1818.] their Combinations with Alkalies. 279 



68° was -9178. It was very soluble in alcohol ; 100 parts of this 

 fluid, of the specific gravity of '812, dissolved 110 parts of the 

 oil at the temperature of 158° ; the solution remained transparent 

 to 125-5° ; 100 parts of alcohol of the specific gravity of -795, 

 dissolved 123 parts of the oil at the temperature of 68°. This 

 great solubility distinguishes the oil of the Delphinus globiceps 

 from the different kinds of fat which were examined in the last 

 memoir. Neither the oil itself, nor its solutions in alcohol, have 

 any action on the tincture of litmus. 77*22 gr. (five grammes) 

 of the oil being digested with potash for 20 hours, were converted 

 into a saponaceous mass, the solution of which in water was not 

 perfectly limpid. This soap was decomposed by tartaric acid, 

 when an aqueous Jiuid and a, fatty matter were obtained. The 

 aqueous Jiuid had a very strong acid odour, which was more 

 powerful when the fluid was evaporated. The fixed residuum 

 was treated with alcohol ; and when this was evaporated, it left 

 a red syrupy fluid, having a sweet, but at the same time, a very 

 disagreeable taste, which weighed 9*73 gr. 



The fatty matter was nearly colourless ; it became fluid at 

 68° ; when kept during three days at 62-5°, it deposited a con- 

 siderable number of crystals. Its odour was much more power- 

 ful than that of the natural oil ; it had a fishy, and extremely 

 rank, disagreeable flavour. Alcohol dissolved it in all propor- 

 tions, and this solution strongly reddened the tincture of litmus. 

 It weighed 51*6 gr. Hence it follows that the oil consists of 



Fatty matter 66-8 



Substances soluble in water 33*2 



100-0 



The small proportion of the fatty matter, the strong odour 

 which it developed during saponification, and which was pecu- 

 liarly powerful during the evaporation of the aqueous fluid, 

 induced M. Chevreul to suppose that the oil of the Delphinus 

 globiceps was analogous to an oil which he had discovered in 

 butter, and which he proposes to make the subject of a succeed- 

 ing memoir. The want of transparency in the solution of the 

 soap, as mentioned above, led him also to conjecture that the 

 j) might contain a matter which was not acid, analogous to 

 that of the soap of cetine, and that consequently cetine might 

 exist in the oil. The oil was, therefore, exposed to a temperature 

 from 40° to 50°, and crystals were formed which were separated 

 by the filter: the filtered oil, when exposed to the temperature 

 <>t 26*6°, produced new crystals which were likewise separated 

 from the uncongealed part of the oil. 



We begin by an examination of the crystallized part of the 

 oil of the Delphinus globiceps. After being carefully separated 

 from tin- fluid part of the oil, it was dissolved in boiling alcohol, 

 from which it was precipitated by cooling in the form of beauti- 



