was formed, and by M. Nicolai, at the Observatory of the Grand Duke of Baden, at Manheim, whose account deserves to be transcribed. "The actual formation of the annulus was very remarkable; for about a second before it occurred, the fine curve of the moon's disc, then immediately in contact with the edge of the sun, appeared broken into several parts; and in a moment these parts flowed together like drops of water or quicksilver placed near each other. At the dissolution of the annulus, a similar appearance presented itself; for the delicate thread of light then formed by the annulus, instead of being broken in one place only, was, in an instant, divided in several places at once. The thermometer (reduced to Fahrenheit's scale) was at the commencement of the eclipse at 660, and fell towards the middle to 63°, but afterwards rose again to 66°.

Prof. Moll, of Utrecht, in a memoir entitled, like the preceding, "On the Solar Eclipse which took place on Sept. 7, 1820," has transmitted an account of numerous observations made at Amsterdam, Groningen, and Middelburg. Prof. Van Swinden's statement respecting the formation of the annulus is exceedingly interesting, but without the aid of his figures would not be well understood: besides, we suspect that the venerable author of the Positiones Physica has experienced at the time, perhaps through his enthusiasm in the cause, certain optical delusions. Mr. Grave, also of Amsterdam, adds likewise some remarks as to the appearance of the eclipse. He made use of an English reflector made by Mann. The formation of the annulus appeared to Mr. Grave the most beautiful phenomenon which he ever beheld, and he has delineated it with considerable effect.

Of the remaining memoirs composing this valuable volume, we cannot convey any important account, in the abridged form to which we are confined: we regret the less, therefore, that the space still remaining allows only the repetition of their titles: viz. On the Comet discovered in the Constellation Pegasus in 1821, by M. Nicollet, of Paris. On the Comet discovered in the Constellation Pegasus in 1821; and on the luminous appearance observed on the dark side of the Moon on Feb. 5, 1821, by Dr. Olbers, of Bremen. On a luminous appearance seen on the dark part of the Moon in May, 1821, by the Rev. M. Ward. On the Occultations of Fixed Stars by the Moon; on the Repeating Circle; on the Perturbations of the new Planets; and Observations on the late Comet and the Planet Vesta, by Prof. Littrow, of Vienna. On the Places of 145 new Double Stars, by Sir William Herschell, President of the Astronomical Society. Universal Tables for the reduction of the Fixed Stars, by S. Groombridge, Esq.; and, lastly (17th memoir), Observations of the Solar Eclipse which took place on Sept. 7, 1820; communicated in a letter from M. Piazzi to the Foreign Secretary.

ARTICLE X.

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE, AND NOTICES OF SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH SCIENCE.

I. Abbé Haüy.

The following account of the accident which occasioned the death of this eminent philosopher, has been transmitted by a medical friend at Paris to the Editor, accompanied with a copy of Baron Cuvier's discourse at his funeral, the original of which our readers will prefer to any translation :—

On the afternoon of the 14th of May, while alone in his cabinet, the Abbé Haüy fell down, I rather imagine in consequence of a slip, for I cannot find that he suffered any loss of sensibility, nor did he subsequently exhibit any symptom of cerebral affection, which could warrant the idea of a fit.

After some little time, he managed to call his attendants to his assistance. Some days elapsed before the exact nature of the injury which he had received was ascertained, the pain which he experienced from it, added to that which he before acutely suffered from a nephritic complaint, rendering a very minute examination difficult. After some time, however, a fracture of the neck of the os femoris was discovered. Fortunately for the Abbé, he was attended by Almand, surgeon to the Hospice Salpetriere; and as this gentleman does not, like many of his countrymen, entertain vain hopes of reunion in fractures of this kind, the good old man was spared the fatigue of a useless and distressing apparatus.

Notwithstanding the diminution in his strength and appetite, the Abbé continued to cherish the prospect of recovery till almost the last; and in conversation with the few scientific friends who were permitted to see him, he exhibited full proof of the unabated vigour of his recollection and reasoning powers. A few days before his death, which occurred about nine o'clock on the morning of the 1st of June, it was discovered that a collection of matter had formed, after the evacuation of which, his decline became more rapid than it had previously been. The extreme heat of the weather, probably had some effect in accelerating it.

In consequence of the Abbé Haüy's being Canon of Notre Dame, custom required a considerable service to be celebrated in the cathedral on the occasion of his funeral, but the circumstance of its happening on the day on which that building was occupied by the Chamber of Deputies, in the performance of the usual ceremony on the election of new members, prevented this service from being performed there, and a dispensation was obtained to go through it in the Abbe's parish church. My engagements prevented me from being present on this occasion, but the ceremony must have been one of considerable length, for though the corpse left the garden between 10 and 11, it did not reach Père la Chaise till nearly three o'clock.

