220 Scientific Intelligence. 



METEOEOLOGy. 



2. St Elmo's Fire sccji in Orkney. — During last February, 

 1837, (Sunday 19,) in a tremendous gale my large boat 

 sunk, and it was late on Tuesday night before we could get 

 her up and drawn to the shore, after which we had to wait 

 till three o'clock next morning till the tide ebbed from her ; 

 she was during this time attached to the shore by an iron 

 chain, about 30 fathoms long, which did not touch the water, 

 when to my astonishment I beheld a sheet of blood-red flame, 

 extending along the shore for about 30 fathoms broad and 100 

 fathoms long, commencing at the chain and stretching along 

 the shore and sea in the direction of the shore which was E. S-E., 

 the wind being N. N.W. at the time. The flame remained about 

 ten seconds, and occurred four times in about two minutes. 

 Whilst I was wondering not a little, the boatmen, who, to the 

 number of twenty-five or thirty, were sheltering themselves from 

 the weather, came running down apparently alarmed, and asked 

 me if I had ever seen anything like this before. I was about to 

 reply, when I observed their eyes directed upwards, and found 

 they were attracted by a most splendid appearance at the boat. 

 The whole mast was illuminated, and from the iron spike at the 

 summit, a flame of one foot long was pointed to the N. N.W., 

 from which a thunder-cloud was rapidly coming. The cloud 

 approached, which was accompanied by thunder and hail ; the 

 flame increased and followed the course of the cloud till it was 

 immediately above, when it arrived at the length of nearly three 

 feet, after which it rapidly diminished, still pointing to the cloud, 

 as it was borne rapidly on to S. S.E. The whole lasted about four 

 minutes, and had a most splendid appearance. I regretted after- 

 wards that I was so occupied with the flame at the mast head 

 that I did not observe whether the red flame on the ground con- 

 tinued during the time the cloud was passing. — Extract of a 

 Letter Jrom William Traill, Esq., Kirkwall, to Professor 

 Traill, dated May 16. 1837. 



MICROGRAPHY. 



4. Microscopic Differences in Cotton, Lint, a7id Hemp. — M.Du- 

 trochet lately read to V Academic des Sciences a notice concerning 

 the vegetable matter which had been employed in the fabrication 

 of the cloths which envelop the Egyptian mummies. Hitherto 



