Volume 39 (1879) (446 pages)

230 MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. {October x1, 1879. El Dorado County Mines. Mr. Bennett, in the El Dorado County Republican, writing of the mining interests of that county, says the Pacilic has heen worked more or less for nearly 30 years, and the aggregate yield $1,500,000. Owing to litigation and a variety of causes, ths mine has lain idle, shafts fallen in and a general state of disuse prevailed, until an enterprising company of Londoners came into possession. Sincs when, the work has been silently, but steadily going on, in the most satisfactory menner. Two mills, now in process of erection, hoisting works, and restored. condition of the shafts and drifts, give promise of speedy and gratifying results, wherehy the interests of the entire county will he greatly enhenced and denefited. Its neerness to Placerville, which lies in the shadow of its mills, the ahundance of wood, water and other facilities, make it one of the most desirahle mining properties on the Pacilic slope. The quartz, in color, is an opaque white, finely laminated, carrying free gold and permeated, wore or less, with rich sulphuret. The gold is passed by insensihle gradation into the rock, and all the indications prove it to he a true fissure vein, causing it to e held in high repute hy experts. The dip is toward the east. This lode is in the same great belt as the Keystone mine, in Amador county, and is directly on the ‘‘Mother lode.” Ore is now being taken out in considerahle quantities. ‘The walls are green-stone end hlack slate. A tunnel tapping the main working shaft at a depth of 160 feet, affords ample ventilation. The Little Elephant, a recent English invention, is heing tested. There is claimed for it a capacity of one ton per hour, The Rose mine is on a lode running parallel with the Pacific, but differing in the character of its quartz. It lacks the green-stone and is very heavily sulphureted. The ore ie rich and yields good returns. In Coon Hollow, above the gold-hearing gravel, is a stratum of volcanic formation, many feet in thickness. The gravel is 15, 20, and even 35 feet in thickness, in meny places, and often carries gold throughout its depth. At Reservoir hill the same gravel hed appears. The outer crust is strongly marked, and heneath the volcanic, lies the gravel. Iminense results have heen reelized from these washings at Coon Hollow especially. Further south the principal mines are stil! active. Those near Logtown have commanded more or Jess attention for many years. Rich fluat has heen found in the vicinity, and the red surface dirt, found on all sides, isa fevorable indication, while from the earliest days, Mathenss creek was known to be rich. Itis a dead river, whose depressions ere, to some extent, receiving fresh accumulations every winter by meane of ‘‘winter streams” that cut through eeveral lodes of euriferous quartz and gravel et its head. The coarseness of gold so deposited proves the nearness of these intersections. The Springfield or Church Union is thought to he the most valuahle lode in this neighborhood, Itis handled by San Francisco capitalists, Drifts run north and south from the 500 and 700 levels. The richest ore ever discovered in the mine, has been fonnd on the lowest level, and the eulphurete incresse in value with the Tichness of the ores. The lode at the bottom of the shaft is from four to six feet in width, and is hounded hy the country rock, which forms good euhstantial walls. A oumber of Jodes, including the El Dorado, Pocahontas, Empire and Excelsior, all in this Vicinity, have been worked at intervals, and hear auriferous quartz. The natural supplies are abundant, and roads not difficult of construction. PETROLEUM IN Prerv,—It appears that F. Prentice, a well-known petroleum capitalist, of Titusville, Penn., is engaged in developing the oil deposits of Peru, having purchased an interest in some 4,000,000 of acres along the Pacific coast. He has contracted to sink 20 wells on the property within the next two years. His prospyuitg and experiments in that country ave demonstrated that it contains the most remarkahle oil territory yet discovered. Prentice is introducing crude petroleum for fuel, and people are heyinning to use it largely. There are 50 English ocean steamers plying along the coast Which contracted with Prentice to nse crude petroleum instead of coal ae fuel. They are erecting tanks for etoring oil at different landings, and pay $3a harrel. Sugar refineries are also preparing to use oil in place of coal. He pays aroyalty, hoth to the Maucora estate and the Peruvian government, for the monopoly granted. ProspecrinG.