Dr Davy's Observations on Euchlorine. 53 



being acted on by muriatic acid gas standing over it, or to the 

 miscellaneous class of obscure chemical facts daily augmenting, 

 which, in the present state of the science, baffle explanation. 



Besides the objection Jast mentioned, which, if I do not de- 

 ceive myself, may be considered removed, I know of no other, to 

 the opinion that euchlorine is merely a mixture of the deutoxide 

 and chlorine ; — all its sensible, as well as all its chemical proper- 

 ties, so far as they have been ascertained, agree well with this 

 view. The colour of euchlorine, and its odour and taste, are the 

 same as those of the mixture ; and its effect on the skin, and its 

 explosive power, &c. are similar. To those who have any doubt 

 on the subject, I would recommend M. Soubeiran's able paper, 

 in which arguments of a different kind are adduced, and which, 

 it appears to me, are not easy to resist, supposing the difficulties 

 I have considered removed. 



Relative to the name of the deep-coloured gas, as deutoxide 

 is manifestly improper, I would beg to propose for it that of 

 Euchlorine, on the same principle that it was applied to the 

 mixture before the true compound was discovered ; it is equally 

 suitable (the colour of the gas being greenish-yellow), and may 

 be considered now free from all danger of change. For per- 

 manency of nomenclature, it would be an immense advantage 

 could names such as this be generally used. 



Remarks on the Remains of' a very large Oak Tree dug from a 

 Peat-Moss near Lanjine^ Ayrshire ; and on the Ancient Cale- 

 donian Forest in the West of Scotland. By T. Brown, Esq. 

 F. R. S. Ed., M. W. S. Communicated by the Author. * 



I. Remarks on the Oak Tree. 



When cutting drains through an insulated peat moss of 

 about five acres in extent, at Barhill, near Loudoun Hill, in 

 Ayrshire, the workmen laid bare the trunk of an oak tree. As 

 this appeared to me to be interesting, from its large size, and 

 from other circumstances connected with it, I had it carefully 

 removed and preserved. 



The tree measured 48 J feet in length. The upper part of 

 it, for 16 feet, was, externally, quite entire. It was even nearly 



• Read before the Royal Societ v of Edinburgh, April 7- 1834. 



