80 



THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



METEOROLOGY. 



OBSERVATIONS ON LIGHTNING, BY M. AUAGO. 



M. Fusinieri has been lately studying the effects of lightning under an entirely 

 new point of view. 



According to this philosopher, the electrical sparks, seen as they traverse the air 

 from ordinary machines, contain brass in a state of fusion; and incandescent molecules 

 of zinc, when they emanate from a brass conductor, if the sparks issue from a ball 

 of silver, they contain impalpable pai tides of that melal. In the same way, a globe 

 of gold gives rise to sparks, which contain, during their passagu through the air, 

 melted gold, &c. &c. 



In the centre of all these sparks the molecules are melted only ; but in the cir- 

 cumference, the metalHc particles undergo a greatiT or less degree of combustion, 

 in consequence of their contact with the oxygen of the atmosphere. 



When a spark emanating from a globe uf gold traverses a silver plate, even of con- 

 siderable thickness, there is seen on the two surfaces of the plate, at the point where 

 the electric spark entered and emerged, a circular layer of gold, the thickness of 

 which must be very inconsiderable, since the natural volatilization is sulBcient to 

 cause it to disappear entirely after a short time. According to RI. Fusinieri, these 

 two metallic spots are formed at the expense of the fused goll which the electrii: 

 spark contains. The depos't on the first face is nothing extraordinary ; but by adopt- 

 ing the explanation of the Italian philosopher for the spot on the opposite surface, we 

 are obliged to admit, that the gold disseminated through the spark has pissed, at 

 least in part, along with it through the whole thickness of the silver plate ! It is un- 

 necessary to add, that a spark issuing from a ball of copper gives rise to the same 

 phenomena. 



The spark which emanates from a certain metal, does not merely lose a portion of 

 the molecules with which it was at first impregnated, wlien it traverses another metal; 

 but it becomes charged with new molecules at the expense of that metal. It is 

 even asserted by M. Fusinieri, that, at each passage of the spark, reciprocal changes 

 are produced between the two metals; that when the spark, for example, quits the 

 silver to pass to the copper, it not only transports a portion of the first metal to the 

 copper, but it likewise transports the copper to the silver ! I will not, however, 

 longer insist on these phenomena, and have only now brought them forward with the 

 view of showing that the sparks of our ordinary machines contain ponderable sub- 

 stances. 



M. Fusinieri asserts that similar substances exist in lightning, and that in this case 

 also they are in a state of great division, of i^^^^iition, and combustion. According to 

 his views, these transported matters are the true cause of the transient smells which 

 always accompany thunder, and also of the pulverulent deposits which remain round 

 the fractures through which the electrical matter has foiced a passage. In these 

 deposits, which have been too much neglected by observers, 31. Fusinieri has detected 

 metallic iron, in different degrees of oxidation and sulphur. Tne ferruginous spots 

 left on the walls of houses may be found, when sti-ictly examined, to arise from the 

 iron with which the lightning was charged, at the expense of that which occurs in 

 almost every building ; but how are we to explain the sulphurous spots on these same 

 walls, and more especially the ferruginous marks which exhibit themselves in the 

 open field, on trees struck wiih llghtnmg? M. Fu<;inieri considers himself warranted 

 to conclude from these experiments, that the atmosphs-re contains, at every height, 

 or at all events as far as the region of stormy clouds, iron, sulphur, and other sub- 

 stances, on the nature of which chemical analysis has been hitherto silent ; that 

 the electrical spark is impregnated with them, and that it conveys them to the surface 

 of the earth, where they form slight deposits round points that have been struck 

 with lightning. 



This new method of regarding electrical phenomena unquestionably deserves to be 

 pursued with that accuracy which is suited to the existing state of science. Every 

 one who witnesses the fall of a thunderbolt would render an essential service to 

 science by carefully collecting the black or coloured ma'ter which the elec'rlc fluid 

 appears to have deposited at every stage of its pi ogress, when it must have under- 

 gone sudden changes in rapidity. A careful cheniical analysis of these deposits may 

 lead to unexpected discoveries of very great importance. 



Sepia Cot.our from Peat, — Tiie stagnant water in Peat-bogs affords, on evapo- 

 ration, a substance which equals the finest Sepia, and which, on being mixed with a 

 proper proportion of gum or isinglass, may be used as a water colour. It requires 

 no levigation. 



