192 Geological Collections. 



Produce of Gold and Silver in the Russian Empire. — Baron Humboldt, 

 in Poggendorff's Annals, states this produce as follows : — 



According to official documents, the Russian mines yield annually about 

 22,000 marks of gold, and 77,000 of silver. In 1828 the produce of gold 

 was 22,256 marks (318 puds, of which 115 were obtained from imperial, 

 and 203 from private mines) ; of silver 76,498 marks (1093 puds) ; and of 

 platina 6570 marks (94 puds); and the respective value was, of gold, 

 4,896,000 Russian dollars (^700,000 sterling); and of silver, 1,071,000 

 dollars (£ 153,000 sterling.) The gold mines of the Ural yielded in — 



1826, . . . 232 puds. 



1827, ... 282 „ 



1828, . . . 291 „ ' 



In the first six months of 1829 they gave 142 puds of gold (46 from 

 imperial, and 96 from private mines,) and 43 puds of platina. 



The total produce of the Ural mines, from 1814 to 1828, is 1551 puds, 

 of the value of about ^3,413,000 sterling; the last five years alone yielded 

 1247 puds. 



The annual produce of gold in Europe and in Asiatic Russia amounts to 

 26,500 marks of gold, and 292,000 of silver, of which the Russian empire 



alone yields 22,200 marks of gold, and 76,500 of silver Poggendorff's 



Annden, 1830, p. 273. 



Probable Cause of the Peculiarity of a Fall of Snow, noticed in Vol. II. 

 p. 58. 



A friend informs us, in alluding to the remarkable peculiarity of a fall of 

 snow, noticed in No. VII. of our former series, that a somewhat similar 

 appearance was observed by him on the shore of the Forth belovt^ Caroline 

 Park, on the 30th January last. A slight fall of snow had occurred the 

 preceding night, barely sufficient to cover the ground ; and at the place 

 mentioned, for the extent of about a dozen yards in length, and three or four 

 in breadth, the shore was strewn with snow-balls. Their general size was 

 three or four inches in circumference, the largest scarcely exceeding six. 

 They were so fragile as to break with the slightest pressure, in attempting to 

 raise them, and they presented no visible nucleus. This circumstance, together 

 with the surrounding snow exhibiting no foot-prints, precludes any idea of 

 artificial formation. The peculiar features of the ground probably afford 

 the best explanation of their appearance ; the shore at this point rising rather 

 abruptly about high water-mark, and presenting a convexity and succeeding 

 concavity towards the Forth, similar to the letter S. The balls were 

 observed in the concavity, and had probably been formed by the wind, after 

 sweeping round the convex into the concave arch, causing an eddy in again 

 curling round in an opposite curve to escape from the latter. This is farther 

 confirmed by the snow being slightly drifted, so as to lie somewhat more 

 thickly in the hollow where the balls themselves lay. In a few places there 

 were very faint furrows, as if the balls had drifted over the snow, but such 

 were scarcely visible ; and the balls were half imbedded, probably from more 

 snow having fallen after their formation. The number of balls might be 

 about fifty. Our correspondent is not aware of the direction in which the 

 wind had blown during the preceding night ; but, at the time the balls were 

 observed, the current of air was almost in the direction supposed necessary 

 to their formation, varying from it but a few points. 



