24 Shooting Stai's. 



of oxyd of mercury, by nitric acid and acetate of lead ; but 

 not by oxalate of lead. 



Some of the substance was shaken with alcohol, with no 

 perceptible effect. Water being added, it combined with it, 

 notwithstanding the alkohol. As it shrunk or diminished in 

 size, its color changed. 



Liquid ammonia, whether warm or cold, acted but slightly 

 upon it ; on the other hand, 



A solution of caustic of potass speedily took hold of it ; 

 when warm, it produced a perfect solution, from which it 

 might be precipitated by any neutral salt. 



Sulphuric, nitric, and muriatic acids, act on it cold ; when 

 warm, they effect a complete solution. The solution in ni- 

 tric acid, is of rather a yellow color ; in sulphuric, it is brown ; 

 and in muriatic, it remains clear. 



From these experiments it appears, that the substance can- 

 not be of a nature similar to albumen, but that in its essen- 

 tial properties it accords with gelatine, and resembles what 

 is called spring slime, {quellschleim.) This conclusion is jus- 

 tified by the following proportions of one hundred parts of 

 the mass. 



Gelatinous substance, 18,8 



Animal substance, [?] a trace. 



Phosphate of potass and muriate of soda, ) . ^ 



with organic [?] acid, ) ' 



Water, 80,0 



100,0 



To what kingdom does this substance belong ? or from 

 what source is it derived ? The existence of an organiza- 

 tion, which was clearly manifest, does not admit of the opin- 

 ion that it came from the atmospheric regions, but shows 

 that it is of a terrestrial nature, and must proceed from an 

 animal. Its striking resemblance to a calf's mesentery at 

 first made me suspect, that it was [an excretion from] the 

 intestines of some bird ; but its contents, a clean jelly, the 

 thin pellicle or membrane that inclosed it, somewhat resem- 

 bling the peritoneum, the absence of all ordinary contents of 

 the intestines, &c. notwithstanding the similarity to some of 

 their excretions, were insufficient to justify such a view, after 

 a close examination. The resemblance of this substance, 

 as respects its chemical analysis, to the spawn of frogs, sug- 



