Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 319 



treinely disagreeable odour of asafoetida as well as an aethereal one; 

 a single drop is sufficient to diffuse this smell over a great space- 

 It has a sweet taste, which continues long; it has no action on test- 

 papers. It is slightly soluble in water, but imparts its strong pecu- 

 liar smell and its taste to it. With alcohol and aether it mixes in all 

 proportions : it burns with a blue flame, and disengages sulphurous 

 acid. It suffers no change by the contact of air. When boiled 

 with a solution of potash it is not decomposed ; but if distilled from 

 finely powdered hydrate of potash, sulphuret of potassium and al- 

 cohol are obtained ; but this decomposition takes place with diffi- 

 culty, and a very large quantity of aether passes over without de- 

 composition. Potassium decomposes it at a moderate heat; but the 

 decomposition soon ceases, because the sulphuret of potassium 

 produced forms a crust on the potassium and prevents a continuation 

 of the action. There is no disengagement of hydrogen during this 

 decomposition. 



Hydrosulphuric aether does not in the slightest degree act upon 

 peroxide of mercury, and is distinguished by this character from 

 niercaptan, as will be foreseen. Nevertheless it precipitates some 

 heavy metallic salts, especially an alcoholic solution of acetate of 

 lead ; the precipitate is of a yellow colour. Mixed with a concen- 

 trated alcoholic solution of acetate of lead, a white precipitate is 

 formed which strongly resembles the mercapturet of potassium of 

 Zeise. This aether may probably be prepared by distilling an in- 

 timate mixture of sulphuret of potassium and dry sulphovinate of ba- 

 rytes. The distilled liquor possesses all the properties of the aether 

 described ; water must be carefully avoided in this operation. M. 

 Lowig intends to describe the analysis and properties of this aether. 



Hydroselenic aether was obtained only in small quantity and but 

 little is known of its properties ; its odour is extremelj"- disagreeable ; 

 it burns, depositing selenium and giving a smell of horse radish. 



M. Lciwig found that hydrocyanic sether prepared with oxalic 

 aether, possessed the same properties as that obtained by M. Pelouze. 



Journal de Pharmacie, July 183G. 



Part II. of SCIENTIFIC MEMOIRS will be ready for 

 publication on the 31st of October. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR AUGUST 1836. 



Cluswick. — August 1. Overcast: cloudy: clear and fine. 2—10. Fine. 



1 1. Fine: cloudy and windy at night. 12. Overcast : hot and dry 



l."?. Dry haze : fine : lightning and rain at night. 14. Heavy rain with 



thunder. 15, 16. Hazy: fine. 17, Very fine. 18. Overcast : fine. 



19. Cold and dry : fine. 20. Hazy : rain. 21, 22. Very fine. 23. Hazy: 

 rain. 24. Heavy rain : clear and cold at night. 25. Fine. 26. Drizzly : 

 rain. 27. Fine. 28. Rain. 29 — 31. Very fine. 



liosLon, — August 1. Fine: rain p.jr.' 2, 3, Cloudy. 4. Cloudy : 



rain P.M. 5 — 7. Cloudy. 8, 9. Fine. 10 — 13. Cloudy. 14, 15. Fine. 

 16. Cloudy. 17. Fine. 18. Fine ; rain p.m. 19. Cloudy. 20. Fine: rain 

 P.M. 21. Fine. 22. Cloudy: rain P.M. 23. Cloudy. 24, 25. Fine. 

 26. Rain. 27, 28. Cloudy. 29. "Fine : rain p.m. 30. Fine. SI. Cloudy. 



