310 Chronicles of Science. [A-pril, 



better regulation of metalliferous mines in accordance with the 

 recommendations of the Mines Commission. The answer given by 

 Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen was curiously evasive; no biU was in 

 preparation, but he hoped that legislation would not be long post- 

 poned. It is now nearly five years since the Commission, of 

 which Lord Kinnaird was the President, made its report. In that 

 report the Commissioners most strongly urged the necessity of 

 some prompt legislative enactments, by which the more perfect 

 working of the copper and tin mines might be secured and the 

 lives of the men preserved. Nothing has, however, as yet been 

 done, and during the long-continued depression of mining, things 

 have been allowed to become gradually worse than they were when 

 the Commission examined them. The whole sj^stem of working 

 our copper and tin mines is so bad, that no hope can be in- 

 dulged in of their improvement until the Legislature steps in, and 

 by some well-considered measure protects alike the miner and the 

 shareholder from the present destructive system. 



Coal in the Colorado district is a matter of great importance. 

 According to the 'Denver News,' General Pierce stated to the 

 Board of Trade that besides the bed of 31 inches, discovered near 

 Fort Dupton, on the Platte, there were also two beds on the Cache- 

 la-Poudre. One of these beds was 4 feet thick, and the other about 

 18 inches. The ' Salina Herald' says that in digging a well on 

 the east side of the Smoky Hill Kiver — less than two miles from 

 town — a bed of good bituminous coal, 18 inches thick and about 

 20 feet below the surface was cut through. 



Coal-mining in France has, during the past year, been particu- 

 larly active. This will be seen from the following statement of the 

 production during each of the last six years : — 

 t 



The colUeries of Belgium have not exhibited the same progres- 

 sive increase. From the report of Mr. F. Jocham, Director of 

 Mines in the province of Hainault (which is the last published 

 authority on the production of coal in Belgium, we learn that to 

 the end of 1867 the production was as follows: — 



1865. 



Hainault 9,206,058 



Namur 305,754 



Liege 2,328,911 



'^"in Mekkal Tonf """} 11.8^0.723 ■■ 12,754,662 ..12,755,822 



The copper mines of Africa have of late years been attracting 



