148 Scientific Intelligence. [Feb. 



Sweden ; but did not describe it. Prof. PfafF, of Kiel, has lately 

 published a description and analysis of it. Of these I shall give 

 an abstract in this place. 



The colour of the mineral, when recently broken, is light lead- 

 grey, approaching to tin-white ; but it gradually tarnishes, and 

 approaches the appearance of copper nickel. 



It occurs massive. 



The lustre of the fracture is splendid and vitreous. 



The fracture is foliated. 



Composed of granular distinct concretions, resembling steel- 

 grained galena. 



Frasjments indeterminate and blunt-edsred. 



Opaque ; streak similar. 



Semit:ard ; very easily frangible ; specific gravity, 6-129. Its 

 constituents are as follows : 



Nickel 24-42 



Arsenic 45-90 



Iron 10-46 



Sulphur , 12-36 



93-14 

 (Schweigger's Journal, xxii. 253.) 



IV. Position of Lyons. 



In the year 1811, Baron von Zach determined the latitude of 

 this city by means of 262 observations to be 45° 45' 57-37". 

 Gabriel IMouton, a celebrated astronomer of Lyons, during the 

 17th century, determined the latitude to be 45° 45' 35-1", But 

 the position of his Observatory is not accurately known. The 

 longitude is 10' in time E. from Paris, or 22° 29' 9" E. of Ferro^ 

 — (Correspondence Astronomique du Baron de Zach, i. 205.) 



V. Clock. 



The first clock ever known in France was erected in the fifth 

 century, in the Cathedral church of Lyons. Gondebaut, or 

 Gombaut III. King of Burgundy, having been informed that 

 Theoderic, King of the Goths, who resided at that time in 

 Havenna, had machines which marked the order of time, 

 -according to the movements of the heaven and stars, wrote to 

 him requesting to have one. Theoderic gave orders to the 

 ■celebrated Boccius to make for him two such as perfect as pos- 

 sible. Theoderic sent them to Gondebaut, with an excellent 

 letter which may be seen in the works of Cassiodorus, Secretary 

 of State to Theoderic, who v.as accustomed towards the end of 

 liis days, after he had retired from public afiairs, to amuse him- 

 self with making quadrants, clocks, and perpetual lamps. — 

 (Ibid. p. 225.) 



