Scientific Intelligence. 163 
** The most interesting thing in astronomy, at this time, is the ec- 
centricity of Saturn’s Ring. M. Schwalz of Dessau, was the first to 
perceive it. He informed M. Harding of it, who thought he saw the 
same thing. M. Harding informed me of it, and both 1 and my ad- 
juncts perceived what these gentlemen had observed, but I persisted 
in believing it to be an optical illusion, occasioned by the shadow of 
the planet upon the ring. I applied therefore to Mr. Struve, to set- 
tle the question, by means of the superb micrometers, attached to 
his great telescope. He had the complaisance to measure the dis- 
tance between the ring and the body of the planet on five different 
days, and he ascertained that what we had seen was not only an ap- 
pearance, but that Saturn’s ring is really eccentric.—Altona, Maz, 
1828.—Idem. 
5. An improved process for drying wood for glass houses, deseri- 
bed in the Jarbuch. des Polytechn. in Wein, consists in placing the 
wood in cast iron boxes, situated over the annealing oven, and com- 
municating with it. The excess of the heat, which in this situation 
is commonly Jost, penetrates the boxes and dries the wood, with an 
economy of time and fuel, and with much less danger of fire than 
when dried in the common way.—Fer. Bull. Nov. 1828. 
6. Blowpipe simplified —A modification of the blowpipe has been 
contrived by JM. Danger, and is described in the Bulletin d’Encour- 
agement, which has simplicity and cheapness to recommend it. A 
wooden clamp, with a screw underneath to attach it to the edge of a 
table, has a hole bored vertically through it in front, and to this hole 
underneath is attached a tube to the other end of which a bladder is 
tied. Another tube, which terminates with a jet piece, is attached 
to the hole above.” It is obvious that if this bladder be inflated, and 
its sides pressed together by the knees of the operator or by any 
other means, a stream of air will issue through the jet, and maintain 
the flame of the lamp. To keep up the supply of air, a mouth tube 
is inserted into a lateral opening in front of the clamp, and which 
reaches upwards to a convenient height for the mouth. By blowing 
into this tube occasionally, the supply of air in the bladder is preserv- 
ed, and to prevent its return a valve is placed at the end of the mouth 
tube. This valve is simply a piece of cork, fashioned to a conical 
Opening in a tin or brass piece adjusted to the end of the tube. A 
short wire, fastened to the cork, passes freely through a little guide, 
