222 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



age of all the metamorphic rocks of Scotland and Ireland must be 

 regarded, after the conflicting statements of the la-t few years, as 

 still an open question : and, though the authors are more cautious 

 here, we may extend the remark to their comments as to the Alpine 

 gneisses and schists. "While on that topic, we may note that they 

 appear to be ignorant that the metamorphism of the great dolo- 

 mitic masses of the Tyrol differs greatly from that of the Alpine 

 gneisses and schists. Indeed, unless it be proved that the magne- 

 sian constituent is the residt of methylosis, these masses are no 

 more metamorphic than most of the British Carboniferous lime- 

 stone. In fact they are just as much and just as little metamor- 

 phosed as the Permian dolomites (on which, by the way, the authors 

 make some valuable remarks which are a real contribution to the 

 perplexing history of this rock). A similar want of caution cha- 

 racterizes the following remark : — " Studer long ago discovered am- 

 monites and belemnites in a similar but le^s crystalline deposit (that 

 is, a crystallized limestone associated with gneiss on the Jungfrau), 

 lving between gneisses at Mettenberg, near Grindelwald *' (p. 32). 

 Those who know the region will hesitate to accept the apparent 

 induction without clearer evidence than is generally produced in this 

 and. we may add, other cases. Some also of the citations of opi- 

 nions, apparently favourable, are only true when the word "ophite " 

 is used in the a ague sense in which the authors employ it. 



We had purposed to comment upon two other subjects mentioned 

 by the authors — the "striping of triclinic felspars," and the secondary 

 origin of peridote ; but space will not allow us to say more than 

 that the former structure, although evidently a puzzle to them, is 

 generally held to be the result of twinning, and that their argu- 

 ments on the latter question appear to us as ingenious and as un- 

 convincing as those by which Daubuisson proves that basalt is of 

 " aqueous origin." 



Journal and Proceedings of the B&yal Society of New South Wales. 



1880. Vol. XIV. Edited by Prof. A. LiVxbsedge. 8vo, 392 



pages. "With ten Plates. Sydney, 1881. 

 In this volume, astronomy, meteorology, botany, organic and 

 inorganic chemistry, lithology, mineralogy, pakeontology, and the 

 study of local water-supply are all and each made sources of in- 

 formation to the world at large, as well as to the Society in parti- 

 cular, by some twelve of its energetic members. There is also an 

 elaborate report on morbid psychology, treating of the causation 

 and prevention of insanity, by one of its medical members. 



XXYI. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ON THE FORMATION OF PEROXIDE OF HYDROGEN DURING 

 COMBUSTION. BY ALOIS SCHULLER. 



WHEX determining the heat of combustion of hydrogen*, I re- 

 marked during; the combustion of oxygen in hydrogen, h 

 the usual very small flame, a second, much larger, blue so-called 

 * Schuller, YVied. Ann. ii. p. 873 (1877). 