—The Placer Herald complains of those people who run off to Bodie, Arizona and everywhere under the sun hut Placer county tohuntfor gold, and saye: ‘“Itis a cold, unvaruished fact, ae the figures will demonstrate, this eection of country, right here around Penryn, Newcastle, Ophir and Auhurn, ie the hest district for prospectors in this or any adjoining State, The rock here hardly ever yields less than $10 or $12 per ton, often as high as $40 and $60, and not unfrequently a regular honanza is etruck, All prospectors, of course, don’t strike it hig, some hardly ever strike it at all, but the majority do well.y Vein Phenomena of the San Juan. In a geological talk ahout the fissnre veins of southwestern Colorado, in the San Juan country, H. F. Sickles says, in the Denver Tribune, that silver is the dominant precious metal ahounding in the mountains, and is universally found in well-defined fissurs veins in the crest of the rocks, where the crevice seems to he filled with an aggregation of mineral matter. In the various forms of metals found in the San Juan mines, may he found the native silver in wire form, in spengles and in grains. It also occurs penetrating crystals, or amorphous fragments of common quartz. The color is dull silver white, often tarnished hrown hy exterior accretions. It is not often found massive, hut most frequently disseminated, and occnrs ramose, reticulated and capillary, J have also seen many specimens of ore from our mines containing native silver in the form of crystallized tuhes, octohedrons, rhomhoidal and in tetrahedrons. > In some of the mineral districts of southwestern Colorado the ores fruit quite extensively in dicrasite or antimonial silver, which occurs in grains and in cylinders; also in curved lamine, without cleavage, and fracture uneven. . The Butte Basin. This basin is now heing worked, with a view to full developmeut, hy the Butte Basin Gravel mining company. It is situated in Amador county, and is regarded hy the Amador Ledger to he of a peculiar formation. Mining experts freely express the opinion that there is nothing like it in the gold-hearing regions of this State, or in any other Stats, that they are aware of. The hasin itself is prohahly a mile or more in circumference, and is generally conceded to be of volcanic origin. The surface diggings of early days in the hasin and all aroundit, proved remarkahly rich—in fact, it was one of the richest spots met with in the Stats. One of the peculiarities met with hereahouts wes that no hedrock was encountered, and when the surface scratching was exhausted miners hegau to turn their attention to sinking, in the hope that further deposits of gold-bearing gravel would he wet with. At various points around the rim of the hasin proper rich gravel has heen found, some of it yielding as high as $4 to the pan. One shaft was sunk near the margin to a considerahle depth, and gravel, richly impregnated with the coveted metel, was ohtained as far as the shaft penetrated into the howels of the THE COQUITA PALM TREE. Another important constituent of our metalliferous deposits ie the sulphuret of silver (silver glance). It occurs in octohedrons and m tuhe form; also reticulated, ramose lamelliform, amorphous and in splotches; cleavage quite imperfect; malleahle and sectile, with tracture conchoidal. It is easily distinguished from netive silver hy its lack of epecific gravity and its sulphurous odor under tbe hlow-pipe. The hrittle enlphuret of eilver (stephanite) moet commonly occurs in hexahedral prisms, hut it ig sometimes massive and disseminated; structure foliated. Muriate, or horn silver, is an important factor in formulating the ore in some of our mineral veins, and is a fruitful constituent in the extraction of precious metal. Sulphureted antimonial silver (pyrargyrite) is found quite ahundant in some localities. It is ordinarily membranous in structure and imperfectly foliated, hut sometimes occurs in masses and grains; ie capillary, and crystallized in hexahedral prisms. Caleareous matrix is interspersed among nearly all of the ore of San Juan, in the various forms of spar, iron and copper pyrites, as well as the hlue scale and fine huckly galena, are found in great ahundance, A RICH strike of ore is said to have been made in the Bingham mine on the Poorman helt, Dakota, showing much free gold and in large pieces, hasin, The gravel wee found to pitch at an angle of 35 or 40 degrees toward the center of the hasin. No bedrock was touched, and nothing presented itself to show that the bedrock wes near. The scarcity of water prevented a thorough reseerch toward the heart of the formation, The completion of the Amador canal and hranch ditch to the Butte has rendered mining operations at this point possihle. The company are exploring the basin hy means of a shaft sunk near the center, which is now down 140 feet from the surface. The geological character of the rock through which they have passed is strange, and nonplusses all mining experte. It is of a whitish color, resembling mortar used by masons. There is no grit or sand in it, and it can he cut like chalk. The prevailing opinion is that it is of lava origin— nothing hut fine ashes cemented together, A NEW survey of the Catskills, hy Prof. Gnyot reveals mountains that were not known to exist. A large part of the region, especially the northwestern, is an untracked forest, and in several places the only chance for making triangulation was hy climhing to the tops of high trees, A 50-Foor vein of cinuahar is reported discovered in Fremont county, showin good prospects at the surface. This is the first quicksilver discovered in Colorado, Tho