180 Scientific Intelligence — Mineralogy and Chemidrg. 



of Sebedani, 4024 ; the Fall of Barada. at tlie Pass of el-Suk, 3346 ; 

 town of Baalbeck, 3196 ; Damascus, 2304. The mountain elevations 

 in Lebanon and Antilebanon are older than those in Southern 

 Syria. The former belong to the chalk formation, but the latter 

 to the tertiary deposits. This fact seems to correspond perfectly 

 with tlie physical characters of the surface. — (Poggendorff's An- 

 ncden, 1841, No. 5.) 



MIXERALOGY AND CHEMISTRY. 



7. JDr TrcdlVs CoUeciion We understand that Dr Traill wishes to 



dis])ose of his extensive and valuable Mineralogical and Geological 

 Collection. The specimens of minerals amount to 3000, the rocks 

 to 1500, and the organic remains to 500; in all about 5000. The 

 whole are carefully named and catalogued, and arranged in handsome 

 cabinets. The mineralogical department is rich in Fluors, Barytic mi- 

 nerals, Leads, Salts of Copper, Zeolites (particularly Apophyllites), 

 Felspars, Scapolitcs, the scarcer Swedish and Norv/egian minerals, 

 the ores of Silver and Tellurium, Meteoric stones, &c. ; and 

 includes among the greater rareties, a superb crystal of Euclase 

 (1 inch long, by -|- an inch broad, quite transparent, and finely acu- 

 minated) ; Gold in the matrix from Lead Hills ; Stromnite or 

 Barystrontianite (discovered by Dr Traill), &c. The geological 

 series is illustrative more especially of Scotland, Spain, Brazil, 

 Greenland, the Arctic Beglons, &c. ; and, among the fossil remain;;, 

 there is a fine set of fishes from the Orkney Islands, named by 

 Agassiz. 



8. Potash andlAtne in Flint.- — It is known from Klaproth's analy- 

 sis, that Hint contains lime ; but Berzeliushas also found potash in the 

 flint of the chalk of Limhamn, in Schonen. In 1000 parts of flint 

 he detected 1.17 parts potash, and 1.13 parts lime, v.ith traces of 

 oxide of iron and alumina, and likewise a small quantity of a car- 

 bonaceous matter, which left no residue on being ignited, and which 

 probably produces the colour in flint resembling the tint of brown 

 rock crystal (RauchU'pas.J The analysis was undertaken with 

 the view of ascertaining the cause of the decomposition of the 

 surface of a flint knife, a change not unfrequently observed in flint 

 exposed to the action of the atmosphere. The result obtained v.as, 

 that the interior and undecomposed portion of this knife contained 

 in the IGOO parts 1.3i potash; 5.74 lime; and 1.2 oxide of iron 

 and alumina. The decomposed portion, on the other hand, which 

 could easily be rubbed off in the state of powder, contained in the 

 1000 parts, 3.2 parts of potash, and 3.2 parts of lime ; whence it 

 would seem that the dccompo.'rition had its origin in along continued 

 action of aliquidcont.ni'.iln.i; potasli, v, h.ich gradually replaced the liine 



