SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS OF FRANCE. 
41 
SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS OF FRANCE. 
Session held at Strasburg, September 1842. 
1, On the geographic distribution of colours in nature, by Prof, 
Zenne. — After recapitulating the probable appearances of the 
primitive globe, he continues by stating that immediately after 
the influence of the light began to be felt upon the surface of the 
earth, the three primitive rays, red, yellow and blue, also began 
to exercise their influence upon the different zones of our planet. 
The red, the hottest of these rays, is more especially apparent in 
the torrid zone ; the blue, on the contrary, being the coldest 
ray, predominates in the arctic, whilst the intermediary or yel- 
low ray is displayed in the temperate zone especially. 
2. On the erratic phenomena and diluvium of Sweden and Nor- 
way, by M. Daub REE. The most singular fact in the district 
examined is, that the rocks are all rounded on the northern side, 
whilst the southern sides remain angular. Those which are 
rounded, and independent of their various degrees of hardness, 
are all furrowed by parallel striae. M. Sefstrom announced seve- 
ral years since, that this mean direction in Sweden was N.N.E. 
by S.S.W. ; M. Durocher remarks that the strise in Lapland are 
in the direction of N.N.W. by S.S.E., but this constant direction 
is not found in the mountainous region of Scandinavia, particu- 
larly in Norway. It has been found that the strise thus radiate 
from the elevated summits of the chain, and run in the direction 
of the principal valHes similar to their mode of occurrence in 
the Alps. These strise have been traced below the level of the 
sea, for we find them in situations which were formerly 250 feet 
above the water level. In Norway they are covered by a deposit 
of clay in many instances, containing the remains of marine 
shells identical with those existing in the surrounding seas, and 
numbering upwards of 300 species ; that the sea did not merely 
transiently cover them is proved by the abundance of serpulse 
VOL. II. NO. XIV. G 
