143 



2. — Enormous mass of Malachite. In June, 1835, a mass of ma- 

 lachite was discovered in the mines of P. and A. Demidoff, at Nischnei-Tagilsk, 

 in the district of Jekaterinburg, measuring 16,2 feet, French measure., in length, 

 7,5 in width, and 8,6 in heighth ; it weighs, therefore, by admeasurement, 350 

 ponds of Russia, each pond being equal to rather more than 16 kilogrammes, 

 French weight : making this enormous mass upwards of Jive tons and a half, 

 English weight. No cracks or imperfections had been discovered so far as the 

 examination had then been made. The largest block of Malachite previously dis- 

 covered in Russia weighed 90 ponds : it was discovered in the mines of Furchami- 

 noff, and is now deposited in the museum of the corps of miners, at St. Peters- 

 burgh. 



3. — M. Engelhart, professor at Dorpt, appears to have been the first person 

 to suggest, from geognostic appearances observable in the mountains of the Oural, 

 that they contained diamonds. From the indications he furnished, the Russian 

 government directed measures to be taken in order to ascertain that fact : they 

 were not, however, attended with success. Count Polie, the proprietor of the 

 land, on which is established gold and platinum works, was more fortunate ; and 

 the first Russian diamond was brought to light by his unwearied perseverance, at 

 the period of M. de Humboldt's voyage in Asiatic Russia. The number of these 

 precious stcnes found, only amounted to thirty-five ; and the expense attending 

 their discovery being immensely beyond their intrinsic value, it is more interesting 

 in a scientific, than profitable in a commercial, point of view. 



4. — M. Jacquin has given an interesting paper on the pneumasticity of birds, 

 which was read at the French Academy of Sciences, April 25th, 1836. He 

 states that all the shoulder bones have their pneumatic perforations grouped round 

 the scapular extremity, and receive air from the sub-scapular sac : it is transmitted 

 to the bones of the fore-arm by the external cellular tissue, and even by the cavity 

 of the humerus, from whence it is conveyed to the digits. An analagous arrange- 

 ment exists for the inferior member, in which the cavities are always more extend- 

 ed as the species of bird possesses the greater powers of flight. The cervical ver- 

 tebrae have numerous small perforations in the channel formed by the transverse 

 apophyses : this conducts the air from the pectoral sac. The subcostal sacs fur- 

 nish air in a similar manner to the ribs and dorsal vertebrae ; and the sacral sacs 

 to the vertebrae so called, and the basin. Air to the sternum is derived from the 

 sternal sac, which sends it to the sternal apophyses of the ribs. 



5 — Osmya Bicolor, (Latreille). — Mr. Bobineau Desvoidy, who is well 

 known to the French naturalists, by his interesting researches respecting dipterous 

 insects and Crustacea, particularly those of the neighbourhood of St. Sauveur, in 



