Scientific Intelligence. 163 



*•' The most interesting thing in astronomy, at this time, is the ec- 

 centricity of Saturn's Ring. M. Schwalz of Dessau, was the first to 

 perceive it. He informed M. Harding of it, who thought he saw the 

 same thing. M. Harding informed me of it, and both 1 and my ad- 

 juncts perceived what these gentlemen had observed, but I persisted 

 in believing it to be an optical illusion, occasioned by the shadow of 

 the planet upon the ring. I applied therefore to Mr. Struve, to set- 

 tle the question, by means of the superb micrometers, attached to 

 his great telescope. He had the complaisance to measure the dis- 

 tance between the ring and the body of the planet on five different 

 days, and he ascertained that what we had seen was not only an ap- 

 pearance, but that Saturn's ring is really eccentric. — Altojia, Mai, 

 1S28.— Idem. 



5. Jln improved process fo7- drying ivood for glass houses, descri- 

 bed in the Jarhuch. des Polytechi. in TVein, consists in placing the 

 wood in cast iron boxes, situated over the annealing oven, and com- 

 municating with it. The excess of the heat, which in this situation 

 is commonly lost, penetrates the boxes and dries the wood, with an 

 economy of time and fuel, and with much less danger of fire than 

 when dried in the common way. — Fer. Bull. JYov. 1828. 



6. Bloiupipe simplified. — A modification of the blowpipe has been 

 contrived by JW. Danger, and is described in the Bulletin d'Encour- 

 agement, which has simplicity and cheapness to recommend it. A 

 wooden clamp, with a screw underneath to attach it to the edge of a 

 table, has a hole bored vertically through it in front, and to this hole 

 underneath is attached a tube to the other end of which a bladder is 

 tied. Another tube, which terminates with a jet piece, is attached 

 to the hole above. It is obvious that if this bladder be inflated, and 

 its sides pressed together by the knees of the operator or by any 

 other means, a stream of air will issue through the jet, and maintain 

 the flame of the lamp. To keep up the supply of air, a mouth tube 

 is inserted into a lateral opening in front of the clamp, and which 

 reaches upwards to a convenient height for the mouth. By blowing 

 into this tube occasionally, the supply of air in the bladder is preserv- 

 ed, and to prevent its return a valve is placed at the end of the mouth 

 tube. This valve is simply a piece of cork, fashioned to a conical 

 opening in a tin or brass piece adjusted to the end of the inbe. A 

 short wire, fastened to the cork, passes freely through a little guide, 



