194 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



August. — A report was read on the fossil skull found in 

 Accomac county, Virginia. (See An. of the Lye. vol. ii. 

 p. 271.) 



Dr. Goldfuss' work " on the petrifactions in the Museum 

 of the University of Bonn," was received. 



The corresponding secretary read a letter from the Belfast 

 Natural History Society, accompanying a cask of minerals 

 from the Giants Causeway. 



Two boxes of insects, beautifully prepared, were received 

 from Dr. Duval, of Geneva, in Switzerland. 



Dr. Mitchill presented mineral specimens from the state of 

 New York, and several fossil echini, in chalk, from England. 



Dr. Torrey read notes on inflammable mineral substances, 

 including a report on the amber found in excavating the Dela- 

 ware and Chesapeake Canal. 



9. Pressure of water at great depths in the ocean. 



Extract of a letter to the Editor, from Prof. Lardner Vanuxem, dated Ship Vir- 

 ginia, of New York, for La Vera Cruz, January 11, 1828. Latitude 28 u 66 ? 

 Longitude 73° 16. 



Dear Sir — I wish to call your attention to two experi- 

 ments made this day, which may not only interest yourself, 

 but likewise some of the readers of your valuable journal. 



Doubtless you are well aware of the numerous popular 

 experiments, which have been made at sea, by lowering empty 

 bottles well corked, to the depth of one hundred or more 

 fathoms ; such bottles, be the mode in which the corks have 

 been secured, what it may, do invariably, as the experi- 

 menters have stated, come up full of water ; one instance 

 however was related to me, in which a portion of air still re- 

 mained, or in other words, the bottle was not quite filled with 

 water. In most instances the corks were thrust into the in- 

 side ; in some, no change was observable. Experiments 

 have been likewise made by well corking a bottle of fresh 

 water, and lowering it into the sea, and on examination, the 

 fresh water was found to be replaced by salt water. 



Being convinced that the presence of water in these popu- 

 lar experiments, arose from the corks being forced into the 



