204 . Miscellanies. 
7. Stenitic Granite, near Christiana, Norway—An eminent English 
geologist, who has recently visited this famous granite, states, that “ it 
occupies a mouniainous country, and has (geologically considered) the 
true granite character, and that Von Buch was quite right in affirming that 
all of it is decidedly newer than the shales and limestones containing tril- 
obites and orthocere, &c.; that it sends off veins into this transition form- 
ation, and hardens and alters it for a considerable distance, without de- 
ranging its strike or dip; yet this same granite, so decidedly newer than 
the Siberian strata of Norway, passes sometimes into gneiss, and in 
other places sends veins into gneiss; yet this gneiss is much older than 
the fossiliferous transition strata, having been disturbed in its stratification 
and greatly denuded before the fossiliferous beds were deposited uncon- 
formably upon it. I never had an opportunity before,” remarks the 
observer, “ of seeing a perfect gradation into each other of these two crys- 
talline rocks, inacountry where they can be proved to be so extremely 
distinct in age. How often may other masses of granite be newer than 
we suspect, where no similar evidence is at hand to establish their chrono- 
logical relations?” It can no longer be doubted that granite has been 
occasionally thrown up in all geological ages not more recent than chalk, 
granite may be not only the most ancient rock, but also 
one of the newest. 
8. New locality of Tourmaline —Brown tourmaline was found by us 
September at the steatite quarry near Orford, N. H., of great size and 
perfection. It is firmly imbedded in the steatite of certain portions of the 
quarry, to the great annoyance of the workmen; and owing to its brittle- 
ness, it is somewhat difficult to extricate it unbroken from its matrix. 
Some of the crystalline faces are curiously modified 
GENERAL PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. 
1. Notice of a splendid Aurora of 1789—communicated by the Rev. 
Prof. Henry Wars, D. D., &c. of the University of Cambridge, Mass.— 
On the evening of Saturday, Nov. 14, 1789, at Hingham, Mass., was 
exhibited the most remarkable Aurora Borealis that I ever witnessed. It 
first attracted my notice at about seven o’clock ; and from that time till 
eleven,—and I know not how much longer,—was exhibited a constant 
succession of rapid and surprising changes in shape, color, extent and 
At about ten o’clock a large portion of the northwestern quarter of the 
hemisphere was covered for a considerable length of time, with a dark 
uniform blood.color Rerscnt but by a slow and graceful motion, ¥a- 
rying in its shape and extent; at the same time that the exhibition of va- 
rious hues was alee in the north and east. At about half past tem, © 
