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THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Prciectzd Voyages of Discovery. — At the instance of the Geo^aphical Socie- 

 ty, government have granted L. 1 000 towards the expenses of two voyages of discovery ; 

 the one into the interior of Africa from Delagoa bay, on the east coast, and the other 

 to explore the high land which forms the boundary between British Guiana and the 

 basin of the Amazon m America. 



The Frekch Discovery-Ship La Litxoise. — No tidings have been received re- 

 garding that vessel since the month of August 1 834, which, under the command of Lieu- 

 tenant de Blosseville, was sent on a voyage to the coasts of Iceland and Greenland. — 

 The following is the proclamation issued by order of the King, dated June J 7, 1835: 

 — 1. That a sum of 100,000f. (L.4,000) shall be given to any French or foreign 

 mariners who will bring back to their country the whole or part of the officers and 

 crew of La Lilloise. — 2. That a pecuniary reward proportioned to the service shall be 

 granted to those who would be the first to bring any positive intelligence respecting 

 the said officers and crew, or procure to France the restitution of any papers and 

 eflFects soever which had belonged to the above expedition. 



Since writing the above, intelligence has been received by the French Govern- 

 ment, from M. Gaymard, surgeon and naturalist to the discovery ship commanded 

 by Lieut, de Blosseville, that from the information which has been obtained at Iceland, 

 there is but little hopes of the object of the expedition being attained. ]M. Gaymard 

 has been fortunate in obtaining numerous treasures in Natural History, which he pur- 

 poses forwarding to the Jardin des Plantes at Paris. 



ExPEniTioN OF Discovery — Van Diemen's Land. — Hobart Town papers of the 

 25th February 1835, have been received, which announce that letters had been trans- 

 mitted by Mr Frankland, giving a very satisfactory account of the progress of his ex- 

 pedition. He proposes to trace the source of the Heron, the Derwent, and other 

 rivers, to penetrate the east coast between Port Davy and Macquarie Harbour, and 

 to return by the hitherto unexplored country in the neighbourhood of Mount Wel- 

 lington. The weather had been favourable for him, and there was every prospect of 

 the undertaking proving successful. 



REVIEWS. 



A Selection from the most Remarkable and Interesting Fishes found on the coast of 

 Ceylon, from Drawings made in the southern part of that Island. By John 

 W. Bennettf Esq., F,L,S., ^c. Royal quarto. Longman and Co. London. 

 1830. 

 Although this volume has been before the public for some time, we do not think it 

 is so well known as it deserves to be. It contains thirty plates of fishes, all of which 

 are remarkable for the splendour of their colours, or the singularity of their structure ; 

 and these are executed with a fidelity which reflects high credit on the author as an 

 artist. "We cannot too favourably speak of the beautiful manner in which the en- 

 gravings have been executed by Mr J. Clark, and also of the careful and sparkling ef- 

 fect of the colouring. The author has introduced into his descriptions not only the 

 scientific, but also the Cingalese names. This elegant book is well fitted to ornament 

 the table of the drawing-room or saloon ; and we especially recommend it to the notice 

 of all those who have been resident in the East. 



Excursions illustrative of the Geology and Natural History of the Environs of 

 Edinburgh. By JHUiam Rhind^ Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and 

 of the Medical and Physical Societies, Lecturer on Natural History, ^c. Royal 

 18mo. Maclachlan and Stewart, Edinburgh; and Baldwin and Cradock, Lon- 

 don. 1833. 

 To every person who has the sUghtest desire to become acquainted with the Natural 

 History of the vicinity of Edinburgh, we can confidently recommend this excellent 

 pocket treatise. Indeed, it ought to be the companion of all our walks; for in what- 

 ever direction we may bend our steps, Mr Rhind edifies us with the structure of the 

 rocks, the botany of the meadow or wood, and the animals which we are likely to meet 

 with in our rambles. Our author, in particular, gives a lucid description of the geo- 

 logical structure of Arthur's Seat, Salisbury Crags, Castle Hill, Calton Hill, Craig- 

 leith Quarry, Braid, Blackford, Pentland, and Corstorphine Hills ; Cramond Island, 

 Isle of May and Bass Rock ; the sea beach at Newhaven ; all that is interesting in the 

 natural history of Duddingston Loch and Lochend; Roslin, Lasswade, Musselburgh, 

 and Ratho ; with a list of the mountain rocks, fishes, and land shells. The work is il- 

 lustrated with coloured maps of the environs of Edinburgh, with a coloured geological 

 section of the country, from the Calton Hill on the east to the Pentland Hills on the 

 west, and with eleven wood-cuts. 



