396 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
nually evaporate, leaving the water so saturated with salt that the 
mineral deposits itself in crystals on any object immersed in it. 
Formerly, Von Baer has shown, the Caspian was connected with 
the ocean by way of the White Sea, and marks of erosion are now 
visible on rocks at an altitude of 80 feet above the present water- 
level. These 80 feet corresponded exactly with the present level 
of the ocean, and it is a remarkable fact that no marks of erosion 
were found between that line and the present level of the waters. 
This shows that the sinking of the waters by evaporation is a pro- 
cess too rapid to leave any ; records, and took Bea soon after the 
severance of its connexion with the White 
n the Electrical Phenomena which ona the Contrae- 
tions of ? the leaf of Dioncea muscipula ; by Dr. Burpon-SanDER- 
son.—It is well known that.in those structures in the higher ani 
mals wilieh are endowed with — property of contracting when 
stimulate# viz: nerve and muscle—this property is associated 
with the existence of voltaic inet which have definite direc- 
~ in the tissue. These currents have been the subject of very 
rre 
called the normal current. The most important fact with ac 
ence to it is that it exists only so long as the muscle is alive, a 
that it ceases during the moment that the muscle is thrown in 
action. Other characteristics of the rit currents were referred 
to, which we have a space to men 
traction of certain pecvent irritation occur which gee ngly sag" 
gest a correspondence * function between them and the mo 3 
organs of animals, A most papenpher are those ° 
Drosera, kindly furnished plants for the purpose of the ges 
experiments, which have been made by Dr. Sanderson in the labor 
of University —— London. “The result has been bi 
pealeioadions he had formed have been confirmed as to meg 
ence x es a in dens parts, and particularly in pote 
of Dio By a t remarkable series - experiments As W. 
will be: ‘publiaked cubeequentty made with the al a vi are 
Thompson’s galvanometer, he has shown iced: these curred ated, 
subject, in all aah in which they have been as yet inverts 
to the same _— as those of muscle and nerve.—Brit. A980» 
Nature, Oct. 
