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- 
Meteorological Observations. 175 
ON CRYSTALLIZED OXIDE OF CHROMIUM. BY M. F. WOHLER. 
When perchoride of chromium is passed in the state of vapour, 
through a glass tube heated to redness, it is decomposed into oxide 
of chromium, which remains in the tube in a crystalline form, and a 
mixture of chlorine and oxygen gases. The crystals of oxide of 
chromium thus obtained are black, of a metallic lustre, hard, well 
defined, and brilliant, possessing exactly the same form as the native 
peroxide of iron (_fer oligiste), which confirms the isomorphism before 
recognised in these two oxides. The exterior characters of these 
oxides, when crystallized, are precisely similar ; the specific gravity 
of this oxide of chromium is 5°21, nearly approaching to that of 
oxide of iron; but whilst the latter gives a red powder, that of the 
former is green, like the common oxide of chromium. These cry- 
tals are as hard as corundum, which, next to the diamond, ranks as 
the hardest known body.—Journal de Pharmacie, Juin 1835. 
NEW SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 
A Manual of British Vertebrate Animals. By the Rev. Leonard 
Jenyns, M.A., F.L.S., &c. 
An Elementary Treatise on the Computation of Eclipses and Oc- 
cultations. By J.W. Lubbock, Esq., F.R.S., &c. 
Notices of Communications to the British Association for the Ad- 
vancement of Science ; at Dublin, in August 1835. 
Geology of Yorkshire, Vol. Il. By Prof. Phillips. 
Philosophical Transactions, Part IJ. 1835. 
Remarks occasioned by Lord Brougham’s Paley’s Natural Theology 
illustrated. By Thomas Martin. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DECEMBER 1835. 
REMARKS. 
Chiswick.— December 1. Clear and fine: cloudy and windy at night. 
2. Very fine. 3.Cloudy. 4, 5.Fine. 6. Frosty and foggy. 7. Foggy. 
8.Hazy:rain. 9.Cloudy andcold. 10. Slightsnow. 11—13. Sharp 
frost, 14,15. Hazy. 16,17. Dense fog. 18. Clear: hail shower at noon. 
19, Cloudy and cold. 20. Slight snow. 21. Overcast : clear and cold. 
22. Sharp frost : foggy. 23—26. Frosty and foggy. 27.Cloudy. 28. Fine. 
29. Overcast. 30. Fine. 31. Frosty with dense fog. The quantity of 
rain in this month amounted only to a quarter of an inch. 
P.S. Observing the discrepancy apparent in your last Journal between 
the results of observations at the Apartments of the Royal Scciety and at 
this Garden, I intended to have sent some account of the instruments used 
here, and their situation. Such will be necessary ; but as some investiga- 
tions are being made on the subject, I thought it better to defer it till next 
Number. I shall therefore only remark that the thermometers here, in- 
dicating the max. and min. of temperature, are in an open space, unaffected 
by radiation from buildings—a circumstance which must have a very great 
influence on those used for the same purposes at Somerset House.— 
R. Tuomrson. 
Boston.—December 1, 2. Fine. 3. Cloudy. 4,5.Fine. 6, Cloudy. 
7,8. Foggy. 9. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 10 11. Fine. 12. Cloudy. 
13.Fine. 14,15. Cloudy. 16.Fine. 17. Foggy. 18. Fine. 19. Snow: 
<— night with snow. 20,21.Cloudy, 22—26,Fine. 27—s0. Cloudy. 
21. Fine. 
