Natural History. 435 



quence of their form, lower temperature, and the greater rarety of 

 atmosphere about them. 



Sometimes these discharges are supposed to be very powerful ; 

 and when the earth and air are very dry, are thought capable of 

 producing earthquakes such as occur after dry seasons ; and a 

 very ancient method of avoiding such earthquakes is quoted and 

 approved of, namely, the introduction of long bars of iron into the 

 ground to considerable depths. These, it is supposed, serve to 

 conduct off the accumulated electricity. The Bibliotheque Univer- 

 selle very properly remarks, that it is desirable this accumulation 

 of electricity upon the surface in the manner described, and upon 

 which the whole hypothesis rests, should be proved in a decisive 

 manner. — Bib. Univ. xlii. 8. 



25. Petrified Tree in the Isle of Portland. — This petrified tree 

 was found in the western quarries, nearly half a mile from the sea- 

 shore, and as near as can be judged, about 200 feet above the level 

 of the sea, and about 10 feet below the surface : these petrifactions 

 are found in a sort of bed, or layer of black mould, which in some 

 part appears like burnt wood-ashes, and is from 1 to 2 feet in thick- 

 ness between the beds of stone. The bed of stone above it is about 

 from 1 foot to nearly 2 feet in thickness, and above that bed, up to 

 the surface, is composed of shingles and slate stone, which is very 

 hard, and is made use of for covering the roofs of houses. 

 The body of the tree is now of an oval form, and is as hard as flint ; 

 just above the root it is about 4 feet in circumference, and diminishes 

 to about 2.9 ; it has the appearance of oak by the grain and 

 knots : it was lying horizontally, and cracked in several pieces, 

 which some think was from the weight on it ; but Mr. Beale, a 

 gentleman who has written on this subject, saw it, and affirms it 

 must have been broken by contraction, and that the whole masses 

 of stone must once have been in a fluid state, otherwise a bed of 

 stone could not have been above it. — [Through the kindness of 

 Governor Penn, we have received specimens of the above, which 

 are at the Royal Institution. — Ed.] 



26. Brandy an Antidote to Beer, by M. Recluz. — During a 

 botanical excursion in the neighbourhood of Lyons, M. Recluz met, 

 in a tavern, a man who was intoxicated from drinking beer, and 

 requested the hostess to give him something to effect his recovery ; 

 the latter told M. Recluz that she had nothing but some orange- 

 flower water, of which she put two or three spoonfuls into his 

 mouth. Two minutes afterwards, the drunkenness continuing, 

 M. Recluz himself administered to him some more of this liquor, 

 when he discovered that the bottle, which was labelled orange-flower 

 water, contained only brandy. To repair this mistake, he sent for 

 an emetic, but in the interval the intoxication went off, and the man 

 said he seemed to have awakened from a long and painful dream. 

 M. Recluz has let no opportunity pass of trying the efficacy of this 



