lard dissolved in water leaves a pearl-coloured substance. which, when separated from the saline matter that it still contains, constitutes a substance possessing very peculiar properties, which, from its pearl colour, M. Chevreul denominates margarine. It is insoluble in cold, but easily resolved in hot water. It melts at 133°; and, on cooling, crystallizes in beautiful white needles. It combines with potash, and then resumes the characters of the pearl-coloured deposit. It has a stronger affinity for that base than carbonic acid, which it expels from the carbonate of potash by the assistance of a boiling heat. It likewise separates potash from turnsole, and restores it to its red colour.-Ib.

M. Hildebrandt has recently made some curious experiments on the preservation of flesh in the gases. Into a receiver of the capa ity of three cubic inches, filled with very pure sulphurous acid gas, he introduced, through mercury, a piece of fresh beef: in a few minutes it had absorbed all the gas, and the mercury filled the capacity of the receiver, except some air-bubbles, probably owing to the atmospheric air. The flesh soon lost its natural red colour, and assumed that of boiled meat: it underwent no other apparent alteration, and the air in the bell-glass preserved its volume. At the end of 76 days, during which time the temperature had varied from 0 to 10° Reaumur, the beef had acquired scarcely any smell of sulphurous acid, and was harder and drier than roasted meat. After being left four days in the open air, it became more compact without being putrefied, and did not change colour: it merely lost the weak smell of acid, without acquiring any other. A piece of ox beef was treated in the same way in the fluoric acid gas, and the results were in every respect similar: the phenomena were only less visible, because the acid attacked the glass, and a thin coating of mercury was deposited on the flesh. Beef deposited in a receiver filled with ammoniacal gas exhibited very different alterations: a total absorption of the elastic fluid had taken place; the meat assumed a fine red

colour, nearly resembling the effect of nitrous gas, and retained this fresh appearance 76 days: it was much softer than in the foregoing experiment, without smell, and having the colour and consistence of fresh meat. When exposed four days to the open air, it did not putrify, but lost its red colour, became brown, dry, and covered with a kind of varnish.-Ib.

A shower of meteoric stones having fallen near Toulouse, on the first of April, 1812, M. d'Abuisson, chief engineer of mines, and a deputation of scientific men, were dispatched by the French Imperial Government, to inquire into the particulars; and having proceeded to Grenade, seven leagues N. N. W. from Toulouse, where the phenomenon took place, the following is the substance of their report: About eight o'clock in the evening a brilliant light was seen in the atmosphere at Toulouse, and for several leagues around; this was followed by a very loud noise. It was thought at first that the powder magazine of Toulouse had been blown up, and, when it was discovered that it was unfounded, the light and noise was ascribed to some extraordinary meteor,-for the state of the atmosphere and the force of the explosion did not admit of the idea of its being a simple clap of thunder. A few days afterwards it was discovered that this phenomenon had been accompanied with a shower of stones, two leagues W. N. W. of Grenade. The light which spread over the atmosphere appeared all at once; although the sun had set for an hour and a half, and the air was dark, the light was so brilliant that the mayor of Grenade could read the smallest characters in the streets of the town; and the mayor of Camville compared it to the light of the sun, adding, that the town clock was as visible as at noon day, and that a pin might have been picked up in the streets. The exact duration of this light was not remarked. Some persons estimated it at two minutes, others at one, and others still less; but the fact is, that the light was continuous, and not instantaneous, like that of lightning. The sky around being dark, the body which produced the light

