Scientific Intelligence. — Mineralogif. 385 



mation of this accomplished individual, liis indomitable zeal and 

 activity, and experience of eastern climate and travelling, we 

 anticipate great accessions to our knowledge of the natural his- 

 tory of the various countries he visits. He takes with him a 

 painter for the purposes of zoology, comparative anatomy, bo- 

 tany and geology, and a complete set o£ instruments for aseer- 

 taining the nature of the meteorological and hydrographioal 

 phenomena that may present themselves to his attention. 



16. New President of the Geological Society. — We apfe 

 happy to learn that Roderick Impey Murchison, Esq. has been 

 unanimously chosen President of the Geological Society of Lon- 

 don. This gentleman, from his experience, skill, zeal, and ac- 

 tivity in geology> will, we are confident, prove himself a worthy 

 successor to such men as Greenough, Fitton, Buckland, Sedg- 

 wick, &c. 



MINEEALOGY. 



17. Recent Formation of Zeolite. — Stilbite, mesotype, and 

 apophyllite, appear almost always as a newer formation in the 

 cavities of amygdaloid, and along with these calcareous spar. 

 The formation of zeolite through the action of atmospheric wa- 

 ter on dolerite, seems still to be going on. We observe it form- 

 ing in hollows of a conglomerate, in which zeolite plays the part 

 of calcareous sinter. Springs deposite a similar zeolite sinter ; 

 and when, in the summer, the brooks dry up, their whole bed 

 appears white. In deep caves, where, during lower tempera- 

 ture and greater humidity of the air, scarcely any evaporation 

 takes place, I found a matter partly gelatinous, partly crystal- 

 line, which proved the continued production of zeolite. — Forch- 

 ammer. 



18. A New Metal discovered. — Mr Dulong read, on the 7th 

 of February last, to the French Institute, a letter from Ber- 

 zelius, which announces the discovery of a new simple substance 

 by Mr Sestrom, director of the mines of Fahlun in Dalecarlia. 

 Mr Sestrom being engaged in examining an iron, remarkable 

 for its softness, discovered iti it a substance, which appeared to 

 him to be new, but in such small quantity, that he could not 

 determine with accuracy all its properties. Afterwards, how- 

 ever, he found it more abundantly in the scoriae of the iron, 



