43'2 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



wind ceased, the lights disappeared, and a deluge of rain, mingled 

 with hail, fell. But though the obscurity continue'], our horses 

 moved on, shaking themselves at times, panting forcibly, and 

 neighing ; hut they continued on their march. On arriving at 

 the advanced post, I mentioned to my comrades the phenomenon 

 we had witnessed, and though they had been only three leagues 

 from us, they had felt no wind, but experienced much rain. The 

 wind we encountered had an opposite direction to the rain." 



16. Electrometer for Minerals. — M. Razoumansky describes 

 an electrometer, which is far more sensible than M. I'Abbe 

 Hauy's, though the only ditierence is that the nob he uses on 

 the pivot is of steel, and is magnetized. By trials with gems and 

 stones, the instrument is said to have been affected more readily 

 than the Abbfe's, and without requiring that attention to tempera- 

 ture which M. Haiiy directs. M. Razoumansky attributes its 

 excellence to its being magnetic ; but it is by no means evident 

 how the magnetism should improve it, since the electricity in the 

 state in which it exists on the rubbed or otherwise treated gems, 

 would have no influence on that power. — Journal de Phi/s., xciii. 

 p. 398. 



17. Remarkable Luminous Phenomenon. — M. Doe, being sur- 

 prised by the night, whilst in the forest near Boulancourt, in the 

 neighbourhood of Brienne, department de I'Aube, was witness 

 to a very brilliant luminous phenomenon which took place in a 

 neighbouring marsh. The appearance began about two o'clock 

 in the morning, apparently at one of -the openings of the wood 

 on the western side, whilst the sky was serene, the stars brilliant, 

 and the air calm and temperate. The fire burnt quietly, without 

 jets or undulations, in the form of a quadrangular pyramid. The 

 colour of the flame was a pale red, verging on white, and the 

 appearance of the whole was compared by M. Doe to sun-set, 

 when'it takes place- behind a red cloud, girt by a dark zone. 

 On proceeding to the place where this phenomenon had its rise, 

 it was found to be a marsh about half a league in extent, tra- 

 versed by ditches, which furnished the phosphoric matter of the 

 flame. The greatest height of the luminous meteor was ten or 

 twelve feet ; there was no heat, but the light was bright enough 

 to permit of reading by it. In about half an hour the effect was 

 considerably diminished, and at the expiration of an hour it had 

 entirely ceased. — Journal de Phys., xciii., 236. 



18. Terrestrial Magnetism. — The following are extracts from 

 a letter written to M. Rumker by Professor Hanstein, containing a 

 short account of his own discoveries. 



" I observed here at Christiana, in the months of November 



