143 
2.— -Enormous mass of Malachite. In June, 1835, a mass of ma¬ 
lachite was discovered in the mines of P. and A. Demidoff, at Nischnei-Tagilsk, 
in the district of Jekaterinburg, measuring 16,2 feet, French measure , in length, 
7,5 in width, and 8,6 in heighth ; it weighs, therefore, by admeasurement, 350 
ponds of Russia, each pond being equal to rather more than 16 kilogrammes, 
French weight: making this enormous mass upwards of five tons and a half, 
English weight. No cracks or imperfections had been discovered so far as the 
examination had then been made. The largest block of Malachite previously dis¬ 
covered in Russia weighed 90 ponds : it was discovered in the mines of Furchami- 
noff, and is now deposited in the museum of the corps of miners, at St. Peters¬ 
burg!]. 
3 —-M. Engelhart, professor at Dorpt, appears to have been the first person 
to suggest, from geognostic appearances observable in the mountains of the Oural, 
that they contained diamonds. From the indications he furnished, the Russian 
government directed measures to be taken in order to ascertain that fact: they 
were not, however, attended with success. Count Polie, the proprietor of the 
land, on which is established gold and platinum works, was more fortunate; and 
the first Russian diamond was brought to light by his unwearied perseverance, at 
the period of M. de Humboldt’s voyage in Asiatic Russia. The number of these 
precious stones found, only amounted to thirty-five; and the expense attending 
their discovery being immensely beyond their intrinsic value, it is more interesting 
in a scientific, than profitable in a commercial, point of view. 
4. -—M. Jacquin has given an interesting paper on the pneumasticity of birds, 
which was read at the French Academy of Sciences, April 25th, 1836. He 
states that all the shoulder bones have their pneumatic perforations grouped round 
the scapular extremity, and receive air from the sub-scapular sac: it is transmitted 
to the bones of the fore-arm by the external cellular tissue, and even by the cavity 
of the humerus, from whence it is conveyed to the digits. An analagous arrange¬ 
ment exists for the inferior member, in which the cavities are always more extend¬ 
ed as the species of bird possesses the greater powers of flight. The cervical ver¬ 
tebrae have numerous small perforations in the channel formed by the transverse 
apophyses : this conducts the air from the pectoral sac. The subcostal sacs fur¬ 
nish air in a similar manner to the ribs and dorsal vertebrae ; and the sacral sacs 
to the vertebrae so called, and the basin. Air to the sternum is derived from the 
sternal sac, which sends it to the sternal apophyses of the ribs. 
5. —Osmya Ricolor, (Latreille).—Mr. Robin eau Desvoidy, who is well 
known to the French naturalists, by his interesting researches respecting dipterous 
insects and Crustacea, particularly those of the neighbourhood of St. Sauveur, in 
