Scientific Intelligence — Meteorology — Geology. 373 



the Mauritius under the auspices of the Government, which, from 

 the names of its Councillors, and the very good regulations which it 

 has issued, promises to obtain much novel information from that 

 colony, and the surrounding ocean. 



2. Great Fall of Rain in India. — Professor Oldham, in writing 

 to Sir R. I. Murchison from Churra Poonjee, in the Khassya Hills, 

 north of Calcutta, states that the rain-fall is there about 600 inches, 

 or 8 J- fathoms, per annum ; 550 inches of which descend in the six 

 rainy months commencing in May : and that in one day he measured 

 a fall of 25-5 inches. 



3. Annual Amount of Rain at Alexandria. — The annual amount 

 of rain at Alexandria stands in contrast to that mentioned as occur-- 

 ring in some places in India ; the quantity at the former being only 

 7|- inches. This quantity, indeed, might be expected to be small, 

 from our knowledge of the fact that three or four degrees to the 

 south the country is nearly rainless. 



GEOLOGY. 



4. Examination of Mocks by means of the Microscope. — Many 

 years ago, we strongly recommended the use of the microscope in 

 examining the structure of rocks, especially of quartz rock and sand- 

 stone ; also of compact rocks, as basalt and clinkstone. Very lately 

 this important subject has engaged the attention of Naturalists, as 

 is shewn by the circumstance that, at the meeting of the British 

 Association in the year 1851, at Ipswich, a memoir was read on 

 Klinology ; and that, at the meeting of the British Association in 

 the present year at Belfast, the examination of rocks by means of 

 the microscope was explained and illustrated in a very interesting- 

 manner by several of the more distinguished members of the As- 

 sociation. We trust that ere long the results of these examinations, 

 which so deeply excited the curiosity and attention of the meeting?, 

 will be laid before the public. 



5. On the Relative Conducting Power of Rocks for Heat. — M . 

 G. D. Helmersen, in a set of experiments on the relative conducting 

 power of some rocks for heat, finds that quartz rock is the best con- 

 ductor of heat, and compact limestone the worst. 



6. Tertiary Coal in India. — In the Sylhit district in Bengal there 

 is a deposit of tertiary nummilitic limestone connected with a deposit 

 of coal and ironstone. The coal is called by the reporter true coal. 

 What is meant by true coal ? Geologists enumerate three sets of 

 coal, viz., anthracite or glance coal, black coal, and brown coal. To 

 which of these are we to refer the true coal ? 



7. Examination of Soils by the Microscope. — The microscopic 

 examination, by Ehrenberg, of the black earth or soil (Schwarzerde) 



