Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 1 55 



MAGNETIZING POWER OF THE SOLAR RAYS. 



MM. Riess and Moser, after alluding to the doubts which many 

 philosophers entertained as to the accuracy of M. Morichini's ex- 

 periments, as to the magnetizing power of the solar rays, observe 

 that the favourable results which Mrs. Sommervile obtained, had 

 dissipated the doubts of many persons, and consequently that the 

 supposed discovery had given rise to various theories on the mag- 

 netism of the earth and its variations. 



The authors then detail the results of their own experiments, 

 which seem to have been made with great care and under varied 

 circumstances : the conclusion at which they arrive, and which seems 

 certainly warranted by their experiments, is, that they have a just 

 claim to reject totally a discovery, which, as they say, has disturbed 

 science at various times during seventeen years. The slight varia- 

 tions which they observed in some of their experiments, and which 

 they have not concealed, cannot, they conceive, arise from a real 

 action of the nature of that described by MM. Morichini and 

 Baumgartner as being so evident and decided ; added to which, 

 these variations are not always favourable to the supposed disco- 

 very. — Ann.de Chim. Nov. 1829. 



CONSTITUTION OF ACETIC ./ETHER. 



By a series of experimental researches, M. Planiava has arrived at 

 the conclusion, that acetic aether is formed of one equivalent of acetic 

 acid and two equivalents of alcohol ; and that therefore it is a sub- 

 acetate of alcohol, and is represented by the number 97. — Kastner's 

 Archives, Royal Institution Journal. 



PERCUSSION FIRE-ARMS. 



The following article, from the Journal of the Franklin Institute, 

 vol. iv., relates to a paper which was published, from the German, in 

 the Phil. Mag. vol. lxvi. p. 197. 

 Remarks on an article in the Journal of the Franklin Institute for 



February last, on Fulminating Powders, arid their use in Fire-arms. 



By Joshua Shaw, Esq. 



To the Editor. 



Sir, — I am induced, from reading an article in the Journal of the 

 Franklin Institute, on the subject of certain fulminating powders 

 written by Lieut. P. Schmidt, of the Prussian service, to send you 

 some remarks, which are the result of much experience upon the 

 point in question. I hope, however, that you will not expect from an 

 operative artist, anything which is very systematic or scientific, for in 

 this case you will be disappointed, as I am equally far from possessing 

 either the ability or the inclination to furnish it. To me, and to many 

 more practical men, the learning which writers appear anxious to 

 evince, seems to predominate over everything else, and thus to de- 

 stroy the utility of their labours. It is in vain to attempt to give in- 

 struction, excepting a language be used with which the pupil is in 

 some degree familiar. 



In the paper to which I have, alluded, Lieut. Schmidt, in speaking of 



X 2 the 



