Scientific Intelligence. Chemistry. 393 



sition of one of the most remarkable of these acids, viz. the me- 

 litic acid, to make some analytic investigations concerning its 

 combination with oxide of silver. We believe that this acid may 

 be regarded as a hydrous acid, and our experiments on this point 

 confirm the views of M. Dulong respecting oxalic acid. The 

 melitate of silver dried in vacuo, by the side of sulphuric acid, 

 contains some hydrogen, which it loses only at the temperature 

 of 356 Fahr. under the form of water, and with change of co- 

 lour. There is not one other salt of silver which exhibits the 

 same result ; all the others are anhydrous. In this particular 

 instance, the formation of water appears to be the consequence of 

 the reduction of the oxid, and not a simple volatilization of wa- 

 ter which had pre-existed in the salt According to all known 

 analyses, the militic acid contains three atoms of oxygen. We have 

 reason to think it contains four, and besides two atoms of hydro- 

 gen ; and that this hydrogen enters into the constitution of all 

 the melitates except into that of silver heated to 356, so that 

 this last represents a combination of metallic silver, with the ra- 

 dicle of hydrous acid." 



11. On the Proportions of Nitrogen in different varieties of 

 Wheat, by M. Payen. The Philomathic Society of Paris having 

 been consulted by the Agricultural Society of La Marne con- 

 cerning the quality of four kinds of wheat which are cultivated 

 in the same manner and on the same lands, M. Payen explained 

 to the Society that he had discovered very considerable differen- 

 ces in the proportions of the nitrogenious matter, as well as in the 

 distribution of that substance in relation to the mass of perisperm 

 or the integument of the seed. The maximum of gluten and of 

 two other nitrogenious matters in the varieties which were of mo- 

 derate hardness, is concentrated in the parts which adhere to the 

 integument, or which approach it the most; whilst in the centre of 

 the grain the nitrogenious substances are in the smallest propor- 

 tion. The author has also determined the relation between the 

 weight of the external integument, and that of the mass of the 

 grain ; and finally, he has ascertained that between the most nitro- 

 genious grains, and those which are least so, the proportion of 

 nitrogen varies from 0,022 to 0,029. The varieties thus ex- 

 perimented upon were the Polish wheat, the March wheat, the 



