Foreign Literature and Science. 167 



ses of rocks, probably precipitated from the summits of the 

 adjacent mountains, and heaped together in the most fantas- 

 tic groups. Places of desolation of this kind, are frequent- 

 ly met with among the mountains, connected with the sea 

 by water-falls, which are precipitated with tremendous ve- 

 locity from the rocks covered with glaciers. I have no doubt 

 that such changes, caused by the bursting of glaciers, and 

 the subsequent inundations, have produced these scenes of 

 desolation ; and that perhaps the Norwegian settlers perish- 

 ed, and were buried in the ruins caused by such destroying 

 powers." — Ed. Phil. Jour. 



4. On the Preservation of Zoological Specimens from 

 the depredations of Insects ^ hy Thomas S. Trail, M. D. F. 

 R. S. E., &c. Communicated by the Author. 



The author remarking upon those compositions which 

 contain as ingredients, arsenic and corrosive sublimate, says 

 " they are well known to be very effectual, when properly 

 applied ; but unless used with caution, they are apt to injure 

 the natural pliancy of the skins, and they can scarcely be 

 effectually employed to protect collections of insects. I 

 have known these substances, even in the hands of the most 

 expert, produce such tenderness of the skins impregnated 

 with them, as to form a considerable obstacle to setting up 

 the specimens." After speaking of tallow and camphor, 

 (the first of which he has not tried, the other has known to 

 fail) he proceeds ; " Every substance which I have yet tried 

 seems to be inferior in efficacy and ease of application to 

 the following," — the method of Mr. William Gibson, prepar- 

 er of objects of Natural History, residing in Liverpool, 

 which I shall transcribe from his own communication to me. 



" I have found" says he, " that nothing destroys insects so 

 effectually as rectified oil of turpentine^ and my method of 

 using it is as follows : I put the turpentine into a bladder, the 

 mouth of which is firmly tied with a waxed string and noth- 

 ing more is necessary than to place the bladder, thus pre- 

 pared, in the box with the birds, or tie it to the pedestal on 

 which the birds are perched in a case. If there be any 

 maggots on the birds, I have invariably found, that they will 

 soon be dislodged from the feathers, fall to the bottom of the 

 case, and die in the course of a few days. It is also stated 

 that the turpentine is equally hostile and fatal to the com- 

 mon house-fly, the large blue-bottle-fly, moths, and cock- 



