Memoir upon Guano. 1 2gf 



aulated salt, formed from an animal acid, ammonia, and a 

 little lime. In short, very weak nitric acid, in which this 

 salt had been macerated to detach its acid from its bases, 

 yielded, upon evaporation, vapours of ammonia in abim- 

 dance by the addition of potash, and unequivocal signs of 

 lime by the addition of oxalic acid. 



Freed from ammonia and lime, this substance is less co- 

 loured, and appears less soluble than before : its solution in 

 boiling water deposits brilliant crystals tolerably hard, and 

 reddens more strongly turnsole paper. It combines with 

 potash easily, and without the smell of ammonia: all the 

 acids separate it from potash. It blackens by heat, and 

 burns without leaving any residue, giving out a smell of 

 ammonia and prussic acid. Its neutral combination with 

 ammonia does not precipitate the solution of sulphate of 

 alumine, as the honistic acid does. 



It results from all these facts, 1st, That the substance 

 extricated from guano by boiling water is an acid partly 

 saturated with ammonia and a little lime: ed. That this 

 acid is of an animal nature, since it yields ammonia and 

 prussic acid on being decomposed by tire : 3d, That this 

 acid, according to all the properties already indicated, is 

 uric acid, and similar to that of the excrements of aquatic 

 birds : 4th, That it forms about the fourth part of guano. 



The mother water which deposited the powder, the pro- 

 perties of which are about to be detailed, is very aicid : pot- 

 ash liberates from it ammoniain abundance; it therefore con- 

 tains an ammoniacal salt : the nitrates of barytes and silver 

 announce the presence of the muriatic and sulphiiric salts in 

 it also : lime water precipitates from it white flakes, difficult 

 of solution in the muriatic acid. 



This precipitate, occasioned by lime water, is evidently 

 formed of two sahs : both dissolve in the acids without ef- 

 fervescence : the one is easily dissolved, without tlie assist- 

 ance of heat ; the other is dissolved with difficulty, tven by 

 the assistance of heat. The former resists calcination ; the' 

 latter is decomposed by fire, and afterward? dissolve.'' in the 

 acids with effervescence. The one >■? phosphate and the oxhct 

 oxalate of lime. 



Vol. 24. No. 91. March 160G. I That 



