304 



and legible if breathed upon. The second half part was likewise 

 mixed with sulphuric acid, but in a bent tube, and distilled into a 

 small vessel which contained a weak solution of ammonia. The 

 tube was etched, and the vessel contained precipitated silica. It was 

 thus completely proved that sea- water contains fluoride of calcium, 

 but the quantity in 100 lb. sea-water from the Sound at Copenhagen 

 can hardly exceed one-half of a grain, or since the proportion of the 

 different salts varies very little in sea-water, it will be about one 

 grain in 100 lb. of water of the ocean, which contains between 3-5 

 and 4 per cent, of salts. 



All the residuums from the trials to find fluorine were dis- 

 solved in muriatic acid, and thrown down by an excess of ammonia. 

 The precipitate, washed, dried, and heated, was mixed with potassium 

 in a glass tube [and heated], until the excess of potassium was driven 

 off. The lower part of the tube was cut off and thrown into water, 

 where it for hours continued to give out small bubbles, distinguished 

 by the peculiar smell of phosphuretted hydrogen, although they did 

 not inflame by themselves. Thus the existence of phosphoric acid was 

 likewise proved, although I could not try the delicate test for phos- 

 phoric acid which we owe to Mr Svanberg, it not being known at 

 the time when I made my experiments. 



In all the different species of corals which I analysed, I like- 

 wise found fluorine. 



In a postscript to the preceding communication, Professor For- 

 chammer states, that the paper, of which it is an abstract, " contains 

 experiments on many other substances, contained in minute quantities, 

 in sea-water ; for instance, manganese, ammonia, baryta, or strontia, 

 besides iron and silica, which occur in proportionally large quan- 

 tities."— G. W. 



3. On an Application of the Laws of Numerical Harmonic 

 Ratio to Forms generally, and particularly to that of the 

 Human Figure. By D. R. Hay, Esq. 



The author stated in some prefatory remarks, that a belief in the 

 operation of the laws of numerical harmonic ratio in the constitution 

 of beautiful foruis had long existed, although those laws had not been 

 systematised so as to render them applicable in the formative arts. 

 In proof of this, Mr Hay quoted a correspondence upon the subject 



