304 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
also a paper by Mr. J. C. Blackwell on the formation of crystals 
of silver by the contact of brass with nitrate of silver.—Prof. 
Johnston read a paper on the Resin of Gamboge and.its salts. 
He also produced some specimens of resinous. substances found 
in coal mines, and expressed his belief that this resin was an ex- 
udation from the trees of which the coal is composed. —Dr. Bird 
stated that he had formed chloride of copper by the voltaic ac- 
tion.—Mr. Maugham read a paper on a new Compound of Car-. 
bon and Hydrogen. -When the electrodes of a voltaic battery 
are armed with charcoal points, by means of platinum wires, and 
then brought under water, so as to produce the spark in the ordi- 
nary way, neither hydrogen nor oxygen gases are. evolved, but 
carbonic, oxide passes off, and a compound, not previously noti- 
ced, remains in the water, consisting of carbon and hydrogen.— 
A letter from Prof. Hare, of Philadelphia, was read, on his mode 
of fusing large masses of Platinum. Mr. Maugham claimed 
this as his own discovery.* __ i 
Section C. - Geology and Geography. sae 
~Mr. ay: presented a Description of a Bone Cavern in the 
Mendip Hills.. The cavern is on the summit of one of the Men- 
dip Hills, in a limestone rock. It. was discovered in pursuing a 
fox, which fled there for shelter. It is entered by a perpendic- 
ular fissure, 30 feet deep. From a large chamber at the bottom 
‘of this Sinwiates an. arched’ way leads into another chamber, from 
which a passage leads up towards the surface, and this latter 
seems to have been the original entrance. - The bones are gene- 
rally found’ imbedded in soft mud, in hollows in the bottom of 
_ the cavern, but sometimes also in stalactite. The greater part of 
the putida labo those of the ox, horse, deer, fox, boar, &c. But 
the most interesting cintemnstenice connected with. this deposit 1s, 
the .existence of human bones, which are found beneath the 
‘others. Nine skulls were also obtained. Many of the bones are 
in so decayed a state, that they crumbled to dust on being han- 
dled. It is worthy. of remark that none of the bones belong to 
extinct species. Prof. Sedgwick observed; that no human bones — 
had yet been found in any of the old’ caverns, unless under cir 
cumstances which clearly showed theit recent introduction ; and 
|" °* See Dr. are’s paper in the present No—Evs. 
ut ~ r ¥ 
