S90 Scientific InteUigence. — Astronomy. 



vast whin-dikes or trap veins rising above the general lunar sur- 

 face. Gruithuisen, in a conversation with the great astronomer 

 Gauss, after describing the regular figures he had discovered in 

 the moon, spoke of the possibility of a correspondence with the 

 inhabitants of the moon. He brought, he says, to Gauss's re- 

 collection, the idea he had communicated many years ago to 

 Zimmerman. ' Gaus answered, that the plan of erecting a geo- 

 metrical figure on the plains of Siberia corresponded with his 

 opinion, because, according to his view, a correspondence with 

 the inhabitants of the moon could only be begun by means of 

 such mathematical contemplations and ideas, which we and they 

 must have in common. The vast circular hollows in the moon 

 have been by some considered as evidences of volcanic action, 

 but they differ so much in form and structure from volcanic 

 craters, that many are now of opinion, and with reason, that 

 they are vast circular valleys. 



METEOROLOGY. 



% Trafismission of Sound. — " The extreme facility, with 

 which sounds are heard at a considerable distance, in severely 

 cold weather, has often been a subject of remark ; but a circum- 

 stance occurred at Port Bo wen, which deserves to be noticed, 

 as affording a sort of measure of this facility. Lieutenant Fos- 

 ter having occasion to send a man from the Observatory to the 

 opposite shore of the harbour, a measured distance of 6696 feet, 

 or about one statute mile and two-tenths, in order to fix a meri- 

 dian mark, had placed a person half way between to repeat his 

 directions ; but he found, on trial, that this precaution was un- 

 necessary, as he could, without difficulty, keep up a conversa- 

 tion with the man at the distant station.'' — Parry. ^ 



3» Showers of Blood in Britain. — In the Historian of Llane- 

 aram and the Saxon Chronicle, it is said, " It rained blood in Bri- 

 tain and Ireland, that butter and milk became ruddy, and the 

 moon became red.'' These rains fell in the reign of Prince 

 Egfrid, in 684. 



4. Bitsherg Meteoric Stone. — According to Stromeyer, it con- 

 tains, iron 81.8 ; nickel 11.9 ; cobalt 1.0 ; manganese 0.2; sul. 

 phur 5.1 = 100.0. Stromeyer had not examined it for chrome, 

 but intended to do so. 



