198 Miscellanies. 
Fishes from the chalk. ‘There are several fine specimens of the 
Zeus Lewesiensis, which M. Agassiz has named Beryx ornatus ; 
some of them shewing the vertebre, bones of the head, &c. 
There are two or three specimens of the ancient shingle bed from 
Brighton Cliffs; pebbles held together by calcareous spar, which is 
white and beautifully crystallized among the pebbles. 
Nummulite rock from the great Pyramid of Egypt: the founda- 
tion of this wonderful structure rests upon the nummulite limestone, 
and the Pyramid is in part composed of it. This specimen was 
collected by a friend of Mr. Mantell, Dr. Hall, who was travelling, 
fellow of the University of Oxford. With a lens, the curious struc- 
ture of the shells is very beautifully shown. Herodotus alludes to 
these curious bodies and says they are the lentils thrown away by 
the workmen, which have become changed into-stone. The late 
Dr. Edward Clarke, (the traveller) was the first who noticed this 
rock in the Pyramid and pointed out the allusion of Herodotus. 
Vertebral bone near the end of the tail of the ~ capereseide is four 
inches long and nearly four thick in the largest place. 
11. Apparent loss of weight in the human body under certain cir- 
cumstances. —We insert this letter, as it relates to the subject of one 
of the articles in the late number of this Journal. It is desirable 
that it should be decided either that the appearance is illusory, or 
that a reasonable cause should be assigned.— Ed. 
Kingston, Upper Canada, Oct. 31, 1834. 
To tHe Epitor,—Sir,—As a subscriber to your valuable Jour- 
nal, I take the liberty of asking of some of your scientific readers 
the rationale of the following experiment. 
An individual is to place himself on a stool or table on his back ; 
with his arms and legs crossed, keeping the whole body stiff; four or 
six others are then to place themselves at about equal distances, by 
the sides of the first—say two at the shoulders—two about the mid- 
dle of the body, and the others by the hips and thighs. Extending 
the forefingers of each hand so as to touch the body, somewhat un- 
derneath. Ata given signal the whole party are to take as full an 
inspiration as possible, and at another given signal, simultaneously to 
respire very slowly, gently pressing the body upwards at the same 
time, when it will be found to rise with a very slight effort, and to 
continue rising until the breath is exhausted, when it will suddenly 
fall down with great force. The operators must be prepared for this 
