836 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
structure of the corona as derived from the photographs of the 
eclipse of 1871. The plates show that this appendage of the sun is 
much more complicated in form than has been hitherto supposed. 
V. MISCELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
. Soldering by Compression.—M. W. Sprrve, after describing 
shes apparatus he used, gives the following results in an elaborate 
research published in the Bulletin of the He esasts Academy of 
Sciences for 1880 (xlix, 323); 
Powdered lead became perfectly oh like a block obtained 
from fusion, under a pressure of 2, atmospheres, and with a 
pressure of. 5,000, run like a liquid; bismuth became. perfectly 
solid under a pressure of 6,000; tin, 3,000; zinc, 5,000; aluminum, 
6,000; copper, like aluminum ; antimon y with more diff culty than 
minum, the compacted mass obtained under 5,000 atmospheres 
aoe more or less pulverulent at center; platinum, not consoli- 
at 
Powdered transparent monoclinic sulphur became perfectly 
solid under a pressure of 5,000 atmospher es, but was changed to 
had a bluish reflection, but without great hardness; at 5,000, it 
run like a liquid so that it could not be nabhected. in the apparatus 
Silica, in powder (using fine sand, and also Hag decoele genes 
gave only a commencement of union under an 
ary cha 
became harder than chalk, but not halts firm. recinttated lead 
carbonate gave no result ; glee, no satisfactory result, under & 
pressure of 6,000 atmospheres 
Bituminous coal in powder Te perfectly solid under 
pressure of 6,000 atmospheres, and may be moulded at t this se 
sure with the greatest facility, being Dass. . which explains how 
the flexing of ancient coal-beds became possible.” Peat, under 4 
re of 6,000 atmospheres, became a brilliant black solid, hard 
an ike coal, with its organic texture completely obliter- 
ated ; it wa also plastic, “jllustrating thereby the origin of coa 
se showing t eat was not ne to produce it ; moreover, 
maenes ‘obedined by panne g ee) underwent no change; 
and ee same was true of animal b 
The author gives results from trials with various other substan- 
ae in all, and ends his paper with some general conclusions. 
