486 Chronicles of Science. [ July, 
elementary muscular fibre; but the branches do not come into contact 
with the contractile tissue itself, or with its nuclei in any part. 
These observations of Dr. Beale, in connection with his former 
researches, must serve to establish very important results with regard 
to the morphology of the nervous system. It seems to be now a 
definitely established fact that the ultimate fibres of the nervous cords 
do not end in free extremities, but form a connected network or plexus. 
VIII. MINING, MINERALOGY, AND METALLURGY. 
Minne. 
Tue rapidity with which our blast furnaces swallow up iron ore na- 
turally gives rise to much anxiety, lest the supply should be unequal 
to the demand. 
Nearly eight millions of tons of ore are required to meet the pre- 
sent necessities of manufacture. Eagerly, therefore, are the native 
stores of iron ore sought out, and this eagerness is rewarded by many 
new and important discoveries. 
At Belsdale, the place probably which was once worked by the 
Monks of Rivaulx Abbey, a large deposit of iron ore has been dis- 
covered. It had been traced in the Howardian Hills, the Derwent 
Valley, and near Malton. At Oldstead, near Coxwold, and at Keldy 
Castle, near Pickering, an excellent ore has been opened upon. We 
are gradually finding the links which form the chain of the vast de- 
posits of ore extending from Whitby, with some brief interruptions due 
to geological changes, through Lincolnshire, across Northamptonshire 
and the adjoining counties, to Oxfordshire. 
In the Western counties, a similar activity exists, and many new 
discoveries have been made. We are receiving some considerable im- 
portations of iron ore from Norway. This Norwegian ore is of a re- 
markable character, being, indeed, a titaniferous iron ore, much of it 
containing 30 per cent. of titanic acid. It is thought that this ore 
will be of great value in the manufacture of steel, and an English com- 
pany is formed to work the Norwegian mines. 
A series of experiments have been tried in Doleoath Mine, in Corn- 
wall, on the use of gun-cotton instead of gunpowder, in blasting the 
rocks. Baron Lenk’s gun-cotton, as prepared by Messrs. Prentice and 
Co., was used, and the results were, on the whole, satisfactory; a 
larger quantity of rock being displaced with a quantity of gun-cotton 
less than one-half the weight of gunpowder required. We shall re- 
port all further experiments which may be made. 
There are no novelties to record in connection with British mining. 
Nearly all our Mineral industries are, at present, working under the 
pressure due to the low prices of metal. There has been, and, to a 
certain extent there still continues, a great deal of unnatural excite- 
ment in connection with mining speculations. The result must prove 
to be, in every way, disastrous for the actual satisfactory exploration of 
