326 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



with the observations which I made by holding coloured papers under 

 the wire. — Poggendorff's Annalen, vol. xcvii. p. 329. 



EXAMINATION OF THE GREEN MATTER OF THE TRUE INFUSORIA. 

 BY THE PRINCE OF SALM-HORSTMAR. 

 The author commences by stating that his former communication 

 upon the green colouring matter of the Infusoria* was founded upon 

 an error, as the objects investigated by him were not Infusoria but 

 minute Algse (Coccodea viridis). He has now investigated the green 

 matter of Evglena viridis. 



The animals, which were very lively, when collected on a filter, 

 dried, and extracted with alcohol, furnished an emerald- green extract 

 with a yellowish tinge, which gives a blood-red dispersed light . The 

 extract evaporated to dryness at a gentle heat presented the follow- 

 ing properties : — 



It does not dissolve perceptibly in water, even when heated. 

 Ammonia dissolves it when heated with a yellowish-green colour, 

 and the solution is somewhat turbid. It is somewhat soluble in 

 solution of caustic potash with the assistance of heat ; the solution 

 is yellowish-green. 



Sulphuric fether dissolves it very readily with an emerald-green 

 colour. This solution exhibits a very strong blood- red dispersion of 

 both sun- and candle-light. It does not leave a coloured residue 

 when left to spontaneous evaporation in an open test- glass, so that 

 the coloured matter possesses the remarkable property of being vola- 

 tilized with aether. 



It dissolves readily in oil of turpentine with a green colour, and 

 produces a blood-red dispersion of light. 



The behaviour of this dry green matter obtained from the alco- 

 holic extract, when heated in an open platinum cup, is very remark- 

 able. Thus when it is gently heated, without bringing the platinum 

 cup to redness, it evaporates without fusing, and diffuses an odour 

 of fish. It leaves a blackish-brown residue, which gradually evapo- 

 rates by heat (if the platinum cup be so heated as not to reach igni- 

 tion), but does not take fire even when the platinum is heated to 

 redness. 



Behaviour of the green alcoholic solution towards Reagents. — The 

 addition of an equal volume of water renders it slightly turbid 

 at first. The turbidity is green ; and on boiling, all becomes clear 

 and green ; even after the addition of five volumes of water it does 

 not again become turbid after boiling, and forty volumes of water 

 may then be added without perceptible turbidity. 



Acetic acid produces a green turbidity. Acetate of lead also 

 causes a green turbidity, which afterwards becomes a green precipi- 

 tate ; this is readily soluble in alcohol, giving a green colour without 

 red dispersion. Acetate of copper causes no turbidity ; when heated 

 there is a slight turbidity. 



Nitrate of silver gives no turbidity, but after standing for a few 

 hours a greenish-black precipitate. The supernatant fluid retains 



* See Phil. Mag. October 1856, p. 309, 



