Reviews and Extracts.—Natural History. 
129 
Ark.—By the Rev. D. Scott, on the Alabaster of the Ancients. Feb. 19th, 
by the Secretary, an Essay by Mr. Robert Stevenson, on the Beacon-Lights of 
remote antiquity; and a paper from Dr. Alexander Murray, on the influence 
of Rocks on the nature of the Vegetation that covers them.—Mr. Audubon 
communicated an interesting and graphic description of a Flood of the Missis¬ 
sippi. March 5th, by Dr. Turnbull Cristie, on the occurrence of Hail Storms, 
within the Torrid Zone.—By the Rev D. Scott, an Essay on the Zebi, of the 
Bible, which he proved to be the Mountain Gazelle, and not the Roe, as in 
our authorised translation.—By Professor Jameson, on the nature of the wea¬ 
ther in the Isle of Man, from 1824 to 1830; and also a Meteorological Regis¬ 
ter, kept at Kinfauns-Castle.—The Professor then laid on the table a copy of a 
return to an Address of the House of Commons, relating to sums of Money 
granted for Mineralogical Purposes in Scotland.—He also communicated a 
notice in regard to the Structure of certain Fossil-Woods, from Van Dieman’s 
Land. 
Scientific Intelligence.— 
Thunder Storms in France. —The Count do Triston, has made observations 
for the last sixteen years, and he says. Thunder Storms are attracted by fo¬ 
rests. When 6ne arrives at a forest, if it be obliquely, it glides along it; if 
directly, or if the forest be narrow, it is turned from its direction; if the fo¬ 
rest be broad, the tempest may be totally arrested. A Thunder-cloud, which 
is arrested by a forest, exhausts itself along it; or if it passes over, is greatly 
weakened. When a large river or valley is nearly parallel to the course of a 
thunder-storm, the latter follows its direction; but the approach of a wood, 
or the somewhat abrupt turn of the river or valley, makes it pass off. Twen¬ 
ty-one thunder-storms, whose course has been distinctly traced, have extended 
from N.N.W. to S.S W. No destructive thunder-storm has come from any 
other point of the horizon. 
Sudden Agitation of the Sea. —His Majesty’s ship Hotspur, in 1813, whilst 
cruising in the Bay of Biscay, under easy sail, with moderate weather, was in 
a moment nearly overwhelmed by three successive seas. The quarter-deck 
bulwarks were carried away, one gun washed overboard, the wheel unshipped, 
several men lost, and the ship rendered unmanageable, and in imminent dan¬ 
ger of foundering. Immediately after, all appeared calm as if nothing had 
happened; and it was the opinion of those who witnessed this, that it was oc¬ 
casioned by a momentary and very partial agitation of the sea. 
Aurora Borealis, at Paris. —This interesting phoenomenon was observed cn 
the 7th of January, to cause a great variation of the magnetic needle. 
Gold Mines in the Vralian Mountains. —The produce of the Ural Mines, in 
1827, amounted to £651,420, and in 1828, to £672,416. Gold is also found 
in the Rhine, but in very small quantities. 
Lightning Tubes. —In the vicinity of the old castle, at Rerastein, near Blen- 
henburg, there have been found this summer, (1830) very firm and long vi¬ 
treous tubes, (Bliterbhren). From a branch in the upper part, 2 branches go 
off, some of which are 10 feet long, and from these proceed 3 smaller ones. 
Temperature of Mines in Cornwall, —At Ting-tang Copper Mine, in the parish 
of Gwennap, 178 fathoms deep, thewater, two months ago, was at the tem¬ 
perature of 82 deg. At Huel Vor tin mine, near Helston, 209 fathom deep, 
w'ater 79 degrees. Poldice copper mine, in the parish of Gwennap, the water 
at 196 fathom deep, has been found at upwards of LOO degrees, 
rolc(t)ta in Xew-Zealand. —The Volcano is in a small is’and, distant 20 or 30 
miles from the centre of the main-land of New Zealand. When last visited, it 
No. 3, VoL. I. S 
