No. 3.] MISCELLANEOUS. 191 



the premonitory symptom of pneumonia, which, in less then fout 

 days ended the hfe of the best of men. 



Now rests from its work the hand which wielded the hammer^ 

 with strength, and with exquisite delicacy drew the finest lines 

 of crystal figures ; and from their work rest the eyes which saw 

 the snowy ^nxnits of the Altai, and distinguished the "matt" 

 and the "glanzend" on the surfaces of rock-crystals. Peace to 

 his ashes ! Blessed are the peacemakers ! — Am. Jour. /Science. ^ 



Athen^um Scraps. 



A large mass of meteoric iron has been discovered, by Herr 

 B. Schreibter, at Neuutmannsdorf, in Saxony. The iron con- 

 tains 5-31 per cent, of nickel. This interesting specimen has 

 been acquired by the Royal Mineralogical Museum in Dresden. 



The conditions necessary for the formation of azurite, or blue 

 carbonate of copper, have been carefully studied by Dr. Wibel, of 

 Hamburg. His experiments show that azurite is formed from 

 malachite, or the green carbonate, by abstraction of water, and 

 addition of carbonic acid ; a change which may be effected at 

 ordinary temperatures, by the action of carbonic acid in the 

 presence of a water-abstracting agent. 



An improved method of gilding on iron and similar metals has 

 been introduced by Herr W. Kirchmann. The surface of the 

 metal, even when oxidized, may be prepared by treatment with 

 sodium-amalgam ; chloride of gold is then poured over the amal- 

 gamated surface, and, by application of heat, the mercury may 

 be expelled, leaving an uniform film of gold capable of receivino- 

 a polish. 



The supply of lithographic stone from Germany has been gra- 

 dually falling ofi" — hence it is important to notice the discovery 

 of two sources of supply in Italy, one near the French frontier 

 and the other on the coast of the Gulf of Genoa. It is said that 

 the stones are of superior quality. 



* From the German of Trof. Vom R«th, of Bonn. 



