MISCELLANEA. 
71 
its principal compounds. The following are some of its proper- 
ties : — It is but slightly more changeable than the hyposulphuric 
acid. It is colourless and transparent ; and^ if it be boiled^ it is 
decomposed into sulphur and sulphuric acid. Free or combined, 
it is not altered by the muriatic and sulphuric acids— nitric acid, 
on the contrary, throws down sulphur. — Mining Journal. 
Separation of Lead from Bismuth. — Ullgren precipitates the 
oxides with carbonates of ammonia, and dissolves them in acetic 
acid ; a strip of clean lead, the weight of which is kno^vn, is then 
put into this solution, so that the whole of it is covered. The 
vessel is closed and allowed to stand for two hours. Bismuth is 
separated in a metallic state, that which remains on the lead is 
washed off, and the strip di'ied and weighed. The bismuth is 
brought into a filter and washed with water which has been 
allowed to cool ; it is then dissolved in nitric acid, evaporated, 
heated, and the oxide of bismuth weighed. The solution of lead 
is precipitated with carbonate of ammonia, and the oxide deter- 
mined. The loss of weight which the lead suffered gives the 
quantity of oxide of lead which was not originally in the solu- 
tion. — Idem. 
Fossil Remains. — A large collection of the fossil remains of 
antidiluvian animals has been found in a grotto at Fauvent le 
Bas, in the Haute Marne. They comprise the jawbones of the 
hyena, tiger, panther, and buffalo, some very large sized stag 
horns, and also some bones of a species of bear, which, accord- 
ing to Cuvier, is no longer in existence. 
Organic Remains. A quantity of bones of the bear, hyena, 
hippopotamus, rhinoceros, deer and elephant, have been dis- 
covered in a cave in the mountain limestone at Durdham Down, 
Bristol, and the peculiarity of the circumstance is, that they were 
found in a fissure only, whch, as far as can be ascertained, ex- 
tends a very considerable depth lower than the workmen have 
ever yet gone. This is not the case in other places, where the 
bones are all found in caverns, which would appear in some 