Filtration. — When a powder saturated with a fluid, but not in the condition 

 of a paste, is placed in the lower part of an open vase, and another liquid poured 

 upon it, the last liquid permeates the powder, and completely replaces the first with 

 out mixing with it. This substitution is independent of the specific gravities of the 

 fluids ; thus water drives out alcohol and w ine, and alcohol and wine drive out wa- 

 ter. 



Spring on the Peak of the Sarrantina. — M. Darieu, who lately made a 



scientific tour in the kingdom of Astuiias, mentions the following singular fa^-t : 



" A beautiful spring," says he, " flows from the highest point uf thj peak of the Sar^ 

 rantbia ; but as this peak is not commanded by any neigiibourin; summit, we may 

 necessarily suppose that the other branch of the syphon muat be plated at a great dis- 

 tance to the east, to receive, on the flanks of the mountains coveri'd by perpetual 

 snow, and having a much greater elevation, the water winch issues from the extre- 

 mity of the shorter branch, and which an extraordinary accident, or a concealed na- 

 tural cause, has forced to asecnd to the top of a puiiwed peak." 



Annual quantity of Salt raised from the Bowels of the Earth in 

 EuRoi'E. — From a careiul examination of the most accui ate returns, the European 

 Salt fllincs and Salt Springs aifurd annually from twenty-live to thirty millions of 

 hundred weights uf t^alt ! 



Effects of Cold upon Ice. — On Lake Champlain, and other American Lakes, 

 fcndeven in narrow rivers, fissures and rents of eiionnoui mi^nituda are often made 

 in the ice, and are always accj.npiuiied with lou 1 reports, like th;is;; of cannon. The 

 unwary traveller, who, with his sledge an.l horses, adventures by night, and some- 

 times even by day, across the great northern lakes, is fr.^quMitly swallowed up in the 

 openings which arc thui uuex,)ectydly , Had; in the ice. W>iea th ; w.-arher grows 

 ■warm again, before the ice melts, the fissures close, and soin -timas the edges of them 

 even overlap. At Pkttsburg, m the winter of 18liJ-20, when the thermometer 

 during the night w.is frjm Ij** to 17^ b^-low 0^ of Fahre.iheit, and during thj day 

 from 10^ to l^'' below it, the reports of Ihe lending of the ice were hke that of a 

 *ii:-pounder, and the oponiugs were from lU to 15 feet wide. 



LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



Linn^^ax Society, Nov. 1. — A. Lambert, Esq. V.P., in the chair. Several do- 

 nations were announced as having been received during the recess, amongst which 

 were presents from the Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Asiatic 

 and Geological Societies, &c. Amongst the spe<*imens exhibited was the Spartina 

 polystachya, a species new to the British Flora, discovered la'-t summer growing 

 abundantly on the muddy banks of the river at Southampton, by Dr BroomfieM ; a 

 cone of the Pinus Sabiniensis, by IMr Warden ; and two stems of the true Datilia, aa 

 indigenous plant m the interior of Mexico, which occasionally grows to the height of 

 seventy feet — the present specimen being grown by the Chn.irman to the height of 

 about seven feet. J\lr Gould likewise exhibited a variety of birds from New South 

 Wales, containing several Melllfica, Parrots, and Finches, and a new species of Ptet- 

 morhyneus, distinguished by a beautiful mural band. Rlr Richard Taylor, the Secre- 

 tary, read some remarks by Edward Foster, Esq., on the Euphorbia palustris, a species 

 which was supposed to be a new discovery, but whudi he proved to have been known 

 in England above two hundred years ago, and described by Major Johnson in an 

 edition of " Gerrard's Herbal ;" as also some observation? on the *' wourale poison," 

 by R. H. Scomburgh, E'^q , illustrated by drawinj^s and specimens of the plant, one 

 of which was that seen by M. Marlins on the Amazon, in the process of manufacture, 

 and which was proved to be the Strychnos toscifera. The meeting, which was nu- 

 merouslv attended, adjourned to November loth. 



Botanical Society of London. — The second meeting of the above Society was 

 held on November 2d, at the Crown and .Anchor Tavern, Strand; J. E. Gray, Esq. 

