Cfiemical Examination of the Farmelia escuUnta. 303 



The result of my chemical investigation convinced me that I 

 had analyzed either a lichen, or otherwise a diseased imperfect 

 plant, which was probably carried by an electrical wind from 

 its station, and deposited again in distant places, and as Parrot 

 said, it had rained. In order to gain more information respect- 

 ing it, I shewed it to Professor Ledebour. He recognised it to be 

 the Farmelia escidenta, which he had frequently met with in 

 his journey in the Kirghis Steppes, and in general in central 

 Asia, on a dead, loamy soil, or in the fissures of naked rocks, and 

 that it often suddenly shot out of the earth after rains. He is 

 of opinion that the Persian specimens had not been rained from 

 above, but rather that the plant, after a violent rain, had risen 

 suddenly from the earth. 



Whether it has suddenly appeared in Persia in the one way 

 or the other, it remains remarkable on account of the great quan- 

 tity of oxalate of lime it contains, and also on account of the ab- 

 sence of all the saline and earthy matters usually met with in 

 plants, and may (as, according to Ledebour, it occurs abundant- 

 ly in the above mentioned countries) afford a cheap means for 

 obtaining oxalic acid, and oxalates. It afforded in the 100 parts 

 the following ingredients : — 



Oxalate of lime, 65.91 



Jelly, 23.00 



InuUn, 2.50 



Epidermis of lichen, 3.25 



Bitter substance, soluble in water and spirit of wine, 1.00 

 Inodorous and tasteless soft resin, soluble in spirit of 



wine, , 1-75 



Soft resin, soluble in ether, 1.75 



99.16 



Sclaoeigger, SeideVs Jotirnal, 1831. 



4. Chemiad Analysis of true Oil of Roses, by Professor Dr Gobel 

 of Dorpat. 



Through the goodness of one of my pupils from Taganrok, 

 on the sea of Asoph, I received a vial of true oil of roses, which 

 I dedicated to the following analysis. 



It was nearly colourless, but in so concentrated a state, that 

 it gave out an insupportably strong offensive rosacious smell, 

 which caused headache ; but when dissolved in spirit of wine, 



