On the Chemical Nature of Ants. 1^3 



Alcohol {lightly heated over this fubftance diflblved the 

 greater part of it. It afTumed a pretty dark red colour : there 

 however remained a brownifli tnatter, which did not com- 

 bine wiih that liquid whatever quantity of it was added. This 

 alcohoHc folutioii became milky by the addition of water, and 

 at the end of fome days there was feparated a refin-like de- 

 pofit foft and ropy, of a reddifli colour and a very difagree- 

 able naufeou? taile, (lightly foluble in water, iince it commu- 

 nicated to it a little of the colour and of the naufeous talte. 

 This depofit is a fat matter of a peculiar nature. 



The brownidi matter not diflblved by alcohol, already men- 

 tioned, appeared to us to be albumen, which the moifture, 

 and perhaps the acid contained in the ants, contributed to 

 render foluble in alcohol. This albumen was coagulated by 

 the heat, and precipitated with the fat matter in proportion 

 as the alcohol was volatilized. When placed on burning 

 coals it decrepitated, became corneous, fwelled, and puffed 

 up, emitting white fcetid ammoniacal fumes: it left on the 

 fupport a large and light charcoal. It was in no manner 

 foluble in water ; it contained a little hydrogenated carbon, 

 which gave it a brownifli colour. 



13th. A portion of the ants exhaufted by the aiVion of al- 

 cohol was fubjected to diftillation in an open fire. There re- 

 mained a charcoal, which, like all thole of animal fubllances, 

 burnt with ditficuUy, and left, after long combuftion, white 

 afhes, which contained nothing but phol'phate of lime. 



This was proved by treating it with nitric acid, which dif- 

 fjlved the greater part of it without effervefcence, and by add- 

 ing to the iblulion ammonia, which formed in it a white ge- 

 latinous depofit which exhibited all the properties of phof- 

 phate of lime. 



The portion of aflies which did not difTolve in the acid was 

 filex ; but as the incineration had taken place in an earth 

 crucible, this fubftance arofc, in all probability, from that 

 veflTel. However, to afcertain whether this earth had been 

 really furnidicd by the crucible, Ibme of this charcoal was 

 burnt in fmall portions in a crucible of platina until we ob- 

 tained a quantity of afhes fufHcient to be fubjeilcd to exa- 

 mination, and the following refult was obtained : — 150 parts 

 of charcoal of ants were reduced in an ignited platiua cruci- 

 ble, at the end of (everal hours, to 22 parts of ail.es ; 14 parti? 

 of thefc afhes were ditfolved by nitric acid; the eight pans 

 not difl()lved were fand mixed at firft with the ants. 



It ref'ilts from this exj)erimcnt that the ofl'eous fkeleton of 

 ants is formed, like that of warm-blooded animals, of phof- 

 phatc of liine. It is not improbable that the loi)g and (Irong 



calcination 



