Royal Society. 81 



part IS reduced, a quantity of regulus being always found in 

 the neck of the retori. Dr. Lambe found that this com- 

 pound both absorbed and gave out atmospheric air. When 

 the heat was very low, a large portion of the air of the ves- 

 sels disappeared ; when a brisk heat was used, the air of the 

 vessels had received an augmentation, consisting of a mix- 

 ture of oxygen and azote. 



The action of ammonia was examined by uniting the 

 alkali with arsenic acid, and decomposing the salt by heat. 

 To succeed in this process, it is necessary to mix the salt 

 previously with iron filings, otherwise the glass of the 

 retort is dissolved. The gas which came over was received 

 in three successive portions. The first was not examined, 

 as consisting principally of the air contained in the retort ; 

 the second portioo appeared to be pure azote ; the third and 

 last portion proved to be principally a new and peculiar 

 gas, similar to that described in Dr. Lambe's former 

 paper: it yields, by being inflamed with oxygen gas, both 

 carbonic and nitrous acids ', and Dr. L. has called it there- 

 fore nitro- carbonic oxide. 



The effect of lime has led to the most unexpected results. 

 It appears that when white oxide of arsenic and lime are 

 healed together, a portion of the arsenic disappears, and in 

 its place water and carbonic acid are found ; nor does there 

 appear (as far at least as has been hitherto examined) any 

 other product. In some cases a large quantity of carbonic 

 acid was evolved, independent of the portion absorbed by 

 the lime ; in other cases the whole, or nearly so, was ab- 

 dorbed by the lime. From these facts Dr. Lambe concludes 

 that oxide of arsenic is in this experiment decompounded, 

 and that it is composed of the substances which form the 

 common elements of animal and vegetable matter j name- 

 ly, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. 



Jan. 21. A letter to the President, from the American 

 Col. Humphries, on a new species of Sheep was read» 

 This peculiar breed, it appears, originated from some un- 

 known cause (probably a species of disease) in the state 

 of Massachussctts in i79.. It >vas produced by a ewe 

 which fed on the banks of a river much frequeuled by 

 otterj, and the shortness of this animal's legs suggested 

 the idea ^l\at it must have been occasioned either by the 

 imagination of the mother, oi more sul)slaniial coniuiuni- 

 ^ation. What contributed U) sanction this wild conjecture 

 jftras the disappearance of the otters (a very natural circum- 

 •Uinc« io thv life of this nomadc race) frona that part of 



D2 th<; 



