Scientific Intelligence. — Geology. 383 



their property of adhering to the tongue, if applied to them af- 

 ter they are dry, — a property apparently derived from the loss 

 of animal gelatino they have sustained, without the substitution 

 of any mineral substance, such as we find in the bones imbed- 

 ded in the regular strata. This test extends equally to the 

 bones of the osseous breccia of caverns and fissures, and to those 

 in all superficial deposites of diluvium, excepting such as are too 

 clayey to have admitted the percolation of water ; but the pro- 

 perty of adhesion is rarely found in bones from recent alluvium, 

 or from peat-bogs ; nor does it exist in human bones, which Dr 

 Buckland has examined from Roman graves in England, and 

 from the Druidical tombs of the ancient Britons, nor in any of 

 the human bones which he has discovered in the caves of Pair- 

 land and Wokey Hall. Dr Buckland proposes to apply this 

 test to the much disputed case of human bones, said by Schlot- 

 heim to have been discovered in the cave of Kostritz, in contact 

 with those of the rhinoceros and other extinct animals. — Annals 

 of Philosophy, August 1827. 



13. On Chains of European Mountains. — The third volume 

 of the Ilecueil des Memoires de la Societe de Geographic is in 

 the press. It entirely consists of the important work of M. 

 Bruguiere, on the Chains of the European Mountains, to which 

 the Prize of the Society was awarded in 1 826. 



14. Death of Prcrfessor Brocchi. — Professor Brocchi, so well 

 known by his numerous works on geology and conchology, and 

 who was employed for five years in travelling through Africa, at 

 the charge of the Pacha of Egypt, as director of a company of 

 European miners, died, just as he was on the point of return- 

 ing to Europe with the result of his various researches. 



15. Discovery of Fossil Mammalia in Auvcrgne. — Very inte- 

 resting fossil bones have lately been discovered in Auvcrgne, of 

 which figures and descriptions are at present in the progress of 

 publication. The bones are buried in a series of sandy strata, 

 about two metres thick, arising from the debris of primordial 

 deposits, and containing some fragments of lava. These beds 

 of sand are covered by a bed several hundred feet thick of vol- 

 canic tufa, composed of fragments of pumice, and containing 

 pieces of basalt, and considerable blocks of lavas, resembling 



