SOO Scientific Intelligence. 
Amsterdam, has given various interesting historical details re- 
specting the adoption of the theory of two fluids by the French 
mathematicians. Hd considers that the discovery which he 
made in 1784, with the great Teylerian machine, of the rami- 
fied form of the sparh^ which passed from the first conductor to 
the receiving conductor opposite, affords an experimentum cru- 
CIS in favour of the Franklinian theory of a single fluid. All 
the common electrical machines had produced only sparks that 
were conducted and not ramified^ and hence it might have been 
supposed that the spark was a combination of two sparks mo- 
ving in opposite directions ; but it is not easy to admit such a 
supposition, when the spark is known to have the form of a 
branch, with the twigs all pointing to one of the conductors. 
A translation of Van Marum’s paper is published in the An- 
nals of Philosophy for December 1820, p. 140. 
8. Experiment in favour of two Fluids.' — M. Moll has 
lately performed an experiment, which has been considered 
as equally decisive in favour of two fimds. He places ver- 
tically a very thin leaf of tin between two insulated horizon- 
tal rods of brass, terminated by a button, and at the dis- 
tance of one or two inches. The discharge of a strong elec- 
trical battery is then made to pass from the one to the other, 
and the plate of tin is found to be perforated with two holes., 
with the burrs or ragged edges in opposite directions. Journal 
de Physique^ Mai 1820, p. 896. 
METEOROLOGY. 
9. Meteorological Committee for procuring Metecw'ological 
Journals. — The great importance of meteorological observations, 
(particularly of thermometrical oiies made twice a-day, at 10 a. m. 
and 10 p. M.), not only in reference to the operations of agricul- 
ture and gardening, but in reference to various branches of ge- 
neral science, has induced the Royal Society of Edinburgh to 
appoint a committee of their number, not only for the purpose of 
establishing meteorological observations in various parts of the 
coast of Scotland, and along its principal valleys, but also to collect 
meteorological tables from all parts of the world. The follow- 
ing gentlemen have been named as the Committee : 
