for the year 1868, 19 



of " deep leads " of the Ballarat gold-field, which has already 

 resulted in Mr. Murray, the gentleman engaged in this por- 

 tion of the survey, being enabled to indicate the existence 

 of payable gold deposits in a locality where, though 

 frequently traversed by miners, no workings had been 

 established. 



In contemplating the more interesting facts that have 

 marked the progress of science in Europe, our attention is 

 attracted by a recent discovery of paramount significance. 



In the spectra of many of the fixed stars the lines proper 

 to hydrogen have been observed, and in the outburst of the 

 light of the star T-Coronse, some time ago, the development 

 of these lines was so conspicuous as to lead to the inference 

 that an outburst of hydrogen, of the nature of a general 

 volcanic eruption, had taken place in this star. Singularly 

 in agreement with these observations are certain results 

 determined by Dr. Graham during his researches on the 

 occlusion of gases by metals. 



This exact chemist has shown that the different metals 

 have properties of their own of condensing the various gases, 

 and concealing or occluding them within their substance. 

 In the case of meteoric iron, he has found that it is not 

 only charged with occluded gases, but that the gases thus 

 enclosed are different in kind from those concealed in iron of 

 telluric origin. Common iron bears the impress of the mode 

 by which it has been manufactured in the large proportion 

 of carbonic oxide and carbonic acid as constituents of the 

 gases stored between its particles : whereas, on the other 

 hand, the iron of the Lenarto Meteorite has yielded abun- 

 dance of hydrogen gas almost entirely free from gaseous 

 carbon compounds. 



On these results, Dr. Graham remarks, "The iron of 

 Lenarto has, no doubt, come from an atmosphere in which 

 hydrogen greatly prevailed. The meteorite may be looked 



c 2 



