354 OUTLINES OF PERIODICAL LITERATURE, 
justly be said of Dr. Apjohn’s account of his experiments for determining 
the specific heats of the more remarkable gaseous bodies: the professor’s 
views are sustained by extensive calculations. In aremark on an article of 
M. Poisson’s T'raité de Mécanique, Mr. Ivory undertakes to demonstrate the 
theorem—“if an interior level surface be extended through the mass, the 
body of fluid within the level surface will be in equilibrium independently of 
the rest of the mass, and supposing the incumbent fluid were removed.” In 
a continuation of his paper on some of the phenomena and laws of action of 
voltaic electricity, Mr. Binks presents his general inferences deduced from an 
examination of the results furnished by his diagram and previous tables. In 
the eleventh series of his experimental researches in electricity, Dr. Faraday 
takes for subjects—induction an action of contiguous particles, absolute 
charge of matter, electrometer and inductive apparatus, induction in curved 
lines, specific inductive capacity, and general results as to induction: these 
researches will deservedly be referred to as authority ; they are now extend- 
ed to the 1214th section. Asa proceeding of the geological society, you find 
the conclusion of Mr. Sedgwick’s synopsis of the English series of stratified 
rocks inferior to the old red sandstone, with an attempt to determine the suc- 
cessive natural groupes and formations. Standing as miscellanies, synapta- 
sin the principle of almonds, composition of the blood, the iodide of amidin, 
new compound of sulphate of magnesia and water, chloretheral or “ chloral of 
ether,” formio-benzoilic acid, proportions of gluten in grain, oxide of phos- 
phorus, the sexborate and rhombic biborate of potash, cyanide of gold, are all 
noticed with more or less copiousness: and then October concludes with me- 
teorological observations. 
NovemBer.—Mr. Ivory introduces this month with observations on a 
principle laid down by Clairault for determining the figure of equilibrium of 
a fluid, the particles of which are urged by accelerating forces. A communi- 
cation then comes from Mr. Johnston on a new compound of sulphate of 
lime with water: this paper is illustrated by a table exhibiting the formu- 
lz of all the known sulphates, hydrated and anhydrous, of the magnesian 
class of oxides. The same writer furnishes another of his articles on the 
composition of certain mineral substances of organic origin : he now treats 
of Guayaquillite and the guayaquillitate of silver. Mr. Laming brings for- 
ward the second part of his inquiry on the primary forces of electricity, and 
Dr. Apjohn concludes his paper on the specific heats of the gases. A che- 
mical analysis of meteoric iron is taken from an American journal of science, 
and the writer concludes that “ our specimen is of celestial origin, and that it 
is a fragment of one of those asteroides of cometary matter which, wandering 
in space, occasionally cross our orbit, and, being attracted by the earth, so 
that they rush through our atmosphere, bursting into fire and descending, 
take up their abode on this sublunary sphere.” Dr. Faraday continues the 
eleventh series of his experimental researches in electricity, with diagram- 
matic illustrations; and in a further justification of the contact theory of 
galvanism, Mr. Fechner treats of facts which relate to the closed circuit, and 
of the development of electricity by the contact of metals and fluids. Mr. 
Bird’s observations on some peculiar properties acquired by plates of platina 
which have been used as the electrodes of a voltaic battery, conduct us to 
the proceedings of learned societies. At the “ Geological,” there were com- 
munications from—the Marquis of Northampton on spirolites in chalk and 
