these facts have been confirmed by Nelson, Sorby, and other scientists.

exceed the twentieth part of those of that the limestones of Portland, Bath, iron, come to form concretions in which and Kelton contain grains of ooliths; this substance predominates ? The soundings made by Murray and Buchanan on the west coast of Scotland have shown that these nodules are found especially in the marine slimes where pyrite and other compounds of iron exist. These slimes accumulate slowly after having passed through the bodies of worms or other organisms an infinity of times. At each passage a little manganese and iron is added, and in the course of ages these oxides becoming more and more concentrated, form these bizarre and remarkable nodules.

Wethered has also proved that the limestone of various epochs is composed in great part of organisms consisting of twisted tubes, simple or branched, which have been given the names of girvanella, micheldeania, clc. ; these organisms are plants secreting calcareous matter in their cellules; they thus form at their death calcareous agglomerations that make up rocks. But while certain plants participate by their constant action in the formation of these rocks, others, on the contrary, have a diametrically opposed action. They dissolve and destroy the calcareous elements. By his researches, Duncan showed to scientists this curious fact, that fossil corals are often found perforated by minute tubes. He coucluded from this that they had vegetable parasites. Finally, E. Bornet has recently confirmed the facts stated by Wethered, by demonstrating how abundant these organisms are, and what astonishing proofs they give of their activity. At the same time, he showed the great variety of genera and species of these perforating plants, which differ among themselves in the form and disposition of their tubes; furthermore, he has revealed the life, habits, and mode of reproduction of these singular marine plants. To sum up, all the observations made during recent years on the deposits that cover the bottom of the ocean lead to this conclusion: Wherever substances are found in solution in sea-water they can be extracted thence only by the wonderful action of

Recent observations have shown, too, that marine plants living and growing in salt water have a great influence in the separation of carbonate of lime from the waters of the ocean. The eminent German botanist Cohn has shown that the agents really effective in freeing the carbonic acid that keeps in solution the mineral matter, are minute plants, around which are deposited those substances that the water, deprived of carbonic acid, can no longer dissolve. He shows, moreover, that these same plants have had much to do with the formation of the deposits at Carlsbad, and that they can live at very high temperatures. Their existence, in fact, has been discovered in the hot springs of the Yellowstone National Park. The mention of the deposits at Carlsbad calls to mind the closely associated question of the origin of the calcareous stones called "ooliths," whose presence has been shown in the terrestrial crust, both of old and of recent formation. Several years ago M. Heury de la Bêche showed living organisms.

LUMINOUS BUOYS.-M. Dibos has ex- | professes to be visible for over five miles hibited at Havre a luminous buoy, the in clear weather; and in an experiment ignition of phosphate of lime being pro- by M. Dibos the glare of a buoy was disduced on contact with water, and illumi- tinctly seen from the lighthouse on Havre nating the sea to a great distance. It pier at two and a half miles distance.

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From Blackwood's Magazine.

A CHANGE OF CZARS.

dence of the great difference of temperament, and perhaps of principle,.

czar into somewhat different paths. from those followed by his predecessor.

Le roi est mort, vive le roi ! A which seems likely to lead the present hackneyed phrase indeed, continually repeated and received, without criticism of its ordinarily accepted signification. And yet the implied idea, that In Russia the character and temperathe decease of a monarch and the ac- ment of the irresponsible autocratic cession of his successor are circum- ruler, unfettered either by constitustances of small importance to the tional obligations or by an organized interests of the general public, must and expressed public opinion, are of have been particularly incorrect in the the highest importance, - particularly times when the phrase was invented, if the czar is a man of strong character and when the personality of a semi-and convictions. We do not contend despotic ruler was a most important that the domestic or even the foreign factor in shaping the destinies of his policy of Russia depends solely on the country. Is the idea more correct will of the autocrat; but the absolute to-day? This is a question we have submission to his authority, which is frequently asked ourselves, when not- the tradition of the peasantry, and the ing the thoughtless manner in which it servile anxiety of the official classes to was expressed by the modern journal- meet and humor his ideas and fancies, ist in speaking of the death of Alex-render his personal disposition the ander III., and the accession of most important factor in determining Nicholas II. to the throne of the auto- the conduct of his government. crats of all the Russias. We hold that, In spite, however, of this exceptionas regards Russia, it is certainly incorrect, and we purpose to give our views on this subject, and to consider some of the more important results to be anticipated from the recent "Change of Czars."

