Scientific Intelligence. — Meteorology. S81 



the public journals, was observed in the air at Poictiers, towards 

 the close of a mission which was preached there. Four thou- 

 sand persons, we are told, saw it ; many considered it as mira- 

 culous^ but it was remarked by others, that, before the conclu- 

 sion of the sermon, a cross was erected on the' ground, and then 

 it was, and not till then, that the luminous cross appeared in 

 the atmosphere. 



8. Polar Lights in *S'i6^ria.— Baron Wrangel remarks, that, 

 in Siberia, when shooting stars pass across the space occupied 

 by polar lights, that fiery beams suddenly arise in the place 

 traversed by the shooting star. Further, that, when a polar 

 beam rises high towards the zenith, when the full moon is also 

 high, it gradually forms a luminous circle around the moon, at 

 a distance from her of from 20° to 30° ; remains in this form for 

 a short time, and then disappears. 



HYDROGRAPHY. 



9. Water of the Dead Sea. — Five different analyses have been 

 made of the famed water of the Dead Sea, the first by Macquer, 

 Lavoisier, and Le Sage, (Mem. de FAcad. de Scienc. p. 1778) ; 

 the second by Dr Marcet, (Phil. Trans, for 1807, p. 296) ; 

 the third by Klaproth, (Beit. b. v. p. 185) ; the fourth by Gay 

 Lussac, (Ann. de Chim. et Physique, t. xi. p. 197) ; and the 

 fifth by Hermbstadt, (Schweigg. Journ. bd. 34, s. 153). A 

 sixth analysis has just been published, by C. G. Gmelin, in the 

 Memoirs of the Wirtemberg Society, vol. i. Gmelin's investi- 

 gation is interesting on account of his having detected brome as 

 one of the constituents of this water. The following is the re- 

 sult of his analysis : chloride of lime, 3.2141 ; chloride of mag- 

 nesia, 11.7734; bromate of magnesia, 0.4393; chloride of soda, 

 7.0777 ; chloride of potash, 1.6738 ; chloride of alumina, 0.0896 ; 

 chloride of manganese, 0.2117 ; muriate of ammonia, 0.0075 ; 

 sulphate of lime, 0.0527=24.5398 ; water, 75.4602. 



10. Analysis of the Water of the River of Sagis in Siberia.---' 

 The liver Sagis flows in the Kirgis Steppe, between the Lake 

 Aral and the Caspian Sea, and contains so much saline mat- 

 ter, that its water is not drinkable. A portion of this water was 

 examined by Dr Hess, at present in Ixkutsk, who found in 



