234 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



Regular Meeting, December 18th, 1865. 

 Dr. Kellogg in the chair. 



Six members present. 



Dr. Ferdinand Stoliczka, Palaeontologist to the Geological Sur- 

 vey of India, was elected a Corresponding Member. 



Donations to the Cabinet : One box of shells and two of fishes, 

 collected at Tahiti, by Mr. Andrew Garrett. 



The following papers were presented. 



Notice of a peculiar Astringent Gum or Coloring Substance 

 in the Cones of the Sequoia gigantea. 



BY WILLIAM P. BLAKE. 



I am not aware that any notice has yet been taken by scientific chemists of 

 a peculiar substance, apparently a gum, which accompanies the seeds of the 

 great trees, and may be shaken out of the dried cones. About tweuty cones 

 yielded me an ounce of the material. It does not adhere to either the seeds or 

 the cone, but appears to have shrunk from both in drying. It falls out in loose 

 broken grains with brilliant conchoidal fractured surfaces, and looks a little 

 like dried blood. The color is purplish-red, nearly black by reflected light, and 

 a brilliant carmine-red by transmitted. 



The taste is strongly astringent, and suggests tannin ; it is somewhat bitter, 

 and is similar also to that of very strong black tea. It softens and becomes 

 gummy between the teeth. It dissolves completely in water and in ordinary 

 alcohol, giving a brilliant claret-colored solution which gradually darkens by 

 exposure to the air. The addition of carbonate of soda darkens the solution 

 and lime-water turns it black, giving a black scaly precipitate. Dilute sulphuric 

 acid reddens the solution and causes a red precipitate. 



It is in many respects similar to the kino of the shops, but has a brighter 

 colored powder and streaks. The kino that I have seen has a brownish-red 

 streak ; this substance gives a purplish-red. 



The reactions with alkalies and acids in respect to color are similar to those 

 of green redwood boards, which may be stained as dark as rosewood by alkalies 

 and red by acids. 



This substance may be found to have some peculiar value in pharmacy, or as 

 a coloring matter for tinctures or wine. I hope that this notice will induce a 

 thorough investigation of its nature and properties. If it proves to be new, I 

 suggest that it shall be known as Sequonin. 



