228 Notes and Memoranda. 



in January, February, and June ; in 1861, they occurred in May, June, July, and 

 August, in the Isle of Niceros ; and in May, 1862, at Marmoritza, a part of 

 Anatolia, twenly-five miles from Rhodes. In June, July, and August, 1862, 

 Rhodes itself experienced shocks, which were repeated twice in March, and three 

 times in April, 1863. On the 22nd April the shocks were violent, and a gyratory 

 motion felt. The barometer sank considerably between four o'clock in the after- 

 noon of the 21st and the same hour on the 22nd, six and a half hours before the 

 shock. A violent north-west wind which had been previously blowing, stopped during 

 the earthquake, and in a few minutes regained its force. In 1856 the south-west 

 part of the island chiefly suffered ; but in April, 1863, the south-east part wa9 

 most affected. In the village of Mossari not a house was left, and 130 out of 200 

 inhabitants perished. The shock was felt simultaneously at Rhodes, Smryna, and 

 Alexandria, and on the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor. The adjacent islands, 

 likewise, felt it, and two ships passing between Cussos and Searpanthos were 

 violently affected. The writer states that from the beginning of 1863 the sea did 

 not return to its usual level ; two days before the earthquake it was lower than 

 ever, but after the shock it regained the old level, and sometimes went beyond 

 it. After the great shock five lesser shocks occurred in Aprd, and four in May. 



Bolides at Rhodes and Dust-shower. — The writer of the preceding 

 mentions a magnificent bolide that burst over the island on 12th March, 1863, at 

 one a.m. It moved from east to west, exploded like a bomb, aud scattered frag- 

 ments in all directions. After its disappearance two fresh detonations were heard, 

 followed by prolonged humming. The sky was brilliantly lit up, and the light 

 lasted some minutes after the passage of the meteor. A similar bolide appeared 

 on the 17th March, at seven p.m., but it was smaller and made no explosion. In 

 the night of the 28th and 29th March a strong south-west wind brought a 

 quantity of yellowish dust, which fell in showers and covered all the vegetation. 



Material for Photographic Lenses. — M. G-audin [states that rock-crystal 

 is the best material for photographic lenses, on account of its permitting the 

 passage of the largest quantity of actinic rays. The editor of Cosmos observes : 

 — "It is evident that a transparent substance which gives a passage of the greatest 

 quantity of the violet and extra violet rays, would be best adapted to the con- 

 struction of active lenses." 



Solid Matter in Rain. — M. Robinet states that the rain falling in Paris 

 holds certain solids in solution, the quantity being usually, though not always, 

 greater after drought. As a rule the quantity of solid matter diminishes as the 

 shower is prolonged. Paris rain contains chiefly sulphate of lime, and an organic 

 matter of which little is known. The sulphate of lime is sometimes present to 

 the extent of twenty grammes in a cubic metre. He adds, that rain-water froths 

 on agitation more than other water, and that in Paris it yields red tints, with 

 nitrate of silver, and deposits a garnet-coloured pi-ecipitato. — Comptes Rendus, 

 7th Sept., 1863 



TnE Bouquet of Wine. — M. Maumene recently addressed a letter to the 

 Trench Academy, in which he states that the flavour of certain wires can bo 

 obtained by adding to ordinary wine a few drops of a liquid composed as follows : 

 — He distils sixty litres of fresh wine lees, mixed with water, in a cldoride of 

 calcium bath, and as soon as the fluid ho obtains emits an odour of wine, he adds 

 a cubic centimetre of essence of pears, one volume of Valerian-amylic ether, and 

 Bix volumes of alcohol at 36° strength. If too much is added the flavour of the 

 pear becomes apparent. By adding two drops of butyric ether the flavour of 

 good Vin do Bouzy is imitated. Ho says those ethers aro most successful in which 

 the acid and the base have both high equivalents. 



The Natteiuacic [» LaKCASHIBE. — Mr. Wm. Tyrcr, of Leamington, allud- 

 ing to the recent paper by Mr. Couch, informs us that, "The Natterjack is very 

 abundant in South Lancashire in all the ditches, in those parts near the coast, and 

 also in pool* of water among the sandhills. It makes a very peculiar noise in tho 

 summer evenings, snd in the parish of North Meolsis known by the name of 

 Mcols' Organ." 



