225 
vanced in the history of the ammoniacal combinations an im- 
portant stage beyond the ammonium theory of Berzelius, it 
becomes of great interest that the nature of the ethers should 
be investigated with the aid of the lights furnished by this 
novel analogical point of view. This Dr. Kane purposes to 
do; and in the mean time, while he looks upon the Ethyl The- 
ory as the most consonant to all facts at present known, and 
while, consequently, he will use on ordinary occasions its lan- 
guage and formule, he holds himself free of all implicit 
belief in any theories, which might only serve to embarrass 
him in his future investigations. 
Dr. Kane grants fully to the continental chemists the 
honour of having developed the detailed evidence for the 
truth of the Ethyl Theory, so far as it has been proved, and 
claims no share whatsoever in that meritorious work. But 
he cannot abandon his claim to having been the first to sug-’ 
gest the theory ; and he affirms that in the form in which he 
brought it forward, it was not merely more complete than 
that of Dumas, but even than that of Berzelius, and in fact 
identical with that now held by Liebig, Berzelius, and most 
of the continental and British chemists. 
DONATIONS. 
Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Copen- 
hagen, Vols. I to VII. Presented by the Society. 
Mémoires de l Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. 
Pétersbourg. 6me Serie. Sciences Mathematiques, Physiques et 
Naturelles. 6 Tomes. Presented by the Academy. 
Mémoires de l Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pé- 
tersbourg. 6me Serie. Sciences Politiques, Histoire, Philo- 
logie. 3 Tomes. Presented by the Academy. 
Mémoires présentés a l’ Académie Impériale des Sciences 
de St. Pétersbourg par divers Savans, et lus dans ses Assem- 
blées. 3 Tomes, et Ire et 2me Livraisons du Tome Quatriéme 
Presented by the same. 
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