proportions of the elements in an hundred parts of the ore, will be as follows:

The component parts of this ore then are constantly united in equal proportions, so that the quantity of selenium contained in it corresponds not only to the quantity of lead, but also to that of cobalt, and this last metal also is, of course, contained in this mineral in the form of a seleniuret. It is also to be observed, that the selenium in this ore bears the same proportion to the lead, as sulphur does to the same metal in galena. Thus this natural seleniuret of lead is so composed, that when both its constituents are oxygenated and converted into oxide of lead and selenic acid, they produce a neutral seleniate of lead; and as sulphate of lead is sometimes produced by the decomposition of galena, so may seleniate of lead be formed in like manner from the seleniuret of that metal. Attention ought to be paid, therefore, to the occurrence of such a combination in places where seleniuret of lead is found.

General Entelligence.

It

New Proofs of the Existence of the Unicorn.-Accounts tending to prove the existence of the Unicorn have from time to time appeared. A letter from a traveller of the name of Ruppel, dated Ambukol the 3d of May, 1824, to Baron de Zach, contains a notice of an animal in Central Africa, of the size of a cow, but with the symmetry of the antelope, the male of which is furnished with a long and straight horn. is called, in the language of the country, Nilukma. More recently the Asiatic Journal contains an account of the Unicorn of Asia. Mr Hodgson, an officer residing at Katmandon, presented to the Asiatic Society of Calcutta, among other objects of curiosity, a large spiral horn, said to have belonged to the Unicorn. Accompanying the horn was a drawing of the animal, by a peasant of the country, said to be

a very accurate representation of the animal. The horn rises from the middle of the frontal bone. The animal is gregarious, herbivorous, and its flesh is palatable; it is called Chiro; its colour is a pure bay, and it inhabits a woody country known by the name of Changdung, and not far to the N. W. of Digurche. The natives find the horns which the animal has shed, or which belonged to individuals that have perished. They believe that the Chiro is too strong to be taken alive, or to be killed with their feeble instruments of warfare. The Hindoos consecrate the horns to their divinities; that which Mr Hodgson obtained was destined for the temple of Sumb'hou-Nat'h.

We have abridged the foregoing from Baron Ferusac's Bulletin for April, where the writer of the notice (whom from the signature, F, we presume to be the editor) goes on to remark that little doubt remains of the existence of the Unicorn in Central Asia, and the belief is supported by the evidence contained in Baron Zach's Correspondance Astronomique, vol. xi. No. 3, p. 269. It has been objected to the existence of this animal, that we cannot conceive of the formation of a horn upon the frontal suture; but this horn may be like that of the rhinoceros,-at all events we should imagine that if the horn presented to the Society of Calcutta belonged to the straight horned antelope of Asia, it would have been recognised by the members of that learned body.

Fusion of Charcoal, &c.-Professor Vanuxem has published in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia, a new series of experiments on anthracite, plumbago, &c. "These experiments were undertaken with a view to determine whether the globules obtained by Professor Silliman from the above substances were owing to a fusion of their carbon, or merely to the impurities or foreign matter contained within them." The substances were submitted to the action of the compound blow-pipe upon platina foil, spread upon a lump of magnesia. From all the phenomena Professor Vanuxem concludes, "that the globules produced from the combustible substances operated upon, did not arise from the fusion of their carbon, since they can otherwise be accounted for," and the more impure the substance was, the more numerous and the larger were the globules produced. Professor Vanuxem offers an apology for his silence in the account of his former experiments, in regard to the researches of Professor Silliman, which, he remarks, were not owing to ignorance of his labours, or a want of regard to him personally, or as a chemist.

New American Minerals.-Dr Samuel Fowler has given, in the last number of the American Journal, a very interesting account of several minerals which he found in Warwick township, Orange county, N. Y. Some of these substances occur in crystals of enormous size, far surpassing any thing of the kind heretofore known to mineralogists. Dr Fowler describes crystals of Spinel [pleonaste] measuring from twelve to sixteen inches in circumference. "These crystals are black and brilliant, sometimes aggregated, at other times solitary." They are found associated with "crystals of serpentine."

Crystals of scapolite occur at the same place, " each of the six faces of the prisms measuring four inches, or a circumference of twenty-four inches, or even more." Crystals of augite of huge size are also met with.

Albany Institute. We have lately received the first annual report of this flourishing institution, of which the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer is president. The object of this society is the promotion of science and learning. The regular meetings are held every fortnight during the four first months of the year. The report of the committee exhibits the state of the museum, library, &c. and furnishes ample and highly honourable evidence of the interest and zeal which the members have felt for promoting the objects of the institution. There are few societies in our country, we imagine, which have done so much in so short a period of time as this. The number of members is less than 60; twenty-eight papers have been read before the Institute; a collection of 1824 specimens in natural history, exclusive of a botanical collection, and a library of 350 books, have been formed.

