Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 153 



boiling water-bath. When a naked flame was applied, the aether, 

 previously colourless, acquired a yellowish wine colour, and, by the 

 crackling evolution of vapour, indicated decomposition. 



When the liquid hypochlorous acid was subjected to the process 

 of distillation, before the addition of the spirit, an aether resulted 

 which floated on the solution, and which appeared to differ from that 

 obtained as first mentioned. 



Dr. Hare made these observations, and those previously communi- 

 cated respecting the hyponitrite of methyl, by the aid of a small 

 quantity of pure pyroxylic spirit, supplied to him by his friend Dr. 

 Ure, and regretted that both ill-health and the exhaustion of his 

 stock of spirit had prevented him from making further observations 

 and experiments, tending to decide whether the aethers obtained, as 

 he had described, were either or both hypochlorites, or whether mer- 

 cury entered into the composition of the heavier aether. This there 

 was some reason for believing ; since, when boiled to dryness at a 

 high temperature, a reddish residuum was apparent, which being re- 

 dissolved, and a small strip of copper immersed in the resulting so- 

 lution, a minute deposition, apparently metallic, was observable. 



XXV. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



FOURTH MEETING OF THE ITALIAN CONGRESS OF MEN OF 

 SCIENCE. 



A CIRCULAR has arrived in England announcing that the scien- 

 tific men of Italy will meet this year at Padua on the 15 th of 

 September, under the presidency of Signors Nicolo da Rio and Gio- 

 vanni Santini, both of the University of Padua. The warmest invi- 

 tations are given to such scientific persons of all nations as may be 

 disposed to attend the meeting. 



ON THE EARTHQUAKE FELT IN PARTS OF CORNWALL, ON 

 FEBRUARY 17, 1842*. 



At the last annual meeting of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, 

 a communication was read from Mr. William Hen wood, recording 

 three shocks of earthquakes, which had been felt at different periods 

 in the county. In addition to these, the following are mentioned in 

 a paper, by Mr. D. Milne, * On the Shocks of Earthquakes felt in 

 Great Britain.' 



1757, July 15. — The shock of an earthquake was felt at Falmouth, 

 at seven p.m., attended with great noise. It came from the south- 

 west, and was heard in the mines of Cornwall at a depth of seventy 

 fathoms. The shock extended as far east as Liskeard, and as far 

 north as Camelford. " Several small risings as big as mole-hills 

 were observed in the morning before the shock happened, on the 

 sands of the beach, having a black speck in the middle of the top, 

 as if something had issued from it. From one of the risings be- 



* From the Report of the Polytechnic Society of Cornwall for 1841. 

 The particulars were collected by Mr. Robert Hunt, Secretary. 



