148 Scientific Intelligence. [August, 



of iron and phosphoric acid be correct ; but whether it be so 

 constituted, or possesses for its proximate parts red oxide of iron 

 and prussic (hydrocyanic) acid. Its production is easily 

 accounted for. The peat earth is highly impregnated with red 

 oxide (peroxide) of iron ; this filtering through the superstrata 

 comes in contact with the osseous phosphate of lime, and the 

 phosphate of iron is formed. On the other hand, the prussic 

 acid may be easily supposed a resulting product of the decom- 

 posing horn. Carbonate of ammonia, being thus freed, contains 

 the elemental constituents of prussic acid, and a slight modifica- 

 tion in the ratio of the proportional quantities would give form 

 to the hydrocyanic acid, one of the constituents of prussian blue, 

 the prussiate of iron. 



In this valuable marl are found chips of flints. 



I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, 

 Your most humble servant, 



J. Murray. 



XII. Analysis of the Eggs of the Pike. By M. Vauquelin.* 

 A portion of these e2s:s was washed in a large quantity of 

 water ; the water was evaporated, and a Vhite coagulable 

 substance was procured, which was completely soluble in caustic 

 potash, and was precipitated by the infusion of galls and nitric 

 acid. By drying and calcining this substance, its saline con- 

 tents were separated and their nature ascertained ; the coagu- 

 lable substance was determined to be albumen, and the salts 

 were found to be potash, phosphate of potash, muriate of soda, 

 and phosphate of lime. The water which had been separated 

 from the coagulum was next examined, and was found to con- 

 tain both animal and saline matter ; a great number of reagents 

 were employed to ascertain the nature of each ; and the result 

 of the experiments was, that there were two kinds of animal 

 matter, one of an oily nature, and the other " an animal sub- 

 stance having a relation to gelatine." This it maybe presumed 

 was the same kind of substance which Dr. Bostock found in the 

 albumen ovi of the common fowl, and which has since been found 

 in all albuminous fluid. The salts in what may be termed the 

 serosity of the egg were the muriates of potash, soda, and 

 ammonia, the phosphates of potash, lime, and magnesia, and 

 the sulphate of potash. The eggs, likewise, were found to 

 contain phosphorus. The author observes that there is a very 

 strong resemblance between the eggs of fish and those of birds 

 in their composition. There is, however, one circumstance in 

 which the eggs of the pike differ from birds' eggs, that the oil 

 which in the latter is mild, and of an agreeable odour and flavour, 

 in the former is acrid and extremely nauseous, so as to produce 

 vomiting when taken into the stomach. M. Vauquelin observed 

 the same circumstance with respect to the eggs of the pike that 



♦ Abstracted from Journ. Pharra. iii. SS3. (Sept. 1817.) 



