Wellington Philosophical Society. 567 



duced in the glands of animals. If a kernel containing these two sub- 

 stances was crushed in water, the aotion of the emulsin upon the amyg- 

 daline produced an immediate decomposition, prussic acid being formed. 

 The natural ferment in the saliva produced a similar result on amygda- 

 line, though in less degree. By numerous solutions and crystallizations 

 he had isolated a white, bitter, poisonous substance, for which he had 

 retained Mr. Skey's name of "karakin," though he could not absolutely 

 say it wa-j identical with Mr. Skey's product. For one thing, it contained 

 a considerable proportion of nitrogen, and its melting-point was as high 

 as 250° Fahr. If Mr. Skey's karakin was impure the lower melting- 

 point w uild be accounted for, and there were two classes of substances 

 that would resist Mr. Skey's test for nitrogen, this being one of them. 

 In Mr. Sk>y's test he looked for the nitrogen to come off in the form of 

 ammonia, whereas another reaction would take place and cyanide of 

 sodium be formed. In addition to the karakin he had isolated another 

 white crvsta'line substance, very similar iu appearance, which he called 

 " connocarpin " [exhibited] , with a higher melting-point than karakin. 

 In addition to the wax he had found also matmite, a substance closely 

 allied to sugar. Karakin he described as a glucoside — formula probably 

 Ci5H 21 N 3 13 . It was interestit g as the third example known in the 

 vegetable kingdom of a Fubstai ce which in its breaking-down yielded 

 prussic acid, the first being the amygdaline of the almond and the 

 second the Lotus arabica. Much still remained to be done in investi- 

 gating tie properties of karakin, as well as of the specific poison of the 

 tutu. In the present case the amount of the sought-for glucosde 

 amounted to 1 per cent, of the material tested, and there were fifteen 

 crystallizations before a perfectly pure product could be obtained. The 

 pre ce>s was slow, laborious, and costly, and he was glad to say that the 

 Royal Society nad granted £50 towards the expense of the work on which 

 he and tns colleague were engaged. 



3. " Kaoult's Method for Molecular-weight Determina- 

 tion," by Professor Easterfield and James Bee. {Transactions, 

 p. 497.) 



The-e methods, the professor said, were practised in the laboratory 

 of the Vic oria College, and were easily witnin the reach of first-year 

 studer.t-i. T"ey g^ve accurate results, and were performed in turn in 

 the course of instruction by each member of the class. One of these 

 methods, which was devised by himself, was to determine readily the 

 densities of vapours at the actual boiling point, a very difficult process 

 by the usual methods — so difficult that densities were usually taken at 

 a much higher temperature, leaving the density at the moment of 

 vap nzttion uncertain. Already valuable results had been obtained 

 with many substances, but so far his process had not been successful 

 with mercurv, in dealing with which special apparatus would be neces- 

 sary. He thought, from his researches so far, that it might yet ba 

 demonstrated ihat the mercury atom consisted of two molecules. 



The second part of the address was illustrated by an experiment 

 in measuring and calculating molecular density by Mr. James Bee, 

 of W-llington College, illustrating the simplicity and brevity of the 

 me. hod. 



Two very large trout from Spring Creek, near Blenheim, 

 belonging to Mr. T. E. Donne, and mounted by Mr. A. Yuill, 

 taxidermist to the Museum, were on exhibition. 



