214 Scientific Intelligence. — Mineralogy . 
certain precursor of a gale. The marobia is felt with the great- 
est violence at Mazzara, perhaps from the contour of the coast. 
Its approach is announced by a stillness in the atmosphere, and 
a lurid sky ; when suddenly the water rises nearly two feet a- 
bo^e its usual level, and rushes into the creeks with amazing 
rapidity : but in a few minutes recedes again with equal velocity, 
disturbing the mud, tearing up the sea-weed, and occasioning 
noisome effl uvia : during its continuance, the fish float quite help- 
less on the turbid surface, and are easily taken. These rapid 
changes, (as capricious in their nature as those of the Euripus), 
generally continue from thirty minutes to upwards of two hours ; 
and are succeeded by a breeze from the southward, which quick- 
ly increases to heavy gusts. — Smyth's Memoir of Sicily. 
5. Mediterranean . — The medium heat of the sea around Si- 
cily, at a depth of from ten to twenty fathoms, by Six’s thermo- 
meters, is from 73° to 76°, which being 10° or 12° warmer than 
the water outside Gibraltar,. accounts for the greater evaporation 
and consequent currents. — Smyth's Memoir , p. 184. 
MINERALOGY. 
6. Mountain Tallow. — Specimens of this mineral substance 
were lately found in a bog on the borders of Loch Fyne. This 
curious mineral was first observed by some peasants on the coast 
of Finland in 1736 ; afterwards it was found in one of the Swe- 
dish lakes. M. Herman, physician at Strasburgh, observed a 
similar substance in the water of a fountain near that city ; and 
Professor Jameson met with it in this country. It has the co- 
lour and feel of tallow, and is tasteless. The following notice 
in regard to it was sent to us: — It melts at 118° and boils at 
290°; when melted, it is transparent and colourless; on cool- 
ing, becomes opaque and white, though not so much so as at 
first. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol, oil of tur- 
pentine, olive oil, and naphtha, while these liquids are hot, but 
it is precipitated again when they cool. Its specific gravity in 
the natural state of it, is 0.6078 ; but the tallow is full of air- 
bubbles, and, after fusion, which disengages the air, the specific 
gravity is 0.983, which is rather higher than that of tallow. It 
does not combine with alkalies, nor form soap. Thus it differs 
from every class of bodies known from the fixed oils, in not 
^forming soap from the volatile oils and bitumens, in being 
