hill give also, in my humble opinion, evidence of the existence, at one time, of a large mass of ice. The following sketch shows the strange manner in which granite can be smoothed and polished by natural causes. The sketch represents a granite boulder found several feet under the surface in the immediate neighbourhood of Jordanhill House, where it now lies not far from the garden-wall. The questions. What kind of force rounded this piece of granite. Does the fact that a portion of it—the vein almost in the centre—has not been removed, prove the said force to be ice? are questions not easily answered.
The vein of quartz, a a, has been left un- touched by the force that has removed the granite originally on a level with it, b b; the force that has done this appears therefore to have been too weak to cut the vein of quartz. A stronger force may have previously cut the vein, or, what is more likely, the force that was polishing this travelled boulder, has sent it into a groove or furrow, which has prevented the vein of quartz from being lessened so quickly as the granite on each side of it.
I am inclined to imagine that this boulder and other similarly scratched boulders, brought to the surface in this neighbourhood, proves the existence of stones carried along upon ice, called in Switzerland the "moraines" of the glacier. Sir C. Lyell asserts that "all sand and fragments of soft stone which fall through fissures and reach the bottom of the glaciers, or which are interposed between the glacier and the steep sides of the valley, are pushed along, and ground down into mud, while the larger and harder fragments have their angles worn off." This quotation is taken from the last edition of the 'Principles of Geology.'—P. S. Whiteinch, Glasgow.
Permanency of Vegetable Organisms.—The powder of a brick found on the site of the ancient Egyptian town of Eileithyia, examined under the microscope, proved to contain several fragments of animal and vegetable remains, among which those of eight species of plants were still in a state fit for specific determination. These eight species are in no way different from those at present growing and cultivated in Egypt and Nubia; a proof that a period of 3500 to 4000 years (the probable age of the brick under examination) has passed away, without any notable change taking place in the climate and vegetation of Egypt. More extensive examinations of similar materials may be expected to throw new light on the former flora of this seat of ancient culture.—Prof. Unger, Imp. Acad. of Science, Vienna, Jan. 9th, 1862.
Earthquake Phenomena.—Dear Sir,—It is with some reluctance I venture to trouble you with an inquiry, but I know of no other from whom I could expect a reply which would be of equal value to me.
1. Suppose the direction of earthquake undulation were from east to west, would there be any probability of a valley or deep chasm being formed at right angles with the direction of the earthquake, i.e. from north to south?
2. Would it be probable that earthquake waves would run parallel with the mountain systems with which they were associated?
3. Suppose an earthquake to emanate from a given point, would there be a probability of its undulation extending in opposite directions from that point?—Subscriber.
1. Earthquake undulations (i.e. shocks) are incapable of forming valleys or deep chasms, by their direct action, at all.
Whatever chasms or fissures are produced are due to " secondary ac-
