254 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



Geologist the aeconnt of the tli>5Covery of moivnivy in the soil at Mout])ellier and 

 Lyons a s()nu'\\h;U similav ili^eovcH-y lias come undev my notice. W'liilst the 

 -workmen wi-rc cli'ci ting*some alterations, a few years ago, at the Fi'iciuls' IMci'ting 

 House, in IJristol, which was foriDerly a monastery, a consiilerahle ((nantity of 

 mercury was found in the old severs of the luulding- ; a hnnp of this metal, \\eigh- 

 ino- about a pound, is now in the possession of a friend of mine. Yourii, kc, 

 Feank Dymokd, 2 Victoria Villas, Y\^cstou-s\iper-]\rare." 



Private Collectioxs. — " Dear Sir, — It seems to me that if private 

 individuals, who have ueolopieal collections, would make this known in your 

 journal, stating- where tiioy re-ule, and expressing their willingness to show the 

 contents of their cahineis to ;vay geologists who might happen to he in their 

 respective neighl'onrhoods, they woidd he conferring a henelit upon the scientitlc 

 puhlic, and e-.a cially v.pon heginners. Many excellent private mvisemns, large 

 and small, are, from such want of publicity, scarcely known and rarely visited, 

 and so far they are virtually lost for scientific purposes. Feeling this so miich in 

 iny ovra case, I take this opportimity of saying that I shall l)e, at all times, happy 

 to show my extensive general collection to any brother geologist, and to give him 

 anv hints respecting the geology of this district. I should also, occasionally, be 

 willing to make exchanges under suitable conditions. I may also add that there 

 is an excellent Geologicid iNui.seum at AVarwick, containing the llnest collection of 

 New Eed Sandstone fossils in tlie kingdom, besides many other objects of interest. 

 Faithfvdly yours, P. B. Ei^ODiE, Powington Alcarage, near Warwick." 



Insects and Seeds in Peat at Stanway. — Sir, — In a bed of peaty matter, 

 in v.diich I have recently found most interesting remains, viz., tusks, teeth, and 

 bones of the elephant and rhinoceros, there also appears much other organic 

 matter, namely, the elytra of insects, seeds, &.c. To recognize and name these 

 requires the skill of one well versed in those departments of natural history, with 

 which, unfortunately, I am not acipi.ainted. I shall esteem it a great favour if 

 you will have the goodness to inform me where I could obtain assistance in getting 

 this much-desii-ed information, and you will much oblige, John Brown, Stanway." 



GEOLOaiCAL iNSTRiniENTS. — " SiR, — Would it comc within the scope of your 

 publication to give a practical example or two on the modes of ascertaining the 

 height ofchlYs, quarries, hills, &c., and the method of using the clinometer and 

 aneroid barometer ; or, if this could not conveniently be done, to iiTrnish informa- 

 tion as to the bovoks in which those and similar matters of practical geology are 

 most clearly and intelligibly descril)ed ? Your aid would be acceptable to one, at 

 least, and p '>sii>ly to liiost of your subscribers. Since writing the lirst part of my 

 letter, 1 lUu k e. at page 210, a query very similar to my own, so that I think a little 

 information on the above heads ^vould be pretty generally valued. — J. A. F." 

 Maidstone. — (Vsieof the nev^- departments Aveopen in this mnnber is that of Geolo- 

 gical ?\la ii^,i',l:;t'ir,'<. lu the series of articles which will thus appear from time to 

 time. 'p.i!-rn.;r, 11 >!n barometric iricasurements, geological surveyiiig, preparation of 

 micr(>>r' 'ji'..' <n.\i\-[<. will lie included. The numerous letters -we have received 

 on this ji.-Mii- \uuv uracil such informatioii is needed, and how higldy it would 



he prizcil. Whenever a real want like this is made kn^^NMi to us l\v geologists, we 

 shall always use our be-L exertions to give Use required assistance. In the mean- 

 time, we refer our corros];oi -dents to tlie information on this sul ject contained in 

 the last chapter cf rrofesM-r Piiilllp,.' lace edition of liis " Manual of Geology." 



The Moveme:vj: isy U i: oi THi:rri.LODKN ]\[arcii-stone. — " Being edified and 

 much gratified by hearing a discussion on abvasure in rocks, occasioned by the sup- 

 pcsed slipping iif boulders and gl-u iers. bvcmghi forward by Professor Pamsay in a 

 paper read by him at the mcetinu' c-i' the (.Seoi- -ical S'oeietv. on AYednesdav'even- 

 ing, the r2th \ilt., and commented iqion by Sir Charles Pyell, Professor I'liillips, 

 and Mr. I\lorris, it occ urs to me that ii will be instructive to put on record in 

 your interesting iieriodieal a, eirenmstanc^e corroborative of the views taken by the 

 learned speakers on that occasion, which happened, I think, in 1817, ' near 

 my native town, Inverness. That town, stUTOundcd at short distances by table- 



