198 Scientijic InteUigence — Botany. 



on the Urner Mountains, and also a description of the Bones of 

 Kupfnach, by Schinz. 



18. Bones of the Palceotherium in Molasse. — The sandstone 

 of Ballingen, on the upper Zurich Lake, contains bones and teeth 

 of the Palaeotherium. This sandstone, which is tertiary, and 

 a variety of the molasse formation, was formerly referred to 

 the secondary class. 



19- Geognostical situation of the great deposite of Lead- 

 glance and Calamine in Silesia. — It is now perfectly ascertain- 

 ed, that this extensive deposite occurs in a variety of the sJiell 

 limestone., particularly abundant in fossil shells. Lead-glance 

 also occurs in the shell-limestone of Wurtemberg and West- 

 phalia, and calamine in the same formation, in the Nekar circle 

 in Baden. 



BOTANY. 



20. OaTi- Trees liable to he strucTc by Lightning. — In Den- 

 mark, where there are considerable tracts covered with oak and 

 beech trees, it is remarked, that the oaks ai-e struck with light- 

 ning twenty times for once the beeches are struck. It is con- 

 jectured by some observers, that this circumstance is to be traced 

 to the forms of the two species of trees. 



21. Potato at a great height on the Mountain Orizaba. — 

 MM. Schiede and Deppe, in a letter to Baron A. Humboldt, 

 giving an account of their ascent of the great volcano of Ori- 

 zaba in Mexico, mention that they found the potato in a wild 

 state, at a height of 10,000 feet above the level of the sea. It 

 was about 85 inches high, with large blue flowers, and tubers 

 or potatoes the size of a hazel-nut. 



22. Method of detecting the adulteration of Tea. — The Chi- 

 nese frequently mix the leaves of other shrubs with those of 

 the tea-plant ; this fraud is easily discovered by adding to an 

 infusion of it a grain and a half of sulphate of iron. If it is 

 true green tea, the solution placed between the eye and the 

 light assumes a pale bluish tint ; if it is bohea tea, the solution 

 is blue, inclining to black, but if it is adulterated, it shews all 

 the colours, yellow, green, and black. — Desmaresfs Chemie Re- 

 creative. 



23. Culture of the Vine at Mescico. — The Botanic Garden of 

 jGeneva possesses a collection of more than 600 varieties of 



