158 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



salt water of the ocean, the setting in of the tides pushes the fresh waters 



before them. 



3. Density of the Earth — The experiments of the Astronomers hi the 

 Harton Coal Pit, according to Rev. S. Haughton, (Phil Mag. [4], xii, 

 50), give for the mean density of the earth, 5'480. The pit was 1260 

 feet deep, and the seconds pendulum gained 2^^ seconds per day at the 

 bottom of the coal pit. 



But the calculations of Mr. Airy, the Astronomer Royal (ib. p. 231) as 

 given in the same Journal, vol. xii, p. 231, arrive at 6*566 as the mean 

 density, which number at page 468 is changed to 6'809 — 6*623, the va- 

 riation depending on the relative value of some of the observations. 



Lieutenant Colonel James has deduced (Phil. Mag. [4], xii, 314) from 

 the deflection of the Plumb-line at Arthur's Seat (Scotland), that the 

 mean density of the earth is 5'14. 



4. Artesian Well of Mondorf, — This well has reached a depth of 2247 

 Parisian feet, having passed through 54-11 meters of Has, 206*02 keuper, 

 142-17 muschelkalk, 311'45 variegated sandstone, 16*24 older slates and 

 grauwacke. The temperature at bottom is 27*63° C, equivalent to an 

 increase of 1^ C, m depth for every 31-04 meters. — Walferdin^ in Compt 

 Bend,j xxxvi, 250. 



5. Notice of a brilliant Meteor seen near Lahe Winnibigoshish^ Minne- 

 sota, April 11, 1857 ; by Rev. B. F. Odell. — The sky at the time was 



artly covered with thin stratus clouds, and was moreover somewhat 

 azy. Being at the river, at about ten minutes before 9 p. m., the whole 

 scene became suddenly almost as light as day, and on looking up X saw a 

 meteor of the greatest splenddr, in the constellation Hydra. Its course 

 was nearly clue west, and it did not occupy more than four seconds in 

 sweeping across the southern heavens. It seemed to me to be greater 

 than that of the full moon. It vanished a few degrees above the horizon, 

 without any noise or evidence of explosion, leaving a bright streak of 

 light, perhaps a degree in breadth, extending from a few degrees above 

 the eastern horizon to within a degree of the western- In one or two 

 minutes, this streak vanished, except a portion about 15^ in length, which 

 remained visible five or ten minutes, though gradually changing its form, 

 and losing its brilliancy. Its appearance was that of a streak of vapor 

 suspended in the atmosphere, gradually diffusing itself and distorted by 

 the unequal currents of air to which its different parts were exposed. 

 The whole moved very slowly to the north or northeast, but the western 



1 portion much the fastest, thus causing it to take a shape resembhng the 

 etter S. 



6. Prof Bailey. — The collections of microscopic objects made by Pro- 

 fe^or Bailey, and his library of works connected with that department of 

 science, were bequeatlied by him to the Boston Society of Natural Histoiy. 



7. American Association for the Advance of Science, — ^The next meet- 

 ing of the Association will open at Montreal on the 12th of August next. 



8. Key to the Geology of the Globe : an essay designed to show that 

 the present geographical, hydrographical, and geological structures, ob- 

 served on the earth's crust, were the result of forces acting according to 

 fixed, demonstrable laws, analogous to those governing the development 

 of organic bodies; by Richard Owei?, M.D., Prof. Geol. and Cbem. in 



