Both analyses give almost precisely the ratio of bases to silica of 1: 2. V. Skolopsite. This mineral, described by v. Kobell, occurs at Kaiserstuhl, forming a crystalline granular mixture with a dark green pyroxene. Pure fragments are colorless and transparent, but the larger masses have a gray, greenish or reddish color. Gelatinizes with chlorhydric acid, giving off a trace of sulphuretted hydrogen, and sometimes a little carbonic acid from adhering calcite; this solution contains sulphuric acid. When the decomposition has been effected with nitric acid, chlorine may be detected by nitrate of silver.

The results of the analyses, after deducting the associated augite, were: CI S Si Al Fe Ca Mg Na K H

Mean,

21:39 2-24 15:50 417 34 17 2061 316 14.70 1.36 4:39 34-79 21:00 270 15:10

Oxygen, 0.31 263 18:25 9.83 081 4.31 1.07 3:09 047 292

The chlorine replaces 0:31 oxygen, and the sulphuric acid requires 0.88 oxygen to form a sulphate of a protoxyd base; this amount (0.31 +0.88), subtracted from the oxygen of the protoxyds, leaves 7·75, which number added to 10-64, the oxygen of the sesquioxyds, equals 18:39, almost exactly the same as the oxygen of the silica: giving the ratio of 11 between acid and bases, and of 2:3 between the protoxy ds and sesquioxyds. Rammelsberg writes the formula, 2R2Si+H2Si3, which would be a ratio of 2: 2: 5, instead of 2:3: 5. He considers it analogous to Sodalite, Nosean, etc., and, inclusive of the chlorid and sulphate, gives the following formula for the mineral, 2RCI+8 (2R2Si + ¤2Ñ¡ ̧)+ 3[2RS+3(2R2Si+¤2Ši2)]. VI. Pyroxene.-Analysis of the dark-green augite associated with skolopsite:

At

4. On a Volcanic Island in the Caspian; by Count MARSCHALL of Vienna. The existence of this island was first made known by Captain Koumani, of the Russian schooner Jourkmen, on the 7th of May, 1861. Its situation is in 39° 34' 14" N., and 47° 15′ 20′′ E. from Paris. the time of its discovery it was 400 to 500 paces in circuit, elliptical in outline, and in surface a plain slightly elevated at centre. About the highest point, which was between 18 and 19 feet above the level of the sea, there were small depressions containing muddy waters from which gases were escaping; the temperature of the waters, according to Mr. Abich's observations, was 28°-4 R., that of the air being 20°.3 R. On the 20th of June, 1861, its elevation was only 12 feet; near the close of July but 6 feet; and towards the end of that year it had sunk to 2 feet below the level of the sea. It continued to sink in 1862, and soundings over it, taken in January, 1863, gave depths of 12 to 13 feet.

The region of which the Caspian sea is the centre, and especially the peninsula of Abcheron, presents almost constant volcanic phenomena in its naphtha springs, mineral and gaseous waters, and occasional muddy eruptions, and sometimes also is disturbed by igneous eruptions, and by earthquakes, as recently those of May 30, 1831, and June 11, 1859.-Les Mondes, v, 106, from the Institut Imp. Geol. 1863.

5. Notes on the Geology and Mineralogy of the Spanish Province of Santander; by WM. K. SULLIVAN, Ph.D., M.R.I.A., Prof. Chem. Catholic Univ. of Ireland, &c., and JOSEPH P. O'REILLY, C.E. 196 pp. 8vo. With maps, views and sections. London and Edinburg. Williams & Norgate. First published in the Atlantis, vol. iv.-Santander is one of the northern provinces of Spain, lying on the Bay of Biscay. This work treats of the Physical Geography of the Province, and its general geology, and particularly of its metalliferous deposits, mining industry, and ores, and is illustrated by a number of detailed maps. The subject of the ores is treated mineralogically and chemically, and also with reference to their geological age and the order of succession according to which the different kinds were formed. A chapter containing five plates is devoted to the deposit of sulphate of soda in the valley of the Jarama near Aranjuez, Province of Madrid; and another to observations on the mammillated, reniform, globular and botryoidal structure in minerals.

6. Notes on a Cave and Coal Pit near Peking; by S. WELLS WILLIAMS.-Among the interesting objects of investigation in the vicinity of Peking, the coal and lime pits, and the caves near them, have attracted several visitors. They all lie within a few miles of each other on the lowest hills of the mountain range which forms the beginning of the ascent to the Table Land of Central Asia, and closes the northern side of the Great Plain of Eastern China, a few miles west of the capital.

The road thither leaves the southwestern gate of Peking on the great stone causeway that was laid by the Emperor Kanghi, and goes on to Lú-kau-kiau, about eight miles, where it ends.

