152 Scientific IiUelligence. [Fkb. 



WEBNERIAN SOClEXy. 



At the meeting of this Society on the 3d of December, there 

 waa read a communication from Captain Brown, of the Forfar- 

 shire Militia, describing five new species of shells, observed by him 

 in Ireland. The description was accompanied by excellent draw- 

 ings. A mineralogical communication from Mr. Giesecke was 

 read, in which he described several new and rare minerals observed 

 by him in West Greenland. 



At the meeting of the IJth of December, the Secretary read a 

 letter from Mr. Scott, at Ormiston, addressed to Lauder Dick, 

 Esq. ; containing a description of the junction of the transition 

 and floetz rocks near Jedburgh, and mentioning the occurrence of 

 granite in Roxburghshire. — Professor Jameson read the first part of 

 a paper describing the mineralogy of the south district of Scotland, 

 including a particular account of the rocks which occur in the 

 neighbourhood of Dunbar, in East Lothian. The coast of Dunbar 

 exhibits an alternation of the old red sand-stone with rocks of the 

 trap formation ; and interesting illustrations of the supposed che- 

 mical nature of sand-stone, and of the contemporaneous formation 

 of masses of lime-stone in sand-stone, and of trap in sand-stone. 

 At the same meeting, the first part of a memoir on the nature of 

 the polar ice, by Mr. Scoresby, was read. — Specimens of sand- 

 stone, brought from Berskiming, in Ayrshire, by Mr. JNIiller, were 

 exhibited. When cut into long thin bars they possess considerable 

 flexibility, which is a good deal increased when the stone is wetted. 



Article XIV. 

 SCIENTIFIC intelligence; and notices of subjects 



CONNECTED WITH SCIENCE. 



L Phospktiret of Ammonia. 



M. VoGEL has lately made a curious experiment in Paris. He 

 put a piece of phosphorus into ammoniacal gas, and then exposed 

 the phosphorus to the solar rays. A black matter was formed, 

 which was conceived to b6 a -combination of phosphorus and am- 

 monia. 



n. New Expedition into Africa. 



We understand that the British Government are at present pro- 

 jecting a new expedition to explore the interior of Africa. They 

 are to employ in this expedition the black regiment which has been 

 formed on the west coast of Africa; and which, being inured to 

 the climate, will constitute a better and more efficient guard to the 

 travellers, than the same number of British troops. It is at present 

 the most proljable opinion, that the Niger, after running east for a 

 considerable way, takes a southerly, and at last a westerly direction. 



