Miscellanies. 161 
The letter-press will be in English, and illustrated with accurate 
engravings of every plant described, colored from nature. 
To be edited by Wituiam Ricu and Joun A. Brereton, M.D. 
U. S. Army, assisted by scientific gentlemen. 
Each number will contain eight colored engravings, and every 
third number an extra plate, forming an annual volume of one hin- 
dred colored engravings, descriptions of plants, &c. &c. Subserip- 
tion—Twelve Dollars per annum. 
13. Floating Pumice.*—Extract of a letter from Mr. A. A. 
Hayes to the Editor.—An interesting specimen of an unusual vari- 
ety of pumice,} was exhibited a few weeks since in Boston, and ex- 
cited considerable attention. I was permitted to detach a fragment 
for examination, but as it. was readily separated by mechanical means, 
into three distinct minerals, whose composition is known, an analysis 
of the specimen was not made. About nine-tenths of the bulk of 
the specimen is a white, vesicular transparent mineral, fusible per 
se; and with fluxes acts as a siliceous feldspar. One-hundredth of 
the bulk is black mica, in small, and often minute scales; the remain- 
der perfectly inclosed in the first, consists of crystals, and grains of 
White transparent quartz; a regular form had been given to the spe- 
“men by artificial means. 
14. Bromine.*—(From Mr. A. A. Hayes to the Editor.)—In a 
former No. of the Journal, I observed in your communication of the 
discovery of bromine in the waters of Salina springs, the interesting 
fact, that the bittern from the Connecticut salt works does not con- 
tain bromine. Is it possible that the presence of some other sub- 
Stance causes its separation in a state of combination, from the water 
in the process of evaporation, or are we to conclude that the salts of 
hy to-bromic acid, are more abundant on some coasts than on oth- 
*s? The bittern from the salt-works near Hingham, Mass., con- 
ins bromine, and it may be readily detected by the usual processes. 
15. American Birds.—We are informed that Audubon’s work on 
pnerican birds has arrived for the Atheneum in Boston. It exceeds 
® Most sanguine expectations of Mr. Nuttall, and all who have 
Seen it, 
* 
poned 
t Mentioned in a letter from John Tappan, Esq. to the Editor, as having been 
ope at sea in a very large mass. 
me 21 
4X.—No, 1. 
oma he ec See: Dine ee 
€se notices were prepared for a former number, but were accidentally post- 