From this spot the road to the mines leads through the district city of Liang-hiáng-hien, a town situated in the midst of well cultivated fields, but greatly dilapidated in its walls and gates, showing the poverty of the people and neglect of the officers. Seven miles farther on is the district city of Fangshan, much better built and cared for, as its comparatively wide streets, solid double gates, and well stocked markets attest. Between these two towns, and also nearer the base of the hills, are several channels, in which very large boulders and much water-worn shingle prove the great quantity and force of the torrents that occasionally flow from the mountains, though during most parts of the year a brooklet hardly finds its way down the dusty bottom.

The village of Kuh-shan-kau lies at the base of the hills in which the caves occur, and, at the time of our visit, near the autumnal equinox, was filled with animals laden with the harvest, which the peasantry were bringing in from the surrounding fields.

In the morning, we started with a guide for the principal cave, called Yun-shwiu-tung, or Cloud-water cave, situated about 1,500 feet above the valley. The rock throughout this region is metamorphic limestone, fertile wherever it is covered with soil; the hillsides are hidden with veg

etation, so that the winding path led up through a succession of pretty spots and along the brink of cliffs, all in charming variety, and, at this time, adorned by myriads of autumnal flowers in full bloom. The mouth of the cave is protected by a shrine and temple-three or four ancient and dilapidated buildings under the charge of a superannuated priest, whose vacuity, senility and dirt comported with the dusty and faded gods committed to his keeping. He was a painful object, but did his best to entertain us, assisted by a laic who is the guide into the cave.

The throat of the cave just admits a man to crawl on his knees about twenty steps, when he enters a room of irregular shape, some 80 by 30 feet in extent, and rising here and there 50 feet high, with an uneven floor, on which stalagmites had formed a thick crust. The walls were black with smoke, and no stalactites of any size were in this room. A gradual descent led to a still narrower but short gullet opening into other rooms; one was full of stalagmites. This long fissure in the rocks presented a more pleasing variety of grotesque rocks, which have been named the seat of Kwanyin, the Pearl rock, the Eighteeu Rahan, the Lotus Stalk, and such like fanciful names, all of which were duly pointed out by the talkative guide. Some pretty pieces of alabaster were clipped from one of them. Another turn carried us off nearly at right angles, and further progress was soon stopped by water- -a pool lying across the path. We were told that the end had never been reached in consequence of this obstruction, and legends of adventurous explorers who have perished in the search are told to inquiring travellers. The entire distance through is about half a mile, and the end of the cave is somewhat lower than the entrance. No petrifactions or fossils have yet been found, but it is not improbable that some might be discovered under the floor of the cave, for its conformation and position are very similar to the fossil caves of Gailenreuth in Germany.

The path back to the Tsieh-tái Gan led over the ridge into the upper part of the valley, where most of the convents are situated, grouped in clusters of houses as space has been found for them on one side or the other of the stream. During this winding walk over the cliffs and along the edge of precipices, scenes of great beauty were continually opening from one point to another, which beguiled the fatigue and rewarded the toil. One hermitage was perched far above on the opposite ridge, attainable by a toilsome ascent of nearly 2,000 feet; and others lay lower down. The hills are known as the Fáng-shan, or Square Peaks, but each monastery has its own name, and is devoted to soine Budhist saint or legend. The valley is too uarrow to be cultivated, but small plats, near the houses, furnish a few vegetables and flowers. Nearly at the bottom is a sheer descent of about 300 feet, over which the water occasionally pours in quantity with no small foam and noise. The temple placed at the top of this cascade is most romantically situated; and if the constant contemplation of the beauties and wonders of creation had, of itself, any power to lead the mind up to the knowledge of their creator, the priests, who have chosen this place for their prayers, should certainly be among the most devout. From one temple to another, all the way down, the priests received us courteously, and were curious to learn where the Ta-mei-kwoh, i. e. the United States, was situated; but those living

at this spot were more interested than the others. The steps leading to it are chiseled out of the sides of the rock, and chains are hung along to assist the passenger in making the toilsome ascent.

A roughish path leads from the mouth of this valley to the coal mines over a steep hill into a broader one, where the vegetation is less abundant. The lime-kilns are conspicuous from their white debris scattered over the ground for a good distance around; the lime is excellent; it is burned with coal, but the kilns were not in operation at the time of our visit, nor were they ever extensively worked. They lie about two miles northerly from Kuh-shan-kau, and the coal pits are three miles farther, up a steep ravine or woody opening into the main valley, the path to them rough and stony in the extreme. There are about fifteen shafts open, each of their entrances being enlarged into a room where the colliers sleep and eat at times, though more comfortable dwellings have been built for overseers and contractors.

