396 Scientific Notices-^MiscelldneoUS. [Nov. 



18. On Evaporation, 



Pouillet, from a series of experiments he made, on the evapo- 

 ration of liquids, infers : 1. That, during the evaporation of 

 perfectly pure water, no electricity is evolved. 2. That when 

 water contains certain alkalies in solution, electricity is evolved, 

 which is vitreous for the apparatus, when the alkali is fixed, and 

 resinous when the alkali is volatile/as ammonia»-it^(iEdin. Phil. 

 Journal.) , • . i 



19. Amsterdam Qmoti 

 It may be said, with justice, that Great Britain has outstripped 

 ull the other countries of Europe in what regards the undertaking 

 and execution of public works, in which utility and grandeur of 

 conception go together. We had been accustomed to consider 

 as unique in its kind, both with respect to its extent and its 

 other dimensions, our Caledonian Canal, whicli can carry a large 

 frigate from the North Sea to the west coast of Scotland ; but 

 the new Amsterdam canal, which establishes a direct commu- 

 nication between the ocean and this important place of com- 

 merce, surpasses in depth and breadth every thm^ 36rttte same 

 nature existing in Great Britain. It appears that a' frigate of 

 44 guns has already passed along its whole extent, and it is even 

 capable of receiving vessels of 80 guns. The projected Ports- 

 mouth canal, which is inteaded to receive vessels of the line, 

 would rival that of Amsterdam as- to depth and width, and 

 surpass it in length, in proportion of a hundred to fifty. miles.— 

 <EdiiiV'Pfeil. J<SUtAall!)Firn8 .3 aamul^ ii8 ^^ .Biofi rlg'l^rfa 



B '.tiw ;bo. },QdM-nSimiffQrse, killed i/ijOrkfie^,,\ p„, ^^q'. 'i 



Arf%itraet^cffd"^imfef from Robert Scarth, Esq/ oflCirkwall, 

 is given ii^ the last number of the Edinburgh Philosophical 

 ■Journal, 'describing thfe capture of a walrus of very' large size, 

 w}iich afjjei' having been first seen in the opening of the Pent- 

 land Frith^ \ya^ again discovered lying on the rocks of the island 

 of Eday by one of the shepherds of the proprietor, who had the 

 tfl^ood; fortune t^, wound it severely by a shot. in the body, and 

 thaving followed it to sea, with some companions, in a boat, 

 -succeeded in ultimately making prize of it, and towing it ashore. 

 1*1 the adventure, one of the party had nearly paid dear for his 

 t expedition, for having seized the walrus by its hind leg, the 

 animal pulled him out of the boat, and dragged him to the bot- 

 tbm, and^ft w^^^with difficulty his life was saved.' This is the 

 first inst^cc;. Mr. Scarth says, of any of these formidable 

 inhabitants of tile polar regions having been met with on our 

 coasts. The hide, though dried and a good deal shrunk up, 

 measured 15 feet in length and 13 in breadth, and was rather 

 more than 1 inch thick. The skin is in the Royal Museum of 

 the University of Edinburgh. — (Edin. Phil, Journ.) 