Explosion of an Alloy of Potassium in the Laboratory at Cambridge. Having been lately engaged in repeating some of the experiments of M. Serullas on the alloys of potassium, in the laboratory of Harvard College, and having obtained some of them as described at page 61 of this volume, which afforded all the phenomena noticed by M. Serullas; I was desirous of examining the new compound soon after removal from the furnace. Six hundred grains of tartar emetic, and 18 of lampblack were employed. The crucibles well luted together were exposed to a strong red heat in a common universal furnace during four hours. At the expiration of that time they were removed, and allowed to cool one hour. I then separated the crucibles; the stratum of lampblack with which the alloy was covered to the depth of about an inch

was perfectly black, cool, and apparently unaltered,—it did not take fire on exposure to the air. Having poured out the lampblack, the alloy of antimony and potassium with charcoal was seen adhering to the bottom and sides of the cruci ble. On inverting the crucible it did not fall out, and a small pair of forceps were introduced to detach it. Immediately on piercing the thin crust which had formed upon the upper part of the mass, it exploded, with the evolution of much light, and the whole was projected from the crucible. From the position in which my hand was, the greater part of the inflamed mass was arrested by it, but much of it was thrown upon the forehead and eyes. The instantaneous and involuntary closing of the eyelids prevented the burning particles entering the eyes; a few however were forced beneath the lid of the right eye, which produced much pain and irritation. The hair and eyebrows were scorched, and the fingers of the right hand, which held the forceps, were much burned. Had the hand not been in the position in which it was, one or both eyes would undoubtedly have been very seriously injured.

Great caution, therefore, should be used in preparing these alloys, and the crucibles should not be opened till time has been allowed for a crust to form upon the mass. I have removed it, after cooling six hours, with impunity. Care should be taken that any instrument used to detach the mass is perfectly free from moisture, and also the bottle in which the alloy is to be put.-J. W. W.

Åërolite. An aërolite fell at Nanjemoy, Maryland, on the 10th of February, 1825, of which an account has been published by Dr Samuel D. Carver, in the last number of the Americal Journal. The occurrence took place about noon; the explosion was succeeded by a whizzing sound like that of air rushing through a small aperture. The course of the aërolite was from N. W. to S. E., nearly parallel with the river Potomac. The stone which has been found weighs sixteen pounds.

Fossil Remains. Notwithstanding the confused and unscientific manner in which this account is drawn up, we think there is reason to believe that some interesting fossil remains have been found, and not wishing to assume any responsi bility for the correctness of the notice, we give it as originally published. It is to be hoped that a more satisfactory description of these remains will soon be received.

Our enterprising fellow-citizen, Mr Samuel Schofield, has

disinterred from the low prairie grounds between Placque mine and the Lakes, a number of remains of the most gigantic size. They evidently belong to some class of animals now no longer in existence; whether ante-diluvian or not, we are unable to say. The great Elephas mastodon, or American Mammoth, described by Dr Mitchell, is inferior in size to these bones we have seen. From the circumstance of ambergris being collected in some quantity from the inferior surface of the maxillary bone, we are led to the conclu sion that they are of marine origin, but of what description we are unable to conjecture. Upon examining these remains, we are easily led to give credit to the extraordinary relations given by Father Kircher, of the Kraken and Norway sea snake. This non-descript, when alive, must have equalled either of them in bulk..

We will attempt a faint description of those which have already been brought up to this city, and are now on board the steam-boat, Expedition. They consist, first, of an enor mous fragment of a cranium. It is about twenty-two feet in length, and its broadest part four feet high, and perhaps nine inches thick. It is said to weigh about twelve hundred pounds. On the interior surface the vitreous table appears to be separated from the cancelli for some way down; this table is perfectly firm, and in a perfect state of preservation; the digital depressions formed by the convolutions of the cerebellum are very perfect.

The foramina for the passage of the sensorial nerves are very discernible. A very large portion of the inner table of the inside of the cranium is joined by a very singular squa mous suture. The inner surface appears in many places permanently discoloured by the bed of earth from whence it was taken. In the interior part of the cranium the diploë presents a very singular appearance, the cavities of which are very large, in some cases presenting holes of near an inch in diameter, and generally very regular. Upon what we judge to be the temporal portion, a most singular process or elongation presents itself: it is eight feet in length, and of a triangular form, and about six inches through, tapering gradually to the point. This singular appearance sets all our conjectures at defiance; it is of a spongy construction, with a rough and irregular surface. There appears to be no seat for the insertion of muscles; or foramina for the passage of the nerves or blood vessels.

This bone must have been covered for its whole length