Intelligence a?id Miscellaneous Articles. 465 



geography and geology of the Southern part of Canada, published 

 in 1884. 



Report " S" (86 pages) is a statistical account, by Mr. E. Coste, 

 of the production, value, exports, and imports of Minerals in 

 Canada during 1SS6 and previous years. These mineral statistics 

 deal with — antimony, arsenic, asbestus, coal, copper, gold, graphite, 

 gypsum, iron, lithographic stone, manganese, mica, mineral pig- 

 ments, miscellaneous metals (lead, zinc, tin, mercury), petroleum 

 and naphtha, phosphate of lime, pyrites, salt, silver, and structural 

 materials. Report ■" T " (42 pages), bv Mr. GL Ch. Hoffmann, 

 assisted by Messrs. F. D. Adams and E. B. Kenrick, consists of 

 chemical contributions to the Greology of Canada from the Labora- 

 tory of the Survey, and treats of — miscellaneous native minerals 

 (magnetic and non-magnetic platinum, arsenic, cinnabar, apatite, 

 cookeite, uraninite, coracite, uraconite, monazite, and smaltite), 

 natural waters, iron, copper, and manganese ores, gold and silver 

 assays, and miscellaneous examinations (shell-marl, carbonaceous 

 schist, cement-stone, and a saline deposit). 



Topographical, physical, and geological features are of course 

 carefully described wherever the Reports treat of these conditions 

 oP country ; natural-history occurrences are often noted ; and 

 the minerals and other materials of economic use are recorded 

 wherever met with. Frequent and cordial acknowledgments of 

 help and information received from assistants, friends, and casual 

 acquaintances interested in Greology and its branches are freely 

 given ; as well as references to previous workers and to books or 

 memoirs on the subjects under notice. 



The 12 pages of Contents and the 29 pages of an elaborate Index 

 add greatly to the value of this handsome and satisfactory book, 

 which will prove to be of great service, not only to the Canadians, 

 but to British and Foreign geologists generally. 



LIII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ACTION OF ELECTRICITY ON THE VESICLES OF CONDENSED 

 WATER. BY J. L. SORET. 



TX a dark room a platinum cup containing water is placed on a 

 ■*- metal support which is connected with one pole of a Topler's 

 machine. Above this cup a metal point is placed which is con- 

 nected with the other pole. A Bunsen's burner boils the water in 

 the cup, which is powerfully illuminated by the projection of a 

 large pencil of the electric light. As long as the Topler's machine 

 is not at work the vapour vesicles ascend in the ordinary manner, 

 but as soon as the machine is at work the action of electricity on 

 the vapour is manifested in the most striking manner. For a cer- 

 tain distance from the point to the surface of the water, the clouds 

 collect and whirl along the edge of the cup ; under the influence of 



