156 Chemistxy. — Natural History. 



efl'ects on the organs of sensation and motion, heat, light, &c. 

 were then examined, and stated to be explicable according to 

 the principles before referred to : and it was conceived that all 

 these effects, as they occur, are irreconcilable to the electrical 

 hypothesis. 



The paper was illustrated by a variety of experiments perform- 

 ed before the society. 



Feb. 8. — A paper " On the acidifying principle, accompanied 

 with some observations on the theories of combustion," was read 

 by J. O. Reardon, M.D. 



XXVIII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



ANKOUiNCED METALLIZATION OF CHARCOAL. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



SiR, — IVIr. DobereiNER, Professor of Chemistry in the Uni- 

 versity of Jena in Saxony, informs me, that he has discovered 

 charcoal to l)e a melnlUc compound. The following lines I have 

 received from Mr. Dobereiner on this subject. F. A, 



"I hope to be able to communicate to you 



the successful metallization of charcoal, which I have found con- 

 tains a metallic base. In cast iron and in steel the metal is pre- 

 sent in a metallic state, and maybe separated from both of them 

 by the united action of phosphorus and an alkali. Further par- 

 ticulars concerning this subject I will transmit to you in my next. 



" To Mr. Accum, London. Dobkreixer." 



natu:jal history. 



Chajneleon, Colours, Bats, Parrots, Monkeys. 



Mr. Forbes (in his Oriental Memoirs, an interesting and 

 splendid work) when at Dazagan in Concan, then belonging to 

 the Mahrattas, kept a chameleon for several weeks, and paid 

 great attention to its changing colours. Its general colour was 

 "a pleasa'it green" spotted vvith pale blue. Its customary 

 change nere to a bright yellow, a dark olive, and a dull green ; 

 but whe:i initated, or when a dog approaclied, in which case fear 

 v/as perhaps the operating cause, the body became considerably 

 inflated, and the skin clouded like tortoiseshell, in shades of 

 yellow, orange, gr(,en and black : in these circumstances it ap- 

 peared to most advantage. The animal was most singularly af- 

 fected by any thing black : the skirting-board of the room was 



black. 



