Miscellanies. 163 



2. On Donium, a new substance discovered in Davidsonite ; by 

 Mr. Thomas Richaedson. — The mineral Davidsonite was discov- 

 ered by Dr. Davidson, of Aberdeen, in a marble quarry near that 

 city. An analysis of it by Mr. T. Richardson, proves it to be com- 

 posed of Silica and a base which Mr. R. supposes to be an oxyd 

 of Donium. This oxyd is distinguished from the alkaline and earthy 

 bases, and from several of the metallic ones, by the green precipi- 

 tate which it gives with the sulph-hydrate of Ammonia ; and its 

 solubility in the caustic alkalies, and in carbonate of Ammonia, the 

 light brown precipitate thrown down by sulphuretted hydrogen, and 

 the green given by sulph-hydrate of ammonia, distinguish it from all 

 the others. 



The name Donium is a contraction of Aberdonia, the Latin name 

 of Aberdeen, near which place Davidsonite occurs. — Mec. of Gen. 

 Sc, June, 1836. 



Since the publication of Mr. Richardson's paper descriptive of 

 Donium, Dr. Bause, of Penzance, has announced that he has been 

 examining for some time a new oxyd which turns out to be identi- 

 cal with that of Donium. We may soon expect a complete ac- 

 count of Donium and its compounds, from Dr. Thomson of Glas- 

 gow.— ^M. No. 452, June 25, 1836. 



3. Solidification of Carbonic Acid; by M* Thilorier. — M. 



Thilorier, who had previously succeeded in liquefying this gas, now 

 announces that he has obtained it also in the solid state. Its solidi- 

 fication requires a cold equal to 100°C. below the freezing point, and, 

 although the liquefied gas evaporates almost instantaneously and 

 with the production of a violent explosion, the solid continues some 

 minutes exposed in the open air, and insensibly disappears by a slow 

 evaporation. 



A fragment of the solid acid, touched lightly with the finger, 

 slides rapidly over a polished surface, as if it were surrounded by a 

 gaseous atmospere, which appears to be the fact. The evaporation 

 of the solid is complete, leaving however occasionally a little mois- 

 ture, which is attributable to the action of the atmosphere upon a 

 body so intensely cold. — Ann. de Chim. et de Ph. T. 60. 



4. Extraction of Sugar from Indian Corn ; by M. Pallas. — 

 The results obtained by M. Pallas are as follows : 



1 . The stalk of the corn contains little or no sugar previous to 

 flowering. 



