66 Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



new facts were given, yet the treatment of the subject was such as 

 to present some of the phenomena in a new light. It was illustrated 

 by several experiments ; the most interesting among these showed 

 the first and most important synthetic step — the direct combination 

 of carbon and hydrogen with formation of acetylene, C4 H 2 . The 

 union was thus accomplished : A stream of hydrogen, was con- 

 ducted into a globe, in which the electric arc was shown between 

 two carbon poles. The particles of carbon, transferred mechanically 

 from one pole to the other, took no part in the chemical action, but 

 the volatilized carbon combined, in the intense heat, with the 

 hydrogen present. The acetylene thus produced was converted into 

 a compound with copper ; fi'om this substance defiant gas was 

 prepared, and, finally, from olefiant gas, alcohol. 



GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 



On the Flora and Fauna of the Malay Archipelago. — Mr, 

 "Wallace's paper on the above subject was read by the secretary. 

 The Malay Archipelago was stated to be an island region of conti- 

 nental dimensions and importance. Its varieties of surfaqe, of 

 geological structure, of climate, of animals and vegetables, and of 

 races of mankind, are equally great with those of some of the 

 primary divisions of the earth. The chief contrasts the islands 

 present were then dwelt upon • volcanic and non- volcanic districts, 

 forest regions and open plains, regular and irregular seasons, and, 

 lastly, the Indo-Malayan and Austro-Malayan divisions. In treat- 

 ing of this last subject it was shown that the Archipelago was 

 naturally divisible into two districts — the western, comprising the 

 islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines, resembling 

 the Asiatic continent in its animal productions ; while the eastern, 

 including all the other islands as far as New Guinea and the Solomon 

 Islands, possessed all the chief geological characteristics of Australia. 

 Corresponding to these divisions a physical peculiarity was shown 

 to exist — namely, that the western islands were all united by a very 

 shallow sea to South-Eastern Asia, while New Guinea was in like 

 manner united to Australia. Asia and Australia were known to be 

 moi'e widely distinct in their animal and vegetable productions than 

 any two portions of the earth; and it was shown that their pecu- 

 liarities extended on each side into the adjacent islands, so that 

 when you came to the little islands of Baly and Lombock, sepa- 

 rated only by a strait fifteen miles wide, you had the productions of 

 two continents brought into close contact without intermingling, 

 the birds for example being almost totally different in the two 

 islands, and not the species merely, but even the genera and families 

 of the one not extending into the other. 



