Shooting Stars. 23 



occasioned by the contents of the mass absorbing moisture 

 from the wet ground of the meadow, and thus becoming so 

 much distended, that the tender membrane could not con- 

 tain the whole substance. Around these fissures, the pellicle 

 was so far crowded away or concealed by the gelatinous mass^ 

 that no traces of it could be seen, and here no appearance 

 of organization could be distinguished. But, where the cov- 

 ering was entire, the mass, though soft and glutinous, exhib- 

 ited portions of a vermiform shape, of the size of a goose- 

 quill or larger, the longest of which were extended about 

 three-fourths of an inch. This vermiform conformation, 

 through a slender interlacing network, presented smaller sub- 

 divisions, and had throughout the appearance of a calf's 

 lungs. Upon the backside of this vermiform structure, there 

 ran a blackish brown-colored vessel, which spread or divided 

 into a kind of venous system, reaching near to the fore side 

 of it, being lost in blackish points. The back part of the 

 mass was pervaded by the vessel, which passed through it 

 much in the same manner as do the vessels of the lungs. 



A part of the mass being put into a dry place, it soon 

 shrivelled, changing its white color to a brownish yellow, and 

 was very viscous, so as to draw out in threads like glue ; at 

 last, it dried into a substance like horn. 



A portion of the original mass being put into a platina 

 crucible, and exposed to a heat sufficient to burn it, at first 

 swelled, then grew black, giving out an animal, empyreu- 

 matic odor ; it left behind greyish white ashes, of one and 

 two-tenths* of the weight of the substance, upon which wa- 

 ter very slowly acted, though after some time it became 

 weakly alkaline. The ashes were completely soluble in ni- 

 tric acid, from which they were precipitated by ammonia. 



Twenty grains of the substance were dried in a water-bath 

 heat. It was hard and brittle, and its weight was only four 

 grains. Moistened with water, after a short time, it again 

 resumed its former size and white color. 



One hundred grains were boiled in three ounces of water. 

 It swelled into a tremulous jelly, which thickened nearly all 

 the water. The whole was then put upon a clean, loose, 

 linen strainer, and after standing on it a few hours, a little 

 liquid dropped from it, which became turbid by the addition 



*One tenth, and two tenths of one tenth are evidently meant. 



