254 THE CHEMISTRY OF CREATION. 



calmed, and the mystery was solved ; for what 

 seemed smoke was in reality the pollen of the 

 woods." Insects, fish, lichens, infusorial ani- 

 malcules, volcanic ashes, sand, earth, and many 

 other substances, occasionally enter into the air 

 by the attraction of rapidly revolving currents, 

 and are dropped often at a great distance from 

 the places whence they were snatched. 



One of the most remarkable^ discoveries of 

 late years, upon the chemistry of the acci- 

 dental ingredients of the atmosphere, is that of 

 Professor Schonbein, in the body which he has 

 called Ozone. This is a compound of oxygen 

 and hydrogen, analogous to, though in some 

 respects differing from, that substance so long 

 known to .chemists under the name of Peroxide 

 of Hydrogen, to which reference was made in 

 the illustration of one of the fundamental laws 

 of chemical combination. The latter has been 

 considered chiefly as a curiosity by chemists. 

 Jt is a limpid transparent fluid, precisely re- 

 sembling water in its appearance, and remark- 

 able for its bleaching properties. It also pos- 

 sesses several very curious chemical peculiari- 

 ties. It is composed of exactly twice as much 

 oxygen to the same amount of hydrogen, as 

 in water. Such also appears to be the com- 

 position of ozone : yet, strange to say, it seems 

 that ozone and the peroxide of hydrogen are 



