$44 
unequal periods above mentioned ; and 
the honour was reserved for M, Encke 
of foreteliing, for the first lime, that his 
comet would return in May 1822: in 
the same manner, and on the same 
principles of elliptical calculations, that 
the Halley comet was foretold by that 
astronomer, at its fifth observed return 
in 1759; and, latterly, the Olbers comet 
by that astronomer, for its return about 
1894. Unfortunately, the last return of 
the Encke was invisible to European 
observers; but M. Rumker, resident at 
Paramatta, in New South Wales, was 
able to observe it from the 2d to the 
23d of June, 1822, in its retreat from 
the sun; and these observations seem to 
éstablish a period of something more 
than 1204 days, with a mean distance 
of 2:2244, eccentricity ‘84472, and in- 
clination of the orbit 13° 20’ 36’. 
Surely these elements well entitie the 
Encke to a place amongst the planets 
of our system, rather than its comets; 
because, although the site of its perhe- 
lion lies within the orbit of Mercury, 
that of its aphelion lies about mid-way 
between the almost equal orbits of the 
four new small planets (improperly 
named after heathen deities, instead of 
their discoverers,) and the orbit of Ja- 
piter. What is there, under these cir- 
cumstances, to exclude the Encke from 
the same rank with Pallas, Vesta, Ceres, 
and Juno? 
The boletus igniarius, or tinder fan- 
gus, has been observed by Professor 
Eaton to possess the singular property, 
that, ifcut or torn whilst growing, the 
parts on being replaced unite again in 
a manner closely analogous to that in 
which wounds heal in the flesh of ani- 
mals. Parts of a growing fungus cut 
off, and having remained separate for 
two days, united again perfectly, on be- 
Ing affixed in their former situations ; 
and grew as before. + 
* A singular spasmodic disease, which 
much affected the imaginations, as well 
as the bodily health, of the patients, lately 
appeared among the work-people ata cot- 
ton-factory at Argues, in France; which 
M. Nicoute attributes to tbe inhaling 
of the gazeous oxide of carbon, pro- 
duced by the excessive heating of oil in 
cans, incautiously placed on a cast-iron 
stove. The lightness of this gas occa- 
sioned its ascent to the upper stories, 
where the disease first showed itself. 
- Capt. Scoresby has discovered, that 
the peculiar green colour of some parts 
of the Polar Seas is owing to myriads 
of microscopic insects, which serve as 
Spirit of Philosophical Discovery. 
[Nov. 1, 
food to larger insects called actina sepia, 
and which in their turn supply the 
comparatively small stomachs of the 
enormously large whales, who have long 
been known to frequent these greenish 
parts of the ocean, without the cause of 
their so doing being before known, , 
_ Artificial Palate.—A silver palate of 
a very superior construction was some 
time ago invented by Mr. A. CLark, of 
Grosvenor-street, a skilful dentist and 
most ingenious mechanic. The inven- 
tion fits the parts. with the utmost 
nicety, is worn without pain, and can 
be taken ont or put in by the wearer in 
the space ofa minute. The mechanism 
by which it is fixed is very ingenious, 
and yet so simple as to be in no danger 
of getting out of order. One superiority 
of this palate consists in ifs not pressing 
upon the edges of the defect which it is 
meant to supply, and thus not augment- 
ing the disease. ‘The use of it in one 
instance has been attended with the re- 
production of a great part of the natural 
palate ; and, in all cases where, it has 
been applied, it has been much approved 
of both by the wearer and by surgeons 
of eminence. Instead of securing it to 
himself by patent, Mr. Clark keeps one 
by him for public. inspection; but he 
runs no great risk of being deprived of 
it, as there are very few who, like him, 
combinean accurate knowledge of the 
anatomical stractare of the mouth with 
complete dexterity in the working of 
metals. A common silversmith could 
not easily be made to understand what 
to make; and a common surgeon and 
dentist would not know how to make it. 
Mr. Perkins is said, in a paper sent 
to the Royal Society of London, but 
which was, through some unexplained 
cause, not anounced to the members at 
the last mecting previous to the recess, 
to have stated, that he had effected the 
liquefaction of aimospheric air, under a 
pressure equivalent to 1100 atmos- 
pbheres; that, with other degrees of 
enormously high-pressure, he had lique- 
fied several other gases; and had also 
succecded, by similar means, in crys- 
talizing several liquids, lieretofore un- 
known in a solid state. 
Temperature of Mines.—The contro- 
versy mentioned in p. 531 of our last 
yolume, regarding the evidence afford- 
ed by the unusual heat experienced in 
deep mines, proving or not a central heat 
within. the earth, has. continued to rage 
in Cornwall, and between the Plutonists 
and Neptunists of Scotland, with ana, 
bated fury: but Mr. Matthew sie 
las 
