British Association for the Advaricement of Science. 121 



Mr. Exley presented a paper on the relations of atoms in or- 

 ganic compounds, comprising many very ingenious views and 

 speculations, which cannot be well condensed. 



Dr. Charles Schafhaeutl, of Munich, communicated the results 

 of his inquiries into the relative comhinoMons of the constituents 

 of cast iron, steel and malleable iron. Among other things, he 

 showed that the purest carbon contained and retained hydrogen, 

 and sometimes azote, even at the highest temperatures. Pure 

 iron cannot be welded ,• the welding power of iron depends on 

 its alloy with the carburet of silicon. Steel as it comes out of 

 the converting furnace or the crucible, is nothing more or less 

 than white cast iron, of which Indian steel, called wootz, is 

 the fairest specimen. Analyses were given of two specimens of 

 cast iron and one of steel. It appears that the peculiarities of 

 Swedish iron, depend in a great degree, on the presence of arse- 

 nic ; and those of Russia iron on the presence of phosphorus. 



Section C. Geology and Geography. 



Dr. Buckland, the President of the Section, submitted a re- 

 commendation from a Society in Bradford, that the attention of 

 members of Museums in provincial towns should be directed 

 chiefly, if not solely, to the collection of specimens from their 

 own immediate vicinities. 



Dr. B. laid before the meeting the last number of M. Agassiz's 

 work on Fossil Fishes, and spoke of the merits of that gentle- 

 man, who had sacrificed very flattering prospects in mercantile 

 life to a love of science ; being content to live almost in poverty, 

 devoting his slender means to the furtherance of his undertaking. 

 M. Agassiz had received pecuniary assistance from the Associa- 

 tion ; and to that body as well as to the English subscribers to 

 his work, he was most grateful, for without such aid he must 

 have abandoned the undertaking, so valuable to the scientific 

 world, and especially to geology. Dr. B. stated the importance 

 of fossil fishes to the geologist, their scales being preserved when 

 their skeletons are destroyed ; and made some observations on the 

 adaptation of the covering of animals to the medium in which 

 they live. He adduced the minute scales of the eel, covered 

 over with mucus, to protect it from the mud, — this mucus pre- 

 venting the scales from being grated or injured. 

 Vol. XXXVIII, No. 1.— Oct.-Dec. 1839. 16 



