May 4, rsS3.] 



SCIENCE. 



367 



The alkaloids of aus vomica. — On heating 

 brucine in scaled tnbes with concentratpcl hydro- 

 chloric acid, W. A. Slienstone found tliat Ihe tubes 

 opened willi great pressure, and that methyl chloride 

 escaped \n large quantity. The formula of brucine 

 may be regarded as derived from (hat of strychnine, 

 by replacing t«'o hydrogen atoms iu the latter by two 

 methoxvl groups: — 



C,„TT2„(H..)r^.,03 C,iH,„{CH.,0),N.O,, 



"Strychnine. Briicinf. 



For the purpose of testing this hypothesis, the de- 

 composition with hydroclilnrio acid was performed 

 on a (luintitative basis, which gave 79 per cent of 

 the amount required for two methoxyl groups. When 

 the contents of the tubes were dissolved in Avater, ' 

 alkalies precipitated a base which proved to be too 

 nnstahle for examination. The results obtained with 

 hydriodic acid were still less .satisfactory. Experi- 

 ments will be next tried with strychnine. — (Journ. 

 c/iem. soc, ccliii. 101.) c. f. m. [767 



Certain substituted acrylic and propionic 

 acids. — Dr. C. F. Mabery described several acids 

 belonging to these series, which he had obtained 

 in vaVions ways. By tlie addition of chlorine to 

 ^-dibromacrylic acid, a dichlordibrompropionio acid 

 (CBr,.Cl — C HCl — COOH) was formed, which will 

 be designated as the y-acid, to distinguish it from 

 the a- and /3-dichlordibrompropioiiic acids previously 

 investigated. A molecule of hydrobromic acid was 

 removed from the y-acid by the action of aqueous 

 baric hydrate, with the formation of a dichlorbroma- 

 crylicacid (CBrCl = C CI- COO 11). In like man- 

 ner, from the a- and |3-acids, baric liydrate removed 

 hydrobromic acid, giving the corresponding substi- 

 tuted acrylic acids, whose structure is yet to be deter- 

 mined, it was hoped that a chlorine addition-product 

 of brompropiolic acid could be formed, since it would 

 serve as a means of comparison; but on trial it was 

 found that four chlorine atoms were taken up, in- 

 stead of two, forming tetrachlorbrompropionic acid 

 (CBr C1.2— CCl.. — COOH); melting-point, 22.i°. 

 Chlorine was also absorbed by chlorbromacrylic acid. 

 From the resulting trichlorbrompropionic acid 

 (CCl.,Br — CII CI — COO ri) baric hydrate elimi- 

 nated hydrobromic acid, with the formatimi of tri- 

 chloracrylic acid (C CI., = C CI - C O O H). These 

 substances will be submitted to further study. — 

 {Harvard chein. club ; meetiug April 24. ) [768 



AGRICULTURE. 



Rancid butter. — According to Hagemann, the 

 peculiar properties of rancid butter aie due to the 

 presence nf free butyric acid, anil other volatile fatty 

 acids. These are set free from the glycerides of the 

 butter by the action of the lactic acid arising from 

 the fermentation of the small quantity of butlernnlk 

 retained by the butter. That the liberation of butyric 

 acid itself is not due to a fermentative action, was 

 shown by the fact that all attempts to render butter 

 rancid by .ailding to it the butyric ferment failed, and 

 also by the fact that rancid butter failed to infect 

 fresh butter. That the explanation given above is 

 an adequate one, was shown by mixing both lactic 

 acid and other dilute acids with butter or with pure 

 butler-fat, the fat speedily becoming rancid iu all 

 cases. The same eflect w.as produced on artificial 

 biityrin. To prevent butter from becoming rancid, 

 the buttermilk should, in the first place, be removed 

 as thniougbly as practicable. In the second jilace, 

 any thingwhich will prevent the lactic fermentation 

 will, of course, remove the cause of the evil. The 

 author does not enter into a consideration of the 

 most suitable means of doing this, further than to 



point out that acids (such as salicylic acid) are not 

 applicable, since they themselves are liable to act on 

 the fat, and render it rancid. — {Landio. vers, stnt., 

 xxviii. 201.) II. p. A. [769 



Ropy milk. — Schmidt finds that the ropiness of 

 milk, which is sometimes observed, is cause<l by the 

 action of a microscopic organism, whicli he describes, 

 upon the milk-sugar. The s.ame organism acts also 

 upon cane and grape sugar and on mannite, convert- 

 ing them into a substance resembling vegetable mu- 

 cilage in its properties. Small quaniities of acid are 

 produced, but no carbon dioxide. The feiinenlalion 

 appears to resemble, if not to be idenliral with, the 

 mucilaginous fermentation of wine. The org;iiiisra 

 acts most energetically at 30°-10° C, and is destroyed^ 

 by heating the fluid containing it to 00"^ C. or over. 

 Freezing does not destroy it; and, if dry, it wiilistnnds 

 a temperature of 100° C. Only com|)aratively large 

 quaniities of antiseptics prevent its action. — {Lamlw. 

 vers, slat., xxviii. 01.) ii. p. A. [770 



GEOLOGY. 



Geology of Brazil. — Trofessor Edward D. Cope 

 made a communication based upon a collection of 

 vertebrate fossils from Brazil, recently placed in liis 

 hands for study. As his examination of the material 

 was not yet completed, he could only allude to the 

 leading points of interest in connection with the 

 geology of the United States and western Europe. 

 The localities in which the fossils in hand were 

 found are all south of the Amazon Elver. The eastern 

 and western ranges of mountains correspond to our 

 Alleghany and Rocky Monntaitis, and are approxi- 

 mately of the same age. A crelaceous formation ia 

 found in the neighborhood of Pernambuco. There 

 are bare fossiliferous deposits near Sergipe, while 

 the beds near Baliia are evidently lacustrine. The 

 fossils from Pernambuco include several genera of 

 sharks, and a genus of crocodiles identical with 

 Hyposaurus of is'ew Jersey. There is found with 

 these a fine genus of rays, the teeth of which were 

 described. These genera indicate this cretaceous 

 formation to be near the top of the series, correspond- 

 ing to the Maestricht chalk, or our number 5. At 

 Maroin was found a new species of fish of the genus 

 Pycuodns. He believed it to belong to the order Isos- 

 pondyli; although it is very different in general form 

 from the herrings, salmons, and other recent fishes 

 belonging to the order. The form of Ihe basilar bone 

 of the pectoral fin, which the speaker considered of 

 first-rate importance as indicating the relationship 

 of tlie genus, was observed, and indicated that the 

 position assigned was the correct one. The region 

 about Bahia furinsbes many fishes and saurians, but 

 no cretaceous mammalia have as yet been discovered. 

 There are two species of herring, — a small one, six 

 inches long; and a large one, two feet long, resem- 

 bling llyodon and Cbirocentrus. Crocodiles and 

 diniisaurs are abundant, the former indicating higher 

 beds than those at Pernambuco. A gavial resembling 

 IIolops of the New-Jersey cretaceous No. 5 was also 

 found in these beds, whicli may be said to represent 

 the Laramie deposits of the western United Siales. 

 A tertiary horizon in Bahia has so far produced but 

 one fossil, — a new species of Toxodon. Tlie age is 

 pampean. In .San I'aulo the beds seem to be Permian, 

 and have yielded one balrachian form, which may, 

 however, bo carboniferous. The heail bones of a 

 large fish, the locality of which was not known, were 

 also described. During the pliocene period the verte- 

 brate fauna of Brazil was "very distinct from that of 

 North America ; but the fossils now being studied 



