172 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



on adding a stratum of liquid and a zinc plate, it will be as 

 follows : 



and so on successively. In this mode of distribution tbe rule 

 adopted by Volta has been followed, and though the tensions 

 could not be measured, the probabilities are that it is correct. It 

 is therefore almost certain that the electro-motive action of liquid 

 conductors on metals, tends to augment the electric tension of the 

 different elements of the pile. 



As to the influence of the chemical action on the charge of the 

 pile, or the rapidity of the current which takes place when the 

 extremities are communicated, sufficient data are not as yet ob- 

 tained to resolve the question. — /^im. cle C/iini. xxvi. 186. 



3. Supposed Electro-Magnetic Light. — At p. 162 of our last vol. 

 was quoted an experiment of M. Leopold de NoLili, on what he 

 considered as electro-magnetic light. M. Antinori has repeated 

 the experiment, and proved that the light was merely that occa- 

 sioned by the passage of electricity from one part of the wire to 

 another, by parts not well insulated. A spiral, made as directed, 

 gave, not a brush of light from the centre only, but sparks here and 

 there. Wrapping it well in silk and varnishing it, even these sparks 

 disappeared ; but, on removing a portion of the varnish from 

 different parts of the wire, sparks again occurred at all those 

 places, whenever the discharge was sent through it, — Bib. Univ. 

 XXV. 281. 



4. 071 the DirectioJi of the Axes of double Refraction in Crystals. 



■ — It is known that the optical axes of crystals improperly called 

 crystals with two axes, do not coincide with the axes of crystalli- 

 zation ; but, until now, it has been regarded as a general rule that 

 the lines which divide the angle, comprised between these optical 

 axes into two equal parts, should be equally inclined on the cor- 

 iresponding faces of the crystal. M. jNIitscherlich has ascertained 

 that these lines, symmetrical with re?pect to the double refraction, 

 are not so relative to the faces of the crystal ; and that in some 

 salts, as sulphate of magnesia, they incline more on one side than 

 the other, when no want of symmetry in the crystalline forms 

 could previously have raised a suspicion of such deviation (A. F.). 

 — Ann. de Chim. xxvi. 223. 