 F.R.S., in the chair. The meeting was numerous, and comprised many noted bo- 

 tanists. After the laws as revised by ths Council had been read, confirmed, and 

 ordered to be printed, the Society determined to hold their annlvetsary meeting on 

 29th November, being the anniversary of the birth-day of the celebrated English 

 botanist, John Ray. They then determined to hold their next meetinfj on Thursday, 

 ?sovember 17th, at the rooms proposed by i.hs Council at Adelphi Chambers, next 

 door to the Society of Arts, A pap?r was than read by Mr Daniel Cooper, author 

 of the "Flora I\Ietropolltana," and Curator of the Society, on " The Influence of 

 Light on Plants, and the effects produced by d.'privlng them of it ; also the effects 

 of watering them with coloured vei^etable infusions when grown in the dark," being 

 a detail of some experiments instituted in the year 1835, together with coloured 

 sketches of the plants after the conclusion of the experiments. Donations of books 

 were received from J. E. Gray. E-q., F.R.S., from G. C. Dannes, from J. Rey- 

 nolds, Esq, (the Treasurer), and from Dr (\I-Intyre. Also presents to the Herbarium 

 from D. Cooper, Esq., W. M. Chatterley, Esq., Honorary Secretary, and from Mrs 

 Gawler. The meeting was then dissolved. 



Warwickshire Society of Natural History and Archjeology. — At a 

 recent meeting of this Society, Professor I'uckland stated that he had discovered at 

 Guv's Clifi^ the remains of an extinct species of animal, which had neaer before been 

 found or mentioned by geologists. The learned Profi^ssor said, *' He had commenced 

 his studies by collecting fragments of Carisbrook Caitle, Curfe Castle, and Warwick 

 Castle ; and little did he then dream that he should ever have an opportunity of saying 

 that the stones of Carisbrook Cistle contained a species of fresh water fish long ex- 

 tinct ; or that, in the distant progress of time, he should have to assert that the 

 Castle, the Colle^^iate Church, and tha town of Warwick, were budt upon a stratum 

 utterly unknown to English geologists. Ten years a;,^o he had obtained certain spe- 

 cimens from Guy's Chff, which he had cherished up ,\mong his masses of ignorame, 

 and stored amidst diliiculties, in the hop? that some ray of light might dissipate the 

 darkness which enshrouded them, and enable him to acquire some accurate informa- 

 tion respecting them. Within the last two hours that darkness had been dispelled, 

 and he was able to say that at Guy's Cliff he had discovered an extinct species of 

 animal never before found, and that those portions of rock which were before him 

 on the table, were from a quarry, the name of v^hich had never been uttered in Eng- 

 land. Another discovery which he had made was, that the town of Leamington 

 rested on the remain^ of animals which had existed In other times ; and this fact 

 was not hastily acquired, but was founded on strictly logical deductions. It was indeed 

 true, that under the foundations of houses at Leamiigton (where there had been pre- 

 viously one immense lake) there were to be found the remains of elephants, hippopo- 

 tamuses, hyajnas, tigers, buffaloes, and a string of twenty other animals which he 

 could enumerate." 



Geological Society, Nov. 2.— Mr Lyell, President, in the chair. This So- 

 ciety cmmenced its meetings for the ensuing s-ssion. An elaborate paper (the first 

 of a series) was read by Mr Hugh Elwin Strickland, F.G.S., who has recently re- 

 turned from Asia Minor. The di'talls of the paper were principally confined to the 

 author's observations made during a winter's resuh-nce In S nyrna ; and two excur- 

 sions, one into the valleys of the Meandi-r and Caysler, and the other from Constan- 

 tinople to Smyrna. 



EniNiuMtGii: Published for the Pkopriktors, at their OiBce, 16, Hanover Street. 

 London; Sahth, Ei.dicr, and Co., Ho, Cornhill. Glasgow and the West of 

 Scotland: John Smith and Son; and John Maclkoo. Dublin: W. F, 

 Wakejian. Paris : J. B. Ballikre, Rue de I'Ecjle de Medecine, No. 13 bis, 



THE LUINUUILGH rillSTlNG CO.Ml'ANY. 