Industrial Outlook. It is cheering to read the papers now-a-deys, If one shuns the columns filled with loathsome sensations and horrors, with which nearly all the journals catsr to the depraved tasts, from catch-penny motives, hs is quits apt to feast upon a stirring industriel article, in whicb ths many little indications of returning life to production and trede are gathsred inte a panoramic picture of approaching prosperity. Th is all the more refreshing hecause we have bee kept so long upon a diet of despondency and disaster, Sincs 1873 there hes beeu a period of hushed machinery and huttoned pockets, At times signs hava appeared of revival, hut, though hopefully heralded, they have heen f lowed hy bnt little suhstance. The industr disease was evidently one which had laid de hold upon the material interests of the coun: try, and had to hs eradicated by a slow pro. cess. The patient had first to outlive the mel ady, and then recover from its effects. Convalescence has now apparently been reached, a: the hearts of the people are cheered hy thought of active-husiness, profitahls produce tion, and a quick torn of ths dollar, which will give all a chance to danes to its ring, : Now, what are the indications, or, in other words, the real facts upon which a consciousn of revival is based? One of ths leading finaucial writers of the East enumerates the following points: ‘*The chief eource of nationel prosperity, agrioulture, has within recent years attained a very large expansion, and the crops 1879 will largely exceed all precedent. Having already attained the position of tbe largest grain-exporting country,. we are now heginning, _ also, to supply animal food in enormous qnantities for the markets of Europe, and our dairy products are similarly forcing their way into — countries from which they have hitherto been excluded. This development of our vast prairie regions lays the hasis for a corresponding increase in the general commerce of the country, end provides employment for the new system of — tailroads constructed between 1866 and 1873, so largely in excess (as it was then supposed to he) — of the prospective requirements ef the country, hut for which we are now beginning to ind very useful employment, Our textile industries are turning out a larger quantity of goo to-day than at any previous period, and, perhaps, at more than an average rate of profit, The iron trade has suddenly recovered its wonted activity, and there is every probability that this year’s product of iron and steel will exceed all precedent. The minor industries share equally with the larger ones in the general improvement; and with the exception of coal mining—which is still afflicted with over-production—there is herdly one branch of tcade one that, concurrently with very important de ficiencies in the grain crops of Eurupe, we have this year hy far the largest crops in the hisror: of the country—a conjuncture which promise to augment our fond exports heyond all forme experience aud to lay the hasis for an increas of ourinward as well as outward commerce, whils” it will give extraordinary activity to our trans. portatiun interests. These fects more than jus tify the recovery of confidence that has occurred within the circles of capital daring the current year; and that restoration of confideuce will give permanence to the renewal of activity that is eo generally evident.” The Coquita Palm. The Coquita palm (J/ubaea spectabilis) is a Chilean species, hut is also cultivated in New Granada and other parts of South America, It affords the Afiel-de-Palao, or palm honey, 80 — much esteemed and used thoughont that coun> try. The beautiful treee are felled in great numhers yearly, and their graceful crowns of feathery leaves lopped away, to catch the sap running from the wound. By cutting a thin slice from the end every day the flow is keptup_ for several months. A good tree will yield 90 gallons, The sap is hoiled down to the consistency of treacle, and used instead of sugar. The small nuts which the tree hears are also edihle, and are exported in considerehle quantities, The Chileans let their cows and oxen do the husking ma peculiar manner, as follows? The cattle are very fond of the green husks, and heing allowed to feed upon them, swallow the nuts whole. Afterward, when chewing the cud, they eject the nuts, which are found im small heaps, entirely free from husks, in places where the animals have ruminated. ExTRAORDINARY Coal-Minz ExpLosioN.— It appears, from the report of Professor Burat, that, at the mine explosion at Frameries, mors than 100,000 cuhic meters of fire damp must have heen evolved in a very short time, All the 200 safety-lamps (Mueseler’s) were extin= guished without cansing ignition. The gas issuing from the shaft caught fire outside the mine (possibly from the engine-furnace), end hurnt with an enormone flame. When the supply, was becoming exhausted, the burning gas ran back into the interior of the mine, followed in its retreat hy atmospheric air, and occasioned nine enccessive explosions. The whole occur: rence is considered unexampled in the annals of coal-mining.—La Correspondence Scientifique.

