( 191 ) 



Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural History Society. 

 (Continued from the preceding Volume, p. 175.) 



1831, 2>^c. 10. — Ahe Society commenced its twenty-fifth 

 Session, Robert Stevenson, Esq. V. P. in the Chair. 



The Secretary read a letter, communicated by Dr Gillies, 

 from the Lady of an Officer at Malta, containing a sketch of 

 the new volcanic island, and also mentioning some remarkable 

 particulars regarding the recent earthquake at Samos. Profes- 

 sor Jameson then communicated some interesting facts relative 

 to the new volcanic island, contained in a letter from one of his 

 correspondents. 



The Professor then mentioned, 1. The occurrence of what 

 was called a " shower of manna" in Persia, and exhibited speci- 

 mens of the substance which fell, and which he stated to be a kind 

 of lichen, which being loosely attached to rocks, trees, or the soil, 

 had been carried up into the air by whirlwinds : % The disco- 

 very, by one of his pupils, of a very extensive bed of hgneous 

 debris, no less than about 40 feet in thickness, near to the city 

 of Rome, which, in primeval times, had constituted a forest 

 there, and which had hitherto in a great measure escaped the 

 notice of observers : 3. The ascertainment of the fact, that, in 

 the mines of Freyberg, the temperature uniformly increases 

 with the depth of the mine, proving that there is an internal 

 source of heat : 4. The notice of a species of Caesalpinia, the 

 pods of which are fully equal to oak-bark, for the purposes of 

 tanning. Lastly^ The Professor gave an account, which he 

 illustrated by sketches, of observations made by Dr Alex. Turn- 

 bull Christie, on the caves of Sic'dy. (See the present num. 

 ber of this Journal, p. 1. et seq*) 



The Rev. Dr Scot of Corstorphine then read a learned essay 

 on the Oreb, or Raven of the English Bible. 



Dr Gillies read an extract from a Buenos Ayres newspaper, 

 dated 2d April last, giving an account of the Hberation and wel- 

 fare of M. Bonpland, the botanical companion of Baron Hum- 



