176 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



away so long as the pores remained open. Removing the cotton 

 filter, the charcoal was allowed to drain, the water displaced hy alco- 

 hol, and the alcohol by sulphuric ether, without removing the coal. 

 Some oil was found in the alcoholic fluid, while the aqueous ether 

 was colored by it some tint of yellow, to a light olive color. By evap- 

 oration at 90° to 100°, the ether left some globules of fluid oil, but by far 

 the larger bulk of residue was a soft solid in granules, without crystalline 

 form. By warming this solid with a little acid, a base was dissolved, 

 generally lime, or lime and ammonia, while the oil floated on the fluid 

 and was left by evaporation of the water. As thus obtained, this oil was 

 of a light yellow color, presenting both oleic and stearic acids. Its 

 specific gravity was the same as that of lard-oil. Alcohol dissolved it 

 without residue. A solution of carbonate of soda saponified it when 

 warmed ; proving the acid condition of the oil. With sulphuric acid 

 it blackened, and chlorine changed its color to dark brown. The oil, 

 as separated from the ethereal solution in different experiments, 

 assumed a solid state at 80° or 90° F. Acids eliminated oily fluids 

 constantly, with the emission of a peculiar odor. Treated with car- 

 bonate of soda when the soap was decomposed, an odor resembling 

 that from adipocere was perceptible, generally. When the charcoal, 

 while wet from the water, was distilled, the vapor which was first con- 

 densed had a strong fish-like odor. It would putrefy and run through 

 the changes, resulting in the production ofconfervse. 



" The mass of the water supply was constantly changing from 

 its state of approach to putrefactive fermentation — in which free 

 crenic acid and crenates appeared, with a large volume of carbonic 

 acid — to its more nearly normal state. At one time, twenty-eight vol- 

 umes of water 'evolved, by boiling, one volume of gases. Twenty-five 

 volumes of the gases were diminished only one volume by phosphorus 

 warmed and left twenty-four hours ; or about four per cent, of oxygen, 

 seventy of carbonic acid, and twenty-six of nitrogen. Such a gaseous 

 atmosphere dissolved in the water could not support animal life, in 

 the higher forms of organization. As the oxygen gas increased in 

 volume, the apocrenates and humates appeared, and the water, which 

 had no action on iron, assumed its ordinary action on this metal. The 

 Crustacea increased in quantity and size, the cyclops and daphnia be- 

 came predominant, and the cotton filters were soon closed by their 

 bodies. Attention was now given to the mass collected on the filter, 

 as had already been done with the sponges and some vegetable organ- 

 isms, including confervse. 



