found in a damp Meadow. 273 



of Buchner were of the same nature ; since, qwing to its pecu- 

 liar texture, Mr. B. might have overlooked its organic struc- 

 ture. But on comparing more closely the descriptions given 

 by the two naturalists of the substances observed by them, 

 we discover several other differences, besides the one that 

 Mr. Schwabe discovered, — a distinct organic structure ; while 

 Mr. Buchner saw none. The substance examined by Mr. S. 

 was of a greenish colour; that of Mr. B. white, like swelled 

 tragacanth. The former on being burned emitted, not an 

 animal smell, but one quite peculiar, resembling burning con- 

 ferva, rivularice, and chcetophorce, and yielded a shining coal, 

 which preserved the skinny form of the pieces employed ; and 

 being reduced to ashes, left a residuum of silica, with carbonate, 

 muriate, and sulphate of potash, with traces of phosphate of 

 lime and oxide of iron ; but Buchner' s substance, on being 

 heated, swelled considerably, diffusing at the same time a strong 

 animal smoke ; caught fire at last, and left a coal that could 

 not be reduced to ashes, and which contained carbonate of 

 soda and phosphate of lime. However similar Mr. S. may 

 consider his substance to that of Mr. B., the facts here stated 

 seem to invalidate his conclusion as to their identity. I feel, 

 therefore, great pleasure in being able to communicate an ex- 

 amination which I had an opportunity of making last autumn, 

 and which may perhaps throw some light on the point in 

 question. 



A friend and fellow-townsman of mine, who has a large 

 meadow near our city, which, lying in the lower part of our 

 salt-valley, has been drained in a slight degree by dint of great 

 labour, and the grass in it improved by the application of salt 

 and ashes, for manure, found in this very meadow a gela- 

 tinous substance, and was told by a labourer that he had fre- 

 quently seen similar ones there ; a circumstance which had 

 escaped my friend and me, though both often passing through 

 it. 



My friend having brought me this substance for exami- 

 nation, my mind immediately reverted to that examined by 

 Mr. Buchner; and perceiving even outwardly several differences 

 between them, I undertook a close examination of it, as fol- 

 lows. 



The substance was of a very clear white colour, represent- 

 ing a strongly swelled mass, which Mr. B. very properly com- 

 pares to swelled tragacanth ; its bulk might be about 2 \ cubic 

 inches. On a closer view, I perceived that in several places 

 it was covered with a very fine white skin, which seemed to 

 have burst in the centre only ; in such parts the inside had 

 protruded in the shape of a very bulky gelatinous mass. The 



New Series. Vol. 3. No. 16. April 1828. 2 N bursting 



