SCIEKTIFIC NEWS. . 327 



and the Indies, with those of the fossil animals, that they 

 are respectively of different species. 



The fossil rhinoceros had shorter legs, a larger head, of -i-havlngpecu- 

 greater length, the snout being very differently formed 

 from that of the present rhinoceros. The elephants had 

 the grinders, the head, and particularly the alveoli of the 

 tusks very differently constructed, and the trunk had 

 other proportions. 



The author concludes therefore that these two species —which for- 

 are extinct, as well as so many others of which he has ^^ere their 

 discovered the bones and ascertained the characters, and bones arc now 

 of which ten or twelve hitherto unknown to all na- ^^""'^• 

 turalists, have their bones incrusted in the plaster stones 

 of the neighbourhood of Paris. 



He also thinks that these species have lived in the 

 places where their bones are found, and that they have 

 not been brought thither as has been generally thought, 

 by a^ inundation,, for th^jir bones are not worn by fric- 

 tion. / 



The chemical transactions of the preceding twelvemonth Chemical new* 

 which bear relation to the Institute, are mentioned in this 

 report. The new edition of Fourcroy's Philosophy of 

 Chemistry, The Experiments of Count Rumford on the 

 Communication of Heat through Water, and on the ad- 

 herence of the particles of that fluid together, both 

 which have appeared in our Journal, are stated by the Researches on 

 reporter. He also gives a short analysis of the Labours ^^ chemical 

 of BerthoUet on Chemical Statics, which that able chemist Bertj^oUet^ 

 still continues to pursue. M. Berthollet, while he shews 

 that very largequantities of carbonic acid, may, by pres- 

 sure, be united with the alkalis and earths, takes notice 

 at the same time that these combinations are complete 

 throughout, and not that, as is commonly imaginedjOne of 

 the principles is superabundant, and as it were disengaged 

 while in excess beyond saturation. In proof of this he 

 remarks that the smallest drop of sulphuric acid, addo<l to 

 a sub-carbonate, does not seize upon a portion of free 

 alkali, but immediately decomposes a portion of the whole 

 salt, and disengages the carbonic acid. And so likewise 

 he remarks that the acidulous sulphate of soda effloresces 

 in 'the air, which it could not do if aay portion of sulphu- 

 ric 



