Proceedings of tue Polytechnic Association. 935 



artificial fuel is sold at one-half the price of coal. Trinidad pitch 

 contains about twenty -five per cent of earthy material, which 

 accounts for its apparently small heating power. 



Ax Orxithological Rarity. 



A remarkable specimen of the feathered race, seldom seen in tem- 

 perate cliuiates, has been recently caught on the Italian shore of the 

 Straits of Messini, and sent to the zoological gardens of Xaples. It 

 is the iurclus roseus, or rose-colored thrnsh, about eight inches long, 

 wnth a tuft of dark feathers, showing a violet reliection, on its head ; 

 the back and breast are a beautiful rosy tint, tlie wings and the tail 

 brown, and the feathers of the tail striped with white ; the feet are 

 yelluwisli, aiid the beak a pale red on the upper part and black 

 underneath. The bird is of Asiatic origin, but is often seen in 

 Africa. It belongs to the dentirostral family, and is a groat destroyer 

 of locusts. 



CUEIOSITIES FROM THE SeA. 



The fishermen of Wick Harbor, Scotland, lately found one of the 

 shark family entangled in their nets, which measured twenty-seven 

 feet in length. Its pectorals were seven feet long, and its dorsals 

 three feet. It resembled the Squalus Madylmiis.^ but it had no second 

 dorsal fin. The oil from its liver filled nine barrels. Mr. Frank 

 Buckland lately announced the capture of a tunny, eight feet seven 

 inches long, and five feet and two inches in circumference, requiring 

 six men to lift it out of the van. Also, one sword-fish and several 

 monster sharks of different varieties. A nice little lot, tliis, for one 

 week's fashionable arrivals from the court of King Keptmie. 



EXTEKXAL ApPLICATIOX OF OaEBOEIC AoID. 



A correspondent of The British Medical- Jour iml says, /jare must 

 be taken in the external application of carbolic acid over large 

 surfaces, as three cases of poisoning by it have occurred in the work- 

 house near Birmingham. It was applied in a wholesale manner, in 

 mistake for sulphur lotiun, for tiie cure of the itch. Two of the 

 cases proved fatal. 



This item called up Dr. P. Yanderweyde, who stated that recently 

 he had occasion to inject a body with carbolic acid, and by some 

 accident most of the contents of the syringe came over his hand, 

 which jjained him very much, he immediately plunged his hand into 

 cold water, and found it an excellent remedy^ 



