= 
290 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
convenient, and effective. It is hardly larger than a common daguerreo- 
type case and has all its compactness and simplicity, and — but 
Th 
scene. nother of Mount Vernon transports you instantly to the 
Views of statuary, as is well known, present most admirably the effect 
of the real statue. There is no reason why the complete galleries of 
Florence, Rome and other cities should not be on exbibitivn 3 in this and 
other countries. | Mr. Mascher makes these instruments of a great va- 
riety of forms, besides the simple one here alluded to. 
12. Heights of Perpetual Snow in the Alps.—M. Roret has deduced 
from observations during the years 1851, 1853 and 1854 in the via 
Alps that the height of perpetual snow is 3400 meters, or ie ers 
above the height stated j in many works on physics and rhe 
L’ Institut, No 1093. 
13. Hail at Cuba.—Hail is of very rare occurrence in Cuba, and the 
neighboring islands. According to M. Poey no hail fell at Havana 
from 1784 to 1825, an interval of 40 years. Delwead 1825 and 1828 
there were two years without hail. There were also 17 years from 
1828 to 1846 without hail; but from 1846 to 1849, there were four 
cases of hail, three of which occurred in the same year, 1849, one In 
March, two in August. There was none in 1850. —L rie No. 
14. Gold near Reading, Pa.—Dr. C. M. Wetuertut has confirmed 
his former announcement of the discovery of gold near Reading. The 
gold was discovered by Mr. Philipps, a mining geologist, searching for 
iron ore, a few miles westward from Reading and on the farm es Mr. 
Entlich, also on — western slope of Penn’s Motus: It was obtained in 
washing specimens of ferruginous quartz. 
15. On the Meesicll Systems of America.—M. J. Marcou presented 
a paper on this subject to the Acade emy of Sciences, Paris, Dec. 26, 
1854.—L’ Institut, No 1096 
taste for natural history ; but, evincing talent for drawing, he was ins 
duced to commence his studies as an artist, and, with this-object in view, 
he attended for six manne the studio of hs late Mr. Sasse in London. 
sued his medical studies with great zeal and suited: tig never preé- 
‘sented a for his segres at the University. He had, in ya con- 
rong an attachment for the sciences of ‘ities and botany, 
