Miscellanies. 383 



em States, and especially in Massachusetts and Connecticut, in which 

 states not only much of the coarser forms of iron, but of cutlery also, 

 is manufactured. We are given to understand that Mr. Alexander's 

 third number in his series on iron is in progress, and that it will present 

 the exposition of his microscopic researches into the crystallography 

 of crude iron. 



MISCELLANIES. 

 FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. 



1. Protest of Mr. Charles V. Walker. 



Editorial Remarks. — It is with much reluctance that we give publi- 

 city to the remarks of Mr. Wdfiker, as it is extremely desirable, in mat- 

 ters of science, to avoid personal controversy, and we are not sure, that 

 in the present case, the blame is not in part our own. The truth is, we 

 were in doubt whether the letters of Mr. Sturgeon, referred to by Mr. 

 Walker, were intended for publication or not. The subject-matter 

 seemed to justify if not to require it, and we were ignorant of any per- 

 sonal claims that interfered. Still, the letters were retained in hand, in 

 the hope of hearing farther from Mr. Sturgeon, and they were at last 

 published so late, that it seemed as if an apology was due for their delay. 



If we have exposed Mr. Sturgeon to criticism, by publishing what 

 was intended to be private, we sincerely regret it ; and on the other 

 hand, Mr. Walker may feel that he has cause to complain that his re- 

 monstrance has not appeared sooner. Being friends of p|p.ce, we have 

 been hoping to hear from Mr. Sturgeon or Mr. Walker, that the claims 

 of all parties were satisfactorily arranged ; but as we have no such in- 

 formation, we cannot act impartially (as it appears to us after much 

 consideration) without giving Mr. Walker's own statement of the case — 

 and we are not sure, after all, that we have not taken the course that 

 will fail to give satisfaction to any of those concerned or to the public. 



TO THE EDITORS OF THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



Kennington Grammar School, Feb. 1, 1841. 

 Gentlemen — In this Journal, Vol. xxxix, pp. 28-36, is an article rela- 

 tive to some experiments made with an extended series of the constant 

 battery, containing extracts from two letters addressed to you by Mr. 

 William Sturgeon, in the latter of which that gentleman has labored 

 hard to connect himself, to the exclusion of those who experimented 

 with him, with a certain important experiment — the heating of the pos- 

 itive electrode beyond the circuit. Had he confined his observations 



