Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 407 



AMPELIN. 



This is a remarkable substance, and it is distinguished from all 

 other bodies by its similarity to oils in some of its properties, and 

 by its solubility in water. In order to prepare it, oil of schistus, 

 the boiling point of which is between 392° and 536° is to be agitated 

 with concentrated sulphuric acid ; this is to be poured off, and there 

 is to be added I- 1 5th to I -20th of its volume of a solution of pot- 

 ash ; the whole is to remain quiet for twenty-four hours ; at the end 

 of this time there are formed in the bottle two strata, and the lower 

 one is more bulky than the solution of potash employed ; this is to be 

 separated, diluted with water, and mixed with sulphuric acid ; the 

 ampelin separates and rises to the surface of the solution. 



Ampelin resembles a fluid fixed oil ; it is soluble in alcohol, and 

 aether dissolves it in all proportions. When subjected to a tempera- 

 ture of 6\S°it does not solidify. It dissolves in pure waier in all pro- 

 portions : when submitted to distillation, it decomposes, and yields 

 water, a very limpid colourless oil, and a coaly residue. — L'lmthtut, 

 June 1837. 



ACTION OF COLD AIR IN MAINTAINING HEAT. 



I believe it is not generally known that nail-makers are in the 

 habit of supporting the heat of the iron, when hammering it into 

 form on the anvil, by blowing a current of cold air upon it. 



An opportunity accidentally presenting itself sometime since near 

 Birmingham, I asked a nail-maker to show me the operation, which 

 he readily did, observing that to do it with the greater effect he 

 would put an additional weight upon his bellows. He also men- 

 tioned that it was requisite to employ the iron at a very high tem- 

 perature, or otherwise the cold air instead of maintaining and in- 

 creasing the heat would quickly cool the iron. The efficacy of the 

 current of air and the necessity of making the iron very hot when 

 employing it, were rendered as perfectly evident as the use of bel- 

 lows in increasing the combustion in a common fire. — R. P. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR AUGUST 1837. 



Chiswick. — August I. Rain. 2. Cloudy. 3, 4. Fine. 5, 6, Very fine. 

 7 — 9. Fine. 10. Overcast. 1 1 — 13. Very fine. 14, 15. Very hot. 



16. Cloudy. 17. Foggy. 18, 19. Hazy: sultry. 20. Fine: slight 



showers: cloudless at night. 21. Fine. 22. Overcast : sultry with 



showers: heavy rain at night. 2:3. Rain. 24. Hazy: fine. 25. Very 

 fine. 26. Slight haze : rain with thunder. 27. Very clear : fine. 



28. Fine. 29. Rain. 30. Heavy rain. 31. Clear : very fine. 



Boston. — August 1. Cloudy. 2. Rain. 3. Fine : rain a.m. 4. Fine: 

 rain with thunder and lightning a.m. 5 — 9. Fine. 10. Cloudy. 



1 1 . Cloudy : rain early a.m. 12. Cloudy. 13 — 16. Fine. 17. Cloudy: 

 rain in torrents early a.m.: rain with thunder and lightning p.m. 

 18, 19. Cloudy. 20. Fine : rain early a.m. 21, 22. Cloudy. 23. Rain. 

 24. Cloudy. 25. Fine. 26. Cloudy : rain early a.m.: rain a.m. 



27. Fine. 28. Cloudy. 29. Rain. 30. Cloudy : rain early a.m. : 



rain a.m. 3 1 . Fine. 



