164 M. Darondeau*s Experiments on Sea-Water. 



tempts and exertions of their followers and disciples, I feel a 

 cheerful confidence in the future destinies of the Geological So- 

 ciety ; and a persuasion that it will not only preserve but ex- 

 tend its influence as a bond of scientific and social union among 

 its members. 



Result of the Examination of' the Sea- Water collected during 



the Voyage of La Bonite, by means of the apparatus of M. 



Biot. By M. Darondeau. 



The samples of sea- water collected by means of M. Biofs 

 apparatus,* and brought to France for analysis, were five in 

 number. Two of them were taken in the Bay of Bengal, not 

 far from the mouths of the Ganges, and the three others, re- 

 spectively, from the Pacific, the Indian, and the Southern At- 

 lantic Oceans. They were contained in stopped flasks made 

 of emery, and did not fill above two-thirds, which circumstance 

 arose from the flasks at our disposal being of a larger size than 

 the receiver of our apparatus. Five other samples, taken from 

 the surface of the w^ater, were also procured in the same lo- 

 calities ; tliey, too, were contained in emery bottles, which were 

 completely filled. One of the bottles, namely, that which con- 

 tained the water taken at the surface in the Southern Atlantic, 

 was broken in its conveyance from Brest to Paris. 



All the specimens taken at the surface were perfectly limpid ; 

 whilst, on the contrary, those taken at a considerable depth 

 held some whitish flaky matter in greater or less quantity in 

 suspension. 



All the experiments upon these different samples were made 

 in the laboratory of the College de France, under the inspection 

 and with the assistance of M. Fremy, to whose kindness I am in- 

 debted for my now having it in my power to supply the results. 



The density of the water was determined by successively 

 weighing the emery flasks first empty, then filled with distilled 

 water, and lastly, with the sea-water, and then comparing the 

 weight of the two equal volumes of the distilled and sea-water. 

 Tnese weighings were made at temperatures which varied from 

 45° 5' to 50° Fahrenheit. 



* Our readers will find an account of M. Biot's apparatus in this Journal^ 

 ^ol. 21, p. 43 Edit. 



