88 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



One sample of must, prepared March 24, 1874, from the press of 

 Hon. Samuel Davenport, at Beaumont, gave a specific gravity at 



70° F. of 1-HJ . \,ii , I, , in-,,,111^ to -- i _, mi- pi , <_ It. m it 

 glucose, and 20-743 per cent of absolute alcohol, or 44-522 of proof- 



The average of 17 samples of must, pressed from the grapes bv 

 the two analysts, Messrs. Copins and Thomas, to avoid all chance 

 of falsification in the hands of the vintner, gave for the specific 

 gravity 1-1179: grape-sugar, 27-259=proof-spirit, 28-419 percent. 

 The maximum of sugar and proof-spirit in the 17 samples exam- 

 ined by these two chemists was found in the juice of the Frontiii- 

 nan grape grown by Mr. Gillard, at Norwood, namely— sugar, 

 32-165 ; proof-spirit, 33-505. 



Mr. Francis, one of the analysts, says in his report, " the natural 

 ■ - of this colony are capable of producing very strong 

 wines, which are more likely to exceed 26 per cent of proof-spirit 

 than otherwise, and that the fruit contains all the elements to set 

 up and complete fermentation to the full conversion of the sutrar 

 into alcohol without acetification." 



From the colonies of Victoria and New South Wales we have a 

 report on the alcoholic stivn-th of 200 samples ..f wine, of which 

 38 were from the latter colony, in Albury district; 101 from Mar- 

 in Victoria, and the remainder from eight other wine 

 districts of the same colony. Messrs. Moody and Heath, govern- 

 rions. They 

 show, for New South Wales and the Murray district, a range of 

 proof-epirit from a minimum of 20 per cent to a maximum of 34, 

 the greater number ranging about 28. 



The grapes cultivated are exclusively of European origin. The 

 toil sad climate are wonderfully well adapted to the growth of 

 bouquet and flavor, ad- 

 mired in the best European wines, are feebly and often not at all 

 developed in those of Australia made from the same grapes. Nor 

 is the gdut de terre~the result of a too rank soil and growth- 

 wanting in the Australian wines. In this respect and in intoxi- 

 cating power they much resemble the wines of California, b. s. 



F. 15. Meek, the author of various elaborate works and memoirs 

 on American Faleontol >g V , Ue.l ,>„ the 22nd of December. An 

 obituary notice is deferred to the following numher. 



David Fokbes, a learned geologist, Foreign Secretary of the 

 Iron and Steel Institute, one of the Secretaries of th I 

 Society of London, a Fellow of the Chemical and also of the 

 Royal Society, died on the 5th of December, aged forty-eight 

 yearse. He was a great traveller and resided for a while in Bolivia 

 ts mines and geology, which he 



afterward p 



