Meteorology. 281 



Such has hitherto been the researches made in regard to 

 this reptile, which has all the characters of a viper; that is 

 to savj the teeth or hooks bent forwards, niovLablc, re- 

 tractile, hollow, and furrowed ; with a glandulous apparatus 

 for filtring the venom, a reservoir to contain it, an aperture 

 at the bottom of the tooth to permit its entrance into the 

 interior, and a furrow on the outside to facilitate its flowing 

 into the wound which it occasions; the tooth being cut into 

 a gutter is open at the extremity, and pointed like a needle, 

 "since the first discovery of these animals, fifteen indivi- 

 duals of the same species have been killed or taken alive; 

 among that number there were two females, one of which 

 contained sixteen eggs, and the other six, which fcrms a 

 total of thirty-seven individuals destroyed. More than three 

 hundred persons are employed in the pursuit of these ani- 

 mals, and it is hoped that it may be possible to destroy theui 

 in the forest of Fontainbleau. 



Dr. Paulet is almost certain of curing the elTects produced 

 by the bite of this reptile, not by volatile alkali, nor the cau- 

 terv, but by more simple means, which he proposes to 

 make known. 



METEOROLOGY. 



Kingston, Jamaica, Sept. 22. — On the 30th ult. at fifteen 

 minutes past eleven P. M. a single but violent shock of an 

 earthquake was felt at St. Ann's Bay; its direction appeared 

 to be from north to south; its duration about four seconds; 

 moon waning; thermometer 85; no wind, but was preceded 

 by a solemn stillness of the atmosphere. The brute crea- 

 tion, immediately previous and subsequent to the concus- 

 sion, were extremely agitated, as was manifested by their 

 cries of alarm. For several hours before the shock, the air 

 was close and almost irrespirable; a heavy fall of rain took 

 place the following day. The usual rumbling noise and un- 

 dulatory motion of the earth, which generally attends those 

 phenomena, wer« not perceived. 



St.Jugo lie la Vega, Oct. 6. — A correspondent who re- 

 Fidcs near the Black River has transmitted to us the fol- 

 lowin<r account of a most awful and alarming phtenomenon, 

 which made its appearance in Middle Quarters, -.i the parish 

 of St. Elizabeth, on Monday the 2lth of September uU, 

 about four o'clock in the afternoon. It began with very- 

 heavy black clouds, as if there were a deluge <'f rain ready 

 to fall. It was presently afterwards accompanied with a 

 dreadful roaring noise, as if a violent squall of rain with 

 wind was coming on, but much moie loud and horrible. 



There 



