Miscellanies. 391 
6. Superoxyd of Silver—On passing an electrical current through ni- 
trate of silver, metallic silver collects at the negative pole, and a substance 
of a blackish gray color, crystallized in octahedrons, which Ritter called 
superoxyd of silver. Wallquist obtained for it the formula Ag O., and 
finds that the same oxyd is contained also in the solution operated upon. 
Fischer operating by the same process, obtained a substance for which 
he gives the formula Ag N-+4 Ag+2H.—Annal. der Chem. und Phar. 
ii, 258. : 
7. The blue color of Gold Leaf viewed by transmitted light—M. Du- 
pasquier has shown that this same color is presented by different metals 
reduced to a state of extreme thinness, or in a fine powder suspended in 
water. He established this fact by operating on silver, antimony, bismuth, 
metallic arsenic in powder, sulphuret of antimony, binoxyd of manga- 
nese, sulphuret of lead, arsenical cobalt, and many other metallic ores.— 
EL’ Institut, July, 1845, p. 247. 
8. Xanthine—Dr. Unger, who has found the xanthic oxyd in guano, 
finds that this oxyd forms definite compounds with acids and also with 
basic oxyds, and proposes to call it xanthine. Several of these com- 
pounds he has investigated and described.—Chem. Gaz. July 15, 1845, 
p. 296, from the Proceedings of the Berlin Academy, April, 1845. 
9. A curious change in the composition of Bones taken from G'uano ; 
by R. Warrineton, Esq. (Proceed. Chem. Soc., part 10, p. 223.—This 
substance derived from the alteration of bones, has a highly crystalline 
laminated structure, with a white color slightly tinged with yellow. It 
is readily soluble in hot distilled water, with the exception of some 
brown particles distributed in certain parts. On examination by chemi- 
cal tests, it was found to consist principally of sulphuric acid, potash, and 
ammonia with a little uric acid, and analysis led Mr. Warrington to con- 
sider it a compound mainly of sulphate of potash and sulphate of ammo- 
nia, in the proportion of 4 equivalents of the former to 1 of the latter. 
The existence of the potash in the midst of the guano abounding in soda 
and ammoniacal salts, he accounts for by supposing it to have come from 
the ashes of fires made in former times by sealers. 
10. Detection of Kinic Acid; by Joan Srennouss.—To examine a 
bark for kinic acid, boil a little with a slight excess of lime, pour off the 
liquor and concentrate it; filtering isnot necessary. Then distill it mixed 
in a retort with half its weight of sulphuric acid and peroxyd of manga- 
nese. If the bark contains the smallest quantity of kinic acid, the first 
portion of the liquid distilled over has a yellow color and the very peculiar 
smell of kinone. If the liquid is treated with a little ammonia, it be- 
