina will amount to 1 pound 4 ounces 2 gros 

 and 28 grains. The steel-grained variety contains most platina. — 

 Journal de Chimie Medicate, Feb. 1834. 



PROFESSOR HAUSMANN ON MR. WHEWELl/s ACCOUNT OF 

 HIS MINEUALOGICAL WORKS. 



We are requested by Professor Hausmann to insert the following 

 remarks. 



" Gottingen, July 5, 1834. 



11 The Report on the recent progress and present state of Mine- 

 ralogy, by Mr. W. Whewell, contains the erroneous statement of 

 my being a pupil of Mohs, and that I worked in the spirit and after 

 the method of that master. To correct this error respecting my 

 writings, and with regard to German mineralogical literature, I 

 wish to state that I do not even personally know Mohs, though I 



