204 Scientific Intelligence. — Geology. 



3. Temperature of the Earth. — The following observations 

 were made by Dr Magnus with his Geothermometer, on the 

 temperature of a bore sunk by M. C. v. Wulffen, at Pitzpuhl, 

 near Burg, about nine English miles from Magdeburg : — 



At a depth of 130 feet, the temperature was 49.77 F. 



The bore was provided with iron tubes to the depth of 427 

 feet ; but when the observations were made, the portion below 

 the tubes had already become so filled up with mud, that it 

 was impossible to cause the thermometer to descend farther than 

 457 feet. The increase of temperature in this bore was pretty 

 regularly 2°.25 F. for every 100 feet. The deepest observation 

 was at a point more than 200 feet below the level of the sea ; 

 for the place where the bore begins lies 111 feet above the level 

 of the Pegel near Magdeburgh, which itself is about the same 

 height as Berlin, whose elevation above the Baltic has been 

 lately determined to be 108°.5 Rhenish feet. — (Poggendorff 's 

 Annalen, vol. xl. p. 145.) 



4. Extract of a Letter from M. Erman junior to M. Arago, 

 upon the Temperature of the Ground in Siberia. — I hope you 

 will look at those parts of my historical journal which treat of 

 the climate of Northern Asia with some interest ; and in relation 

 to this subject, I beg to direct your attention to the 242d and 

 following pages. I have there given the result of the data ob- 

 tained regarding the climate of the town of Jakouzk. The depth 

 of a well which M. Schergin, a merchant in the town, had 

 then excavated to the depth of 50 feet (English), in the hope 

 of finally reaching strata which were not frozen, and which 

 would be capable of supplying water, was always, when I made 

 trial, at the temperature of — 6° li. equal to 18^5 Fahr. The 

 temperature of the surface of the soil should not at the time 

 have exceeded this degree of cold, since the latitude of the 

 place was 62° 1' 29''. This result appeared to me eminently 

 paradoxical ; but I have since confirmed it, by calculating ob- 



