424 Scientific Intelligence. 



camped for the night, on his route from Red River to the head waters 

 of the Mississippi, in the vicinity of latitude 48 degrees North and lon- 

 gitude 95 or 96 degrees West from Greenwich. While supper was 

 preparing, he perceived something falling on his hat like drops of rain; 

 but as there were no clouds to be seen, presumed it could not be rain. 

 On looking on the ground near the fire, he saw distinctly that the fall- 

 ing substance instead of being rain was a small winged insect, which, 

 although unable to fly had yet life and motion. The number rapidly 

 increased so as to give great annoyance by falling into the frying-pan 

 and supper vessels ; and continued until the ground was covered by the 

 shower. On the following morning, Sir George ascertained that this 

 extraordinary shower extended at least from twenty-five to thirty miles 

 in the direction he was travelling. No information has been received 

 as to its extent in other directions. It was observed that soon after the 

 shower, the weather changed suddenly from warm to cold. It is there 

 fore probable that the whole of this immense swarm of insects encoun 

 tered the cold current, and were paralyzed and precipitated thereby 

 They all died soon after falling. Specimens of these insects were col 

 lecled by the attendants of Sir George, from whom I received them 



In no instance, however, were they seen to revive after coming into a 

 warmer atmosphere. Not being able to recognize this species, I took 

 the specimens to Professor Bachhofner, of the Royal Polytechnic Insti- 

 tution of London, who at once declared them to be the u Notonecta 

 glauca" a species of aquatic diptera, well known in Europe. 



Other specimens were given to Dr. Le Conte, of New York, from 

 whom the scientific community will probably hereafter receive a more 

 particular description through the columns of the American Journal. 



Western Reserve College, Hudson, Ohio, July 27, 1847. 



6. On the Diatomaceous Vegetation of the Antarctic Ocean; by Dr. 

 J. Hooker, (Proc. Brit. Assoc, 1847, Athen., No. 1028.)— The author 

 found the Diatomaceae in countless numbers between the parallels 60 

 and 80° south, where they gave a color to the sea, and also to the ice- 

 bergs floating on it. The death of these bodies in the south Arctic 

 Ocean is producing a sub-marine deposit, consisting entirely of the sili- 

 ceous particles of which the skeletons of these vegetables are compo^o. 

 This deposit exists on the shores of the Victoria Land, and at the base 

 of the volcanic mountain Erebus. Dr. Hooker accounted for the iac 

 that the skeletons of Diatomacese had been found in the lava of volcanic 

 mountains, by referring to the position of the Diatomacere deposits in 

 relation to Mount Erebus,— which lie in such a position as to render i 

 quite possible that the skeletons of these vegetables should pass into the 

 lower fissures of the mountain, and then passing into the strea ^ n 

 lava, be thrown out unacted upon by the heat to which they have 

 exposed. 



been 



and 



7. Analogy between the Fossil Flora of the European Miocene w 

 the living Flora of America ; by Prof. Agassiz, in a letter t( > K# ' 

 Murchison, (Athenaeum, No. 1023.)—" I think I made a lucky and ^ ra 

 an unexpected hit, by tracing the close analogy between the fossil ° 

 of the European miocene deposits (molasse) and the living t or 

 the temperate parts of the United States of North America. lhe / fter 

 respondence extends to all the types of organized beings, l 



