


TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 39 
what are commonly called fairy rings, and it was not till the summer of 1846 that 
their true character was discovered. 
The person who first paid particular attention to the cause of these barren spots, 
was the tenant of a neighbouring cottage (at which there is a cold bath, noted in the 
vicinity for its sanative properties). From certain circumstances he was led to be- 
lieve that something permeated the earth in those spots; and having dug a hole, he 
inserted a gas-pipe, and on applying a light to the mouth of the pipe, he found to his 
great surprise that a large flame issued from it. It was not long before he conceived 
the idea of applying it to domestic purposes, and in pursuing his experiments he found 
that it was not necessary to convey it from the place where it was first discovered, 
at a distance of about 150 yards from his house, as on driving a pipe some inches 
into the ground under the floor of the cottage, he procured a continuous flow of gas. 
There are at the present time seven burners in the cottage, which enable the owners 
to dispense with fire and candles. The next cottage is also supplied with two. It ap- 
pears to make no difference to the supply of gas if allowed to burn for weeks toge- 
ther, and the flame is always of the same colour. In windy weather the flame is 
generally unsteady ; when there is a blast of wind outside the flames of gas rise seve- 
ral inches, but as each blast dies away they return to their original size. The escape 
of gas is larger in wet weather than in dry; but whether the gas is produced near the 
surface or otherwise.has not yet been satisfactorily ascertained. The place where it 
issues from the earth is quite a mile from any coal-pit, and is outside the eastern edge 
of the Staffordshire coal basin. 
The gas, as analysed by myself from a portion of it (procured for me by Mr. S. 
Lloyd, jun. of Wednesbury, about three miles from the place), was composed prin- 
cipally of light carburetted hydrogen. _ In 1000 volumes of the gas, as it rises, I pro- 
cured 996 vols. of light carburetted hydrogen, 3 of carbonic acid, and 1 of aqueous 
vapour and nitrogen. Its specific gravity is 0°56126. Its composition is somewhat 
different from the gas known as marsh gas, and from that which collects in the old 
workings of mines, as it contains less carbonic acid, and less nitrogen; the propor- 
tion in marsh gas of the formey being 54, and of the latter 3; to 4, whereas in this 
gas the proportions are only +3, and zab>- 
It burns with a pale bluish-white flame, emitting considerable light and heat. 
Mixed with atmospheric air or oxygen, it explodes with considerable violence on con- 
tact with flame, or with the electric spark. As it issues from the pipe it has a moist 
or slightly musty smell, as of sticks partially decomposed, but after keeping for some 
time in stopped glass jars this is lost, and it becomes perfectly inodorous. When 
inhaled in large quantities it produces the same effects as hydrogen gas, but it does 
not appear tc exert any evil influence on the health of the inhabitants of the cottage, 
when diluted with a large portion of atmospheric air. 

On Copper containing Phosphorus, with Details of Experiments on the Corrosive 
Action of Sea-water on some Varieties of Copper. By Joun Percy, M.D., 
F.RS. 
Upon analysing a specimen of copper, to which when in a state of fusion some 
hosphorus had been added, it was found that it contained a considerable quantity 
of phosphorus, and also a large portion of iron derived from an iron rod employed in 
stirring the mixture at each addition of the phosphorus. The copper employed 
was of the “best selected”’—it appeared to be harder than copper treated with 
arsenic. The details of the analysis of 116-76 grains were given, the result of which 
was— 

Phosphorus......sseseseeesecees acres), COS 
Trt! 24. . Vos steaserteneeneess if. ivddevese? vod OD 
A second analysis gave— 
Copper! VinWisataed i645 205 00 A ciay) SFR 
TrOD) seas s.-scassudilaneo anne i eaetes sean 2:4) 
Phowphoride cw ie.wsy Wess ivied weedy ecdesen st) Bal 
100-54 
Tt has long been stated that a very small quantity of phosphorus renders copper ex- 
_’ tremely hard, and adapts it for cutting instruments, but such an alloy as that formed 
