330 SCIENTIFIC RECREATIONS. 



question. Some common ether is poured into a glass, and to it is added a 

 small quantity of liquid ammonia (about one-tenth of the volume). The 

 flowers with which it is desired to experiment are then plunged into the 

 fluid (fig. 318). A number of flowers, whose natural colour is red or violet, 

 take instantaneously a bright green tint ; these are red geranium, violet, 

 periwinkle, lilac, red and pink roses, wall-flower, thyme, small blue cam- 

 panula, fumeter, myosotis, and heliotrope. Other flowers, whose colours are 

 not of the same shade, take different tints when in contact with ammoniacal 

 ether. The upper petal of the violet sweet-pea becomes dark blue, whilst 

 the lower petal turns a bright- green colour. The streaked carnation 

 becomes brown and bright green. White flowers generally turn yellow, 

 such as the white poppy, the variegated snow-dragon, which becomes yellow 

 and dark violet, the white rose, which takes a straw colour, white columbine, 

 camomile, syringa, white daisy, potatoe blossom, white Julian, honeysuckle, 

 and white foxglove, which in contact with ammoniacal ether assume more 

 or less deep shades of yellow. White snap-dragon becomes yellow and 

 dark orange. Red geranium turns blue in a very icmarkable fashion ; with 

 the monkey-flower the ammoniacal ether only affects the :ed spots, which 

 turn a brownish green ; red snap-dragon turns a beautiful brown ; valerian 

 takes a shade of grey ; and the red corn -poppy assumes a dark violet. 

 Yellow flowers are not changed by ammoniacal ether ; buttercups, marigolds, 

 and yellow snap-dragon preserve their natural colour. Leaves of a red 

 colour are instantly turned green when placed in contact with ammoniacal 

 ether. The action of this liquid is so rapid that it is easy to procure green 

 spots by pouring here and there a drop of the solution. In like manner 

 violet flowers, such as periwinkles, can be spotted with white, even without 

 gathering them. We will complete our remarks on this subject with a 

 description of experiments performed by M. Gabba in Italy by means of 

 ammonia acting on flowers. M. Gabba simply used a plate, in which he 

 poured a certain quantity of solution of ammonia. He placed on the plate 

 a funnel turned upside down, in the tube of which he arranged the flowers 

 on which he wished to experiment. He then found that under the influence 

 of the ammonia the blue, violet, and purple flowers became a beautiful 

 green, red flowers black, and white yellow, etc. 



The most singular changes of colour are shown by flowers which are 

 composed of different tints, their red streaks turning green, the white yellow, 

 etc. Another curious example is that of red and white fuchsias, which, 

 through the action of ammonia, turn yellow, blue, and green. When flowers 

 have been subjected to these changes of colour, and afterwards plunged into 

 pure water, they preserve their new tint for several hours, after which they 

 gradually return to their natural colour. Another interesting observation, 

 due to M. Gabba, is that asters, which are naturally inodorous, acquire an 

 agreeable aromatic odour under the influence of ammonia. Asters of a violet 

 colour become red when wetted with nitric acid mixed with water. On the 

 other hand, if these same flowers are enclosed in a wooden box, where they 



