SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 285 



of ammonia and acetite of ammonia, the whole difiblved in a 

 great quantity of water. 



The brown fubftance left from the diftillation of the infufion 

 in alcohol, was infoluble in water, and foluble in alcohol, ex- 

 cept a fmall quantity of a brownifh matter, which appeared 

 to the authors to be albumen. The folution of this brown 

 fubftance in alcohol became milky by the addition of water ; 

 and, in a few days, depofited a precipitate of a re/inous ap- 

 pearance, which feemed to be a fat matter of a peculiar * 

 nature. 



Laftly, the refiduum from the ants was an animal carbon, 

 which, after combuftion, left only phofphate of lime. 



The memoir finifhes with obfervations on the prefence of 

 the acetous and malic acids in ants in particular, and in orga- 

 nic bodies in general. 



Bulletin des Sciences, No. 70. 



An EJfay on the Relation between the fpecific Gravities and the 

 Strengths and Values of Spirituous Liquors ; with Rules for the 

 Adaptation of Mr. Gilpin's Tables to the prefent Standard, and 

 two New Tables for finding the Per-centage and Concentration 

 when the fpecific Gravity and Temperature are given. By 

 Atkins and Co. Mathematical Instrument Makers. Quarto, 

 74- Pages. London, Cadell and Davies, and Robinfons, 1803. 



It is certainly very remarkable, that no mode of denomina- Atkins on the 

 tion by which the real ftrength of fpirituous liquors could be % c 'fic gravities 

 defined with any tolerable degree of correfinefs, has ever yet liquors, 

 been in general ufe in this or any other country. The mif- 

 chiefs accruing from the want of fuch a fyflem, and the dif- 

 putes which were daily arifing between the revenue officers 

 and the traders, with refpeel to thefe matters, induced the 

 legiflature feveral years fince to pafs an act by which was de- 

 clared, that all fpirits fhould be deemed and taken to be of 

 the degree of flrength which fhould be denoted by Clarke's 

 hydrometer. The inconveniences, however, which rcfulted 

 both from the complex conftruftion of the inftrument itfelf, 

 and the ineligibility of the mode by which the ftrengths of 

 thefe liquors are denominated, according to the fyfrem pro- 

 pofed by its inventor, having been long felt, and both one 



and 



