372 Miscellanies. 
phuric acid had been introduced, and the evolution of gas was no. 
longer sufficiently active, heat might be applied until nearly all the 
chlorohydric acid should come over. 
The residual diluted sulphuric acid was, with the addition of nitrate 
of soda or potassa, or nitrie acid, as serviceable for galvanic purpo- 
ses, as if it had not been thus used. ' 
Dr. Hare further communicated a method of preparing bydrochlo- 
rie acid and chlorine in the self-regulating reservoir invented by him, 
and spoke of some of the applications of the gases thus prepared. 
By means of the reservoir of chlorohydric acid he had been en- 
couraged to make an effort which proved successful; to form artificial 
camphor by the impregnation of oil of turpentine with that gas. 
Subjecting an ingot of tin to a current from his reservoir of chlo- 
rine, it was rapidly converted into the bichloride, or fuming liquor of 
Libavius. 'To his surprise the ingot was fused by the heat generated. 
In the last mentioned reservoir the materials were manganese, in 
lumps, and concentrated chlorohydrice acid, diluted sulphuric acid 
being also introduced; as the reaction of this last mentioned acid with 
the manganese was more active than that of the chlorohydric acid. 
In fact, sulphuric acid, diluted with its weight of water and common 
salt, might be used without chlorohydric acid. In the reservoir for 
elilorohyd ric acid, the materials were sal ammoniac and sulphuric acid, 
to which some water was added, but not so much as to prevent the 
chlorohydric acid from assuming the gaseous state. 
Mr. Sears C. Walker made an oral communication on the subject 
of determining longitudes from corresponding observations of me- 
teors. ; : 
It had been recently remarked by Prof. Schumacher, Astr. Nachr. 
No. 283, that, so far as his information extended, no trial had been 
made of the observation of meteors for determining longitude; 
though the subject had been proposed long since by Prof. Benzenberg- 
Accordingly, on the 11th of August, 1839, observations, chiefly of the 
instant of vanishing of meteors, were made at the observatories of 
Altona, Bremen, Konigsberg, Breslaw, &c., with such success as to 
Jead Dr. Olbers to the conclusion announced in a succeeding No. (284) 
that observations of this kind are adequate for the complete determi- 
nation of longitudes of places. By means of twelve coincidences on 
the same night, Prof. Boguslawski found the Breslaw Observatory to 
be 28m. 22.07s. east of Altona, differing less than a second from that 
which had been previously adopted. 
=< iyatiee subject of priority in this inquiry might be considered im- 
nt, Mr. Walker deemed it his duty to communicate the substance 
r from Prof. Alexander, of Princeton College, New Jersey; 
