THE

Edinburgh

JOURNAL OF SCIENCE,

CONDUCTED BY

DAVID BREWSTER, LL.D.

F.R.S. LOND. AND EDIN. F.S. S. A. M. R.I.A.

CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE ROYAL
PRUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SWEDISH ACADEMY

OF SCIENCES; OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF SCIENCES OF DENMARK;

OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF GOTTINGEN, &c. &c.

VOL. III.

NEW SERIES.

APRIL-OCTOBER.

THOMAS CLARK, EDINBURGH:
T. CADELL, LONDON:

AND MILLIKIN & SON, DUBLIN.

M.DCCC.XXX.

PRINTED BY JOHN STARK, EDINBURGH.

ART. I. Yearly Statement of the progress of Physical and Chemical Science,

delivered on the 31st March 1829. By JACOB BERZELIUS.—Ars-

berättelse om Framstegen i Physik och Chemie Afgiven den 31

Mars 1829, af Jac. Berzelius,

II. Experimental Inquiries concerning the Laws of Magnetic Forces. By

D. SNOW HARRIS, Esq. of Plymouth. Communicated by a Cor-

respondent,

III. Notice of the performance of Steam-Engines in Cornwall for January,

February, and March 1830. By W. J. HENWOOD, F. G. S., Men-

ber of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. Communicated by

the Author,

IV. Notice of experiments with Laurel Oil. By Dr HANCOCK. Com-

municated by the Author,

V. Account of a curious phenomenon of revolving motions, produced by

the combination of Alcohol with Laurel Oil. By Dr HANCOCK.

Communicated by the Author,

VI. Description of a simple, cheap, and accurate Rain-Gage, calculated

to show the depth of rain falling around it to the ten-thousandth part

of an inch. By MATTHEW ADAM, A. M., Rector of the Academy

of Inverness, and Associate of the Society of Arts for Scotland. Com-

municated by the Author,

VII. Observations on the National Encouragement of Science, and on its

Encouragement by learned Societies, with observations on the general

state of learned Societies in England. By CHARLES BABBAGE, Esq.

M. A. F. R. S. L. and E., Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, Cam-

bridge,
VIII. Experiments on the variations to which Magnets are incident when

exposed to the Solar Rays. By Professor F. ZANTEDESCHI,

IX. Inquiry into the circumstances under which the Remains of some

Fossil Animals were accumulated in the volcanic soil of the Velay, in

France. By S. HIBBERT, M. D., F. R. S. E., &c. &c. Communi-

cated by the Author,

X. Account of Experiments on the Elastic force of Steam up to twenty-

four Atmospheres, made by order of the Academy of Sciences of Paris, 90

a

Page

98

116

XI. On Inscriptions in living Trees. By Dr C. A. AGARDH, Professor

of Economy and Botany at Lund. Translated from the Swedish by

JAMES F. W. JOHNSTON, A. M.

XII. Note on a Physiological phenomenon produced by Electricity. By

Dr ET. MARIANINI, Professor of Natural Philosophy at Venice, 113

XIII. On the Influence of the direction of Winds on the Electricity which

accompanies the condensation of aqueous vapours in the atmosphere.

By Professor SCHUBLER, Tubingen,

XIV. Abstracts, with occasional remarks, from a Memoir regarding the

Human Bones and objects of Human Fabrication discovered in solid

beds, or in alluvium, and upon the epoch of their deposition. By

M. MARCEL DE SERRES, Professor of Mineralogy and of Geology

to the Faculty of Sciences of Montpellier,

XV. On the double Chlorides of Gold. By JAMES F. W. JOHNSTON,

A. M. Communicated by the Author,

XVI. Observations on some passages of Dr Lardner's Treatise on Mecha-

nics. By the Reverend W. WHEWELL, M. A., F. R. S. Professor

of Mineralogy, Cambridge. In a letter to Dr BREWSTER,

XVII. On the Improvement of the Microscope. By H. CODDINGTON,

M. A., F. R. S. Fellow of Trinity College, and of the Cambridge

Philosophical Society,

121

131

148

155

XVIII. On the law of the partial polarization of Light by reflexion.

DAVID BREWSTER, LL. D. F. R. S. L. & E.

By

160

177

XIX. ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC BOOKS AND MEMOIRS,

Consolations in Travel, or the Last Days of a Philosopher. By Sir

HUMPHRY DAVY, Bart. late President of the Royal Society,

XX. SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE,

ib.

180

I. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.

ELECTRICITY.-1. Power of metallic rods or wires to decompose water after

their connection with the galvanic pile is broken. 2. Detection of alloy in

silver by the magnetic needle,

II. CHEMISTRY.

3. Double Metallic Chlorides. 4. Freezing point of Alcohol,

186

187, 188

III. NATURAL HISTORY.

MINERALOGY.-5. Iron Pyrites,

XXI. Celestial Phenomena, from July 1st, to October 1st, 1830,

XXII. Summary of Meteorological Observations made at Kendal in March,

April, and May 1830. By Mr SAMUEL MARSHALL. Communic

cated by the Author,

XXIII. Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain-Gage, kept at

Canaan Cottage. By ALEX. ADIE, Esq. F. R. S. Edinburgh,

188

189

190

192

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The following Papers, which came too late for insertion in this Number, will appear in No. VI.

Mr FORBES'S Physical Notices of the Bay of Naples, No. VIII.-General view of the Volcanic Formations of the district.

Dr KNOX's Notice regarding the Nature of a Peculiar Structure in the Second Stomach of certain Cetacea, seemingly analogous to the electric organs of the Torpedo.

Professor MOLL's Electro-magnetic Experiments.