Caducium. — Earlhguake.— Russian Voyage of Discovery, 4G7 



eite, from its most obvious property. It occupies amygdaloidal 

 cavities in the trap rocks. 



The second is a white powder, of a harsh feel, but incapable 

 of scratching glass, and nearly as fusible as that substance, pro- 

 ducing a transparent colourless bead; characters sufficient to 

 distinguish it from any mineral hitherto described. It occupies 

 similar cavities in trap, and he has given to it, from its leading 

 character, the name of conite. 



This notice may be of use to mineralogists, by directing their 

 attention to these substances, so as to enable them to collect 

 additional specimens for examination, and thus to cKtend our 

 knowledge of their characters. 



CADUCIUM. — AXOTIIEK NEW MINERAL. 



M. Gay Lussac communicated, in the last sitting of the French 

 Academy of Sciences, a note upon a new metal, which has re- 

 ceived the name of caducium, discovered by Professor Stromeyer, 

 of Gottingen. The caducium is white as tin, very ductile, com- 

 bines easily with other metals, fuses and volatizes in less time 

 than zinc. It is found in abundance in the mines of this last 

 metal. Its specific weight is 8-65. Thfs discovery, M. Gay 

 Lussac expects, will be of great consequence to the arts, on ac- 

 count of the properties which the new metal possesses ; and of 

 those which it can communicate to metals with which it is ca- 

 pable of amalgamating. ■ 



EARTHQUAKE. 



On the 9th inst. about twenty minutes part two o'clock, P.M. 

 tliere was a smart shock of an earthquake, in the neighbourhood 

 of Hayfield, on Loch Awe Side, Scotland. A gentleman who 

 was writing in his parlour first heard a report like that of artil- 

 lery, and afterwards a noise like that of rocks trmibling down 

 from the neighbouring mountain of Cruac.han. Having run out 

 to see what was the matter, he was not sensible of the earth- 

 quake which succeeded ; but his son and daughter, who were 

 in another room, were nearly tossed over, and the servants, at 

 their dinner in the kitchen, were astonished to see the plates on 

 the table dance before them. The shock was felt by several fa- 

 milies in a range of two or three miles, but no injury was sus- 

 tained by it. ■ 



RUSSIAN VOYAGE OF DISCOVF.RY. 



On the 17th of June the Russian brig Rusick, under the com- 

 mund of Lieut. Kotzcbiie, reached Portsmouth, last from the Cape 

 ol Good Hope, having been out two years and eleven months on 

 ii voyage of discovery. The crew had continued remarkably 

 iiuullliv, but she was obliged to put iiiio Portsnioutli for asui)piv 



K\ g 2 of 



