Natural History — Mineralogy. 855 



the sulphuretted hydrogen which results, remains in solution. — Phil. 

 Magazine, January 1827. 



23. Discovery of a substance which inflames by contact with water. 

 — The following details have been communicated to us, which it would 

 be desirable to have verified. At Doulens, near Amiens, is a large manu- 

 factory for spinning cotton, which is lighted with oil gas. This gas, upon 

 passing from the iron retort, filled with coke, where it is formed, traver- 

 ses a reservoir of oil, and there deposits a white liquid matter, which may 

 be drawn off by means of a spigot situated at the lower part of the reser- 

 voir. Some of this matter being accidentally dropped into water, inflamed 

 spontaneously, and having run into a neighbouring rivulet, it there spread 

 itself over the surface of the water, which appeared to be on fire. The 

 proprietor of the factory intends to send a bottle of this singular substance 

 to M. Gay-Lussac for analysis.— Bull. Un. 



24. New Acids. — MM. Chevreul and Gay Lussac, while treating animal 

 matters by alcalis, have obtained different acids, having the remarkable pro- 

 perty of neutralizing bases, and into which azote enters as an element. 

 They are occupied in studying these acids, and will soon publish the re- 

 sults of their labours.— Ann. Chim, Nov. 1826, p. 335. 



III. NATURAL HISTORY. 



25. Elementary Work on Natural History.— Mr Stark is preparing for 

 publication Elements of Natural History, adapted to the present state of the 

 science, and including the characters of all the Genera and the principal 

 Species of the Animal Kingdom described since the publication of the Sys- 

 tema Natural of Linnaeus. 



This work, intended equally for the scientific student and the general 

 reader, will contain a view of all the departments of Nature methodically 

 arranged according to the most approved systems. Besides the scientific 

 descriptions of the Classes, Orders, and Genera, sufficient to enable any one 

 to acquire a competent knowledge of the leading arrangements and prin- 

 cipal facts in Natural History, the more generally interesting details of the 

 habits of the principal species, and their use in the economy of nature will 

 be given, — lists of the best books in each department, — explanations of the 

 scientific terms, — and the species natives of Britain will be particularly no- 

 ticed. 



MINERALOGY. 



26. Kerstens Cohalto-Bismuthic Ore> — Mr Charles Kersten of Gottingen 

 gives a description and chemical examination of this mineral, which he dis- 

 covered among some specimens of ores of cobalt from Schneeberg in Saxony. 

 Its colour is lead-grey, inclining a little to steel-grey ; its lustre nearly 

 metallic. The substance itself is of an imperfect radiated texture, and rather 

 porous; but in other respects resembling the nickeliferous grey antimony. Its 

 hardness could not be ascertained on account of its being intimately mixed 

 with quartz. The specific gravity of the pure mineral, the intermixture of 



