15° ^^ ^^^ Chemical Nature of Ants. 



e. Ammonia produced no change in it. 



J. Alcohol formed a ropy and duftile precipitate. 



7th. A part of the thick liquor being mixed with half a 

 part of concentrated fulphuric acid and two parts and a half 

 of water, there was immediately formed a very thick magma. 

 This mixture was fubjetled to diftillation, and the produft 

 was divided into three parts. They vi'ere all clear and co- 

 lourleis : they had an empyreumatic odour, and a very ftrong 

 acid tafte. 



The rdiduum of this diftillation had acquired a verv dark 

 brown colour, and a difagrecable burnt talle, though it had 

 not been carried to drynel's. 



The fifll produft tried with acetite of lead gave no fie:ns 

 of the prefcnce of the fulphuric acid : the fecond and third 

 gave the fame refult ; which proves that they contained no 

 fulphuric acid. 



This acid dillilled and combined with potafli furniflied real 

 acftite of potadi which attra61;ed the moiliure of the air; ex- 

 haled, by the addition of concentrated fulphuric acid, a ftrong 

 vapour like that of radical vinegar; and in a folution of ni- 

 trate of mercury formed a flaky precipitate like common ace-' 

 tite of potafti. 



The greater part then of the acid of ants is acetous acid, as 

 C. Deyeux has already proved by a careful analvfis and expe- 

 riments*. 



8th, The calcareous combination of the acid of ants, ob- 

 tained by infufing them in alcohol, exhibited to us a very 

 remarkable charader. In a foKition of acetite of lead it 

 formed a very abundant depoiit, which was rediflblved by 



• Bergman li-ad fcuntl in it fomc refemblancc to the acid of vinegar; 

 the following is what he favs on this iubject : — Hoc acid urn indole actto 

 proxiiTie actedit, iji var;is tanicn ditfcrunt. Piius cum nugnefia, terro ct 

 zinco cryn.il'.if.ibilcs pra;bct fales, poftenub nonnifi dtfiquelcentes. ^lag- 

 ncfia formiiata in primis notatu dignn et\. In another part of his woiks, 

 A D'ifftrtali'jn on Mugnrjia, Bergman fpeaks alfo of the formic acid, and 

 defcribes the properties of the i'alt which it forms with magnefia as fol- 

 lows : — Acidum formicarum magntfiu faturatum aqiiam delerens fundum 

 petit, abundante autem acido folvcndum et eVHporatione cryllallos depo- 

 nens, quje faporis fcrc cxperies xecirime aqua folvuntur, in igne non tun- 

 duntur; fed laircn, parum decrepitant, fubuo nigrefiunt, tandcmquc in 

 pulverem fatilcunt alb\im, in acidis tflervcfccntem quum acidum formi- 

 carum ivib deftruftione mag-neliam pra^beat acream. Cryl^allorum figura 

 eft hemifpbxrica, piano fecanre fuifLim vtrfo, pauium concavo, polito, ftriil- 

 quc, oculo armato vix difcerneiidis, c ccntto radianie ; hnic luculentcr 

 aceto dipnofcitur acidum formicarum, cui alioquin indole proximc actidit, 

 illi tamen, a:quc ac acidis vitrioli nitrique phUigil\icatis,niagnciiam eripieiis 

 hujus falis dimidium ponilus eft ex magnefia. Una ejufdfm pars trcdccim 

 rcquirit aqiia.',ut folvatur in calore quindecim graduumj fpititus vini cum- 

 Ucm non iufcipit. 



iho 



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