is

Under no circumstances in life the difference between the heir and his predecessor likely to be more strikingly shown than when the sou succeeds his father on the throne of an autocratic country. Many things combine not only to establish and confirm wide differences between the character and ideas of father and son, but also to conceal both those differences and the real character of the sou, until the day arrives when, emancipated in a single moment alike from the authority of the sovereign and the parent, the stands before the world, himself the undisputed autocrat.

ally strong position, there are certain undefined traditions and usages which the czar has to take into account in forming his resolutions; and although never organized or expressed according to Western habits, there is also, on some questions, a well-ascertained public opinion, which the boldest ruler would hesitate to resist. As an instance of our meaning, we would mention that, until the eyes of the peasant army were opened by the experiences of the last Turkish war, there was throughout Russia a genuine and sincere sympathy for the orthodox Slavs who remained under Turkish rule. This feeling of sympathy, combined with the traditional hatred of the ancient Mohammedan foe, produced the war fever which led Alexander II., against his will, to enter on a struggle from which Russia has not yet fully Nicholas II. had not, before the recovered. To take another instance : death of his father, reached an age at fully as the educated classes recognize which the relations between father and the necessity of curtailing the excesson were likely to attract public no- sive number of holidays, strictly obtice; but apart from what was pre- served in remembrance of the very viously known of his character, his numerous Russian saints, no czar public actions and utterances since his would dare to abolish one of them, unaccession have afforded sufficient evi-til the spread of education may have

son

secured the approval of the superstition of the inconsistencies of Alextious peasantry. Such are the checks ander III. is to be found in the and limitations on the absolute power extraordinary chauvinism which held of the czar, and their existence must the chief place in a singularly narrow not be forgotten when considering the mind. In a retiring reticent man this influence of his personality on the remarkable chauvinism found little or affairs of his country.

no expression in public utterances, To arrive at a fair appreciation of the and its exaggeration was therefore not probable effect in Russia, and on the readily apparent; but it is certain relations of Russia with the rest of the that no chauvinistic Frenchman ever world, which may be anticipated from equalled the late czar in profound faith the recent change of czars, we will in in the surpassing pre-eminence of the first place consider the more prom- everything connected with his own inent features of the character of Alex-nation. His belief in Russia and the ander III., and then endeavor to trace Russians amounted to fanaticism, and the extent and limits of his personal influence, in a brief retrospect of the history of his reign.

was complicated and exaggerated by a deep conviction that he was the divinely appointed ruler of a chosen. In spite of the secluded life led by people, and, in virtue of his office, the late czar, enough is known of his the sacred instrument of Providence. character, temperament, and tastes to Without quite arriving at a doctrine of enable us, on reflection, to account for infallibility concerning his own person, some of the most glaring inconsisten- the czar certainly regarded an imperial cies between his professions and his ukase as invested with all the sanctity conduct. And these inconsistencies attached by devout Roman Catholics to were many and striking. The most a Papal bull. He was a truly religious kind-hearted of men was the cruellest man; but one of the first tenets of his persecutor of many thousands of his faith was the sacredness of the office subjects, of different races and creeds. which combined his temporal power as The great lover of peace spent millions autocrat with his spiritual distinction on a Black Sea fleet, which could serve as head of the orthodox Church. His no purpose but as an instrument of religion was rather that of the Old Tesaggression; and he permitted the con- tament than that of the New. In his stant wilful provocations of a friendly mind, the world was divided into those power, which so nearly led to war at who implicitly accepted the Russian the time of the Penjdeh incident, and official version of the Greek faith and which, without the exaggerated for those who did not so accept it. The bearance of the British Foreign Office, former were the elect, and the latter must have long since provoked a seri- were doomed to perdition; and if their ous crisis on the Pamir question. The heresy gave rise to any question, no man of honor countenanced the ruffians mercy should be shown to them. He who abducted Alexander of Bulgaria, was a devoted husband and father, but and sought to assassinate his minis- he would have dealt in the most unters; and the autocrat who prided sparing manner with any member of himself on being the great conservative his family who might have appeared to force in Europe, broke with the family question his spiritual authority; and it tradition of friendship with the Hohen-is probable that, even in his own mind, zollerns and the Hapsburgs, and ex-he never attempted to draw the line changed congratulatory telegrams with between his spiritual and his temporal a president of a French republic in authority. one of its wildest moods; whilst the And yet, strange to say, all Alexanpopulation of his capital cheered the der's exalted ideas as to his divine strains of the Marseillaise, played by mission were accompanied by the his express permission. greatest humility with regard to his

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The first clue towards an explana-personal qualities and capacities as an