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derived from the information you were so kind as to send me, 
relative to a cromlech being found within a sepulchral cairn 
at Phoenix Park, namely, that it was used for purposes of 
interment. But the question is, if such a conclusion admit 
of an universal application? ‘The cromlech has been found 
in the north of Europe, placed on the very summit of a se- 
pulchral cairn, as Sjoborg, in his systematic work, has 
pointed out, and in this case, it appears more like an occa- 
sional appendix to the cairn, destined, from its peculiar 
structure, to the celebration of sacrifices in honour of the 
dead. I am satisfied however, that the cromlech original- 
ly subsisted most frequently independently of any cairn 
whatever ; and if, in this isolated state, human ashes have 
occasionally been discovered in connexion with it, other in- 
stances might be cited, in which very careful excavations 
have not afforded any evidence that this monument had a se- 
pulchral use. A safer conclusion, therefore, remains, that 
the cromlech was most frequently connected with purposes 
of interment, although not necessarily so; and that in gene- 
ral it was raised for sacrificial objects.” 
Dr. Kane read a paper on the sulphates and nitrates of 
mercury, particularly the basic salts formed by ammonia. 
In a former paper Dr. Kane had shewn, that by the ac- 
tion of ammonia on the chlorides of mercury, there were 
generated compounds involving the radical nm, (amidogen,) 
and the design of the present paper was to develope the 
function of the ammoniacal element of the oxygen salts of that 
metal. It was found, however, that from the diversity of the 
results of former chemists regarding the common basic salts 
of mercury, it became necessary to re-examine them in order 
to establish some fixed points.to which the constitution of 
the ammoniacal bodies might be referred. 
Among the numerous formulz which have been assigned 
to Turbith mineral, Dr. Kane has found ng o, so; + 2ugo 
