420 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Analysis showed that this is a compound of equal equivalents of 

 the perchloride and the aether, or — 



Equivalents. 



Chlorine 34*94 CI 2 



Tin 2902 Sn 



Carbon 1777 C« 



Hydrogen 2*47 H b 



Oxygen 15-80 0+ 



100-00 

 Ann. de Ch. et de Phys., Mars 1846. 



ANALYSIS OF TWO SPECIES OF EPIPHYTES, OR AIR PLANTS. 

 BY JOHN THOMSON, A.M.* 



I. Commelina Skinneri. — Until about four months prior to the time 

 this plant was examined, it had roots in some of the pots ; but about 

 that time, Mr. Murray, of the Botanic Gardens, cut off all its roots, 

 and left it hanging on the Avail to which it had been trained. I had 

 only 353*05 grains of the young shoots to operate on, so that very 

 great precision cannot be expected in the results. After exposing 

 this quantity on a sand-bath to a heat of about 280°, there remained 

 71*91 grains of the dried plant, so that the difference, which must 

 have been almost wholly water, amounts to 281 '14 grains. The dried 

 portion was then burned : it left a residue of 7*14 grains of ashes, 

 which were now subjected to analysis. 



After treating the ashes with water to separate the soluble from 

 the insoluble part, and evaporating the two portions to dryness, there 

 were obtained of matters insoluble in water 4*22 grains, and of so- 

 luble substances 3*05 grains, the whole amounting to 7*27 grains, 

 there being thus an excess of -13 grain. 



Muriatic acid was then poured on the insoluble portion, when a 

 violent effervescence took place, and only '77 grain remained undis- 

 solved. By fusing this with carbonate of soda, and adding muriatic 

 acid in the ordinary way, there were found to be "60 grain of silica. 

 The whole quantity dissolved in muriatic acid was now mixed, and 

 ammonia was added. A precipitate fell, which was boiled with 

 caustic soda to remove alumina. What remained was evidently per- 

 oxide of iron; it was dried, and found to weigh -22 grain. The 

 portion dissolved by the caustic soda was precipitated by the addition 

 of muriatic acid, the excess of which was removed by adding carbo- 

 nate of soda. There were thus found to be '44 grain of alumina, 

 or phosphate of alumina. 



To the washings oxalate of ammonia was added, and after filtering 

 and burning, the precipitate weighed 2*90, which was carbonate of 

 lime. 



The next point was to determine the composition of the salts 

 soluble in water. This part of the process was from an accident 

 not completely executed. The only constituents which were deter- 



* Read before the Philosophical Society of Glasgow, December 4, 1844. 



