148 OILY OXIDES NOT SAPONIFIABLE. 



which obviously agrees very well with the analysis. These 



atomic numbers may be resolved into 4 (C 4 H 4 ) -f H O. 



Now, when ethal is mixed with dry phosphoric acid in powder 



and distilled, the acid retains an atom of water and a volatile 



oily body passes over, composed of, 



Carbon, . 86 = 16 atoms 12 or per cent. 85-71 

 Hydrogen, 14 =16 atoms = 2 ... 14-29 



100 14 100-00 



Now the specific gravity of this liquid was found by them to 

 be 7-846. But the specific gravity of 



16 volumes carbon, = 6-6666 

 16 volumes hydrogen, = 1-1111 



7-7777 



agreeing well with the specific gravity found. It appears from 

 this that the volatile oily body thus obtained from ethal is a com- 

 pound of sixteen volumes carbon and sixteen volumes hydrogen 

 condensed into one volume. To this oily body Dumas and Peli- 

 got have given the name of cetene, 



SECTION HI. OF CETENE. 



This substance has been described in the Chemistry of Vege- 

 table Bodies, (p. 322), to which the reader is referred. 



There is every reason for believing that the oily liquid which 

 M. Redtenbacher obtained along with margaron and margaric 

 acid, when he distilled stearic acid, is identical with the cetene of 

 Dumas and Peligot. He found it composed of 

 Carbon, . 83*92 

 Hydrogen, . 14-1 



which approaches the result of Dumas and Peligot. The dif- 

 ference was doubtless owing to the presence of a little margaron, 

 from which it was very difficult to free it. 



SECTION TV. OF CASTORIN. 



Castor is a well known substance, which is obtained from the 

 beaver. In each of the inguinal regions of that animal there are 

 two bags, a large and a small. The large one contains the true 

 castor ; the small one a substance which has some resemblance 

 to it, but which is in much less estimation. 



