On Animal Fat. 377 
phosphoric acid, containing perhaps an excess of phospho- 
rus. I did not make the trial with the pure hydriodic acid, 
and cannot positively say what agency the phosphorus 
might have had,in producing this effect. Even if the phos- 
phorus should prove to be essential, perhaps the observa- 
tion may be stil] worthy of being preserved. No other 
metallic solution gave similar results.—Editor. 
14, American Geological Society. 
_ From its munificent President William Maclure, Esq. 
the society has recently received a box of the lavas of Ve- 
suvius—Beudant’s Geological travels in Hungary 4 volumes 
with maps—a continuation of the Revue Encyclopedique, 
and of the Journal de Physique—Conybeare and Philips’ . 
Geology of England, and a case of the Glauberite of Spain. 
Major Delafield has presented to the society a box of 
minerals consisting principally of the boulder stones found 
onthe shores of the upper lakes, but embracing also vari- 
ous domestic and foreign specimens. 
15. On Animal Fat. 
Stearine and Elaine. 
[Communicated by Professor Eaton. ] 
An intelligent tallow-chandier, Mr. W. Parmelee of 
Lansingburgh, informed me, a few days since, that the tal- 
w of beeves, which are slaughtered during, or at the close 
of the hot season, makes much harder candles, than of those 
which are kept until the weather becomes cold. This 
fact, he said, had always been known to tallow-chandlers ; 
but he gave a reason for this difference, which I believe you 
will think worthy of scientific investigation. a 
_ Mr. P. had not noticed the distinction made by chemists 
between the olive-oil-like part, called elaine, which lique- 
Vor. VI.—No. 2. Ag 
