long, mucronate, white and membranous on the edges, shorter than the fruit; plant fine green.

The striking resemblance of this plant to the figure and language of Schk. is obvious. The difference also between it and C. Hitchcockiana is manifest. It is not at all pubescent, and the fruit of C. Hitchcockiana is much longer on plants of equal size, much longer and more conic rostrate, more terete at both ends, and when its beak is recurved the form is wholly different from this, and its scale and mucronate point long as the fruit. A sight of the two dissipates all notions of their identity or very close resemblance, though one form of it has been thus misplaced.

But C. oligocarpa, Muh., is not this plant. That was described Vol. x, p. 280, on the authority of Muh. as the C. oligocarpa, Schk., and which has for some years been known as C. digitalis, Willd., and its var. C. Van Vleckii, and of which C. digitalis, Muh., is probably only a peculiar form. The description of Muh. does not accord with C. oligocarpa, Schk. The mistake about C. oligocarpa, Schk., the source of much difficulty in relation to some others, is now rectified.

ART. XXVIII.-On the Action of Sulphuretted Hydrogen upon Nitric Acetene; by T. S. HUNT.

In my communication of May 29th,* on the relations between glycocoll and alkargene, I stated that nitric acetene (the hyponitrite of oxyd of ethyle of Liebig) is decomposed by sulphuretted hydrogen with the separation of sulphur, and suggested that from analogy we might expect the formation of a new alkaloid, which from the known tendency in bodies of the acetic series to polymorphosist might be derived from the elements of two equivalents of the ether, and possess the composition C, H,, N, O,, having the same relation to glycocoll that alkarsine has to alkar

See this Journal, ii Ser., vol. iv, p. 266.

M. Gerhardt has proposed to designate by the following terms the four kinds of metamorphosis which embrace all the chemical transformations of organic bodies. 1st. Symmorphosis; this includes those reactions which consist in the direct addition or fixation of another substance, as the combination of the alkaloids with acids and of chlorine with certain hydrocarbons. 2d. Apomorphosis; this denotes such changes as are produced by the subtraction or elimination of certain elements; thus salts of ammonia lose the elements of water and become amids, and acids in the same manner yield anhydrids. 3d. Polymorphosis; this represents a multiplication or combination of two or more equivalents of a compound. Thus three atoms of aldehyde unite to produce a new isomeric body, and under the influence of ammonia, three equivalents of benzoilol coalesce to form with it, one of hydrobenzamid. 4th. Diamorphosis; this implies a division or breaking up of a compound into simpler forms, as when an equivalent of cyanuric acid is resolved by heat into three of cyanic acid; or glucose under the influence of certain ferments, into carbonic acid gas and alcohol.

gene. Although my subsequent experiments have not verified this conjecture, they have led to the discovery of a new reaction which is not without interest.

The ether employed in the following experiment was prepared after Liebig's method, by passing the nitrous vapors, evolved by the action of nitric acid upon starch, into a carefully cooled mixture of alcohol and water, and condensing the volatile product in a tube surrounded by ice. It was washed two or three times with water and finally dried by chlorid of calcium. Thus prepared it had all the characters assigned by Liebig to the pure ether.

I. An alcoholic solution of the ether mixed with a little water of ammonia, was placed in a tubulated retort surrounded by ice and connected with a condensing apparatus. A slow current of sulphuretted hydrogen was now passed through the liquid which assumed a dark orange color and almost immediately began to deposit sulphur. Considerable heat was evolved and a portion of the ether distilled over unchanged. When the separation of the sulphur had ceased, and the deep yellow fluid gave evidence of the presence of hydrosulphuret of ammonia, a solution of the ether was added in small portions, until the mixture no longer discolored the salts of lead. It was now carefully neutralized by dilute sulphuric acid and distilled in a water-bath to one half. The residue in the retort was carefully examined and was found to be simply sulphate of ammonia. The alcoholic distillate had a slightly alliaceous odor like mercaptan. In one experiment, operating upon ether, probably impure, a liquid was obtained, with a powerful taste and odor recalling that of garlic.

