Botany and Zoology. 155 
22. Mineralogicai Society of France.—A mineralogical society 
was instituted in Paris on the 21st of March of the present year, 
and the first number of its Bulletin appeared in April. The 
President of the Society is the eminent mineralogist, M. Des- 
Ciceosan;, the Vice President, M. Mallard; Secretary, M. 
i el 
M. Mallard describes, in the first number of the Bulletin, the 
new mineral Bravaisite, from the coal formation of Noyant. It 
has an argillaceous appearance and is thinly iniithatell bet with a 
fibrous structure under the microsco ope. he color is gray, 
slightly greenish. When oe it is almost gum-like, rather 
than plastic, and strongly unctu Fuses easily to a white 
globule, and is attacked by obi: ih analysis afforded SiO, 
51-40, AlO, 18°90, FeO, 4:00, CaO 2-00, MgO 3°30, me 6°50, 
H,O 13°30==99° 40, giving the quantivalent ratio for R, R, Si, H., 
&: 3°3 : 9°16: 3°93; or 1:3:9:4, if the iron is excluded as due to 
the pyrites present.! M. Malla na observes that it is in its composi- 
sor near pinite, glauconite and carpholite; but nearer a potash 
zeolite, 
23. —Dr. A. von Lasaulx has examined sections of 
the Sianalsise of Monte Catini, and finds the radiate twinning 
structure to indicate that the crystals are of the orthorhombic sys- 
—. aad — to those of phillipsite—W. Jahrb. f. Min., 
78, p. 5 
Ill. Borany AND Zoouoey. 
Two new Fern-books are evidences ae increasing attention to 
thi beautiful order of plants, both as to botanical study and 
Tamental cultivation. Perhaps we may in time come to have 
as copious and popular a fern-literature as that of Great Britain ; 
the crowning work still being the classical one of Professor Eaton, 
which will take some time to finish. The new-comers are of m uch 
less pretension, are handy-books in single 12mo. volumes, of very 
moderate price, and ee to have a large circulation. "The o 
first published is 
ure, as the a 
ably lost somewhat of expression and sharpness in the transfer. 
ut the gain in cheapness is not to be overlooked. Still the wood- 
vg — of the spora ce aH much the best, and s stand out with 
refreshing distinctness. pages are occupied with the sub- 
