204 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERT. 



breweries, which, when examined, developed trifling and unim- 

 portant diflerences in their quality. The following is the tabu- 

 lated result: — 



Alcohol Extractive matter 



It was found that all the specimens contained small quantities 

 of grape sugar ; of lupuline, the bitter principle of the hops ; of 

 acetic acid (merely a trace), produced by oxidization of some 

 of the alcohol; and of carbonic-acid gas generated during the 

 fermentation. A most thorough examination failed to reveal any 

 indications of the presence of picric acid, picrotoxin (the peculiar 

 principle of cocculus Indicus), alum, copperas, or any other 

 adulteration whatever. — Druggists' Circular 



NEW ALKALOID IN FERMENTED LIQUORS. 



According to ]M. Ozer, every tim^ that solutions of sugar fer- 

 ment under the influence of yeast, beside alcohol, a new alka- 

 loid is produced, to which he attributes the formula Cas Hjo N4. 

 The chlorhydrate of this base crystallizes in hygro-scopic tables, 

 which become brown on exposure to the air. It appears that all 

 fermented liquors contain the new alkaloid, or at least one of its 

 compounds. The existence of this new alkaloid may explain 

 certain ellccts of fermented liquors which cannot be attributed to 

 alcohol aloue. — Cosmos. 



TURACINE. 



The turaco, or plantain-eater, of the Cape of Good Hope is cele- 

 brated for its beautiful plumage. A portion of the wings is of a 

 fine red color. This red coloring matter has been investigated 

 by Prof. Church, who finds it to contain nearly G per cent, of cop- 

 per, which cannot be distingni>h('d by the ordinary tests, nor re- 

 moved Irom the colorins: matter without dcstrovinof it. The 

 coloring matter is, in fact, a natural organic compound, of which 

 copper is one of the essential constituents. Traces of this metal 

 had previously been found in animals; for example, in oysters, 

 to the co.st of those who partook of them ; but in these cases 

 the presence of the copper was merely accidental; thus, oy.sters 

 that lived near the mouths of streams which came down from 

 copper mines assimilated a portion of the copper salt without 



