•iOO Scientific Intelligence — Geology. 



chasm in which the Jordan flows, we advance, in open day, along 

 beds of rock, which, according to Bertou's and Russegger's barome- 

 trical levellings, lie 1300 feet in perpendicular depth below the level 

 of the Mediterranean Sea. (Vide Humboldt, Asie Centrale, t. ii. 

 p. 323.) — 'Cosmos, No. iv. p. 418. Bt/ Alex. Von Humboldt. 



10. Supposed Volcanic Eruption. — Our Orkney coi'respondent 

 (September 6. 1845) mentions a phenomenon of rare occurrence 

 in Britain, which has caused considerable surprise and excitement 

 among the peaceful denizens of that remote region, and which has 

 led to the impi'ession that these islands have just been visited by 

 the effects of a volcanic eruption, although in which part of the 

 world it has occurred they had no other source of information than 

 conjecture, and the remembrance of what had happened a number 

 of yeai-s ago. In reference to this matter, our correspondent says : 

 — " We have been much astonished here at a very extraordinary 

 phenomenon which took place two nights ago — a great fall of 

 dust which continued many hours. The men at the herring fish- 

 ing describe it as being like a thick shower of snow-drift from the 

 north-west. It began to fall before daylight, and continued very 

 thick for a '^Q\y hours, and afterwards more slightly till about 

 mid-day. Those who had clothes out bleaching had them com- 

 pletely blackened, and it seems very difficult to wash off. The 

 white flowers in the gardens are quite destroyed, and every " kail 

 blade'' is covered. The only way of accounting for it is by suppos- 

 ing that Mount Hecla has had an eruption, as the wind was ex- 

 actly from that quarter, and it is quite evident the dust is volcanic- 

 Dr Barry, in his history of Orkney, says, that in 1783, the last 

 dreadful eruption of Mount Hecla, the dust fell here in the same 

 manner, though it does seem surprising that it could be carried so 

 far — upwards of 400 miles. It will be some time before we hear if 

 an eruption has really taken place. The fishermen were so terri- 

 fied at the uncommon and inexplicable sight, that several of theni' 

 refused to go out to sea next day, and some believe it may have a 

 slight effect on the herring trade. — Edinburgh Advertiser. 



11. Synopsis of the Carboniferous rocks of Pictou, Nova Scotia. 

 — 1. Newer Coal Formation. — The prevailing rocks are alternations 

 of reddish and grey sandstones and shales, with some coarse conglo- 

 merates, especially in the lower part. Subordinate to these are dark 

 grey concretionary limestone, thin beds of coarse sandy limestone, two 

 thin beds of coal and one of gypsum. Thickness, 5000 feet or more. 



Fossils. — Coniferous wood, Calamites, Ferns, Sfc, Ganoid fish, 

 tracks of land animals. 



2. Older Coed Formation. — The prevailing rocks are dark shales 

 and clays, grey and brown sandstones ; and subordinate to these are 

 coal, ironstone, dark limestone. Thickness, 5000 feet. 



Fossils. — Ferns, Stigmaria, Calamites, Lepidodendra, 8fc., Cypris, 



3. Mountain Limestone or Gypsiferous Formation. — The pre- 



