308 Notes and Memoranda. 



watering-place, and find dead sea-water figuring amongst the articles of our import 

 trade ? It is evident that if bromides come into gi-eater demand for photographic, 

 medical, and other purposes, they might be economically prepared on this spot, 

 at least to the extent of evaporating the water in shallow basins by natural heat, 

 and sending the solid residue to our laboratories for further manipulation. 



The Composition op Ozone. — Comptes Rendus, No. 14, 1863, contains an 

 important paper on ozone by M. J. L. Soret, presented to the French Academy 

 by M. Kegnault, in which, amongst other facts, he states that if ozone is destroyed 

 by heat, by bringing a platina spiral passed up into a globe containing ozonised 

 oxygen to a dull red heat, the volume of oxygen is considerably increased, while 

 a very slight increase takes place in oxygen that has not been ozonized. For this 

 and other reasons, the writer regards ozone as composed of more than two atoms 

 of oxygeD. M. Soret observes that many chemists regard oxygen in its ordinary 

 gaseous state as composed of two atoms, 00, and he says we may conceive molecules 

 of ozone to consist of three atoms of oxygen, 000, and to constitute abinoxide of 

 oxygen. He thinks it may contain more than three atoms of oxygen, but to de- 

 termine the exact number its density should be known. 



Tnfttsobia and Germination. — M. J. Lemaire states in a note to the French 

 Academy that if powdered porcelain is placed over a mass of moistened beans, 

 barley, or oats, bacteriums make their appearance in about twenty hours, and 

 vibrions and monads in forty-eight hours. The porcelain fragments may be made 

 red hot, and the distilled water used without changing this result. Phenic acid 

 stops both the production of infusoria and the germination. If the acid is re- 

 moved, the infusoria appear, and the seeds germinate. 



Novel Case oe Maeine Phosphorescence. — M. Morellet informs the 

 French Academy that after taking a sea-bath near Penols, Herault, the bathing 

 dress he wore, and that of his companion, were rinsed in the sea-water, and placed 

 in a basket, where they remained till nine P.M., at which time they were taken out, 

 and emitted sparks when touched. Three days afterwards he repeated his bath, 

 but the clothes were not affected. The first bath took place in August on a hot 

 day. 



Beatttieul Polaeiscope Object. — F. E. Martin informs us that if the beau- 

 tifully crystallizable compound called " Santonine " (which is obtained from Ar- 

 temisia contra), is dissolved in chloroform, and a little of the solution placed on a 

 slide, and very gradually evaporated over a spirit-lamp, it will be observed, on 

 making starting points for crystals with a fine needle, to form into beautiful satin- 

 like rosettes, making a magnificent object for the polariscope, similar to the well- 

 known Salicine slides. 



Volpicelxi on Spectral- Anaetsis. — According to Cosmos, this obseiwer 

 states that " when solar light traverses our atmosphere, the rays appear in the 

 same number and intensity, whether the air be dry or moist. This result accords 

 with the ideas of M. Janssen, who attributes the telluric rays in the spectrum to 

 the obliquity of the coincidence of the solar rays, and not to the influence of va- 

 pour of water. M. Volpicelli caused the solar rays to traverse an oxyhydrogen 

 flame, the primitive atmosphere being dry ; the telluric rays were not augmented 

 in number or intensity." He concludes, in opposition to Secchi, " that the vapour 

 of water is not the principal cause of the formation of the telluric rays." 



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