M.\]!"\T.Y. IKAXCIS. 



M A I N I-:. 



410 



that n>"t:i! jils.t burn in ;ni atmosphere nf steam, 



npcratiire was required. 



In | tin- I'.ritMi Chemical 



Society, M. r-. Wanklyn and Chapman im-n- 



.eMiim with reference, 



i. HK< metal is not even at- 



I Iiy liquid bromine, ami chlorine docs not 



uitil it ft i- r a considerable exposure. 



l>r. 1'hip-un had clearly pointed out that iodine 



'-;':!!>. I over metallic magnesium 



witlmu' tin.' least trace of an iodide of inag- 



mod. As regards magnesium- 



iin. 1'r. J'hipson had stated that this 

 nni cannot be formed in the cold; hut 



-. \\ankley ami Chapman found that 

 mercury does act on magnesium in the cold, 

 when the surface of the latter is polished and 

 quite dean. The best method of obtaining the 

 amalgam is to heat the two metals to nearly 

 the hulling point of mercury, whereupon a 

 combination takes place attended with very 

 violent action, somewhat like that between 

 mercury and sodium. An amalgam containing 

 one part by weight of magnesium to two hun- 

 dred parts of mercury swells up and becomes 

 very hot when just moistened with water, and 

 when immersed in water decomposes it violent- 

 ly. A mairneMiim-amalgam containing one-half 

 of one per cent, of magnesium, decomposes water 

 far more rapidly than a sodium-amalgam, con- 

 taining twice that proportion of sodium. It 

 thin seems that the chemical affinities of mag- 

 nesiuni are intensified by association with mer- 

 cury, while those of sodium, which in a free 

 state is so much more energetic a metal than 

 magnesium, are diminished thereby. The 

 chemical energies of magnesium arc similarly 

 affected when alloyed with tin. 



A lamp for burning magnesium, invented by 

 Mr. II. Larkin, has been exhibited in London 

 and generally pronounced a success. The metal 

 in burned in the form of a powder instead of 

 ribbon or wire, and no clock-work or other ex- 

 traneous power is needed. The metallic pow- 

 der is mixed with a quantity of tine sand or 

 other diluting material, and is contained in a 



reservoir having a small orifice at The 

 bottom through whi< h the powder falls by its 

 own gravity, like sand in an honr-glass. A 

 metal tube conducts the stream of metallic 

 powder and sand to a point where a small 

 stream of common gas is introduced, and the 

 mingled streams of gas and powder issue from 

 the month of the tube, where they are ignited 

 and burn with a brilliant flame as long as the 

 supply of gas and metal is maint-tined. As the 

 metal is consumed, the sand falls harmless into 

 a receptacle provided for it, while all the fumes 

 are carried away by a small tube chimney. 

 Immediately below the orifice of the reservoir 

 is a valve to regulate the supply of the powder, 

 so that it may be turned on or off without put- 

 ting out the light, thus giving it an intermittent 

 effort peculiarly suitable for signals or light- 

 houses. 



MAHOXEY, Rov. FRANCIS, a Roman Catho- 

 VOL. vi. 30 A 



lie priest, journalist, and author, born at Cork, 

 Ireland, ubout 1800; died in Paris, Mar 19, 

 isr.r,. After obtaining a thorough knowledge 

 of < i reck and Latin in a school in his native 

 <-ity, ho left Ireland and entered a Jesuit college 

 in 1'aris, where he became familiar with 1 

 literature, and subsequently entered the I'ni- 

 vereity of Rome. After some years be took 

 clerical orders, but having a decided taste for 

 literature, abandoned his profession, and settling 

 in London devoted himself to his pen, accepting 

 an appointment on the staff of Fraaer't Maga- 

 zine. His popular essays for this journal, over 

 the nom de plume of "Father Prout," were 

 published in a collected form in 1830. and re- 

 published in I860. Mr. Mahoney also con- 

 tributed some of the earliest and best papers 

 which appeared in Bentley 1 * Miscellany, in 

 1837, and subsequently traveHed for some years 

 in Hungary, Asia Minor, Greece, and Egypt. 

 In 1847 he accepted from Mr. Dickens the post 

 of correspondent of The Daily News in Rome, 

 and in 1849 published his letters, which were 

 full of ardent zeal for the Italian cause, under the 

 head of "Facts and Figures from Italy." He 

 was for many years Paris correspondent of The 

 Globe, and his witty, spicy style was an at- 

 tractive feature in that paper. In 1804 he 

 retired into a monastery, where he remained 

 until his death. Mr. Mahoney was an able and 

 rapid writer. He was an inveterate reader, 

 and his quick and retentive memory enabled 

 him to hold in readiness for use most of what 

 he had read. Besides the languages mentioned, 

 he had a thorough knowledge of English, French, 

 German, Italian, and Spanish ; and his wit and 

 scholarship, added to the higher qualities of 

 his heart, made him popular in the society in 

 which he moved. 



MAINE. The Legislature assembled at 

 Augusta, on January 3d, and was organized by 

 the choice of Republican officers in both 

 branches. On the same day Governor Cony 

 delivered his inaugural address. After a session 

 of fifty-two days, the two Houses adjourned on 

 the 24th of February, having passed 222 acts 

 and 77 resolves. On the 23d, resolutions ex- 

 pressing confidence in the wisdom and patriot- 

 ism of the Union members of Congress, and a 

 belief in the equality of civil and political rights ; 

 approving of the efforts made in Congress to 

 secure the elective franchise in every State, 

 irrespective of race or color; and declaring 

 that the Legislature believe the loyal citizens 

 of Maine will give their hearty support to Pres- 

 ident Andrew Johnson in all proper efforts for 

 a complete and perfect restoration of the Union 

 on the basis of human rights, and the civil and 

 political equality of the American people, irre- 

 spective of color, passed the House, and were 

 concurred in by the Senate, with the exception 

 of that relating to President Johnson. 



From the report of the State Treasurer it ap- 

 pears that the whole amount received into the 

 treasury in 18G6 was $2,244,761.99, and that 

 the total available funds during the year, in- 



