MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
265 
“ In one of the articles before refered to, the 
conviction is stated, that 4 growing plants give off 
Electricity by their spikes ot* points.’ 
“As bearing- on and confirming this opinion, T 
will quote from Mr* Walker, Editor of the Electri¬ 
cal Magazine." 
“ ‘ Vegetable points possess extraordinary powers 
of conduction, in many cases far surpassing that of 
the metals therasel res. A leyden jar was repeatedly 
discharged by a vegetable point in four minutes 
six seconds, while the same jar retained its charge 
eleven minutes eighteen seconds, under the influ¬ 
ence of a metallic point. 5 55 
“ From this it would appear, that plants, as sug¬ 
gested by Mr. Meston, give off Electricity, but 
only such as happen to exist in excess on the 
earth’s surface and in defect in the atmosphere, the 
tendency being to neutralize rather than to inten¬ 
sify the Electric tension of the atmosphere. 
“ This property of vegetable points gives great 
weight to Kamtz’s argument as to forests being 
subject to hail-storms. 
“Whilst on the subject ofMr. Meston’s views on 
Electricity, T must ask for some explanation of his 
definition’; the first attempt at a distinct definition 
of Electricity that I remember to have met with, 
‘ Electricity is the action and re-action of concen¬ 
trated hydrogen and nitrogen in Electrics. 5 
“ Without"quite comprehending the sentence, 1 
cannot but think that there is some omission. Is 
it not meant that “ Electricity is produced by, in¬ 
stead of ‘ Electricity is, &c. ? 5 However, that may 
be, a little expla i at ion of the definition would be 
acceptable. 
“ In the Memoirs of the Hoyal Astronomical 
Society, for December, 1857, is a full account of 
the Meteorological and other phenomena accom¬ 
panying the total eclipse of March 25th, as com¬ 
municated by the Rev. W. B. Clarke. Those Who 
took an interest in that event will, perhaps, remem¬ 
ber, that in a letter addressed to the Morning Herald 
I almost questioned the accuracy of an account 
•which appeared in the Bathurst newspaper: never 
having witnessed a total eclipse, I thought the 
account rather exaggerated. The Editor of the 
Memoirs however, quotes the passage in question. 
‘ At the time of the greatest obscuration the Moon's 
disk appeared surrounded by a bright ring of fire/ 
and remarks:—‘This, of course, would be the 
lcorona or luminous ring usually seen on such 
•ccasions.’ 
“ In a copy of the Illustrated London News, not 
many months old, is an account of some interesting 
geological discoveries, which had recently been 
.made in the Island of Purbeck. Between some of 
the strata, commonly known as the Purbeck 
marbles, had been found the fossil remains of no 
less than fifteen different species of mammalia. 
This discovery owes its interest to the fact, that no 
remains of mammalia had previously been disco¬ 
vered or even suspected to exist in the Wealden 
series. 
“ This reminds me that I was rather startled by an 
assertion in an article in the Empire , some time in 
March last; a Review of a Geological work, by a 
clergyman of this colony, “Geology and Genesis.” 
The'" reviewer states, that great difference, of opinion 
exists as to whether or not human remains may. be 
hereafter discovered in some of the earlier geological 
formations, 
“Does such a difference of opinion really exist 
amongst geologists of any note in the present age? 
Besides the abundant negative evidence to bo found in 
the fact, that amongst "the vast variety of animal 
remains which have been found, no trace of a human 
bone, or of any works of human art, have vet been 
discovered, to shew that in the early geological periods 
the condition of the earth was unsuited to the require¬ 
ments of the human race ? 
“Those who regard the Bible as a revelation of 
physical science as well as of religion, will find some 
ground for satisfaction, in the circumstance that the 
author of “ Geology and Genesis” gets over his main 
difficulty in the same way as two great authorities. 
Cardinal Wiseman and Dr. Backhand, have done before 
him, namely, by supposing a vast interval to have 
elapsed between tho creative acts described in the first 
and third verses of the first chapter of Genesis. 
“ The following extract from an English provincial 
paper may prove serviceable to some of the inventive 
geniuses of our colony :— 
“ * Before any man sets out to invent perpetual motion, 
we recommend his practising the trick of getting into 
a basket and lifting himself by the handles* When ho 
succeeds at that he can go ahead with perpetual motion 
with some prospect of success. 5 ” 
“ In tlic course of my Meteorological tour through 
the colony, I was frequently asked my opinion as to 
the prospect of obtaining water bv means of Artesian 
Wells, in some of the dry parts of the country. Some 
definite information on the subject would, I am sure, 
be very welcome, and perhaps very serviceable to many 
of the'readers of the Magazine.” W. S. 
We have also received, from a scientific young friend, 
in England, the foil owing abstract of a lecture, delivered 
at the Royal Institution, Albermarle Street, London, 
by Mr. Grove, on Molecular Impression by Light and 
Electricity. We may add, that our young friend, who 
is a contributor on scientific subjects to Chanibers ’ 
Journal , promises to forward us periodical reports ou 
tho latest discoveries in Science and Art. 
ON MOLECULAR IMPRESSIONS BY LIGHT 
AND ELECTRICITY. 
Bv Mr. Grove. 
Abstract of a lecture delivered at the Royal Institu¬ 
tion :—“ The term molecular is one of very recent 
introduction into science, and is used of what relates to 
the smallest particles of matter, that is, of those too 
small to be appreciated by the senses. Modern science 
speaks of all matter as composed of such molecules, 
and refers many curious phenomena of action,- &c M in 
conduction to changes produced in these or their rela¬ 
tions to one another. Thus, with regard to light: this 
was supposed byEnler to be only a peculiar undtila- 
tion of ordinary ’matter,.like sound or any other vibra¬ 
tion, and luminous bodies, like phosphorus, jrere sup¬ 
posed to owe that property to transmitting or giving 
back again the shock of such a vibration. To this it 
was objected that, if this were tho real nature of light, 
all bodies should have such properties. Now several 
other bodies were known which do possess thorn; but 
it was reserved for the present day to show the proba¬ 
bility of all bodies possessing this power more or Jess. 
“A French gentleman, hi. de St. Victor, found that 
if an engraving, which has been kept for some time in 
darkness, is half exposed to sunlight, then removed and 
placed in contact with a sensitive sheet of photographic 
pa]>cr, the part which received the sun’s rays makes a 
reproduction of itself on tho paper, while the other 
produces no effect at all. Mr. Grove himself was 
fishing, when he observed some curious patches on the 
skin of a trout he had caught, which apparently deve¬ 
loped themselves after ils removal from the water. It 
struck him that the effect might be photographic, and 
to test this another fish was taken, a dead leaf placed on 
each side, and one side exposed to, the other sheltered 
from, the light; after some time a perfect image of the 
leaf was produced on the exposed side, while the other 
remained perfectly blank. The former experiment is 
only one of a series, which seem to show a remarkable 
power in all bodies of absorbing light and giving it out 
again ; or, in other words, of perpetuating or i eproduc- 
