Waters of the Dee and Don at Aberdeen. 315 



The acids and bases may bo taken thus : 



Carbonate of lime .... 



Sulphate of lime .... 



„ magnesia 



Chlorides of potassium and sodium 

 Phosphate of lime and iron 

 Silica ...... 



Organic matter .... 



Total 8-65 



Specimen B was very faintly tinged with vegetable matter, 

 and contained some floating specks of the same. On eva- 

 poration, it left at the rate of 5 grains solid matter per 

 gallon, of which 3-8 were fixed salts, and 1*2 volatile (organic 

 matter). — Quarterly Journal of the Chemical Society, vol. iv., 

 No. xiv., p. 1. 



An Inquiry into the Cause rvhich renders the Water of the 

 Dead Sea unfitted for the support of Animal Life. By 

 Robert James Graves, M.D., F.R.S. Communicated by 

 the Author. 



The earth contains living beings so generally on its land, 

 and in its waters, that we feel surprise at finding portions of 

 either destitute of both animals and vegetables. When this 

 exception occurs on a large scale, it naturally attracts more 

 attention, and may even, as in the instance of the Dead Sea, 

 obtain universal notoriety. Under these circumstances, the 

 nature of the physical causes which have produced an efi^ect 

 so singular and unexpected becomes a subject of very inter- 

 esting inquiry ; in conducting which w^e will be evidently much 

 assisted if we can discover, in some other country, a large 

 body of water which displays not only a similar absence of 

 life, but likewise a combination of physical qualities closely 

 resembling, if not absolutely identical with those of the 

 Dead Sea. 



This, the subject of our investigation, is a very deep and 

 extensive lake, into which the Jordan — a considerable river — 

 and several smaller streams, all abounding in the fishes and 