230 MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS. {October x1, 1879. El Dorado County Mines. Mr. Bennett, in the El Dorado County Republican, writing of the mining interests of that county, says the Pacilic has heen worked more or less for nearly 30 years, and the aggregate yield $1,500,000. Owing to litigation and a variety of causes, ths mine has lain idle, shafts fallen in and a general state of disuse prevailed, until an enterprising company of Londoners came into possession. Sincs when, the work has been silently, but steadily going on, in the most satisfactory menner. Two mills, now in process of erection, hoisting works, and restored. condition of the shafts and drifts, give promise of speedy and gratifying results, wherehy the interests of the entire county will he greatly enhenced and denefited. Its neerness to Placerville, which lies in the shadow of its mills, the ahundance of wood, water and other facilities, make it one of the most desirahle mining properties on the Pacilic slope. The quartz, in color, is an opaque white, finely laminated, carrying free gold and permeated, wore or less, with rich sulphuret. The gold is passed by insensihle gradation into the rock, and all the indications prove it to he a true fissure vein, causing it to e held in high repute hy experts. The dip is toward the east. This lode is in the same great belt as the Keystone mine, in Amador county, and is directly on the ‘‘Mother lode.” Ore is now being taken out in considerahle quantities. ‘The walls are green-stone end hlack slate. A tunnel tapping the main working shaft at a depth of 160 feet, affords ample ventilation. The Little Elephant, a recent English invention, is heing tested. There is claimed for it a capacity of one ton per hour, The Rose mine is on a lode running parallel with the Pacific, but differing in the character of its quartz. It lacks the green-stone and is very heavily sulphureted. The ore ie rich and yields good returns. In Coon Hollow, above the gold-hearing gravel, is a stratum of volcanic formation, many feet in thickness. The gravel is 15, 20, and even 35 feet in thickness, in meny places, and often carries gold throughout its depth. At Reservoir hill the same gravel hed appears. The outer crust is strongly marked, and heneath the volcanic, lies the gravel. Iminense results have heen reelized from these washings at Coon Hollow especially. Further south the principal mines are stil! active. Those near Logtown have commanded more or Jess attention for many years. Rich fluat has heen found in the vicinity, and the red surface dirt, found on all sides, isa fevorable indication, while from the earliest days, Mathenss creek was known to be rich. Itis a dead river, whose depressions ere, to some extent, receiving fresh accumulations every winter by meane of ‘‘winter streams” that cut through eeveral lodes of euriferous quartz and gravel et its head. The coarseness of gold so deposited proves the nearness of these intersections. The Springfield or Church Union is thought to he the most valuahle lode in this neighborhood, Itis handled by San Francisco capitalists, Drifts run north and south from the 500 and 700 levels. The richest ore ever discovered in the mine, has been fonnd on the lowest level, and the eulphurete incresse in value with the Tichness of the ores. The lode at the bottom of the shaft is from four to six feet in width, and is hounded hy the country rock, which forms good euhstantial walls. A oumber of Jodes, including the El Dorado, Pocahontas, Empire and Excelsior, all in this Vicinity, have been worked at intervals, and hear auriferous quartz. The natural supplies are abundant, and roads not difficult of construction. PETROLEUM IN Prerv,—It appears that F. Prentice, a well-known petroleum capitalist, of Titusville, Penn., is engaged in developing the oil deposits of Peru, having purchased an interest in some 4,000,000 of acres along the Pacific coast. He has contracted to sink 20 wells on the property within the next two years. His prospyuitg and experiments in that country ave demonstrated that it contains the most remarkahle oil territory yet discovered. Prentice is introducing crude petroleum for fuel, and people are heyinning to use it largely. There are 50 English ocean steamers plying along the coast Which contracted with Prentice to nse crude petroleum instead of coal ae fuel. They are erecting tanks for etoring oil at different landings, and pay $3a harrel. Sugar refineries are also preparing to use oil in place of coal. He pays aroyalty, hoth to the Maucora estate and the Peruvian government, for the monopoly granted. ProspecrinG.