To strangers visiting Edinburgh, this cannot fail to prove a useful companion. It is 

 handsomely printed, and very cheap. 



LEARNED SOCIETIES. 

 Royal Society. — The last meeting of the season was held on the 18th June, Sir 

 John Rennic, V.P. in the chair: on which occasion, the following papers were read, 

 viZi — 1. Discussion of Tide Observations made at Liverpool, by J. W. Lubbock, Esq. 



2. Experimental Researches in Electricity, by Michael Faraday, Esq., tenth series. 



3. On the Distinction between certain Genera of Shells, by S. E. Gray, Esq. 4. On 

 the Ova of Mammiferous Animals, by T. W. Jones, Esq. 5. On the supposed ex- 

 istence of Metamorphoses in the Crustacea, by J. O. Westwood, Esq. 6. On the 

 Star-fish of the Comatula, by T. V. Thompson, Esq. 7. On the influence of Per- 

 spiration on the quantity of Blood in the Heart, by James Wardrop, Esq. 8. On 

 Sound, by P. Cooper, Esq. 9. On the Tides, by P. Cooper, Esq. The Society 

 then adjourned till the 19t.h November next. 



LiNN^AN SociETT. — The Duke of Somerset in the chair. The president nomi- 

 nated Robert Brown, Esq., Edward Forster, Esq., Dr Horsfield, and A. B. Lam- 

 bert, Esq., to be vice-presidents of the society for the present year. There was 

 read an account of the galls found on a species of oak from the shores of the Dead 



Sea, which have been mistaken for the fruits of certain plants; and a note on the 

 mustard plant of scripture, by Mr Lambert. Also, descriptions of five new species 

 of the genus pinus, discovered by Dr Coulter in Cahfornia, by Mr Don, Lib. L. S. 

 At a meeting on Tuesday evening, a paper was read, being some observations on the 

 screech-owl, by Mr Knight; and also a memoir on the metamorphosis in the ma- 

 croura of the class crvstacea, by J. V. Tliompson, deputy-inspector of hospitals. 

 Mr Christy exhibited a flowering specimen of the very rare British plant, liparis 

 la'selii, from Bottisham Fen, Cambridgeshire. 



Royal Institution. — On Friday, 12th June 1835, the evening meetings of this 

 institution closed with a lecture on the " History and Manufacture of Gunpowder," 

 by I\Ir Henry Wilkinson. Mr Wilkinson quoted a variety of authors, ancient and 

 modern, to prove that gunpowder had been known in China and India, beyond all 

 periods of investigation; and observed, that in the Gentoo laws, supposed to be coeval 

 with Moses, there was a prohibition of the use of gunpowder and fire-arms. He then 

 minutely described all the progressive stages of the manufacture of gunpowder, and 

 produced specimens of each ingredient in its various states; and concluded with a 

 variety of interesting experiments, to show the quantity of permanently elastic fluid 

 generated by the ignition of gunpowder. This he effected by firing gunpowder under 

 water, and collecting the gases in the pneumatic trough. The enormous amount of 

 gunpowder consumed in war, he illustrated by stating the quantities used at the sieges 

 of San Sebastian, Badajos, and Ciudad Rodrigo; and he concluded with several curi- 

 ous experiments, showing the effect of fulminating powders on gunpowder. A train 

 of fulminating powder was drawn across another of gunpowder, and the fulminating 

 powder inflamed, which passed with such rapidity over the gunpowder, that it merely 

 separated without igniting it. He then sent the flame of fulminating powder through 

 a box of gunpowder without igniting it; and proved, by other experiments, that the 

 ignition depended on the velocity with which the flame was transmitted. The whole 

 lecture gave very great satisfaction to a numerous auditory. At its conclusion, Mr 

 Faraday addressed the audience on topics of general interest to the institution, and of 

 consequence to the scientific world. 



Geological Society. — \3th May 1835. — Charles Lyell, Esq. president, in the 

 chair, by whom a paper was read *' On cretaceous and tertiary strata of the Danish 

 islands of Iceland and Moen." Afterwards a notice was read " On a peculiarity in 

 the neck of Ichthyosauri, not hitherto noticed;" by Sir Philip De Malpas Grey 

 Egerton. 



