Natural Histori/. 351 



tliree quarters of an inch in thickness, and sometimes above 

 a foot in extent. It occurs in scales, and sometimes fibrous. 

 Their nature was ascertained by D. Gioacchino Arrosto of Mes- 

 sina. 



3. Magnetic Iron Ore. — The following fact respecting the mag- 

 netic iron ore of Succusunny, belonging to Governor Dicker- 

 son, of New Jersey, is stated by Colonel Gibbs, in Sillimans 

 Journal. 



" The proprietor, a gentleman of distinguished science, in- 

 formed me of a singular circumstance attending it, which was 

 too important to be left unnoticed. The mine is wrought to the 

 depth of one hundred feet ; direction of the bed, north-east and 

 south-west; inclination nearly perpendicular; the ore in the 

 upper part of the bed is magnetic, and has polarity : but that 

 raised from the bottom has no magnetism at first, but acquires 

 it after it has been some time exposed to the influence of the 

 atmosphere." 



4. Analysis of the Wavellite. — According to M. Berzelius' late 

 experiments, wavellite contains : — 



Alumine 35.35 



Phosphoric acid 33.4 



Fluoric acid 2.06 



Lime 5 



Oxides of iron and manganese .... 1.25 

 Water 2(5.8 



99.36 



5. Fossil Animal Remains. — Some labourers in the depart- 

 ment of Lot have lately penetrated into the caverns formerly 

 dug by the English in the vicinity of Breuge. In the lowest 

 part were certain crevices, which when laid open, discovered 

 a depository of bones, some of horses, others of the rhinoceros, 

 of the same species of which fossil fragments have been found 

 in Siberia, Germany, and England; and a third kind belonging 

 to a species of stag, now a non-descript, with horns not much 

 unlike those of a young rein-deer. These relics have been col- 



2 A 2 



