Durango, Mexico. Bitburg, Lower Rhine, Prussia. Caille (Grasse), Dép. du Var, France. Guilford, North Carolina. Claiborne, Alabama. Asherville, Buncombe Co., North Carolina. Smith County, Coney Fork, Tennessee. Cocke County, Cosby-Creek, (also called Sevier iron), Petropaulowsk, Gov. Tomsk, Siberia. Burlington, Otsego Co., New York. Green County (Babbs-Mills), Greenville, Tennessee. Government Kursk, Russia. Government Poltawa (according to Eichwald in the dis- Seeläsgen, Neumark, Brandenburg, Prussia. Schwetz, Province of Prussia. Ruff's Mountain, Newberry, South Carolina. Seneca Falls, Cayuga Co., New York. Union County, Georgia. Lion River, Namaqua Land, South Africa. Putnam County, Georgia. Canada, Madoc, Canada West. Hainholz, S. W. of Paderborn, Minden, Westphalia. V. MISCELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 1. Inquiries into the Phenomena of Respiration; by EDWARD SMITH, M.D., (L. E. and D. Phil. Mag., xvii, 439).-The author gives in this communication the result of numerous inquiries into the quantity of carbonic acid expired, and of air inspired, with the rate of pulsation and res piration,-1st, in the whole of the twenty-four hours, with and without exertion and food; 2nd, the variations from day to day, and from season to season; and 3rd, the influence of some kinds of exertion. After a description of the apparatus employed by previous observers, he describes his own apparatus and method. This consists of a spirometer to measure the air inspired, capable of registering any number of cubic inches; and an analytical apparatus to abstract the carbonic acid and vapor from the expired air. The former is a small dry gas-meter, of improved manufacture, and the latter consists of-1st, a desiccator of sulphuric acid to absorb the vapor; 2nd, a gutta-percha box, with chambers and cells, containing caustic potash, and offering a superfices of 700 inches, over which the expired air is passed, and by which the carbonic acid is abstracted; and 3rd, a second desiccator to retain the vapor which the expired air had carried off from the potash box. A small mask is worn, so as to prevent any air entering the lungs without first passing through the spirometer, and the increase in the weight of this with the connecting tube and the first desiccator gives the amount of vapor exhaled, whilst the addition to the weight of the potash box and the second dessiccator gives the weight of the carbonic acid expired. The balances employed weigh to the of a grain, with 7 lbs. in the pan. By this apparatus the whole of the carbonic acid was abstracted during the act of expiration, and the experiment could be repeated every few minutes, or continued for any number of hours, and be made whilst sleeping and with certain kinds of exertion. The amount of carbonic acid expired in the twenty-four hours was determined by several sets of experiments. Four of these, consisting of eight experiments, were made upon four gentlemen, on the author, Professor Frankland, F.R.S., Dr. Murie, and Mr. Moul, during the eighteen. hours of the working day. In two of them, the whole of the carbonic acid was collected, and in two others the experiment was made during ten minutes at the commencement of each hour, and of each hour after the meals. The quantity of carbonic acid varied from an average of 24-274 oz. in the author to 16:43 oz. in Professor Frankland. The quantity evolved in light sleep was 4.88 and 4.99 grains per minute, and scarcely awake 5·7, 5·94, and 6·1 grains at different times of the night. The author estimates the amount in profound sleep at 4:5 grains per minute; and the whole evolved in the six hours of the night at 1950 grains. Hence the total quantity of carbon evolved in the twenty-four hours, at rest, was, in the author, 7.144 oz. The effect of walking at various speeds is then given, with an estimate of the amount of exertion made by differ ent classes of the community, and of the carbon which would be evolved with that exertion. The author then states the quantity of air inspired in the working day, which varied from 583 cub. in. per minute in himself to 365 cub. in. per minute in Professor Frankland; the rate of respiration, which varied in different seasons as well as in different persons; the depth of inspiration, from 30 cub. in. to 39.5 cub. in.; and the rate of pulsation. The respirations were to the pulsations as 1 to 4.63 in the youngest, and as 1 to 5.72 in the oldest. One-half of the product of the respirations into the pulsations gave nearly the number of cubic inches of air inspired in some of the persons, and the proportion of the carbonic acid to the air inspired varied from as 1 gr. to 54.7 cub. in. to as 1 gr. to 58 cub. in. The variations in the carbonic acid evolved in the working day gave an average maximum of 10-43, and minimum of 6.74 grains per minute. The quantity increased after a meal and decreased from each meal, so that the minima were nearly the same, and the maxima were the greatest after breakfast and tea. The effect of a fast of forty hours, with only a breakfast meal, was to reduce the amount of carbonic acid to 75 per cent. of that which was found with food; to render the quantity nearly uniform throughout the day, with a little increase at the hours when food had usually been taken, and to cause the secretions to become alkaline.