394 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



DRACINE, — A NEW SUBSTANCE FOUND IN DRAGON's-BLOOD. 



M. Melandii finds that the colouring matter of Dragon's-blood is 

 soluble in alcohol and oil, and also in hot water, but in small pro- 

 portion : the aqueous solution is bitter, astringent, and of a fine 

 purple colour ; by cooling, it becomes opake and red. By the tests 

 of gelatine and sulphate of iron, it does not appear to contain either 

 tannin or gallic acid. 



A portion of dragon's-blood was dissolved in strong alcohol, the 

 solution was evaporated till it was much concentrated, and then 

 poured into cold water, but in which a spongy mass was precipitated j 

 this after being washed with cold water was saturated with water con- 

 taining -rw of sulphuric acid, and at about 61° of Fahr. chemical 

 action appeared to occur. The sediment, being well washed with 

 water, was of a fine red colour, varying according to the state of 

 aggregation ; it was tasteless and inodorous, flexible, and became 

 fluid at 131° Fahr. This substance, called by the discoverer Dracine, 

 has some analogy with the vegeto-alkalis, although its affinity for 

 acids is but slight. The sulphate is obtainable by adding sulphuric 

 acid diluted with alcohol to an alcoholic solution of dracine, precipita- 

 ting the mixture by cold water, and then applying a little heat ; the 

 sulphate of dracine collects at the bottom, and is to be washed with 

 cold water until litmus-paper ceases to be reddened by the washings ; 

 it is then to be dissolved in hot water. The solution is reddened by 

 the smallest quantity of alkalies, and may be used as a very sensible 

 test of their presence ; dracine is also a good test for acids, being 

 rendered yellow by them. The smallest quantity of carbonate of lime 

 in filtering paper may be detected by sulphate of dracine, the yellow 

 solution instantly becoming red bv its action. — Bull. Univ. c. xi. 

 p. 157. '• — 



ORGANIC REMAINS OF THE ALLUVIUM AND DILUVIUM IN 

 SUSSEX. 



In the alluvial and diluvial deposits of Sussex the remains of ani- 

 mals hitherto discovered are very few, compared with those found in 

 other counties of England. Mr. Mantell mentions but two kinds as 

 having been noticed, (Geology of Sussex, p. 284,) viz. : the elephant, 

 and horse. A short time since some labourers who were employed 

 in deepening the bed of the river Ouse, which flows through a chalk 

 valley by Lewes, and empties itself into the sea at Newhaven, disco- 

 vered in a bed of sand beneath the blue alluvial clay that forms the 

 marshy tract called Lewes levels, the entire skeleton of a deer of a 

 very large size. The horns were quite perfect, and measured 3 feet 

 in height, and 3 feet 2 inches at their greatest width. The antlers 

 had seven points, and resembled in their form those figured by Cu- 

 vier, of the Canadian deer. The greater part of the skeleton was 

 destroyed by the carelessness of the workmen, and a few bones only 

 preserved. Of these the tibia measures 14| inches in length, and the 

 ulna 15 inches to the end of the oluranon. The ramus of the lower 

 jaw (imperfect) 11 inches. These remains are in Mr. Mantell's col- 

 lection at Castle Place, Lewes. Still more recently bones of the 



deer 