May 27. — C. Lyell, Esq. in the chair. A paper was read " On certain lines of 

 dislocation of the new red sandstone of North Salop and Staffordshire; with an ac- 

 count of trap-dykes, in that formation, at Acton Reynolds, near Shrewsbury;" by 

 Roderick I. Murchison, Esq. Afterwards a paper was read " On the crag of part 

 of Essex and Suffolk;" by Edward Charlesworth, Esq. 



June 10th. — C. Lyell, Esq. in the chair. There were read — I- "Notes on the 

 trappean rocks associated with the new red sandstone of Devonshire;" by Henry T. 

 De la Beche, Esq. 2. *' On the range of the carboniferous limestone flanking the 

 primary Cumbrian mountains, and on the coal-fields of the north-west of Cumber- 

 land;" by Professor Sedgwick, and Wilhamson Peile, Esq. 3. "Notice of the 

 occurrence, near Shrewsbury, of marine shells of existing species in transported gravel 

 and sand resting upon peat which contains embedded trees;" by Joshua Trimmer, Esq. 

 4. "Description of some fossil Crustacea and radiata found at Lyme Regis, in Dor- 

 setshire;" by William John Broderip, Esq. 5. A letter from Sir Philip Grey Eger- 

 ton, Bart., to the president, " On the discovery of fishes in the coal-field of North 

 Staffordshire." 6. Two notices of Gideon Mantell, Esq., " On bones of birds from the 

 strata of Tilgate Forest, and on the coffin-bone of a horse from the shingle bed of 

 the newer pliocene of strata of the cliffs near Brighton." 7. Extract of a letter from 

 Professor Daubeny, " On the saline contents of the mineral spring lately discovered 

 near Oxford." 



Eastern Literary and Scientific Institution. — On the 23d June, a lec- 

 ture was given in the room of this institution, in the Hackney Road, by Mr Tay- 

 lor. The subject of the lecture was the safety-lamp, and the object was to show, by 

 actual experiment, that the lamp hitherto used in coal-mines, and invented by Sir H. 

 Davy, is liable to some serious objections. Mr Roberts proposed an improvement on 

 Sir H. Davy's lamp, to remedy the practical objections to which it is liable. Mr 

 Taylor commenced his lecture by explaining the nature of combustion. He described 

 carburetted hydrogen, or fire-damp. He then detailed the doctrine of flame and the 

 progress of combustion. He pointed out by experiments the properties of nitrogen, 

 carbonic acid, and oxygen, and showed the manner in which the safety of the in- 

 vention of Mr Roberts is connected vrith them. Mr Roberts then displayed his 

 lamp, and described the manner in which it differs from that of Sir H. Davy. 

 He stated the objections to the lamp of Sh" H. Davy, being the insecurity it 

 affords to the currents of carburetted hydrogen or fire-damp, and the dangers 

 arising from the ignition of the small particles of coal adhering to the wire gauze 

 by which it is surrounded, from the oil clinging to the sides of the gauze when the 

 lamp is upset or held in a horizontal position. His own lamp he stated to be free 

 from the two last-mentioned defects. It is surrounded by a double tube of wire 

 gauze, and also by a glass chimney, and is so contrived that a current of carbonic acid 

 air, or nitrogen, passes continually between the external atmosphere and the flame of 

 the lamp ; the flame alone can burn, and any ignition from external explosive current 

 of fire-damp is repelled by the carbonic acid of nitrogen, by which combustion is im- 

 mediately destroyed. In the course of the lecture allusion was made to the late de- 

 plorable accident by which upwards of a hundred lives have been destroyed by the 

 explosion of fire-damp ; and many other instances were given of the loss of life occa- 

 sioned, either by a too strong reliance on the safety of the lamp hitherto used in 

 the mines, or by the neglect of proper means for ventilation. 



Edinburgh: Published for the Proprietors, at their Office, No. 16, Hanover Street. 

 London: Charles Tilt, Fleet Street. Dublin: W. F. Wakeman, 9, D'Olier 

 Street. Glasgow and the West of Scotland: John Smith and Son, 70, St 

 Vincent Street, 



THE EDINBURGH PRINTING COMPANY. 



