540 

 LXXXVI. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



EXPERIMENTS ON THE TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRIC CUR- 

 RENTS*. 



PROFESSOR Belli has communicated to me the results of the ex- 

 periments made during the late Scientific Meeting at Milan, at 

 my suggestion, on the conductibility of the electric fluid by the earth. 

 The two stations were Milan and Monza. In the first experiment, 

 the circuit, which was altogether metallic, was nearly 12,500 metres. 

 In the second, the circuit was partly metallic and partly the earth, 

 that is to say, 12,500 metres of wire and 12,500 metres of earth. In 

 the third, the circuit was altogether metallic, of 25,000 metres. 



The pile was a single pair of constant force. The intensities were 

 in the relations of 30 : 27 : 17. 



The result was a confirmation of what Ihadfoundwithless distances. 



The first circuit, wholly metallic, which gives 30, is the half of 

 the second in length. This second is composed of the same wire and 

 of the earth, and in this case we find 27. The difference, very small 

 in comparison of the double length of the circuit, would certainly 

 have been found with less distances of earth, for it is due to the change 

 of conductor. 



In the tiiird experiment, when the circuit was wholly metallic and 

 of the same length as the second, the difference became very great. 



"When earth is employed for great distances, not only does the re- 

 sistance due to the length disappear, but that even of the wire em- 

 ployed is no longer found. I still doubt whether this result be due 

 to chemical actions on the plates. It would be very important for 

 science and for telegraphy that experiments on a greater scale should 

 be made. — Comptes Rendus, October 1844. 



TRANSMISSION OF SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, ETC. 



The following notices may be useful in regard to the object of 

 the Recommendation of the British Association at the late Meeting 

 at York, " For a representation to Government of the difficulty, de- 

 lay and expense which attend the transmission of Scientific Journals 

 between the British Isles and foreign countries." 



Postal Treaty between Belgium and England. 



Art. 30. The postage for periodicals, published in Belgium or in 

 Great Britain, to be paid in advance, viz. in Belgium five centimes 

 (^d.) for every printed sheet under thirty square decimetres (118 

 square inches) ; and in England one penny for every work under two 

 ounces ; sixpence for every work above two ounces and not exceeding 

 three ; eightpence for every work above three ounces and not exceed- 

 ing four ; and for every ounce above four and under sixteen, two- 

 pence more. 



The present treaty to be put in execution on the 1st of Decem- 

 ber, 1844. 



* Extract from M. Matteiicci's correspondence with M. Belli. 



