444 Analyses of Boohs. [June, 



These are the weights, supposing the salts totally free from 

 •water ; but if we suppose them dried at the temperature of 212°, 

 then the weights of each will be as follows : 



Muriate of soda 13*3 



Sulphate of soda 2-33 



Muriate ofMime 0-975 



Muriate of magnesia 4-955 



21-560 



!Now this does not differ much from 21-3 grs. the quantity of salt 

 stated in the table to exist in 600 grs. of the water in question. 



Dr. Marcet informs us that Dr. WoUaston has ascertained by 

 experiment that sea water contains a quantity of potash which is 

 rather less than ^^jTrth of its weight. He evaporated sea water 

 till it was reduced to about one-eighth of its volume. Muriate 

 of platinum then threw down a precipitate, when dropped into it. 

 When this precipitate is heated with a little sugar, the platinum 

 is reduced to the metallic state. The muriate of potash may 

 then be washed off", and the nature of its base demonstrated by 

 its yielding crystals of nitrate of potash with nitric acid. 



II. All Account of the Fossil Skeleton of the Proteosaunts. 

 By Sir Everard Home, Bart. V.P.R.S. 



III. Reasons for <rivinc[ the Name Protco-saiinis to the Fossil 

 Skeleton u-hich has been descrihcd. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. 

 — ^The first of these papers might have been called a short notice 

 or explanation of tlnee plates which accompany it, drawn by Mr. 

 CliftandMr.de laBeche, and exhibiting the nasal bones, the ribs, 

 and an entire skeleton, of the fossil animal. From these plates, 

 it is obvious that the animal had four legs, that the ribs were 

 all bone without any cartilage in the part v/hich connects them 

 with the sternum, and without any joint similar to that possessed 

 by the crocodile. The author considers the proteus, the syreii 

 of Carolina, and the axolotl of Mexico, as constituting a distinct 

 class of animals, which he proposes to distinguish by the name 

 of Proteus. The animal to which the fossil skeleton belonged 

 approached the proteus in several respects, but differed in others, 

 and appears to be intermediate between the proteus and lizzard 

 tribe. It was to indicate these relations that our author bestowed 

 upon it the name of Proteosaurus. 



IV. Some Oliseivalions on the Fecul'wiity cf the Tides helween 

 Fairleigh and the North Foreland ; icith an Explanation of the 

 supposed AJeeting of the Tides near Dungeness. By James 

 Anderson, Captain of the Royal Navy. — It is the common opi- 

 nion entertained by naval men, that the tide of the English 

 channel, and the tide of the German sea, the first of which ilov.s 

 cast, and the second south, meet at the straits of Dover, and that 

 this is the reason why the tide rises to a greater height there 

 than any where else in tlic neighbourhood. The object of Capt. 



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