New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-04-02
SCIENCE.
Late Interesting scientific Intelligence,
Cleaned for The Tribune


/ the SAUL 81 Mare; il Is named COTGciD Prof LIZ
CoSrE, In the last number Of Sillmsn's Journal Of
science and Arts partially describes this substance
The specimen Ia the Professors possession was taken
IRON the surface Of the vein, and portion Of IL sp-
pears 10 be much weahercd IL ia however trsrer,ed
In al directions by minute assures sed with carbonate
OF lime, sulphurafe Of iron and silica. Many Of these
are almost microscopic and indeed quite invisible IN.
al they have been besehed by exposure 10 high tenn
perature For this reason the Professor has been in.
dueed to defer any qusnrtauve analysis until purer
specimens shall be obtained. Il has been ascertsined
however that the composition Of this mineral is such
that Il cannot be placed with any known Spectacle
lore the blowppe lis unaiterabe after exposure 10
an intense heat the assumes grsyish color-but
on examination with lens il s found that this appear.
ance Is owing great number Of threads Of foreign
substances by which the mass is penetrated With bo-
rsx 1t uelts slowly into glass yellow while hot and
pale yellow when cold in the reducing fame the beaG
/ Affords indications Of iron
TIE ALFRED Coz ris'sacC Of Nan and tie Myc-
hsram is question that has caused considerable sen.
satiOn in the minds OF the scientific. nr. LYELL ed
dresses communication 10 the London Times, in
which he treats Of this and refers article
from an American paper recently copied into the Lon
don 'Atheneum. announcing the discovery in this
country Of fossil human bone associated with the re-
mains of the Megaiherium and other extinct quadru-
peds Prof Lyes feels that this story relates
part Of a human pelvis which he al Naichez in
March, 1876 while visiting this counry,--and, ex-
aiming carefully into the evidence be to the
conclusion that the proofs OF the coexistence Of the hui
man individual with the Megatherium and other extinct
quadrupeds found in the vicinity a0ssth EHsahs
Go0r holding to the doctrine OF accidental association
and giving cogeni reasons for his opinion.
Volcanic Dist from Mount Heela fell from the
atmosphere on the Orkney Islands on the ID and Sd Of
September last DIR. TRAILL recently read account
Of this phenomenon before the Royal Society of Edin
burgh. The duet observed by gentleman in the
Island Of RousaY falling from the on the morning OF
the ID. II collected by another at skaill the
western shores Of Pomona the morning Of the Sd :
and by two other gentlemen in kirkwah on the same
day. 1t appears also TO have fallen in several other
parts OF Orkney probably over all the lsande and
observed also to reach the northern coasts OF Cahness
within an area Of which the radius cannot be less than
30 OF 40 miles.
1t covered to the depth of from onetwelith TO one
sixth Of inch linen laid out to dry. glass frames in
gardens and the leaves of plants Of every kind with
fine brownish-gTsy dust almost impspabe to the touch
but meager and grinding between the teeth. II docs
not eHervesce with acids and consisted chiefly Of slick
aumina, oxide of iron, with trace Of lme-Such an
occurrence has happened al least urec aes before in
the Orkney and shetland Isles when there has been an
eruption in lceland-ihe distance between Hecla and
the Orkney Islands is about SO miles. Volhey and
other writer's that the ashes OF Etns are often
carried TO the plains OF Egypt or to double that dis
lance.
Volcano an the Red Sea.-A dispatch has recently
been received at Loyds London, from the East India
House inclosing copy of letter from Lieut. Barker,
OF the East India Compsnys steam vessel Victoria an
nouncing that the 4th Of August last QsfG smoke
was observed 10 issue from the summit oil Saddle
Island Zone Of group called the Zebeyer islands, in
the Red Sea- In latitude 52 North, and longitude ~
~ East The weather At the time was very squaly,
with thunder and lightning. All this group OF islands
of volcanic origin but there Is neither record nor
tradition OF their having been in active operation Jib
BILE Seer in latitude IS % North and longitude Al 50
East was observed TO be smoking when visited b. the
officers of the Benares during the Survey OF the Red
Sea-bu never since. There Is a tradition among the
Arab pilots of its having been IRE city years ago
and Il bears among them the name OF Joole Dookhan
or Hill Of Smoke-snd has the appearance OF having
been In active operation az a much later period than
the Zebayer Islands.
Probable Submarine Volcano The ship Helena,
her passage from Batavia to Canton when IN latitude
l6o North and longitude 1852 East fell In with immense
fields OF floating pumice stones, apparently not having
been long erupted many of which were AZ large a.
common bucket The nearest land to windwId was
the Ladrones about 1000 miles distant 1t seems i'm,
possible that they shOaG have come thrlcenor could
they have come from Luzon, dead 10 leeward.