Here too I was nearly prevented from attending, for it happened that on that very day, the students of Law and Medicine were desirous

of paying anniversary honours to a young man of the name of Allemand, who, two years before, had been killed by the gens d'armes. With a view to thwart them, the police placed troops to stop the different avenues to the burying-ground. By some of these I was forbidden entrance, but I was more successful in a second attempt, when I walked by the side of the corps. Several of the company were less fortunate, and were absolutely refused admittance. Gay-Lussac, the President of the Institute this year, attended with several of his fellow-members; and the Baron Cuvier read the speech, of which I have sent a copy.

While this was being read, some of the Abbe's brother professors, whose years indicated that they must ere long follow him, were melted into tears. Most of the company, according to custom, sprinkled holy water over the grave before leaving it.

A small body of the veteran troop employed as the guard at the garden, attended the funeral, and while standing at the ground, fired twice in platoons, and on retiring they singly discharged their pieces into the grave.

The new edition of the Abbe's Mineralogy will very shortly be published; he had, as he told me, very nearly brought it to a conclusion himself. He laboured at it very closely, and was as anxious about his success and credit as any young author could be.

FUNERAILLES DE M. L'ABBE HAUY.

Le 3 Juin, 1822, ont en lieu les funérailles de M. l'Abbé (René-Just) Hauy, Membre de l'Académie Royale des Sciences. Arrivé au lieu de la sépulture, M. le Baron Cuvier, Secrétaire Perpétuel de L'Académie Royale des Sciences, et Directeur du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, a prononcé, au nom des deux établissemens le discours

suivant.

MESSIEURS.--Par quelle fatalité la mort semble-t-elle depuis quelque temps se plaire à redoubler ses coups?

En peu de jours nous avons accompagné, vers ses tristes et derniers demeures, les Hallé, les Richelieu, les Sicard, les Vanspaendonck. Ni les talents, ni les grandeurs, ni les services rendus à l'humanité n'ont pu a doucir ses arrêts.

Elle frappe aujourd'hui le génie et la vertu; elle nous enlève à la fois le plus parfait modèle du scrutateur de la nature, et celui du sage, heureux de la jouissance de la vérité, de ce bonheur sur lequel ne peuvent rien ni les révolutions ni les caprices du sort.

Au milieu d'occupations obscures et laborieuses, une idée vient sourire à M. Haüy; une seule mais lumineuse et féconde. Dès lors il ne cesse de la suivre, son temps, les facultés de son esprit, il lui consacre tout. Pour elle il étudie la minéralogie, la géométrie, la physique; il semble vouloir devenir un homme tout nouveau !

Mais aussi quelle magnifique récompense accordée à ses efforts?

Il dévoile la sécrete architecture de ces productions mystérieuses où la matière inanimée paraissait offrir les premiers mouvements de la vie; où il semblait qu'elle prît des formes si constantes et si précises, par des principes analogues à celles de l'organisation.

Il sépare, il mesure par la pensée les matérieux invisibles dont se forment ces étonnants édifices; il les soumet à des lois invariables; il prévoit par le calcul les résultats de leurs assemblages; et parmi des

milliers de ces calculs, aucun ne se trouve en défaut. Depuis ce cube de sel que chaque jour nous voyons naître sous nos yeux, jusqu'à ces saphirs et ces rubis que des cavernes obscures cachaient en vain à notre luxe et à notre avarice, tout obéit aux mêmes règles; et parmi les innombrables métamorphoses que subissent tant de substances, il n'en est aucune qui ne soit consignée d'avance dans les formules de M. Haüy.

Comme un de nos plus illustres confrères a dit avec raison, qu'il n'y aura plus un autre Newton, parce qu'il n'y a pas un second système du monde, un peut aussi, dans une sphère plus restrainte, dire qu'il n'y aura point un autre Haüy, parce qu'il n'y a pas une deuxième structure des cristeaux.

Semblables encore en cela à celles de Newton, les découvertes de M. Haüy, loin de perdre de leur généralité avec le tems en gagnent sans cesse, et l'on dira et qu'il en a été de son génie comme de ses découvertes. Loin que l'âge ôtât quelque chose au mérite de ses travaux c'étaient toujours les derniers qui étaient les plus parfaits, et les personnes-qui ont vu l'ouvrage auquel il travaillait dans ses derniers moments, nous assurent qu'il sera encore le plus admirable de tout,

Quelle douce existence que celle qui se dévoue ainsi toute entière au culte d'une vérité grande et certaine; d'une vérité autour de laquelle se groupent chaque jour de nouveaux faisceaux de vérités subordonnées. Combien un tel spectacle éclipse aux yeux de l'homme digne d'en jouir, ce que le monde peut lui offrir de plus brillant, et qui 'jamais l'apprécia mieux que M. Haüy. Ces objets même qu'il étudiait sans cesse, ces pierreries qu'une aveugle fureur va chercher si loin, au prix de tant de fatigues et quelquefois au prix de tant de sang, ce qu' u'elles ont de précieux pour le vulgaire etait précisément ce qui lui demeurait étranger. Un nouvel angle dans le plus commun des cristaux l'aurait intéressé plus que les trésors des deux Indes. Ces joyaux si chers à la vanité, ces diamants dont les rois eux-mêmes sont fiers de parer leur couronne, passaient journellement dans sons humble réduit sans l'émouvoir au milieu de sa simplicité!

