MISCELLANEA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 115, 5 September 1846, Page 4

MISCELLANEA.

The Nebular Hypothesis. — Professor Nichol, in a letter to a contemporary, dated 23d March, announces that the nebular hypothesis is no longer tenable. " Lord Rosse," he says, " writes me in a note received this morning (referring to the nebular hypothesis in Orion), • I think I may safely say that there can be little, if any, doubt as to the resolvability of the nebula.' Referring to unfavourable circumstances, he adds, " All about the trapezium is a mass of stars, the rest of the nebula also abounding with stars, and exhibiting the characteristics of resolvability, strongly marked." Without doubt, then (adds the Professor), the nebular hypothesis must be abandoned. — Glasgow Herald. A letter from Venice informs us that the Duchess de Berry had a narrow escape from severe illness, or perhaps death, whilst at Padua with her daughter the Princess of Lucca. The two Princesses had apartments at the house of the Consul of Lucca, which had been warmed by braseros. The Princess of Lucca experienced no inconvenience from the fumes of charcoal, as, whilst her mother was with her, the doors were frequently opened ; but, during this time, the bed chamber of the Duchess de Berry had been kept closed, and the air had been much vitiated when her Royal Highness entered it for the night. After some time the Duchess awoke with dreadful pains in her head, and all the symptoms of approaching suffocation. She was fortunately able, however, to call for assistance, and her physician having ordered the windows tq*be thrown open, she soon recovered.

Wasting Power of RivERS.-r-The rivers which flow in the valleys of the Cordilleras ought rather to he called mountain torrents. Their inclination is very great, and their water the colour of mud. The roar which the Maypu made as it rushed over the great rounded fragments, was like that of the sea. Amidst the din of rushing waters, the noise from the stones as they rattled one over another was most distinctly audible even from a distance. This rattling noise, night and day, may be heard along the whole course of the torrent. The sound eloquently to the geologist: the thousands and thousands of stones which, striking against each other, made the one dull uniform sound, were all hurrying in one direction. It was like think,ing on time, where the minute that now glides past is irrecoverable. So was it with these stones : the ocean is their eternity ; and each note of that wild music told of one more step towards their destiny. It is not possible for the mind to comprehend, except by slow process, any effect which is produced by a cause which is repeated so often, that the multiplier itself conveys an idea not more definite than the savage implies when he points to the hairs of his head. As often as I have seen beds of mud, sand, and shingle accumulated to the thickness of many thousand feet, I have felt inclined to exclaim that causes, such as the present rivers and the present beaches, could never have ground down and produced such an effect. But, on the other hand, when listteniug to the rattling noise of these torrents^ and calling to mind that whole races of animals have passed away from the face of the earth, and that during this whole period, night and day, these stones have gone rattling onwards in their course, I have thought to myself, can any mountains, any continent, withstand snch waste ? — Darwin's Journal.

Immense Natural Beehive. — In a cavern on the right bank of the Colorado, about seven miles from Austin, there is an immense hive of wild bees. In a warm day a dark stream of bees may be constantly seen winding out from the cavern like a long, dark wreath of smoke. The stream often appears one or two feet in diameter near the cliff, and gradually spreads out like a fan, growing thinner and thinner at a distance from the cavern until it disappears. The number of bees in this cavern must he incalculably great, probably greater than the number in a thousand or ten thousand hives. The oldest settlers say that the hive was there when they first arrived in the country ; and it is quite probable that it existed in the same state many years previous to the settlement of this country. It was estimated that there are many tons of honey and was in this immense hive ; and if its contents could be extracted readily, they would doubtless be found for more valuable than the contents of any silver or gold mine that adventurers have been seeking for years in that section. — Texas Telegraph.

A Yankee Dunning. — A gentleman from New York, who had been in Boston for the purpose of collecting some money due to him in that city, was about returning, when he found that one bill of one hundred dollars had been overlooked. His landlord, who knew the debtor, thought it was a " doubtful case ;" but added, that if it was collectable at all, a tall raw-boned Yankee, then dunning a lodger in another part of the house, would " annoy it out of the man." Calling him up, therefore, he introduced him to the creditor, who showed him the account. " Wai, 'square, 'taint much use tryin', I guess. 1 know that critter. You might as well try to squeeze ile out of Bunker-hill Monument as to collect a debt o' him ; but anyhow, what do you give me s'pposin' Ido try ?" " Well, sir, the bill is one hundred dollars. I'll give you — yes, I'll give you half if you collect it." " 'Greed !" replied the collector : " there's no harm in tryin' any way." Some weeks after, the creditor chanced to be in Boston ; and, in walking up Treemont-street, happened to encounter his enterprising friend. "Look'ee here (said the Yankee), I had considerable luck with" that bill of your'n. You see I stuck to him like a dog to a root ; but for the first week or so 'twant no use — not a bit ! It he was at home he was short ; if he wasn't at home, I could get no satisfaction. By and by, says I, after going sixteen times, I'll fix you ; so I sot down on the door step, and sot all day and part of the evening, and began airly next day ; but about ten o'clock he gin in. He paid me my half, and I gin him up the note."