SCHIFONE, an eminent geologist, was born at Rome in 1748. He early distinguished himself as professor of mathematical and mechanical philosophy in the college of Ragusa; but after residing there for several years he returned to his native city, where he soon became a professor in the Collegio Nazareno, and began to form the fine mineralogical cabinet in that institution. His leisure was dedicated to geological researches in the papal states, which he prosecuted with an industry and zeal then rare in Italy, and pointed out how his researches were applicable to local improvements. His examination of the aluminoous district of Tolfa and adjacent hills appeared in 1786, under the title Saggio d'Osservazioni sulla Tolfa, Orinato e Latera, and gave him such reputation, that he was invited by the king of Naples to inspect the mines and similar works in that kingdom, and appointed professor of mineralogy to the Royal Artillery. The vast works for the refining of sulphur in the volcanic district of Solfatara were erected under his direction. He afterwards made many journeys through the ancient Campania, to illustrate its geology, and published his remarks in his Topografia Fisica della Campania (Florence, 1798), which contains much accurate observation, with some hypothetical speculation on the cause of volcanic action, that will now scarcely be generally received as satisfactory. The French translation of this work by General Pommereuil in 1801, is rendered comparatively useless by the conversion of the somewhat indefinite measures and weights of Breislak into metres and centimetres, grammes and centigrammes, while the dates are reduced to the republican nomenclature of France, and the reader is unable to distinguish what additions have been made to the original.

Breislak also published an essay on the physical condition of the seven hills of Rome, which he decides to be the remains of a local volcano. The more recent investigations of Brocchi and Daubeny have proved that the soil of Rome consists of alternate beds of sandy and calcareous matter, with volcanic tuffa, which, however, does not seem to have been produced by any volcano on that site, but by one that evidently once existed in Monte Albano, 12 miles south of Rome, or by Monte Cimini to the north of the city, the tuffas of which are continuous with those of Rome.

The political convulsions of Italy in 1799 brought Breislak to Paris, where he remained until 1802; when he received the appointment of inspector of the salpêtre and powder manufactory near Milan; and in that place he took up his future abode. His valuable labours were appreciated by the successive governments that ruled over that part of Italy till his death, which happened on the 18th of February 1826. During this latter part of his career he published the following works:—Del Salnitro e dell' Arte del Salnitraio; Memoria sulla Fabbricazione e Raffinazione dei Nitrì; Instruzione pratica per le piccole Fabbricazione di Nitro, da farsi dalle persone di Campagna. His valuable Introduzione alla Geologia appeared in 1811; of which a French edition with additions was published in 1819. Finally, the Austrian government, in 1822, took on itself the expense of publishing his Descrizione Geologica della Provincia di Milano.