Scientific Intelligence. 207 



ascribed to the extensive pine forest covering the whole surrounding 

 country diminishing the force of radiation ? — Letter from Dr M, Gaird- 

 ner, 



7. Age of the Molasse of Switzerland.— ^tudci maintains, that the whole 

 molasse and nagelfluh belongs to the tertiary class of rocks, and not, as 

 said by Boue, partly to the tertiary, partly to the secondary classes. — 

 Fide Studers Letter to Leonhard, in his Newes Jafirbuch fur Geognosic, 

 &c. 1834, p. 629, &c. 



8. Effect of Cold on the Fur of the Hudson's Bay Lemming. — The small- 

 est of the quadrupeds of the Polar Regions has been found in the highest 

 latitude that has yet been attained ; even on the ice of the Polar Ocean, 

 to the northward of the 82° of latitude, the skeleton of one was found. It 

 is easily tamed, and fond of being caressed. One that had been but a 

 few days confined, escaped during the night, and was found next morn- 

 ing on the ice alongside the ship. On putting down its cage, which it 

 recognised in the servant's hand, it immediately went into it. It lived 

 for several months in the cabin ; but finding that, unlike what occurred to 

 our tame hares under similar circumstances, it retained its summer for, I 

 was induced to try the effect of exposing it for a short time to the winter 

 temperature. It was accordingly placed on deck in a cage on the 1st of 

 February ; and next morning, after having been exposed to a tempera- 

 ture of 30° below zero, the fur on the cheeks and a patch on each shoul- 

 der had become perfectly white. On the following day the patches on 

 each shoulder had extended considerably, and on the posterior part of 

 the body and flanks had turned to a dirty white. During the next four 

 days the change continued but slowly, and at the end of a week it was 

 entirely white, with the exception of a dark band across the shoulders, 

 prolonged posteriorly down to the middle of the back, forming a kind of 

 saddle, where the colour of the fur had not changed in the smallest degree. 

 The thermometer continued between 30° and 40° below zero until the 18th, 

 without producing any further change, when the poor little sufferer pe- 

 rished from the severity of the cold. On examining the skin, it appeared 

 that all the white parts of the fur were longer than the unchanged por- 

 tictn, and that the ends of the fur only were white, so far as they exceed- 

 ed in length the dark-coloured fur ; and by removing these white tips 

 with a pair of scissars, it again appeared in its dark summer dress, but 

 slightly changed m colour, and precisely the same length as before the 

 experiment. — Moss's Voyage, 



9. Effect of Intense Cold on Caterpillars.— About thirty caterpillars were 

 put into a box in the middle of September, and after being exposed to the 

 severe winter temperature of the next three months, they were brought 

 into a warm cabin, where in less than two hours every one of them re- 

 turned to life, and continued for a whole day walking about ; they were 

 then exposed to the air at a temperature of about 43° below zero, and be- 

 came immediately hard frozen. In this state they remained a week, and 