We engaged a miner to show us down the largest shaft, which measured on the average only 44 feet high by 5 wide; it is cased with willow sticks in a secure manner, and the roof is particularly well guarded. The bottom is lined with the same to form a ladder, up and down which the miners travel in their daily labor. This shaft is about 150 feet deep, and the ladder down to the digging is perhaps 600 feet long. The coal is secured on small wooden sledges, and drawn, as the miner slowly crawls up along the narrow and slippery steps, by a strap passing over his forehead, each load weighing 80 catties. One workman brings up six loads as his day's work. The sides of this shaft showed the width of the veins of coal, but the top and bottom were not dug out; at the bottom the shaft divided and led toward two deposits, but neither passage had been dug out. The whole was very dry, owing probably to its elevation up the hill; but some shafts had been abandoned from wet and bad air, and their mouths closed. The laborers are hired out by contractors, who sell their coal to the dealers coming from Peking and elsewhere; it is all carried away on the backs of camels or mules, and it was a painful sight to see the unwieldy camels coming down the rocky, uneven road, bringing their loads of coal. It is delivered in Peking at about three piculs for a dollar, and a large part of the price is for carriage. The coal is hard, but such examination as the time afforded disclosed not a vestige of a stump or leaf to compare with the fossils of other coal regions; more careful research will doubtless bring to light some indications of this kind, enabling scientific men to compare the numerous deposits of soft and hard coal in this part of China with the European coal-measures.China Mail, Nov. 26, 1863.

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7. On the probable identity of the Oneida Conglomerate of Central New York with the Medina formation.-E. JEWETT, Curator of the State Collections at Albany, N. Y., in a letter to one of the editors, states that he has found the Fucoides (Arthrophycus) Harlani, a characteristic Medina fossil, in the Oneida Conglomerate, near Utica, Oneida Co., N.Y., and concludes on the ground of this discovery, and also, as he observes, for stratigraphical reasons, that the Oneida conglomerate is in fact only a northern portion of the Medina sandstone. The occurrence of this or a related Fucoid is stated by Dana in his Manual of Geology (p. 230), a specimen

AM. JOUR. SCI.-SECOND SERIES, VOL. XXXVIII, No. 112—JULY, 1864.

having been obtained from the rock near Utica by the author more than thirty years since, which was in all probability of the same species, although, as the specimen was afterwards lost, the fact is given in the Manual with a query as to the species.

J. D. D.

8. Coal in the Alps of Mt. Cenis.-Mr. DICKINSON exhibited to the Geological Society of London, at its meeting on Feb. 23d, a number of specimens taken from the rocks now being tunneled through the Savoy side of Mont Cenis. They are principally from metamorphic rocks, and as yet no granite has been touched upon. The most interesting mineral of all is the coal, which is found associated with these metamorphic rocks. It has been cut through in different places in the tunnel. Between San Michel and Modan similar coal is being worked to supply the district. It is anthracite coal, very similar to the Welsh anthracite. There is no regular dip in any of these rocks. In one part they are seen standing up like a cone, the coal sometimes vertical, and dipping in a variety of directions.-Reader, April 16.

9. New Fossils from the Lingula-flags of Wales; by J. W. SAlter, Esq.-Since the author's paper at the last session of the Geological Society on the discovery of Paradoxides in Britain, the researches of Mr. Hicks have brought to light so many new members of the hitherto scanty fauna of the Primordial zone that Mr. Salter was now enabled to describe two new genera of Trilobites and a new genus of sponge, and to complete the description of Paradoxides Davidis. He also remarked that the fauna of the Lingula-flags shows an approximation in some of its genera to Lower Silurian forms, and some-the shells and a Cystidean-are of genera common to both formations; but the Crustaceans, which are the surest indices of the age of Paleozoic rocks, are of entirely distinct genera; and their evidence quite outweighs that of the other fossils. The Primordial zone is, moreover, in Britain separated from the Caradoc and Llandeilo beds by the whole of the Tremadoc group, at least 2000 feet thick.-Proc. Geol. Soc., May 23, in Reader, Ap. 9.

III. BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY.

1. Heath (Calluna vulgaris) in North America.-The earliest published announcement that we have been able to find of Calluna vulgaris as an American plant, is that by Sir Wm. Hooker, in the Index to his Flora Boreali-Americana (2, p. 280), issued in 1840. Here it is stated that: "This should have been inserted at p. 39, as an inhabitant of Newfoundland, on the authority of De la Pylaie." Accordingly, in the 7th volume of De Candolle's Prodromus, to the European habitat is added, "Etiam in Islandia et in Terra Nova America Borealis." But it does not appear that Mr. Bentham had ever seen an American specimen. He also overlooked the fact (to which Dr. Seemann has recently called attention) that Gisecke, in Brewster's Encyclopædia, records it as a native of Greenland. No mention of it is made by Dr. Lang, in his enumeration of the known plants of Greenland, appended to Rink's Geographical and Statistical Account of Greenland, published in 1857,-from which we may infer that the plant is perhaps as rare and local in Greenland as in Newfoundland or even in Massachusetts !

In this Journal, for September, 1861, the present writer announced