140 Remai'Tcs on Formic Acid. 



although prohibited by statutory enactments, he is able to practice 

 in utter disregard of law or authority. By this method, the net is 

 so constructed as to enlarge or to mesh, as it is technically said, and 

 not to enclose the shad, as is the case with the regular shore nets, 

 already described. The seine used by these freebooters is formed 

 with meshes so large that the fish are permitted to pass their heads 

 through, and on attempting to retreat they become entangled by the 

 gills. The twine too of which the nets are made, is so fine that it 

 is not perceived by the fish, until his head is in the toil and it is too 

 late to escape. These nets are kept extended by means of a small 

 boat at each end, across the main channels, and thus extended they 

 are permitted to drift for miles, until they have become loaded, when 

 they are taken into the boats, the fish secured, and they are again 

 stretched off in the river as before. These contrivances are hence 

 denominated drift nets, or gilling seines, and although prohibited by 

 law, yet so lame are its provisions, that it is morally impossible to 

 enforce it, except in cases where the name of the offender can be 

 ascertained. These marauders, therefore, emboldened by the im- 

 punity with which they are enabled to cany on their predatory ope- 

 rations, have increased to such an extent as already greatly to depre- 

 ciate the shore fisheries, and if not checked, they must, ere long, 

 render them worthless. 



Art. XIII.- — Formic Acid — remarks upon its utility, together with 

 a correction of Dobereiner's Process and views respecting the 

 theory of its formation ; by Prof. J. P. Emmet, of the Univer- 

 sity of Virginia. 



Every day brings evidence of the success which Chemistry be- 

 stows upon its votaries, in closely imitating some of the numerous 

 productions which are generally regarded as being strictly limited to 

 the influence of a vital power. Examples are already too numerous 

 to make it requisite that the opinion should be sustained by their aid 

 upon the present occasion ; I shall therefore confine myself to the 

 very striking instance furnished by the subject of this communication. 



The formic acid, as the name implies, was at first detected in ants. 

 It exists as a peculiar secretion which they emit when provoked, 

 and, at one time, the only mode of procuring it consisted in mace- 

 rating or bruising these insects in water and afterwards submitting 

 the mixture either to simple pressure, or to distillation. 



