On the Chemical Nature of Ants, 149 



on the fubjeft. Since the lime that Samuel Filher firfi; de- 

 fcribed this acid in 1670, and taught a method of obtaining 

 it by diftillation, till citizen Deyeux confirmed by exact ex- 

 periments the identity of the acid of ants with the acetous 

 acid, (an identity firft announced in 1749 by Margraff, then 

 in 1777 by Ardviflbn and Oehrn, and afterwards by Berg- 

 man,) all that chemifts have done on this fubjedlfeems merely 

 to be, that fome of them have maintained the fuppofed ana- 

 logy; while others have wifhed that this analogy fhould be 

 only apparent, and that the formic acid fhould be confidered 

 as a peculiar acid fui gejieris. I do not fpeak here of the 

 opinion of Thouvenel, who pretended that the acid of ants 

 was the phofphoric acid, becaufe this opinion was fupported 

 by no pofitive faft : I thought it might be flill ufeful to re- 

 fume the analyfis of ants ; and the reader will find that, hav- 

 ing been emploved in this refearch with C. Vauquelin, itpre- 

 fented to us fome fa£ts which had efcaped our predeceflbrs. 



2d. Having cleaned the ants which were collefted in^e 

 wood of Boulf)gne, and of that kind called by Linnceus for- 

 mica rufa, they were bruifed in a marble mortar. During 

 this operation a vapour was difengaged of an odour fo iharp 

 and pungent that it hurt the eyes, and could be compared to 

 nothing b'.it the acetic acid or radical vinegar. 



3d. The ants thus bruifed were put to macerate in alcohol 

 for feveral days, and in a temperature of about 68 or 70 de- 

 grees the alcohol alfumed a yellow colour. 



4th. The alcoholic infufion of anis fubjccted to diftillation 

 furniflied an inflammable liquor flightly acid. During the 

 diftillation there was formed in the liquor a browniih depofit 

 which was collefted on a filter. 



5th. The acid liquor which remained after diftillation, 

 when filtered and feparated from the depofit, was faturated 

 with lime. It then became brown, thick, and acquire'd a 

 naufeous and pungent favour. By blowing through a tube 

 into the thick liquor there was formed a multitude of bub- 

 bles, which exhibited the fame prifmatic colours as foap 

 bubbles. 



6th. This combination of the acid of ants vvith lime, when 

 fubjefttd to the teft of different re-agents, exhibited tlie fol- 

 lowing phtenomena : 



a. Mixed with concentrated fulphuric acid it exhaled the 

 odour of vinegar. 



b. With nitrate of lead it gave an abundant white precipi- 



tate. 



c. With nitrate of filver a ycllowifli precipitate. 



v7. V\ uh muriate of barytcs there was nothing fenfible. 



L 3 £. Ammo- 



