146 Scientific Intelligence. 
lar, colorless powder, in which some fragments of diatoms were 
This material has much resemblance to the remarkable dust 
found by Nordenskidld scattered on the surface of the ice in the 
interior of Greenland, as also at a distance of : 30 miles from the 
coast, and to which he gave hs name eryoconite. This conse 
for the most part of minute angular crystalline grains, which wer 
colorless and transparent, with fragments possibly of feldspar a 
augite crystals, and some black magnetic particles. In an analysis 
the eryoconite was proved to consist of silica, alumina, oxide of 
alumina, silica and water, 2:3:14:1. Its specific gravity is 2°63, 
and the bios recs we form is monoclinic 
ordenskiéld shows that the eryoconite must have had either a 
sauieal § origin, or have come from Jan Mayen, or else some ut 
known voleanic region in A interior of Greenland, while the 
presence of cobalt, and probably nickel, would seem to prove that 
a part of the dust at least had a cosmical origin. He finally comes 
to this conclusion—that small quantities of a cosmical dust, con- 
senins metallic iron, cobalt, nickel, and phosphoric acid and also 
arbonaceous organic matter, falls upon the earth along with 
aehens precipitation. —Pogg. Ann., cli, 154, 1874. 
The dust, or bagi ea has nearly the composition of an oligo 
ae nay —E. 
On Middle ee ‘Mineral Coal ; by E. J. Matrerr. (From 
Mh Rocky Mountain News, ast olomaaes he Nov. 19, and 
dated Territorial School of Mines, Nov. 17, 1874.)—I have ex 
amined specimens of coal from Middle Park, A herewith com- 
arent to pie When ~ pale it loses its Cee color, 
a dak vandyke-brown 
Although it might be classed as caking- bituminous coal, it differs 
in the following respects from coals of that class : 
n the nature of the residue left eee distillation—a trae 
coke, something similar to that which would be deriv m dis: 
tilling sugar, but too porous and crumbling to support burden ina 
furnace. 
Second. In the large amount of ma and tarry oil produced. 
Third. In the brown color of its pow 
ene with the Middle Park coal, in order to compare 
ghly the relative amounts of gas. ga oe y the domesti¢ 
is boiled with concentrated solution of pots 
it does not affect the color of the solution. Lignitic or brown ¢0 
colors potash solution brown 
CORSA ty SIEEEY- 71D ee Eee a eae Re ae 
