1814.] On Iodine^ Chlorine, Fluorine, ^c. 429 



tains of Cairnsmuir, Achar, and Blackcraig, vvith the River Dee 

 precipitating itself through the rugged valley betwixt the two 

 latter 



The top of the Louran is formed of a rock of a slaty structure 

 resting immediately on the granite, the strata in the usual direction, 

 and dipping towards the south east at an angle of 70°. It contains 

 much magnetic pyrites, and constitutes a sort of mountain cap of 

 about a quarter of a mile long from north to south. On one part 

 of this cap I found the magnetic power so strong as to make the 

 north pole of the needle stand as nearly as I could estimate, S. W. 

 by S. By shifting 10 yards to tlie north or south of this point, 

 the needle regained very nearly its natural position. 



I shall add to these imperfect notes a fact respecting the pre- 

 serving power of peat moss, communicated to me by James 

 Carson, Esq. of Barscoke near Newgalloway. . Twenty-one years 

 ago, the former proprietor of his estate, the late Mr. Fraser of 

 Gantuleg, in making a road through a moss, had laid in a quan- 

 tity of branches of trees, birch, hazel, ash, willow, and haw- 

 thorn, and covered them com])letely over with the moss. Mr. 

 Carson lately had occasion to take them up, and found, he says, the 

 branches not more decayed than they would have been by lying^ 

 one month above ground. 



A friend of mine lately, whilst his people were digging peats in 

 a moss not far from the same place, found a large quantity of 

 hazel nuts (about two English quarts) placed whhin a cubical 

 cavity, formed by six broad stones three feet below the surface of 

 the solid mass. I have been able to recover two only of these 

 nuts as a specimen. 



tdinburgh, 14lh Jan. 1814. 



Article IV. 



On Iodine, Chlm'me, Fluorine, 6^c. By M. Van Mons of 



Brussels.* 



A NEW acid has just been discovered in France. It exists in the 

 «tate of a salt in kelp. It may be obtained by treating the ley of 

 kelp, (deprived of its alkali,) previously licaied a little with sul- 

 phuric acid. A heavy substance precipitates of a black colour, 

 and possessed of more or less brilliancy. It is an oxygenated acid. 



• 1 received (he paper of which this ij a (ranJation some weeks ago from the 

 author. As it h without dale [ have no me;in» of knowing when if was written. 

 The author ih unacquainted, I presume, with what has liecn done in i'aris and 

 London rci-peciing iodine. Jlis views arc particular, and 1 conceive not alto- 

 gether accurate. Jlig method of procuring ioiliiie docs not correspond with ours. 

 Ills name varine (from vtirec, kelp) is peculiar to him-ielf. — T. 



1 