LIZ VERRIER.-Honors have been falling thick
about lie Verrier since his splendid discovery lie hes
been made officer of the Legion OF Honor " INC
King of France and besides. CHAIR mas oeen eslao
shed for him AT the Faculty Of Science at Paris emit
tied Mathematical Astronomy or Celestial Mechansm'
bust of him has also been ordered by Royal authonty
for the College OF Saint6 and ~ PradeT Is appointed
to execute it, From the King OF Denmark he has re
ceived the title OF Commander Of the Royal Order oil
the Danebrog and the Royal Society OF London has
conferred upon him the Copley Medal.
Mount Hecla has been scientifically examined
by NJ. DEscLoIsEAux of France. 1t isa very regular
cone with slopes OF twenty hye to thirty degrees,
covered with scoris and fragments. over the surface
there are numerous fumeroles, about which no salts
were observed except sal smmoniac-Mons d. has col
lected conferve from the Geysers where the waters
were at temperature Of 2Ceo Fahrenheit
Cultivation of Cereal Grams IN Geld Climates.-
paper has been read before the Academy OF Sciences
OF ST. Petersburgh By Prof A. T. huPFFEh IN which
after speaking of the temperature OF the earth IN NORM
Russia he states that near the mines OF Nerchnsk
where the temperature Is about 20 Fahrenheit
all the cereal grains cultivated with success, es'
peciAly Summer Rye and Barley, although there are
only two months snd hall, or at the most three
months between blowing and harvest In the same
fields he found by digging that the soil was completely
frozen al depth OF feet and so hard that crow
bar was REQUIRED 70 turn il up This hot day
near the middle Of the month OF August NJ hupHer
remarks that there is an increase oil temperature IN
the earth downward and also en- external source OF
heat in the sun the depth AZ which Ice occurs ana Tue
thickness of the bed of frozen earth will vary with the
season of the year. The Summer heat Is prevented
from melting 10 much depth by the slow conducon OF
the earth and the amount OF latent heat taken UP by ne
process In the mines of Trekhsyetielski, situated
a47O feet above the sea- il found that 10 I5 feet he
depth penetrated there was not Gr9p OF water-al
was frozen In the mines of Vosdvigensk, about 'Uc
feet above the sea- flowing water occurs al depth OF
300 feet having temperature OF 80 g Fahrenheit
The Ne,c Botanic Garden at CAMBRIDGE, Eng
land has been commenced the Vice ChaHce!lor having
planted the first the West side near the spot IN
tended for the entrance the Trumpington ROAD Inc
Professor of Botany subsequently followed MS example
by planting one on the East side Of the garden Twenty
men are actively engaged upon plot OF seven acres IN
tended for the immediate reception oil groups Oh he
larger descriptions Of trees The gentle fluctuations
over the whole twenty OF which the garden Is 70
be composed and the Introduction OF large sneet Oh
water where the depression ia greatest VIII tend gresuy
10 break whatever of fornaty 1t may be necessary 70
observe in the scientific grouping OF the various objects
that are cultivated in Botanic Garden
Organic Pemains-Proiessor BRONN, OF the nj
yersity of Heidelberg Germany has in press system
aca and geological catalogue of all fossized organic
bodies The vegetables and zoophytes hH tnrEen
sheets closely printed and include nearly oOOo species
The MS for the nomenclature belonging 70 THIS part
mas also gone TO press, and it is expected from me
tenor of letter from the Author that the whole WORK
will be finished about August or September lc4''
A Volcano At uork-A very wonderful conyul-
sion took place on the 18th January last In Rice Lake
no miles North OF Coburg, L. &. The lake was seen 70
be In great comnotion the ice le inches thiek, uneu
Issng in every direction. Presently II burst WIN a
noise like thunder and large piece from the center OF
the lake was Ia few minutes, thrown up IN pie 70
The hi0h of tn feet In which position lay ior seyeI
dav. This H. no doubt related to the earthquake "hen
caused the awful commoton In Lake Ontario at Grafton
Origin Of The Giants CausecGE Sc-Com-
nsnder c. Morton, K. N. has proPounded new Heo-
logical theory respecting the basane columns OF the
Gisnts Caus,wsy and OF StsAs coriendiDg mat tney
ave not az yocanic but OF U.yGb6 origin and the spen
did relics OF stupendous bsn6oos Of iar als1al
In support of this hypothesis be audes TO me iaci Of he
-. ;c;uts both in baubOOs and oasaluc coluni