322 kepokt — 1879. 



faintly alkaline and containing silica, lime, magnesia, chlorides, and traces of sul- 

 phates — potassium and sodium. He gives its composition, according to a mechanical 

 analysis, as follows : — 



50 grams of the clay stirred in water gave different residues, which 

 were separated according to their tendency to settle to 

 the bottom. 

 10*282 „ settled first, and was composed of sand and carbonate of 



lime. 

 17*710 „ was composed of a little sand and carbonate of lime and. 



much clay. 

 10-050 „ is formed of traces of carbonate of lime and much clay, 



and the fourth residue. 

 j 8*230 „ was greasy to the feel and plastic, and fused before the 

 blowpipe into a vitreous bead of a yellowish-white 

 colour. 



Professor de Luca also states that it contains 17 per cent, of water, 24 per cent, 

 of matter soluble in hydrochloric acid, and 2-7 per cent, of carbonic acid ; the re- 

 mainder beiDg insoluble in hydrochloric acid. 



On drying the substance thoroughly at 100° C, and then subjecting it to 



analysis, I found it to be composed of — 



Per cent. 



Silica 67-145 



Alumina 12857 



Oxide of iron 2-107 



Lime 6-412. 



Magnesia ........... 1-822 



Carbonic acid 3-451 



Manganese .......... Trace 



Combined water 3*953 



Alkaline salts (loss ) 2*253 



100*000 



2. On the Detection of Milk Adulteration. By William H. Watson, F.C.S. 



From analyses of milk from various dairies, and by a comparison of the results 

 obtained with circumstances existing as to the character and quantity of the food ; 

 nature of different cows ; conditions and health of them at particular periods; and 

 changes of the seasons of the year, the author concludes that cows' milk is subject 

 to considerable variations in composition. He has found in many instances milk 

 from well-fed healthy cows to contain as little as 10*5 per cent, of total solids, and 

 from 8-5 to 9 per cent, of solids not fat. The results of other experimenters are 

 compared, and it is then suggested that the present limits adopted by public 

 analysts for genuine milk should be reconsidered. 



3. Chemical Researches on Palmella Omenta. By Dr. T. L. Phipson, 



F.C.8., London, formerly of the University of Brussels, Cor. Memb. of 

 the Chemical Society of Paris, and of the Royal Society of Med. and 



Nat. Sciences of Brussels. 



I. 



Palmella cruenta is a minute alga, of a blood-red colour, which is found at the 

 foot of damp walls, especially where there is much mortar or lime- wash, and always 

 near to the ground. The older botanists called it Chaos sanguinea, Tremella san- 

 (juinea, &c, and during wet weather, in summer, this minute plant is not unlike 

 clotted blood. . 



But when giving to it the names just mentioned, botanists could not nave tore- 

 seen how far this analogy extends, and how many curious points of resemblance thi3 



