Nitric Acid and Ammonia in Rain- Water. 



G19 



I am in the position to publish analyses of the waters of each 

 month of the present year (1856), together with those of a 

 few selected samples of tlie rain of thunderstorms, »S:c., which 

 4seemed likely to throw light upon the formation of these 

 compounds in the air. 



The following Table shows the quantity of nitric acid and 

 ammonia per gallon of rain-water during each month of the year 

 185G, and, for the sake of comparison, the figures before published 

 for the year 1855 are given in another column. 



Table I.— rNitric Acid and Ammonia in Rain-Water. 

 (Grains in the Imperial Gallon). 



January .. 



February 



March 



Api-il 



May 



June 



July . .. 



August 



September 



October .. 



November 



December 



1855. 



0-092 

 0-104 

 0-086 

 0-123 

 0-080 

 0- 135 

 0-061 

 0-080 

 0-095 

 0-061 

 0-054 

 0-067 



1856. 



0-079 

 0-136 

 0-093 

 0-146 

 0-127 

 0-113 

 0-085 

 0-070 

 0-121 

 0-060 

 0-080 

 0-080 



Nitric Acid. 



1855. 



1856. 



0-017' 

 042 

 0-021 

 0-035 

 0-035 

 0-080 

 0-017 

 0-060 

 021 

 0-036 

 0-018 

 0-017 



0'02"5 

 0-018 

 0-035 

 0-018 

 0-028 

 0-047 

 O-035 

 0-035 

 0-035 

 9-032 

 0-043 

 0-040 



The differences in the quantities of ammonia and nitric acid. 

 of the two years arc only such as would be anticipated from the 

 circumstances of the case, whilst the general resemblance of the 

 figures is a sufficient proof of their correctness. But little in- 

 formation, however, is to be obtained from these results, except 

 in connection with the quantity of rain falling. The following 

 Table exhibits the rainfall per acre, with the quantity of nitric 

 acid and ammonia contained in it. ' Tiie fourth column shows 

 the quantity of nitrogen in both these compounds. 



The reader who will take the trouble to compare this Table 

 witli the corresponding one for 1855 in the last number of tlie 

 Journal, will find that, altliougli there are some differences in tlie 

 two, the present figures substantially bear out my previous 

 results. The total amount of nitrogen present in both its com- 

 pounds is somewhat greater inthoralii-water of the vear 185G 

 than in tliat of last year, but not to such an extent as in any way 

 to inodilv the practical conclusions to which we were led when 

 detailing the former experiments. It would lie a waste of time 

 therefore to go over these arguments again. It is quite obvit)us 

 that tlie nitrogen of rain is not adequate to account for the in- 



