Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 157 



larger than the others, and it is terminated by a dihedral summit. 

 Enine is inodorous, at first tasteless, but eventually sensibly acid. 

 It is perfectly soluble in water, alcohol and aether, and crystallizes 

 well from any of these fluids. It is composed of— 



Carbon 60-247 



Oxygen 34*997 



Hydrogen 3*746 



99* 

 Supposing it to be composed of the annexed atoms of its elements, 

 its composition would be : 



9 atoms carbon 60*234 



4 oxygen 35*023 



9 hydrogen 4*742 



99*999 

 When heated to 194° Fahr. meconine begins to liquefy ; and at one 

 degree above it is entirely fluid, perfectly colourless, and limpid. — 

 It retains its fluidity when cooled to 1 65°. At 31 1° it is converted into 

 vapour, and may be distilled without losing any of its properties j and 

 by cooling it becomes a mass resembling pure fat. 



At a medium temperature 265'75 parts of water dissolve one part 

 of meconine, while it requires only 1 855 parts of boiling water to 

 dissolve the same quantity ; alcohol, aether, and the essential oils dis- 

 solve it in much larger quantity. Acetate of lead produces no preci- 

 pitate in a solution of meconine, but the subacetate does. The alkalies, 

 potash and soda, dissolve but do not form determinate compounds 

 with it; ammonia whether hot or cold does not dissolve it. — Journal 

 de Pharmacie, Dec. 1832. 



The action of sulphuric and nitric acid upon meconine, we shall 

 give in a future Number. — Ed. 



, INQUIRY RESPECTING THE USE OF CLOCKS INSTEAD OF CHRO- 

 NOMETERS AT SEA. 



To the Editors of the Phil. Mag. and Journ. of Science. 



Gentlemen, 



1 should be glad to learn from any of your readers whether any 

 experiments have been made, and with what results, of using clocks 

 instead of chronometers on board a ship. 



For this purpose, two things only appear necessary; first, that 

 the clock should be azimuth hung, the point of suspension of the 

 clock coinciding exactly with the point of suspension of the pendulum ; 

 second, that the clock-case should be so loaded with an adjustable 

 weight that the centre of oscillation of the clock-case should coincide 

 with the centre of oscillation of the pendulum. 



The clock had better have a main -spring instead of a weight. 

 Possibly this reasoning may be erroneous ; or the experiment may 

 have been tried, and failed from unknown causes ; of which I should 

 be glad to be informed. S. S. 



Preparing for Publication. 

 A Manual of Experimental Chemistry, by Richard Phillips, 

 F.R.S. L. & E. &c. 



