FOEEIGN COEllESPONBENCE. 



75 



dclberg. Mr. Seybel, the owner of an extensive chemical manufactory at 

 Liesing, near Vienna, has latel}^ procured a lar^e quantity of lepidolite 

 from llozena, Moravia, and of lithium-mica from the Zimwald, Bohemia, 

 for the preparation of the three metals above-mentioned. From the re- 

 sults of Professor Peters' recent examination of the miocene strata of 

 Hidas, in southern Hungary, and from the observations made by M. Hant- 

 ken on the foraminiferal strata in the Cerithian limestone series, near 

 Buda-Pesth, there appear additional proofs of the existence, in Hungary, 

 of marine deposits containing a fauna analogous to that of the Cerithian 

 strata in the older marine deposits of the Vienna basin.* 



Dr. Lorenz has given the following information regarding the Gulf of 

 Quarnero — " This gulf, situated at the north-east end of the Adriatic, 

 between the Illyrian and Hungarian shores, a square degree in extent, re- 

 ceives uniformly cold freshwater currents, which impart to the waters of 

 the gulf a temperature below the average of that of the Adriatic. The at- 

 mospheric currents affecting it are either regular or casual ; among the 

 latter the 'Bora,' coming from the north, after having passed over the 

 south Alpine ranges, is remarkable for its impetuosity and low temperature. 

 The difference between high and low water, as observed during five succes- 

 sive years aloug the whole coast from Quarnero to Lesina, does not exceed 

 a foot and a half. The tide rises only once in twenty-four hours, loses two 

 days every month, and does not seem to be more influenced by lunar 

 phases than by winds or other transient causes. The drift-currents depei'd 

 chiefly on the atmospheric pressure and currents obtaining within the nar- 

 row channels separating the islets from each other ; and, by taking into 

 account the existing meteorological condition, they may be easily known 

 and foreseen ; a great advantage to the vessels navigating this small archi- 

 pelago. 



" The vegetable organisms in the Quarnero are distributed among one 

 super-littoral and four marine zones, having their maxima at the respective 

 depths of ^, 8, 20, and 45 fathoms. The higher these zones the more they 

 number new forms and bear a characteristic type. The DiaiomacecB, ana- 

 logous in this respect to the animal organisms, follow a difl'erent rule of 

 distribution, their new forms becoming more numerous with increasing 

 depth. The habitats of nearly 600 species of AlgcB (among which are above 

 300 DiatomacecB) have been ascertained. 



" The 700 animal species {Infusoria excepted) which have been observed 

 in the Quarnero (the greatest depth of which is not above 50 or 60 fathoms) 

 differ in their distribution from the vegetables ; the maxima of their sub- 

 marine zones having the depths of \, 4, 15, 30, and 50 fathoms. 



" The organic character of the Adriatic shores is different from the fa- 

 des of other less circumscribed seas, chiefly in consequence of its anomalous 

 tides ; a circumstance to be specially considered if ever artificial oyster- 

 breeding should be intended, such as already exists on the Atlantic coasts 

 of France under quite different physical conditions.* 



" A small colony of ' Boreal ' forms, characterized by the presence of 

 Nephrops Norvegicus, has taken possession of the depths wherever springs 

 of cold freshwater, rising from the bed of the Gulf, have afforded them fa- 

 vourable conditions of existence. If compared with other marine faunae, 

 the fauna of the Quarnero shows notable differences only in its higher 

 zones. At 30 fathoms depth it is nearly identical with the Baltic fauna of 

 the same zone ; and at 50 fathoms the faun^ of all European seas may be 

 regarded as being quite uniform in character." 



* Proceed. Vienna Imp. Acad., Oct. 10, 1861. Proceed. Imp. Acad. Sciences, Vieiin-^, 

 Nov. 7 and 14, 1861. See the ' Moniteur,' 1861, No. 9?. (Communicated by Count 

 MarschaU.) 



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