

Mineralogy and Geology. 129 



38. On some newly discovered Substances from the African Guano 

 Deposits ; by Thornton J. Herapath, Esq., (Quart. Jour. Chem. Soc, 

 April, 1849.) — Some time in the latter part of the year 1845, a paper 

 was read before this Society, by Mr. E. F. Teschemacher,* in which 

 the author gives an account of the results of his analyses, including a 

 variety of substances which had been found in the guano deposits and 

 in their vicinity. Besides those there described, however, 1 have lately 

 had the opportunity of examining another, which that gentleman does 

 not appear *to have taken any notice of. This substance, which was 

 found occurring in large crystalline masses or nodules in a cargo of 

 guano from the island of Ichaboe, on the western coast of Africa, was 

 sent to my father's laboratory for examination by Mr. Ruxton of Swan- 

 sea, in January, 1846, some of the parlies to whom he had supplied the 

 guano having complained to him of the presence of the crystals, im- 

 agining them to be an adulteration. These crystals, when purified from 

 the adherent guano, were found to be perfectly transparent and homo- 

 geneous, but stained of a light yellowish-brown color by the humic acid 

 and extractive matters of the guano. They were exceedingly frangi- 

 ble, and did not effloresce upon exposure to the air; they dissolved 

 easily both in hot and cold water, and the solutions gave, with the solu- 

 ble salts of silver, a bright yellow precipitate, which was almost entirely 

 soluble in an excess of nitric acid. When boiled with a solution of 

 potassa, pungent fumes of ammonia were given off, which gave a fugi- 

 tive stain to moistened turmeric paper. Before the blowpipe, they in- 

 tumesced, turned black, and gave off water and ammonia ; by a further 

 application of heat, the carbonaceous matters were burnt off, and the 

 residue fused into a transparent colorless glass, which dissolved readily 

 in boiling water, giving a solution which yielded a granular precipitate 

 when tested with antimoniate of potash. 



The specific gravity of these crystals, as determined by means of 

 0J | of turpentine, was about 16151. An attempt was made to ascer- 

 tain the primary form of the crystal, but it was found impossible to do 

 so from the rough irregular masses met with in the guano. By dis- 

 solving these, however, in boiling water, and filtering the solution and 

 crystallizing, the salt was obtained in moderately large, colorless, pris- 

 matic crystals. Upon subjecting these to analysis, the following re- 

 sults were obtained : * * * # # 



I. II. III# IV . V. VI. VII. VIII. Mean. 



34291 34-360 .. •• 84-325 



•v. 

 P 



H 



16-010 15-494 15-752 

 3 ) { 7-540 7-820 . . • • • • • • ' 7 ' 680 



* t 



51*030 52*320 



• • • • • • 



• • 



42243 



which very closely corresponds with that of the ammonia-phosphate of 

 soda, or microcosmic salt, the formula for which is 



* • m 



Na, NH 3 ,Ph+10H, 

 °r according to Graham, 



NaO.NH. 0,PO„HO+SHO. 



* Mem. Chem. Soc, vol. iii, part 16, p. 13. 

 Second Series, Vol. VIII, No. 22.— July, 1849. 17 





