Miscellanies. 189 
21. Dr. Hare’s new process for obtaining silicon and boron.—A 
new and highly eligible process, for the evolution of silicon, was em- 
ployed by Dr. Hare and exhibited to his class last winter.- Potassium 
was included in a bell glass filled with fluosilicic acid gas. The po- 
tassium was then ignited by galvanism, and an active combustion en- 
sued. This was rendered peculiar by a deep red light, and copious 
brown fumes which were condensed or aggregated into chocolate 
colored flocks resembling snow in consistency, and which fell in like 
manner and coated the interior surface of the bell. 
Dr. Hare intended to subject fluoboric acid gas to the same ordeal, 
but was soon after disabled, for a time, by an injury affecting his right 
hand ; see p. 185 of this No. 
Dr. Hare also succeeded in decomposing boracic acid by a new 
method of heating it with potassium. In our next number we hope 
to give an engraving of Dr. Hare’s apparatus with an explanation, 
and a detail of his experiments. 
22. Greenstone Dyke.—Dr. A. Clapp, of New Albany, Indiana, 
while travelling last spring, discovered, in the town of Montgomery, 
in Vermont, a greenstone trap dyke of three feet in width, rising 
through talcose slate. It was in the falls of a stream called South 
Brook, where it descends from the hills. : 
23. Vol. IX of the Encycropmp1a Americana.—This volume 
contains in natural history and physics, the articles Ornithology, Or- 
ganic Remains, Optics, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Geology of North 
America, all of which appear to correspond, in the faithful manner in 
which they are prepared, with the related subjects in former volumes. 
24. Whirlwind storms.—Capt. James Riley, a veteran navigator, 
well known by his travels in Africa, has addressed an interesting let- 
ter to Mr. William C. Redfield, of New York, dated on the Atlantic, 
March, 1832; in which he fully confirms, from his own experience, 
the view presented by Mr. Redfield of the nature of violent wind 
storms. (See Vol. XX, p. 17 of this Journal.) Capt. Riley deduces 
from his experience certain important rules for the management o 
ships during those violent gales. See New York Journal of Com- 
merce for March 31, 1832. 
25. 8 report of observations on the Solar Eclipse of Feb. 12, 
1831.—A report on this subject by Messrs. A. D. Bache, Jos. Rob- 
