544 



Report on the Composition of 



Hdanillos Guano. 



Tlie Five Samples, labelUd as above, on analysis were found to contain in 

 100 jxirts : — 



No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. 



No. 5. 



Moisture 



*Organic matter and salts of 

 ammonia 



Phosphate of lime 

 t Alkaline salts 



Insoluble siliceous matter (sand) 



*Contalning nitrogen 



Equal to ammonia 



-[■Containing phospboric acid 



JOqual to phospliate of lime 



Total phosphoric acid 



100 



JO-40 

 12-57 



11-63 

 15-62 



5-25 

 41-90 



45 30-21 

 22 16-73 

 64 5-91 



12-67 



34-83 



33-20 



15-69 



3-61 



00 100-00 100-00 



15-39 



34-21 



24-71 



23-09 



2-60 



100-00 



6-65 

 8-07 



3-53 

 12-93 



8-6& 



47-09 



24-20 



16-65 



3-40 



100-00 



8-81 



10-69 



3-26 



7-U 



14-3S 



The Huanillos guano samples were all dry and powdery, and 

 ol a liglit brown colour. 



The amount of ammonia in the several samples varies from § 

 to 12^ per cent., and that of sand from 2^ to 6 per cent., in round 

 numbers. 



The proportion of phosphoric acid in combination with 

 alkalies, and present in a state soluble in water in sample No. 1, 

 it will be seen, is considerable, as it corresponds to about 11^ per 

 cent, of soluble phosphate of lime. The samples No. 2 and No. 

 3 are also richer in phosphate of lime, but poorer in ammonia, 

 than Chincha Island guano. 



It will be noticed that several of the samples analysed by me 

 contain a large proportion of alkaline salts. These salts I find 

 consist principally of chloride of sodium, sulphate and phosphate 

 of potash and soda, with more or less nitrates. 



As the agricultural and commercial value of manures is much 

 affected by the proportion of nitric acid Avhich they contain, I 

 have carefully determined the percentage of nitric acid which 

 occurs in these recently surveyed guano deposits, and have dis- 

 covered that whilst some of the samples contain mere traces of 

 nitric acid, and others quantities varying from ^ per cent, to 1 per 

 cent., a few contain as much as 2^ to 3^ per cent, of anhydrous 

 nitric acid. 



The following are the results which I obtained in determining 

 the nitric acid in the 13 samples : — 



