102 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
cent. of water. The amount of ash was unusually large, but it 
was not derived from the soil of the gravel pit, the sample of hay 
analyzed having been carefully spre from the few earthy 
particles selceeil through it. 
Mr. Richardson also buried ina gravel pit a portion of a crop 
of coarse grass, the natural produce of a bog. After three months 
the grass was removed from the pit and was found to have under- 
gone no decomposition. JI examined a portion of the hay made 
from this grass and found it to consist almost wholly of the 
coarse grass, termed “purple melic grass’ (Molinia cerulea) 
which is usually considered to be of little if any agricultural value. 
It is a rather handsome grass, very common in woods, shady 
places, and bogs. It is abundant at Killarney. It has a peculiar 
but not unpleasant odour. Its composition proved to be as 
follows :— 
Composition of the Hay of Purple Melic Grass. 
100 parts contain— 
Water, . . ° - e . 27°95 
Albuminoids, . e ° ° : 7°49 
Fats, . 2 ° * ° ° 2°70 
Non-nitrogenous digestible substances, . : 30:00 
Woody fibre, . 5 5 - 5 31°26 
Mineral matter, . ° e . ° 0-60 
100-00 
Containing nitrogen, . Be e : 1:19 7 
The ash contained per 100 parts. 
Lime, . c . : : 5 28°86 
Magnesia, : - : 5 ; 4°76 
Potash and Soda, : - 5 42°17 
Phosphoric Acid, 5 A : 12°36 
Sulphuric Acid, : : 5 . 5°98 
Oxide of Iron and alumnine : : 1:00 
Chlorine, 6 5 : - 4°32 
Silica, . 5 - ° : - 0:55 
100-00 
The hay though apparently not containing more than the usual 
amount of moisture included 27:95 per cent, of that ingredient, 
Notwithstanding this it contained larger amounts of fats and 