II. About fifty grains of the ether were introduced into a glass globe and a stream of pure moist sulphuretted hydrogen was conducted to the bottom. The globe was immediately filled with a white cloud and the sides were soon coated with pure sulphur, which was precipitated in such abundance as to make the liquid at the bottom quite thick. When the reaction was finished, the contents of the globe were washed out with a little water; the liquid was alkaline to tumeric paper. A little hydrochloric acid was added, the liquid boiled, filtered, mixed with a solution of chlorid of platinum and evaporated to dryness in a water-bath. The residue washed with alcohol, left a quantity of yellow salt, which, under a magnifier, presented the form of brilliant octahedrons which were readily recognized as the ammonio-chlorid of platinum.

III. These trials led to the conclusion that the reaction resulted in the complete decomposition of the nitric acetene into ammonia and alcohol, and the following experiments placed this beyond a doubt. Having ascertained that the alkaline sulphurets and hydrosulphurets effected this decomposition, a solution of twenty grains of hydrate of soda was saturated with sulphuret

ted hydrogen. This was mixed with about two ounces of dilute alcohol and 300 grains of the ether, and the solution being carefully cooled by ice, a slow current of sulphuretted hydrogen was passed through until the decomposition was completed. An alcoholic solution of the ether was then carefully added to decompose the excess of the gas in the solution; it was then separated from the precipitated sulphur and neutralized by dilute sulphuric acid. The liquid gave an abundant yellow crystalline precipitate with chlorid of platinum and contained a large quantity of sulphate of ammonia, besides which, nothing but the salt of soda could be detected.

IV. A dilute solution of hydrosulphuret of ammonia was placed in a strong bottle with a well ground stopper, and cooled by a bath of ice and water. A small portion of the ether was then added, and the bottle immediately closed. The reaction was violent, and owing to the great volatility of the ether, it was necessary to confine the stopper; when the action was finished, another portion was introduced, until by successive additions of hydrosulphuret of ammonia, 250 grains were decomposed. The clear liquid was then separated from the precipitated sulphur, neutralized by dilute sulphuric acid, and agitated with oxyd of lead to remove the excess of sulphuretted hydrogen, it was then submitted to distillation in a water-bath until about 200 grains of liquid had passed over. This had the smell and taste of dilute spirit of wine; when warmed with a mixture of bichromate of potash and sulphuric acid, the latter was readily reduced with the evolution of aldehyde, which was at once recognized by its odor.

In this reaction one equivalent of nitric acetene and six of sulphuretted hydrogen yield one of alcohol, one of ammonia, two of water, and six of sulphur:

C1 H, NO1+6HS=C ̧ H ̧ O ̧+NH ̧+2HO+6$.

4

5

4

4

6

As M. Laurent has lately confirmed the observations of M. Gerhardt, that nitric acetene is produced by the action of nitric acid upon brucine, we are enabled by this reaction to form alcohol by a new process, independent of the fermentation of glucose and from a compound much higher in the organic scale.

The nitric ether of wood-spirit, nitromethol, is also decomposed by hydrosulphuret of ammonia, although less rapidly than the nitric acetene; crystals of sulphur separate, and the liquid contains a volatile compound of a powerfully alliaceous odor, resembling that of mercaptan. I have not been able to examine it farther.

P. S. Since the above was written, I have received the Journal de Pharmacie et de Chemie, from which I learn that M. Emile Kopp has already investigated the action of sulphuretted hydrogen upon nitric acetene, and has arrived at the same result as my

self. But as the remarks in my last communication (p. 266) require some explanation, I here publish my results, and an account of the processes employed. M. Kopp has also shown that the nitric ether (nitrate of oxyd of ethyle of Liebig) is decomposed in a similar manner by hydrosulphuret of ammonia with the production of ammonia and sulphur-alcohol or mercaptan. Montreal, July, 1847.

