1822.] Scientific Intelligence. 77^ 



is air tight, and to remedy this evil, it is adviseable to pierce an 

 aperture in the ceiling, or by opening a door in an adjoining apart- 

 ment produce the necessary current. 



IV. Lampyris Noctiluca and Splendidula. 



In a curious paper on the phosphorescence of these animals, M. 

 Macaire has drawn the following conclusions, which he gives as the 

 result of a variety of observations: — 1. A certain degree of heat is 

 necessary to their voluntary phosphorescence. 2. Their phosphores- 

 cence is excited by a degree of heat superior to the first, and is irre- 

 coverably destroyed by a higher temperature. 3. All bodies capa- 

 ble of coagulating albumen take away from phosphorising matter its 

 power of phosphorescence, 4. The phosphorescence cannot take 

 place but in a gas which contains no oxygen. 5. It is excited by the 

 galvanic pile, but no effect is produced upon it by common electricity ; 

 and 6. The phosphorescent matter is composed principally of albumen. 

 — (Bibliotheque Universelle.) * 



V. Nei\} Analyses of Meteoric Iron. •*'''^ 



Dr. John, of Berlin, has lately submitted to analysis, specimens of 



the meteoric iron, which is disseminated in the aerolites of Chatonnay, 



of PAigle, and of Sienna ; the following are the results of his experi- 



nients. — 



Iron of the aerolite. 

 Of Chatonnay. Of I'Aigle. Of Sienna. 



Iron, 92-72 9272 92-72 



Nickel, 5-50 5'50 510 



Sulphur, 1-001 



Cobalt, .... 0-78 > Minute quantities which were not weighed. 

 Chrome a trace. .. . j 



100-00 



lih*; John states, that by comparing these results with those of the 

 analyses of the great masses of malleable iron, to which a meteoric 

 origin is usually attributed, it is found, 



1. That the iron of aerolites, and the malleable iron in large masses 

 C(Ontain the same substances, viz. iron, nickel, cobalt, chrome, and 

 perhaps a trace of manganese, which Dr. J. discovered in the iron of 

 Eilbogen. 



2. It appears that the iron of aerolites does not contain quite so 

 rauch nickel as the great malleable masses. 



S. The iron of aerolites evidently contains sulphur ; but as it is at 

 the same time very malleable, it is probable that the sulphur is not 

 combined with the whole of tfie iron, but only with a small portion ; 

 and arising from the magnetic pyrites disseminated through the whole 

 mass. The great masses of iron prove this assertion, for when they 

 are very malleable and ductile, as the iron of Pallas, that of Hum- 

 boldt, that from Eilbogen, &c. they do not contain any trace of sul- 

 phur. It has been said that the iron discovered in Siberia by Pallaflh 

 does contain a portion of this substance; but Dr. John could not dis« 

 cover any in it. — (Ann. de Chim.) 