—The Placer Herald complains of those people who run off to Bodie, Arizona and everywhere under the sun hut Placer county tohuntfor gold, and saye: ‘“Itis a cold, unvaruished fact, ae the figures will demonstrate, this eection of country, right here around Penryn, Newcastle, Ophir and Auhurn, ie the hest district for prospectors in this or any adjoining State, The rock here hardly ever yields less than $10 or $12 per ton, often as high as $40 and $60, and not unfrequently a regular honanza is etruck, All prospectors, of course, don’t strike it hig, some hardly ever strike it at all, but the majority do well.y Vein Phenomena of the San Juan. In a geological talk ahout the fissnre veins of southwestern Colorado, in the San Juan country, H. F. Sickles says, in the Denver Tribune, that silver is the dominant precious metal ahounding in the mountains, and is universally found in well-defined fissurs veins in the crest of the rocks, where the crevice seems to he filled with an aggregation of mineral matter. In the various forms of metals found in the San Juan mines, may he found the native silver in wire form, in spengles and in grains. It also occurs penetrating crystals, or amorphous fragments of common quartz. The color is dull silver white, often tarnished hrown hy exterior accretions. It is not often found massive, hut most frequently disseminated, and occnrs ramose, reticulated and capillary, J have also seen many specimens of ore from our mines containing native silver in the form of crystallized tuhes, octohedrons, rhomhoidal and in tetrahedrons. > In some of the mineral districts of southwestern Colorado the ores fruit quite extensively in dicrasite or antimonial silver, which occurs in grains and in cylinders; also in curved lamine, without cleavage, and fracture uneven. . The Butte Basin. This basin is now heing worked, with a view to full developmeut, hy the Butte Basin Gravel mining company. It is situated in Amador county, and is regarded hy the Amador Ledger to he of a peculiar formation. Mining experts freely express the opinion that there is nothing like it in the gold-hearing regions of this State, or in any other Stats, that they are aware of. The hasin itself is prohahly a mile or more in circumference, and is generally conceded to be of volcanic origin. The surface diggings of early days in the hasin and all aroundit, proved remarkahly rich—in fact, it was one of the richest spots met with in the Stats. One of the peculiarities met with hereahouts wes that no hedrock was encountered, and when the surface scratching was exhausted miners hegau to turn their attention to sinking, in the hope that further deposits of gold-bearing gravel would he wet with. At various points around the rim of the hasin proper rich gravel has heen found, some of it yielding as high as $4 to the pan. One shaft was sunk near the margin to a considerahle depth, and gravel, richly impregnated with the coveted metel, was ohtained as far as

the shaft penetrated into the howels of the THE COQUITA PALM TREE. Another important constituent of our metalliferous deposits ie the sulphuret of silver (silver glance). It occurs in octohedrons and m tuhe form; also reticulated, ramose lamelliform, amorphous and in splotches; cleavage quite imperfect; malleahle and sectile, with tracture conchoidal. It is easily distinguished from netive silver hy its lack of epecific gravity and its sulphurous odor under tbe hlow-pipe. The hrittle enlphuret of eilver (stephanite) moet commonly occurs in hexahedral prisms, hut it ig sometimes massive and disseminated; structure foliated. Muriate, or horn silver, is an important factor in formulating the ore in some of our mineral veins, and is a fruitful constituent in the extraction of precious metal. Sulphureted antimonial silver (pyrargyrite) is found quite ahundant in some localities. It is ordinarily membranous in structure and imperfectly foliated, hut sometimes occurs in masses and grains; ie capillary, and crystallized in hexahedral prisms. Caleareous matrix is interspersed among nearly all of the ore of San Juan, in the various forms of spar, iron and copper pyrites, as well as the hlue scale and fine huckly galena, are found in great ahundance, A RICH strike of ore is said to have been made in the Bingham mine on the Poorman helt, Dakota, showing much free gold and in large pieces, hasin, The gravel wee found to pitch at an angle of 35 or 40 degrees toward the center of the hasin. No bedrock was touched, and nothing presented itself to show that the bedrock wes near. The scarcity of water prevented a thorough reseerch toward the heart of the formation, The completion of the Amador canal and hranch ditch to the Butte has rendered mining operations at this point possihle. The company are exploring the basin hy means of a shaft sunk near the center, which is now down 140 feet from the surface. The geological character of the rock through which they have passed is strange, and nonplusses all mining experte. It is of a whitish color, resembling mortar used by masons. There is no grit or sand in it, and it can he cut like chalk. The prevailing opinion is that it is of lava origin— nothing hut fine ashes cemented together, A NEW survey of the Catskills, hy Prof. Gnyot reveals mountains that were not known to exist. A large part of the region, especially the northwestern, is an untracked forest, and in several places the only chance for making triangulation was hy climhing to the tops of high trees, A 50-Foor vein of cinuahar is reported discovered in Fremont county, showin good prospects at the surface. This is the first quicksilver discovered in Colorado, Tho Industrial