ART. XXIX.-Description of a Meteoric Stone which fell in Concord, New Hampshire, in October, 1846; by Prof. B. SILLIMAN, Jr.

My attention was called to this remarkable body by Mr. Abiel Chandler of Concord, N. H., who, in October, 1846, sent me some small fragments of it in a letter, requesting an opinion on its character, and stating the fact that J. S. Noyes, Esq. of that place, was witness to its fall and had retained the meteorite in his possession up to that time. The fragments sent by Mr. Chandler so little resembled, in physical character, any meteoric body which I had before seen, that a letter of particular inquiry was addressed to Mr. Noyes through Mr. Chandler, calling for all the circumstances of the fall and asking the privilege of examining the specimen in his possession. I received in reply, a letter from Mr. Noyes, from which I will make some extracts. The letter is dated Concord, New Hampshire, Oct. 19, 1846. After describing the isolated position of his house on a sandy plain, he goes on to say: "Some time in the month of October, 1840, about two hours after sunset on a bright starry evening, I stood in the road, south of my house some six rods, with my arm resting upon the fence, and facing the southwest, gazing at the stars. Whilst looking up almost perpendicularly, I saw a star, or fireball, fall a considerable distance and then become extinct. Some little time after, I heard a noise in the air, such as a falling body would make, and immediately after I saw a small body strike upon the top board of the fence, about fifteen feet before me, and glance into the road some six feet, then bounding and rolling along several feet farther. I immediately commenced a search, stooping down and feeling in the grass around where I last saw it. After some little search, I picked up the substance in my possession and carried it into the house and examined it. Its appearance being different from what I expected, caused me to make sure by visiting the spot early on the following morning and giving it a further search, the result of which was I found not the least movable substance in the place of its fall. From the circumstance here narrated, I came to the conclusion that I had obtained the body which fell, and that it had a connection with the star SECOND SERIES, Vol. IV, No. 12.-Nov., 1847.

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described above. I am well aware that it is an easy thing to be deceived, but sure I am that if mistaken in this instance, no man will be able to undeceive me. The pieces which broke out by the fall I gave to Rev. William H. Ryder, now of Nashua, N. H., about three years since. I have often exhibited the stone and related the manner by which I became possessed of it. There has never been any published account of it." **

Accompanying this letter, I received the specimen in question, which if a meteorite, (as I have now no doubt,) can claim the distinction of be

ing one of the smallest of these celestial fragments, which has yet reached our earth. The accompanying figure is a correct delineation and of the exact size. Some small fragments have been detached but the main portion weighs only 370 grains.

Physical Description.-Its external surface is every where glazed with a brilliant enamel of a grayish white, with occasional patches of deep brown metallic stains. The glazing is found also on the cracked and broken surfaces which penetrate deeply into the mass. The interior is scoriaceous like the frit produced by the partial fusion of feldspar, blown up with extremely minute vesicles and occasional larger bubbles. The porous character of the mass rendered it impossible to procure a satisfactory determination of its density. Its hardness is about 6-5, and it easily scratches feldspar. The larger part of this stone is quite white in color and the fracture has a vitreous lustre. It has no dark colored crust, similar to that which is so characteristic of most meteoric stones, which is owing to the absence of metallic oxyds in its composition, the surface enamel which has been already mentioned, being for this reason without color, excepting in a few spots. The whole stone bears every mark of having been intensely heated. The portions which have the iron stain, are small, and the most careful search with a powerful eye-glass detected no metallic points; nor did the magnet attract the minutest particles.

The blowpipe indicated the presence of silica, soda and magnesia. It dissolved in carbonate of soda with effervescence, forming a glass which was nearly opake on cooling. Alone in platinum forceps it fused on the edges, and emitted a phosphorescent light, while the flame beyond the mineral was colored of a clear soda yellow. In a close tube no escape of water or empy. reumatic odor was perceived, and the mineral was unchanged by heat. The bead produced by its fusion alone in the platinum forceps, was a clear and bubbly one, which had no metallic stain.