150 Olservatioiis on the Cliavge of 



Analysis of the Bitumen from Bovey, 



A. 100 grains, reduced to a fine powder, were digested, 

 during 48 hours, with six ounces of alcohol, the vessel 

 being placed in sand moderately warmed. A deep reddish 

 brown tincture was thus obtained; and the operation was 

 again twice repeated, with other portions of the same men- 

 struum, until it ceased to act upon the residuum. 



The whole of the spirituous solution (which had been 

 cautiously decanted) was then subjected to a very gradual 

 distillation in an alembic, and yielded a brown fragrant resin 

 which weighed 55 grains. 



B. The residuum, which could not be dissolved by al- 

 cohol, was digested in boiling distilled water; but this did 

 not act upon it : the whole was therefore collected on a 

 filter, was gradually dried, without heat, by mere exposure 

 to the air, and then weighed 44 grains. 



These 44 grains consisted of a light, porous, pale brown 

 substance, which, being melted, formed a black, shining, 

 brittle mass. It burned with the odour of asphaltum, but 

 rather less disagreeable, owing most probably to a small 

 portion of the resin which had not been completely ex- 

 tracted bv the alcohol. It was insoluble in water and in 

 alcohol, but was readily dissolved by heated fat oils ; and 

 in every other particular was found to possess the properties 

 of asphaltum. 



The 44 grains of asphaltum, when burned, left a resi- 

 duum, which weighed 3 grains, and consisted of alumina, 

 silica, and iron. 



By this analysis it appears that the bitumen which ac- 

 companies the Bovey coal is a peculiar and hitherto un- 

 known substance, which is partly in the state of vegetable 

 resin, and partly in that of the bitumen called asphaltum, 

 the vesin being in the largest proportion ; as 100 grains of 

 the above-mentioned substance afibrded. 

 Resin - - 5,5 



Asphaltum - 41 



Earthy residuum 3 



99. 



Thus we have an instance of a substance being found 

 under circumstances which constitute a fossil, allhouoh 

 the characters of it apj-ertain partly to the vegetable and 

 partly to the mineral kingdotn. 



§ VL 