* The variations from day to day were shown to be connected with the relation of waste and supply on the previous day and night, so that with good health, good night's rest, and sufficient food, the amount of respiratlon was considerable on the following morning, whilst the reverse occurred with the contrary conditions. Hence the quantities were usually large on the Monday. Temperature was an ever-acting cause of variation and caused a dimunition in the carbonic acid as the temperature rose. The effect of season was to cause a diminution of all the respiratory phenomena as the hot season advanced. The maximum state was in spring, and the minimum at the end of summer, with periods of decrease in June and of increase in October. The diminution in the author was 30 per cent. in the quantity of air, 32 per cent. in the rate of respiratiou, and 17 per cent. in the carbonic acid. The influence of temperature was considered in relation to season, and it was shown that whilst sudden changes of temperature cause immediate variation in the quantity of carbonic acid, a medium degree of temperature, as of 60°, is accompanied by all the variations in the quantity of carbonic acid, and that there is no relation between any given temperature and quantity of carbonic acid at different seasons. Whatever was the degree of temperature, the quantity of carbonic acid, and all other phenomena of respiration, fell from the beginning of June to the beginning of September. The author then described the influence of atmospheric pressure, and stated that neither temperature nor atmospheric pressure accounts for the seasonal changes. The kinds of exertion which had been investigated were walking and the tread wheel. Walking at two miles per hour induced an exhalation of 181 grs. of carbonic acid per minute, and at three miles per hour of 25 83 grs.; whilst the effect of the tread wheel at Coldbath Fields Prison was to increase the quantity to 48 grs. per minute. All these quantities vary with the season, and hence the author recommends the adoption of relative quantities, the comparison being with the state of the system at rest, and apart from the influence of food. 2. Dr. Newberry's Explorations in New Mexico, Utah and Texas, during the past season, are rewarded by many new and important discoveries, especially in structual geology and palæontology. His collection of fossils is very large, offering conclusive evidence of the geological structure of a very large area. Of the cretaceous deposits he was fortunate in obtaining a particularly satisfactory analysis. Contrary to all our previous notions, these beds turn out to be much more largely developed-that is, existing in much greater force, stratigraphically, West of The quantity of air was reduced 30 per cent, that of vapor in the expired air 50 per cent, the rate of respiration was reduced 7 per cent, and of pulsation 6 per cent. the Rocky Mountains, than East of them. In Southern Utah, (just where Marcou claims there are no cretaceous rocks) he found beautiful exposures of 4000 feet thickness of strata of that age, with abundant fossils, both animal and vegetable. The bones of a huge Saurian are among Dr. Newberry's novelties. We hope in our next Number to be able to give a more exact statement of Dr. Newberry's important discoveries. Rumors reach us of other and even more startling geological discoveries in the extreme West and North, which we are not at liberty to name at present, but which ere long will be announced, from the proper authority. 3. Discovery of Devonian rocks and fossils in Wisconsin. (Private communication to the editors.)—At a late meeting of the Milwaukee Geological Club or Association, Mr. I. A. Lapham announced the discovery of rocks near Milwaukee, equivalent to the Devonian (Old Red Sandstone,) containing remains, which he exhibited, of characteristic fishes. These remains consist of fragments of bone, teeth, a paddle with portions of the tuberculated skin or osscous covering. The bed containing these remains overlies the Niagara group, and is the uppermost of the geological series yet observed in Wisconsin. 4. Cretaceous Strata at Gay Head, Mass.