Geological Society, 455 



Sir Everard Elome furnished a short paper, containing 

 some remarks on the solvent glands and gizzards of the 

 different species of cassowary in New South Wales, and the 

 African ostrich. It appears that these organs are always 

 adapted to the native climate and to the quantity of food 

 which the fowl can procure. The length of the intestines, 

 and their magnitude, seem dependent on the like cause. 



A paper by Mr. Hrande, on alcohol, as supplementary 

 to his former remarks on this subject, was read. It appears 

 that Mr. B. has at length succeeded in procuring alcohol 

 from various fermented liquors, without the aid of distil- 

 lation. For this purpose he operated with acetat ot lead 

 and nitrat of tin, by which he obtained pure alcohol. He 

 also corrected several of his former estimates of the quantity 

 of alcohol in wine, &c. 



Dec. 24. Part of a second paper, by Dr. Lambe, on ar- 

 senic, was read. In the account of his experiments Dr. L. 

 was led to suspect that carbon, azote, and hydrogen, are 

 only modifications of the same element. The Society then 

 adjourned till Thursday, Jan. 14, 1813. 



•^* In our last Number, where we reported the paper of the astronomer 

 royal, whicli was reail before the Royal Society on the I '2th November, upon 

 the last summer solstice, the mural quadrant was inadvertently mentioned : 

 it should have been stated, that the observation* fnnii which the solstice was 

 deduced, were made with the new mural circle lately erected at Greenwich. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



At a meeting of this Society on December 4th (the Presi- 

 dent in the chair) the reading of a paper by Wm. Philips, 

 Esq. M. G. S. "on the veins of Comwall" was begun. 



The regular or metalliferous veins of Cornwall are found, 

 with few exceptions, to run east and west. The known 

 length of many of these veins is considerable, amounting 

 in some instances to two or more miles, but their actual 

 termination at either extremity has in no case been satisfac- 

 torily ascertained ; all that is known being, that they gra- 

 dually become so poor and narrow as to make it no longer 

 worth the miner's while to pursue them. The dip or descent 

 of the veins varies more or less Imm per[)endicular inclining 

 towards the north or south, which inclination is called the 

 tinJtilie of the lode. The depth of the veins is still less 

 known than their longitudinal extent, not an instance 

 having occurred of a vein being fairly worked out : many 

 mines have indt'ed been relinquished, but only on account 

 of the expenses ol' working them exceeding the produce. 

 The deepest mine now in work in Cornwall is Dolcoath, 

 «ome of the workings of which are 'J'JS fathoms below the 



1" f 4 ' surface. 



