Scientific Intelligence. — Hydrography — Zoology. 183 



HYDROGRAPHY. 



10.-4 new method for taking Deep Sea Soundings. — Hitherto a 

 continuous series of soundings in deep water has been rendered dif- 

 ficult by the fact of each sounding costing the ship a fresh line ; 

 however strongly the line was made, when once out it has never 

 been recovered. The Americans have invented a mode by which 

 the weight on touching the bottom is detached ; so that the line 

 may be drawn back with ease. — The following is an account of this 

 ingenious contrivance : — " A hole is drilled through a 64 lb. or 

 heavier shot, sufficiently large to admit a rod of about three quar- 

 ters of an inch in diameter. This rod is about 12 or 14 inches in 

 length, and with the exception of about 1^ inch at the bottom, per- 

 fectly solid. At the top of the rod are two arms extending one 

 from each side ; these arms being upon easily-acting hinges, are 

 capable of being raised or lowered with very little power. A small 

 branch extends from the outside of each of them, which is for the 

 purpose of holding, by means of rings, a piece of wire by which the 

 ball is swung to the rod. A piece of rope is then attached by each 

 end to the arms, to which again is joined the sounding line. The 

 ball is then lowered into the water, and upon reaching the bottom, 

 the strain upon the line ceases, and the arms fall down, allowing the 

 ball to detach itself entirely from the rod, which is then easily 

 drawn in, — the drilled portion of which is discovered to be filled 

 with a specimen of that which it has come in contact with at the 

 bottom." With this apparatus, aided by the host of assistants 

 whom Lieut. Maury's visit to Europe will doubtless bring to the 

 great work of exploration, the ocean bed may become in time as 

 well known to us as the bed of the Thames or that of Hudson. — 

 (Athenceum.) 



ZOOLOGY. 



11. The Committee appointed at the Meeting of the American 

 Philosophical Society on the 30th of February last, to examine and 

 report upon a collection of fine Wools, presented by the King of 

 Saxony to Peter A. Browne, Esq., of this city : — 



Report, That they have attended to the duty imposed upon them 

 by their appointment, and have received, from the kind politeness of 

 Mr Browne, much aid and information in relation to the subjects of 

 their inquiries. It is already known to the Society that the attention 

 of this gentleman has been for some time directed to the minute and 

 critical investigation of hair and wool, and that by means of assi- 

 duous microscopic and micrometric examination of these bodies he 

 has been enable to arrived at results, some of which appear to have 

 been before unknown, and others, if known, very little noticed. 

 Among these, he claims the following : — 



That he was the first to point out the exact difference between hair 