Outlook. It is cheering to read the papers now-a-deys, If one shuns the columns filled with loathsome sensations and horrors, with which nearly all the journals catsr to the depraved tasts, from catch-penny motives, hs is quits apt to feast upon a stirring industriel article, in whicb ths many little indications of returning life to production and trede are gathsred inte a panoramic picture of approaching prosperity. Th is all the more refreshing hecause we have bee kept so long upon a diet of despondency and disaster, Sincs 1873 there hes beeu a period of hushed machinery and huttoned pockets, At times signs hava appeared of revival, hut, though hopefully heralded, they have heen f lowed hy bnt little suhstance. The industr disease was evidently one which had laid de hold upon the material interests of the coun: try, and had to hs eradicated by a slow pro. cess. The patient had first to outlive the mel ady, and then recover from its effects. Convalescence has now apparently been reached, a: the hearts of the people are cheered hy thought of active-husiness, profitahls produce tion, and a quick torn of ths dollar, which will give all a chance to danes to its ring, : Now, what are the indications, or, in other words, the real facts upon which a consciousn of revival is based? One of ths leading finaucial writers of the East enumerates the following points: ‘*The chief eource of nationel prosperity, agrioulture, has within recent years attained a very large expansion, and the crops 1879 will largely exceed all precedent. Having already attained the position of tbe largest grain-exporting country,. we are now heginning, _ also, to supply animal food in enormous qnantities for the markets of Europe, and our dairy products are similarly forcing their way into — countries from which they have hitherto been excluded. This development of our vast prairie regions lays the hasis for a corresponding increase in the general commerce of the country, end provides employment for the new system of — tailroads constructed between 1866 and 1873, so largely in excess (as it was then supposed to he) — of the prospective requirements ef the country, hut for which we are now beginning to ind very useful employment, Our textile industries are turning out a larger quantity of goo to-day than at any previous period, and, perhaps, at more than an average rate of profit, The iron trade has suddenly recovered its wonted activity, and there is every probability that this year’s product of iron and steel will exceed all precedent. The minor industries share equally with the larger ones in the general improvement; and with the exception of coal mining—which is still afflicted with over-production—there is herdly one branch of tcade one that, concurrently with very important de ficiencies in the grain crops of Eurupe, we have this year hy far the largest crops in the hisror: of the country—a conjuncture which promise to augment our fond exports heyond all forme experience aud to lay the hasis for an increas of ourinward as well as outward commerce, whils” it will give extraordinary activity to our trans. portatiun interests. These fects more than jus tify the recovery of confidence that has occurred within the circles of capital daring the current year; and that restoration of confideuce will give permanence to the renewal of activity that is eo generally evident.” The Coquita Palm. The Coquita palm (J/ubaea spectabilis) is a Chilean species, hut is also cultivated in New Granada and other parts of South America, It affords the Afiel-de-Palao, or palm honey, 80 — much esteemed and used thoughont that coun> try. The beautiful treee are felled in great numhers yearly, and their graceful crowns of feathery leaves lopped away, to catch the sap running from the wound. By cutting a thin slice from the end every day the flow is keptup_ for several months. A good tree will yield 90 gallons, The sap is hoiled down to the consistency of treacle, and used instead of sugar. The small nuts which the tree hears are also edihle, and are exported in considerehle quantities, The Chileans let their cows and oxen do the husking ma peculiar manner, as follows? The cattle are very fond of the green husks, and heing allowed to feed upon them, swallow the nuts whole. Afterward, when chewing the cud, they eject the nuts, which are found im small heaps, entirely free from husks, in places where the animals have ruminated. ExTRAORDINARY Coal-Minz ExpLosioN.— It appears, from the report of Professor Burat, that, at the mine explosion at Frameries, mors than 100,000 cuhic meters of fire damp must have heen evolved in a very short time, All the 200 safety-lamps (Mueseler’s) were extin= guished without cansing ignition. The gas issuing from the shaft caught fire outside the mine (possibly from the engine-furnace), end hurnt with an enormone flame. When the supply, was becoming exhausted, the burning gas ran back into the interior of the mine, followed in its retreat hy atmospheric air, and occasioned nine enccessive explosions. The whole occur: rence is considered unexampled in the annals of coal-mining.—La Correspondence Scientifique.