244 



force diminish very much for a time the deposit of meteoric matter 

 on limited portions of the sun's surface, and allow them to cool by 

 radiation so much, as to become comparatively black. 



The following Gentlemen were elected as Ordinary Fel- 

 lows : — 



1. Dr William Bird IIerapath. 



2. Robert Harkness, Esq., Professor of Mineralogy and Geology, 



Queen's College, Cork. 



3. Dr Thomas A. Wise, H.E.I.C.S. 



Monday, 1st May 1854. 

 Right Rev. BISHOP TERROT, V.P., in the Chair. 



The following Communications were read : — 



1. Further Researches on the Crystalline Constituents of 



Opium. By Dr Thomas Anderson. 



2. On the Action of the Halogen Compounds of Ethyl and 



Amyl on some Vegetable Alkaloids. By Mr Henry How, 

 Assistant to Professor Anderson of Glasgow. 



This paper contains some details of a continued investigation, of 

 which the first results were communicated to the Chemical Society 

 of London last year.* It was then shown that new bases are pro- 

 duced by the action of iodide of methyl and of ethyl upon morphia 

 and codeine, which are closely analogous with the ammonium bases 

 of Hofmann, so that these alkaloids should rank among nitryle bases. 

 The fact was also pointed out, that although one of the new salts 

 produced had precisely the centesimal composition of the correspond- 

 ing compound of codeine, the base of the artificial product was widely 

 different from this alkaloid; and the conclusion was drawn that the 

 primary molecules of these natural formations are of so peculiar a 

 constitution, that chemists are not yet in the possession of means of 

 imitating the process of their construction ; for even the attempt 



reaching down to the sun's surface, and constituting hurricanes, which would 

 prohably have a progressive motion northwards on one side, and southwards 

 on the other side of his equator. 

 * Quart. Jour. Chem. Soc, vol. vi. 



