278 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



precipitable 

 from water by 

 alcohol and by 

 acids. 



Put fome fecula wafhed and diluted into three glafles of 

 equal fize. To the firft add a little alcohol, a few drops of 

 acid to the fecond, and place the third between them for com- 

 parifon. In the two firft the precipitation will be compleat in 

 half an hour, while in the third it will be hardly begun; al- 

 cohol and the acids therefore coagulate feculae ; but they have 

 no fuch action upon the woody refidue. 

 Alcohol takes IV. One hundred parts of the dried fecula of hemlock 

 of refinous mat- y^ e ^ e ^ to alcohol from 15 to 16 of green refin. After re- 

 fer, peated infufions to which it was Subjected, it remained of an 

 earthy grey, and the alcohol was incapable of bleaching it. 

 Sage, who was well acquainted with feculae, found that they 

 yielded about one third of their weight in refin ; in order to 

 Separate it eafily, the fecula muft be thrown into fpirits of 

 wine while yet moift, the fluid then penetrates and attacks 

 all its parts ; but the effect is much more difficult when it has 

 become horny by drying. 



(To be continued.) 



National Infti- 

 tute. Prize 

 queftions. 



Winter fleep of 

 animals. 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS, ACCOUNT OF BOOKS, ferY. 

 Prize Quejlions of Foreign Learned Societies. 



JL HE National Inftitute of France held a public fitting on 

 the 20th Vendemiaire, when the new Subjects for prizes were 

 announced. 



The Clafa of Mathematical and Fhyfical Knowledge propofed 

 the following queftion : 



" To determine, by anatomical and chemical obfervations 

 and experiments, what are the phenomena of inactivity which 

 certain animals, fuch as marmots, dormice, &c. undergo in 

 the winter, with regard to the circulation of the blood, the re- 

 fpiration and the irritability ; to inquire what are the caufes of 

 their fleeping, and why it is peculiar to thefe animals/* 



This queftion was propofed before, and the prize was to 

 have been decreed in this fitting ; but the meeting being of 

 opinion that the memoirs received did not contain fufficient 

 information, decreed that it fiiould be propofed again, and 

 that the prize mould be doubled. It will be of the value of 

 two kilogrammes of gold (about 6.800 fr.) ; and will be dis- 

 tributed 



