340 Association of American Greologists and Naturalists. 
phosphoric acid in Indian corn, wheat, oats, beans, peas and chestnuts. 
This was done by burning away the seeds by heat and nitric acid, when 
in several cases, glacial phosphoric acid and phosphates of lime and 
magnesia were discovered. In his first operations, the whole seed was 
burnt in order to obtain the ashes for analysis, but having been shown 
by Mr. A. A. Hayes, specimens of Indian corn which were soaked in 
a weak solution of sulphate of copper, whereby the precise limits of the 
phosphates were shown by the formation of phosphates of copper, he 
was induced to examine the situation of these matters by this test; and 
then by dissecting out the organs of the plant which contained the phos- 
phates, he was enabled to analyze them in a more thorough manner, so 
as to arrive at interesting and important results. 
Specimens of various seeds were exhibited to the Association, which 
demonstrated the presence of phosphates in the cotyledons only. This 
was stated to be a general fact in every case where the experiment had 
been tried. The presence of the salts above noticed is a most impor- 
tant discovery. It explains the origin of the bones of animals. 
Around the cotyledon of Indian corn, Mr. Hayes discovered a layer 
of a salt of peroxide of iron. This was also demonstrated by examples 
shown to the Association. This iron shield around the cotyledon of 
corn is not to be overlooked, for it is the source of the oxide of iron 
which enters into the composition of the red globules of the blood of 
animals. 
Indian corn also contains a fat oil which exists in the transparent hard 
portion of the corn, combined with starch and a peculiar nitrogenized 
body called zeine. This serves to form the fat of animals, and the 
starch and zeine form the carbonaceous compounds of the muscles and 
tissues. 
Dr. L. C. Beck then read a paper from J. N. Nicollet, on the 
mineral region of the state of Missouri. 
The mineral region embraced in this paper, comprises the Val- 
leé Mines; Mines La Motte; the Pilot Knob; and the Iron 
Mountain. At Valleé’s mines the principal ore is the common 
sulphuret, (galena,) which is invariably found in ferruginous clay 
containing concretions of argillaceous oxide of iron, and lumps of 
the radiated and crystalline varieties of sulphuret of iron. ‘The 
lead-bearing clay is at irregular depths from the surface, and is 
of variable thickness; under it is a limestone. The main shaft 
of this mine is sunk about two hundred feet, and the lode is com- 
puted to be about four hundred feet above the Mississippi, the 
level of the country being six hundred feet above the same. 