could not be seen. Scarcely had it disappeared, in the place where the aerolites fell, when there was heard in the air, three strong detonations, similar to the report of large pieces of cannon: they succeeded each other rapidly, and almost without any interval. Their noise was such that they were heard at Castres, twenty leagues from the spot where the stones fell. They were distinguished from each other in the neighbourhood of this spot alone. Some persons stated that they were equal in point of noise; others said that their intensity gradually diminished. They were followed by a very loud noise, which some compared to that of several heavy carriages rolling at once upon the pavement; others compared it to the beating of several drums, and others to a strong fire of musketry from the Spaniards having invaded the country. The noise came from the N. E. and proceeded to the S. E. and, after it subsided, a sharp hissing was heard, which ended in considerable shocks, similar to grape shot striking the ground: these phenomena were produced by the fall of the aerolites. Not more than fifty of these stones have been picked up. They are from three to eight ounces in weight, and one only weighed two pounds. They consist of a homogeneous paste of a stony nature, containing a very great quantity of small particles of iron in the metallic state, and very malleable. They do not affect any particular form. The quantity of the aerolites which actually fell must not be inferred from the small number which was collected. It was night when they fell, and most of the inhabitants were in bed: the ground on which they fell was partly in grass and partly ploughed up: into the latter many were no doubt sunk; so that it is more than possible that a much more considerable quantity fell than what is mentioned above: in short, all that were collected fell close to the houses, and of course were easily discovered. The whole that fell therefore may fairly be estimated at upwards of 100, nay, perhaps 1000.-Monthly Mag.

A small pamphlet has recently been printed for the use of the governors of the New-York Hospital, intitled Hints for introducing an improved mode of treating the Insane, by Thomas Eddy. It contains many sensible and useful remarks on the moral management of the insane, and insists strongly on the superior efficacy of mild and gentle treatment. The substance of this tract is drawn from Tuke's Account of the Retreat, an admirable lunatic asylum near York, in England, under the superintendance of the society of Friends; into which neither chains nor corporeal punishments are ever admitted-in which every appearance is avoided which can suggest painful ideas to the patient, and where the whole system of control is founded on the principle, " that whatever tends to promote the happiness of the patient increases his desire and power of self-restraint." With the exception of this establishment, we believe there is no English hospital for the insane, public or private, to be compared, in this respect, with the asylums attached to the hospitals of Philadelphia and New-York. At least, if we can trust to the report of the committee who examined the London hospitals and private mad-houses during the last year, those institutions are essentially bad, in their whole system; a system of terror, torture, chains, and close, gloomy confinement.

Mr. Eddy concludes by suggesting a plan of connecting with the present asylum in the city of New-York a rural retreat, provided with walks, gardens, and other conveniences, for rural labour and amusement.

There is one improvement adopted in the York retreat, and mentioned in Tuke's account of it, which Mr. Eddy might have noticed; trifling as it may appear, we have no doubt of its effect being very considerable. We mean the substituting painted iron window sashes, of proper dimensions, for the grated windows, and thus removing, as much as possible, the idea of restraint and confinement.-Analectic Mag.

During the last summer we announced to our readers, that Dr. Mitchill was employed in examining the natural history of the fishes of the cost, rivers, and lakes of the state of NewYork. Since that period this learned, zealous, and indefatigable inquirer, has pursued the study of Ichthyology with great perseverance and success, and has examined, described, delineated, and classed, many species altogether unknown to the European naturalist. He has lately laid this curious body of information before the Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York, and it will soon be presented to the world, in the first volume of their transactions. This elaborate paper is now in the press; it fills about 100 quarto pages, and will be accompanied by a number of quarto plates of many fishes of our waters, which have never been before described; all of them accurately, and some of them elegantly, drawn by Drs. Mott, Inderwick, and Akerly, and engraved by Anderson, an artist who has already distinguished himself by his taste and skill in natural history. Beside making this important addition to the stores of natural knowledge contained in our own language, Dr. Mitchill has made arrangements for communicating information on the Ichthyology and the fisheries of the United States, to the naturalists and politicians of the continent of Europe. M. Noel De La Moriniere, a distinguished naturalist of Paris, has been for some years employed, under the patronage of the French government, in preparing a magnificent publication, on the natural, economical, and commercial history of the useful fish, to be comprised in six vols. 4to. with splendid engravings. Having finished the European part of his work, he addressed a letter to the Baron L'Escallier, consul at New-York, a man of science, and a member of the National Institute, requesting information on the fisheries and fish of the United States. In consequence of this request, Dr. Mitchill has transmitted to M. Moriniere a great mass of important information on this subject. Analectic Magazine.