FECES. 549 



lowish white matter examined was not the feces but the urine of 

 the serpent. It is voided once in from three to six weeks. Dr 

 Davy found the urine of four species of lizards, of the alligator, 

 the turtle, and the tortoise, similar in its consistence and consti- 

 tution to that of the serpent. 



VIL The excrements of the Chamodeonis vulgaris were exa- 

 mined by Dr Prout in 1820.* They consisted partly of a fine 

 powder of a bright lemon yellow colour, and partly of lumps 

 composed of the same powder loosely agglutinated. They con- 

 sisted almost entirely of urate of ammonia and a little colouring 

 matter. Thus they resemble very closely the excrements of the 

 Boa constrictor. The food of the chamseleonis is said to con- 

 sist of the Lumbricus terrestris and the larvae of the Tenebria 

 molitor, 



VIII. It was shown many years ago by Dr Wollaston that 

 the dung of fowls consists chiefly of uric acid. The dung, or ra- 

 ther the urine of carnivorous birds, is very similar in its constitu- 

 tion to that of the Boa constrictor. 



The stomach often contains gaseous matters. A quantity of 

 gas extracted from the stomach was analyzed by Chevreul, and 

 found composed of, 



Carbonic acid, . 43 volumes. 



Sulphuretted hydrogen, 2 



Oxygen, . . 4 



Azotic, . . 31 



Carburetted hydrogen, 20 



lOOf 



* Annals of Philosophy, xv. 471. 



f Leuret and Lassaigne sur la Digestion, p. 1 25. 



