1820.] Scientific Litelligence. 311 



the Annals of Pldlosophi/ was translated from a paper by Prof. 

 Steinmann, which was referred to in Schweigger's Journal, 

 vol.xxv. p. 413, where it was pubhshed. TheGerman word which 

 I translated amorphous is derb. This word is usually translated 

 massive, but our Enghsh word massive conveys I apprehend only one 

 half of the meaning of the German word, which indicates the 

 want of a distinct form, or crystalline shape. I conceive the 

 word amorphous to be equivalent to destilute o/' a regular shape. 

 A mineral mav be very well fibrous, and destitute of a regular 

 shape, at the same time. Thus no mineral can be more com- 

 pletely fibrous than amianthus, yet it never occurs in crystals. 

 When I inserted the notice in question, I had never seen a spe- 

 cimen o{ karpholite. By the kindr.ess of Mr. Heuland I have 

 now a specimen of that rare mineral in my possession. It con- 

 sists of fibres diverging from a centre. Hence they are probably 

 of a crystalline nature. It would not, therefore, be surprising if 

 it should occur in crystals ; so that it is not unlikely that Prof. 

 Steinmann's description will require to be modified hereafter. — T. 



VIII. On the Bed of the German Ocean. 



At a meeting of the Wernerian Society, Mr. Stevenson, engi- 

 neer, concluded his second paper on the bed of the German 

 Ocean, or North Sea, in which many striking proofs are again 

 brought forward descriptive of the v>'aste of the land upon all 

 parts of the shores, and of the silting or filling up of the bottom 

 of the sea. In illustration of this, after a careful examination 

 and comparison of the cubical contents of the great sand banks 

 situated in the central parts of the German Ocean, it is estimated ' 

 that the average depth of this sea does not exceed 31 fathoms, 

 although the range of soundings extends from 120 to 18 fathoms. 

 Supposing, therefore, that these vast accumulations are of the 

 same uniform mass throughout, they would amount to a quantity 

 of solid matter equal to no less than 28 feet of the perpendicular 

 height or depth of the firm land of Great Britain taken at the 

 level of the sea, and supposing the whole to be a level plain. 



It is accordingly assumed that although these calculations are 

 necessarily of a very general nature, yet that they at least tend 

 to show that a great body of water nmst be displaced in conse- 

 quence of these extensive sand banks occupying so considerable 

 a portion of the bed of the North Sea, and that the unavoidable 

 effect of which must give a direct tendency to the waters of the 

 German Ocean to overflow their margin in the same manner (if 

 the comparison may be made) as if stones, or other matter, were 

 thrown into a vessel already nearly brimful of water. 



In discussing this subject, the German Ocean, or North Sea, 

 is described as a great basin having two inlets, or apertures, the 

 one towards the north, measuring about 280 miles in breadth, 

 which is bounded by the Orkney Islands on the west, and the 



