Miscellanies. 397 



lieves ttis story, and says, it " is borne out by the £act tbat it is 

 tbe only part of Kerry that they are to be met in — a district ex- 

 tending from the sand-hills of Inch and Rosbegh, at the head of 

 the Bay, to Carrignafery, about ten miles in length, of low marshy 

 ground, and about the same number in breadth." 



Snakes, vipers, and blind-worms are also absent from Ireland. 

 Many attempts have been made to introduce the ringed snake 

 {N^atrix torquatd), but although there are no evident climatic or 

 terrestrial conditions to prevent their increase, they have from 

 one cause or another speedily perished. The physical conditions 

 of atmosphere and earth-surface that regulate the distribution of 

 species are at present but imperfectly understood; there can? 

 however, be no doubt that such agents have been at work in pro- 

 ducing this difference between the fauna of Ireland and England. 

 The flora of Ireland, on the other hand, supplies us with species 

 of plants that flourish there, but have never reached so far north 

 as the most southernmost points of Great Britain. It is one of 

 the sources of value of such books as Mr, Thompson's, that facts 

 like the absence of reptiles from Ireland, are thoroughly investi- 

 gated, and their true significance ascertained. 



D. 



The Neio Metal. — Aluminium begins, it appears, to come into 

 more general use, at least in France. The eagles which surmount 

 the colours of the anny, hitherto made of copper, gilt by galva- 

 nism, are now made in aluminium, thus lightening the weight of 

 the flag by nearly 2 1 lbs. Aluminium is more sonorous than 

 bronze, and is consequently brought into use for musical instru- 

 ments. Spoons and forks, drinking cups, &c., have also been 

 formed of it. The weight of the new metal is about one-fourth 

 that of silver. Fine silver being worth 225f. the kilogramme, 

 and aluminium 30 Of, a piece of the latter, equal in size to a 

 kilogramme of silver, will only be worth V5f., instead of 225f. 

 Thus, an article which in silver would cost 3 Of., would be only 

 16f. in aluminium. 



The Sun forever in the Meridian. — Professor Sontag, Astro- 

 nomer to the " Grinnell Expedition," in his narrative, says — " As 

 the land adjacent to the Pole is all terra incognita, it is impossi- 

 ble to say what additions to the stores of natural science a visitor 

 to those regions might be able to make. Certain it is however, 

 that a new and wide field would be opened for his investigation 