Que dis-je ? tous le fracas du monde extérieur ne le laissait pas moins impassible. Il n'a été ébranlé ni par les menaces des hommes farouches qui en voulurent un instant à sa vie, ni par les hommages qu'à d'autres époques, des hommes en pouvoir se firent un honneur de lui rendre. Dans tous les temps un jeune homme studieux, un élève capable de saisir ses idées, avait plus de droits sur lui.

Lors même que sa santé ne lui permettait pas de se rendre dans son auditoire, il aimait à s'entourir de cette jeunesse, à lui prodiguer ses conseils, à lui distribuer ces productions curieuses de la nature, que l'estime de tous les hommes instruits faisait affluer de tous côtés dans sa collection.

Mais ce que ces nombreux élèves trouvaient encore pres de lui, de supérieur à ses dons et même à ses leçons, c'etait son example; c'était l'aspect de cette douceur inaltérable à chaque instant récompensée par le tendre dévouement de sa famille; celui de cette piété simple et tolérante, mais que les spéculations les plus savantes ne détournaient cependant d'aucun de ses exercises; le spectacle enfin de cette vie si pleine, si calme, si considérée, dont ce que le monde et la science ont de plus illustre s'est efforcée d'adoucir les dernières souffrances.

Qu'ils bénissent donc la memoire d'un si bon maître; qu'ils n'ou

blient jamais le modèle qu'il leur laisse, et que, près de son tombeau, en se promettant de l'imiter, ils réjouissent encore son ombre.

Et nous mêmes, mes chers collègues, au milieu des larmes que nous arrache une perte si douleureuse, cherchons quelques consolations dans ces souvenirs; disons nous bien: quel homme jouir ici bas d'un bonheur plus constant? quel homme fut jamais plus certain d'un bonheur éternel?

II. Volcano in Iceland.

According to the last but imperfect news from Iceland, the volcano in Eyafields-jokull had remained quiet until the 26th of June, when a new eruption of ashes took place, which seems to have done more harm than the former. It is reported that the foot of the mountain had burst, and that a current of lava had begun to flow. The inhabitants of the nearest villages have been obliged to leave their houses. On the north part of the island frequent earthquakes have been felt, but they were not violent, and have done little damage.

III. Jeffersonite.

A new mineral, to which the above name is given, has been discovered at the Franklin Iron Works, by MM. Vanuxem and Keating, about six miles to the north-east of the town of Sparta, in Sussex County, New Jersey.

The following description of this mineral is given by the lastnamed gentleman:

"This mineral has hitherto been found in lamellar masses, the largest of which does not exceed a pigeon's egg, imbedded in Franklinite and Garnet.

"It presents three distinct cleavages, two of which are considerably easier than the third. These cleavages lead us for a primitive form to a rhomboidal prism, with a base slightly inclined. The angles of the prism are 106 and 74°, those of the inclination of the base are 94° 45′ and 85° 15'. There is another face, which makes with the vertical face of the prism, angles of 110° and 70°. I have likewise seen, in one instance, cleavages parallel to a rhomboidal prism of 116° and 64°. I have also obtained cleavages under an angle of about 99° 45' and 80° 15'. I have not been able to trace the connexion between these and the former, but I am inclined to think, that they result from the combination of the two prisms just mentioned. I had hoped, as some of the cleavages have a tolerable degree of lustre, to have been enabled to determine the angles by the reflecting goniometer, but all my attempts to that effect have proved unsuccessful. I have not been able to obtain a reflection from any one face.

"The hardness of this mineral is intermediate between that of fluor spar and apatite. It is very readily scratched by pyroxene (malacolite). "Its specific gravity varies from 3:51 to 3:55. I have in one instance obtained it as high as 3-64, but I suspect the mineral to have been mixed with Franklinite.

"Its colour is dark olive-green, passing into brown.

"It is slightly translucent upon the edges.

"Its lustre is slight, but semi-metallic upon the faces of cleavage; in the transverse fracture, it is resinous.

"The fracture is lamellar when in the direction of cleavage, otherwise it is uneven.