454 Scientific Intelligence. [Dec. 



The albin is a variety of the apophyllite, and has been known 

 in this country about three years. It is well understood here 

 that some of the French savans feel a reluctance to own the 

 apophyllite of Ferro as such, and class it with the mesotype. 



M. Cordier takes notice of Werner's pelium. Werner named 

 it peliom, from •ne'hm^oL, bluish colour. 



I have just received two minerals, one under the nar; of 

 Skorodite, from Stamm Asser, near Schneeberg, in Saxony; 

 the other, a tungstate of lead, from Zinnwalde, in Bohemia. 

 Mr. Breithaupt, at Freyberg, calls the first skorodite, after 

 o-Kopofruv, garlic, as before the blow-pipe it gives out that smell. 

 When thoroughly heated, it leaves a reddish-brown globule, 

 which attracts the needle. Judging from the external character, 

 I should believe the skorodite sent to me to be a cupreous 

 arseniate of iron. 



The tungstate of lead, as to its exterior, greatly resembles the 

 brown acicular phosphate of lead from Pouliouen in Britany, 

 and from Rheinbreitbach on the Rhine ; but the crystalline form 

 is different, representing very acute four-sided pyramids. 



Crystallized zircon has been discovered last year-on the zoisite, 

 from Prickler Halt, at the Sau Alpe, in Carinthia. 

 I have the honour to be, dear Sir, 



Your most obedient and humble servant, " 



Henry Heuland. 



V. Curious Discovery that Spiders feed upon Sulphate of Zinc. 



( r iu Dr. Thomson.) 

 SIR, Cork, July 17, 1818. 



Should the following account be deemed worthy a place in 

 your Annals of Philosophy, you will oblige me by inserting it. 

 It is the substance of an essay read before the Cork Society for 

 promoting Knowledge, at a late sitting. 



I am, Sir, with due respect, your very obedient servant, 



Thomas Holt, Secretary. 



A few months since, having occasion for some sulphate of zinc, 

 I proceeded to examine my collection of metallic salts, amongst 

 which I expected to find what I required. I readily found the 

 paper, in which the label informed me the sulphate of zinc had 

 been, but was much surprised to find none in it. A considerable 

 quantity of minute particles of a yellowish-brown substance were 

 scattered through the paper, some adhering to it, and all held 

 together by an extremely fine silky thread. On removing the 

 various papers, and searching to the bottom of the box, I disco- 

 vered a portion of the sulphate of zinc, enveloped in a heap of 

 the powdery substance. When I took it up, a very large spider 

 ran out of it, and hid himself amongst the papers. The salt, 

 with the exception of a thin shell, had been completely eaten 

 by the insect. Never having met with or heard of a parallel 

 circumstance, I was induced to investigate more minutely, with 