-Wm. Stimpson, Esq., accompanied by Messrs. Slack and Ordway, during an excursion in August to Martha's Vineyard, obtained at Gay Head many new fossils in addition to those mentioned by Hitchcock, an examination of which appears to authorize the conclusion that these well known beds are Cretaceous rather than Eocene. Among the fossils obtained are cretaceous bones, vertebræ and teeth of shark, (fragments of some teeth indicating a length of seven inches!) some brachyurous crustacea in a good state of preservation, twelve species of bivalve mollusca, and one univalve; also leaves, fragments and seeds of dicotyledonous plants, &c. 5. The New Museum of Comparative Zoology, at Cambridge, is making rapid progress. One wing is nearly ready to receive collections. During his summer trip in Europe, Agassiz made large and important acquisitions for the Museum, in addition to the vast stores already awaiting an occasion for display. Besides a superb suite of fossil Crustacea, Agassiz was so fortunate as to purchase at Heidelburg the collection of fossils from which Bronn's Lethaea geognostica was composed. This collection contains the original specimens of the first and most important writers on Paleontology. Another important addition to the new museum has been made by a sea Captain, who has just brought from Penang and Singapore some three thousand specimens of fish, crustacea, and a most beautiful and choice collection of zoophytes. 6. WILLIAM P. BLAKE, Esq., the geologist, has assumed the editorship of the MINING MAGAZINE, a monthly heretofore published in New York. Under his direction this Journal will undoubtedly become a reliable exponent of the important interests it represents. 7. Prof. WM. S. CHAUVENET, lately of the U. S. Naval Academy, at Annapolis, has accepted the Chair of Mathematics in the University of Missouri, at St. Louis. SECOND SERIES, VOL. XXIX, No. 85.- JAN., 1860. 8. Professor DANA was, by our last dates (Nov. 26th) at Florence, on his way to Rome-designing to divide the winter and spring between Rome, Naples and Sicily, if the state of the country permits his visiting that Island. His health was improving. NEW BOOKS. 1. Archaia; or Studies of the Cosmogony and Natural History of the Hebrew Scriptures; by J. W. DAWSON, LL.D., F.G.S., author of "Acadian Geology," Principal of McGill College. Montreal: B. Dawson & Son. London: Sampson, Low, Son & Co. 1860. 12mo, pp. 400.The author of this interesting volume brings to his task the union of a varied scientific, literary and biblical acquirement with a hearty Christian faith. Like all devout and earnest men of science he has an unwavering confidence in the divine unity of truth, and does not for a moment doubt that the genesis of the rocks will confirm the genesis of Moses. He seizes boldly and with candor the real difficulties which every writer has found standing in his way when treating this interesting problem. After an eloquent introduction and a discussion of the object, character and authority of the Hebrew Cosmogony, of the general views of nature contained in the Hebrew Scriptures, &c., he thus sums up his chapter on the Days of Creation-the events of the first day. "At the beginning of the period, the earth, covered with a universal ocean and misty atmospheric mantle, was involved in perfect darkness. A luminous ether was called into existence, which spread a diffused light throughout the whole solar system. This luminous matter being gradually concentrated toward the centre of the system at length produced, in connection with the earth's rotation, the alternation of day and night. These changes were the work of a long period-an æon or day of the Creator." Undoubtedly the most difficult points in the whole Mosaic Cosmogony, to explain in a rational manner consistent with the views of science, are the creation of plants before the appearance of the luminaries,' and the separation of the two organic kingdoms by the introduction of this middle term. These difficult points are treated with much acuteness and learning, and with a full recognition of the various opinions put forth to meet them by various authors. If we cannot fully agree with our Author in his conclusions, we can truly say that no one has higher claims to a respectful hearing, and if the conclusions at which he arrives leave yet something to be desired, the want rests more in the imperfection of our knowledge than in Prof. Dawson's enunciation of it. Prof. Dawson does not shrink from a fearless review of the much vexed question of the unity of the human race in a long and interesting chapter on the "Unity and Antiquity of Man." It is hardly necessary to add that he adopts the Mosaic view. We can do this volume little justice, in these few lines to which our last pages restrict us, but we can earnestly commend its spirit, and hope for its wide perusal by all who follow the course of the deep questions it involves. 2. On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection: or, the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life; by CHARLES DARWIN. (Murray.)-[Waiting the arrival of our copy of this new volume from Mr. Darwin's pen, which at this present writing (Dec. 16) has not reached the United States, we copy some passages from a rather |