46 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



Determinations of sulphur in the crude oil gave the following 

 percentages: — 



I. II. III. Oil Springs. 



Sulphur 0.98 0.99 1.06 0.60 



Canadian petroleum contains somewhat less carbon and hydro- 

 gen than Ohio oils : — 



I. 0.1908 gram of Petrolia oil gave 0.5874 gram of CO^ and 0.2295 

 gram HgO. 

 II. 0.1914 gram of Oil Springs oil gave 0.5868 gram CO^ and 0.2305 

 gram HgO. 



I. II. 



C 83.94 83.62 



H ■ 13.37 13.39 



In the Canadian Geological Report above mentioned Brummel gave 

 85 per cent for carbon and 15 per cent for hydrogen. These percent- 

 tages are evidently only approximate. They do not agree with results 

 earlier obtained by Pelouze and Cahours, who reported a considerable 

 percentage of oxygen.* 



c. H. o. 



84.2 13.4 3.0 



The variation in composition in the Canadian, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and 

 Russian petroleums is shown in the following table : — 



After accounting for one per cent of sul|»hur in the Canadian oil and 

 0.70 per cent in the Ohio oil, the remaining percentage may reason- 

 ably be assigned to oxygen, yet in the Russian oils the composition is 

 fully accounted for by the carbon and hydrogen, although the presence 

 of oxygen compounds in considerable quantity has been demonstrated 

 in several independent investigations. 



Having an opportunity to collect fragments of the oil rock at 

 Petrolia soon after it had been removed in drilling a well, I have 

 ascertained its composition. Like most wells in this territory, the oil- 

 bearing stratum was reached at a depth of 465 feet. The driller distin- 

 guishes two varieties of rock, one stratified and offering less resistance 



* Loc. cit. 



