1819.] Scientific Intelligence. 15 
ish red colour. Separated and dried upon a filter, the red colour 
radually disappeared, and was succeeded by a yellowish green 
ue. The smell also was different, and somewhat resembled 
train oil. It was insoluble in alcohol, caustic potash, and indeed 
in all other menstrua tried, even when assisted by heat. Nitric 
acid, assisted by heat, rendered it green ; if concentrated, and 
in excess, this acid decomposed it entirely; and when the 
excess of acid was expelled by heat, a greenish yellow residuum, 
without the least trace of the pink hue afforded by lithic acid 
under similar circumstances, was obtained. Chlorine bleached 
it immediately. a | 
When exposed to heat alone, it yielded a dense white smoke, 
which was very inflammable. The charcoal left, after incine- 
ration, afforded a very minute quantity of ashes, containing traces 
of lime, iron, and silex, the last two of which were probably 
extraneous. 
From these observations, it is evident that this substance does 
not owe its colour and other properties to lithic acid, or oxide of 
iron. It seems, on the contrary, to be an organized substance ; 
and the most general as well as probable opinion respecting its 
nature appears to be, that it is a production of some eryptoga- 
mous plant. The naturalist, therefore, wiil probably be better 
enabled to explain its origin and nature than the chemist. ~ 
From the circumstance of the red colour disappearing by expo- 
sure to the air, it seems to have undergone some change by 
keeping. 
XV. Sea Snake of America. 
Extracted from a letter from T. Say, Esq. of Philadelphia, to 
Dr. Leach : 
“T have to regret that many of the scientific journals of 
Europe have taken serious notice of the absurd story which has 
originated to the eastward about the sea serpent; a story attri- 
buted here to a defective observation, connected with an extra- 
ordinary degree of fear. You have probably been informed that 
Capt. Rich has explained the whole.business ; he fitted out an 
expedition purposely to take this leviathan ; he was successful in 
fastening his harpoon in what was acknowledged by all his crew 
to be the veritable sea serpent (and which several of them had 
previously seen and made oath to); but when drawn from the 
water, and full within the sphere of their vision, it proved to 
their perfect conviction that the sea serpent which fear had. 
loomed to the gigantic length of 100 feet, was no other than @ 
harmless Tunny (Schomber Thynnus) nine or ten feet long. 
Thus natural history is probably indebted to Capt. Rich for 
keeping from its pages an account of a second Kraken; and a 
memorable instance 1s added to the catalogue of credulity already 
pregnant with warning to naturalists.” 
