Tranjlt of Mercury .• — Chem'ijlry* 9I 



quantity of fulphureous fand. The ground alfo funk do\vu 

 in a fenfible manner. The water which iffiied from the fif- 

 iures was exceedingly fulphureous, cold, and limpid, 



Chemitts obferved, that a pound of this land diluted \\\ 

 eight pints of water produced no eflervefcence, and even gave 

 no precipitate on being mixed with vitriolic acid. The ni- 

 trous acid gave the fame refult. It was only after its decom- 

 pofition, and after gall-nuts were able to produce no change 

 in the colour, that the water became turbid, in fuch a 

 manner as to Ihow the prefence of the vitriolic acid. By 

 decoction and evaporation figns of cryltallization were ob- 

 ferved at the furface ; and, when the evaporation was com- 

 plete, there remained about eight grains of alkaline matters, 

 two parts of which were Glauber's fait, one earthy fait, /and 

 the other gypfum. 



TRANSIT or MERCURY, 



A$ obferved at Paris November 9, l8o2. 



The above refults are mean time reduced to the national 

 obfervatorv. 



Mechain faw the planet very well terminated without any 

 aureola, though he always followed its progrefs on the fun 

 with a telefcope of three objed glaffes 4^- inches in diameter 

 and 7 feet focus, with which he took 45 diftances. He had 

 obferved in the fame manner the traniits in the years 1782, 

 1786, 1789, and 1799. 



CHEMISTRY. 



1. Brugnatelli has lately obferved, that by treating paper 

 wiih the nitric acid, a large quantity of fuberic acid mixed 

 with oxalic acid is obtained. Thisftems to prove that Four- 

 croy was right in clafling cork among tlic immediate prin- 

 ciples of the vegetable kingdom. 



2. The famechemill in a letter fays, that after a particular 

 examination of wheat, he thinks he has found that vegeta- 

 ble gluten is nothing elle than animal fibrous matter. It 

 dilTers indeed from animal gluten or glue, by its infolubility 

 in cold water, and by the contraction it experiences in W'arm 

 water. When treated with the liitric acid it fwells, pro- 

 duces 



