230 Artifickd Formation oj the Funnic Acid. 



sioiis. It has been the object of M. Floureus to discover, by 

 isolating, and detaching the several parts of the brain and 

 nervous sj'stem, in which of them these properties severally 

 reside. We hope to present our readers with fuller informa- 

 tion on this important subject in our next number. 



M. Cordier has been nominated to fill the place left vacant in 

 the Section of Mineralogy by the lamented death of M. Haliy: 

 and M. Brongniart has been elected to succeed him as Pro- 

 fessor at the Museum. 



LINN^AN SOCIETY OF PARIS. 



M. Viellot gave an account of an eagle never yet described, 

 killed in the Forest of Fontainebleau, and which he proposes 

 to call Aquila fasciata. 



A memoir by M. Perrottet was read on the genus Artocarpus, 

 commonly called the Bread Tree, in which the author states 

 that this genus is not well understood, and that it contains 

 several distinct species. He describes but four, which he has 

 fully observed in their native soil ; the rest he only enumerates, 

 not having seen them, nor choosing to rely on the correctness 

 of the descjiptions which have been given of them upon doubt- 

 ful authority. 



XLIII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ARTIFICIAL FORMATION OF THE FORMIC ACID. BY M. DOE- 

 BEREINER*. 



W HEN tartaric acid or cream of tartar, peroxide of manga- 

 nese, and water, are j)ut together, and the mixture is heated, a 

 tumultuous action presently manifests itself; a great quantity of 

 carbonic acid is disengaged, and it distills at the same time a 

 liquid acid, which on a slight trial would be taken for acetic 

 acid, but which proves by a more strict examination to be the 

 formic acid. This acid, indeed, mixed with concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid, changes at an ordinary temperature into water and 

 oxide of carbon : the nitrate of silver or of mercury converts it 

 into carbonic acid by means of a gentle heat, and the two oxides 

 are reduced to a metallic state. Lastly, it forms combinations 

 with barytes, oxide of lead, and oxide of copper, which possess 

 all the properties of those formed by the formic acid. 



The residuum left by the tartaric acid and the peroxide of 

 manganese after their reciprocal action, is a mixture of tartrate 

 and Ibrmiate of manganese. These two salts may be separated 

 by means of water, which dissolves the latter only. 

 * From the Annates de Chimie for July 1822. 



If, 



