334 
SCIENTIFIC MEETING AT THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE. 
depressions are more or less perfect and deep ; 
and have been made by an animal with two 
feet, and usually three toes. In a few in- 
stances a fourth, or hind toe, can be obser- 
ved, not exactly in the rear, but inclining 
somewhat inward ; and in one instance, the 
toes all point forward. Sometimes these 
ternate depressions run into one another, as 
the toes approach the point of convergence, 
but they also sometimes stop short of that 
point, as if the animal had not sunk deep 
enough to allow the heel to make an impres- 
sion. Attached to the posterior impression, 
there is frequently an appendage resembling 
a tuft of hairs or bristles. In all cases, where 
there are three toes pointing forwards, the 
middle one is the longest. Mr. Hitchcock 
found these impressions to correspond close- 
ly with those formed by small species of re- 
cent grallae, particularly snipes. He divides 
the tracks in the sand-stone into 7 species, 
under the genus Ornithichnites. 1 . Pachyd- 
actyli ; O. giganteus ; O. tuberosus; Lepto- 
dactyli; O. ingens ; O. diversus ; O. tetra^ 
dactylus ; O. palmatus; O. minimus. — {Sil- 
liman's American Journal, xxix. 307. 
1. SULPHURET OF NICKEL AND 
BISMUTH.— This mineral is found in the 
district of Syan Altenkirch, occurring along 
with quartz and copper pyrites. It crystalli- 
zes in octahedrons. Lustre metallic. Colour, 
light steel gray. Hardness, between that of 
fluor spar and apatite. Before the blow-pipe, 
upon charcoal, it gives out in the oxydating 
flame the odour of sulphurous acid, and after 
being long exposed to the blast, leaves a me- 
tallic-grain which is attracted by the magnet. 
It affords no fumes of arsenic or antimony. 
With soda, a sulphuret is obtained and a white 
metallic grain which is magnetic. With bo- 
rax, in the oxydating flame, a transparent 
brown glass is formed ; in the reducing flame, 
a gla«s possessing a similar colour but mixed 
with precipitated nickel. With salt of phos- 
phorus a brown glass is formed, which on 
cooling, becomes faintly green. The specific 
gravity could not be determined, in conse- 
quence of the quartz with which it was mixed. 
It dissolves readily in acids. Its constituents, 
according to Kobell are, sulphur 38-40 ; nic- 
kel 40-65 ; iron 3-48 ; cobalt 0-28 ; bismuth 
14HI ; copper T68 ; lead T58. Its composi- 
tion may be represented by 8 Nk SI .^Bs 
^ A. - (Journal fur praktische Chemie, vi. 
332.) 
2. OERSTEDITE.— This mineral descri- 
bed by Forchhammer, occurs at Avendal, 
commonly seated in augite crystals. Colour, 
brown-splendent. Crystals belonging to the 
compound pyramidal system. The terminal 
angle of the first pyramid is 123^ 16* 30 
The shape has some resemblance to that of 
Zircon, the angle of which is 123“^ 19'. Specific 
gravity 3'629. Hardness, between felspar 
and apatite. It consists of silica 19 708 ; lime 
2 612; magnesia 2-047 ; protoxide of iron 
1*136,; titanic acid and zirconia 68 965 ; water 
5*532; manganese a trace. — (Poggendorff's 
Ann, XXXV. 630.) 
3. BIN-ARSENIET OF NICKEL.— 
Mr. Booth has analyzed this mineral, from 
Riechelsdorff, in Hess. Its colour is tin white 
with a tinge of blueish gray. Fuses before 
the blow-pipe into a metallic bead, giving out 
arsenic and into a blue glass with borax. Its 
constituents are, nickel 20-74 ; cobalt 3*37; 
iron 3 -25; arsenic 72-64. The nickel and 
cobalt were separated according to the method 
of Laugier, that of Phillips having failed after 
repeated trials. — (Silliman's Journal, xxix, 
241.) 
THE INDIA REVIEW. 
Calcutta: November 15 , 1836 . 
LORD AUCKL.4ND’S SCIENTIFIC P.4RTY 
AT THE 
GOVERNMENT HOUSE. 
At a period when Science and the Arts are 
throwing their dazzling light over all parts of 
Europe, by the operations of that splendid in- 
stitution, the British Association, it is with no 
common feelings of exultation and delight that 
we behold the dawning of a similar era in Bri- 
tish India ; the more so when the avenues 
are seen to open at the residence of the first 
person in these realms. By this act the Go- 
vernor General is infusing in the bosoms of 
the people under his rule a spirit of emula- 
tion and rivalry, in the glorious strife 
for new discoveries promotive of good as 
regards Science, the Arts, and the prosperity 
of our eastern possessions. 
On the 8th Instant there was a party at 
the Government House, to which, gentlemen | 
of scientific pursuits and attainments were in- j 
vited, with the view of bringing forward in- 
teresting discoveries regarding General 
Science. 
This portion of our Editorial matter is so 
nearly being printed off, that we can give 
but a faint sketch of what occurred on this 
occasion. Among some beautiful collections 
in Conchology, Botany, Hindoo Sculpture ; 
drawings by Hodgson, MacClelland, and 
Cantor on Nepal, Assamese, and Bengal 
Zoology, there was a splendid cabinet of 
insects, collected and prepared by the in- 
genious and talented curator of the Asiatic 
Society, Mr. Pearson. 
