164 Proceedings of the Roifal Irish Academ)/. 



weighing 0-355 gramme separated. The melting-point of these acids— for it 

 was obviously a mixture — was 46° to 47 C. The difficulty of isolating fatty 

 acitls is well known ; it was hopeless to think of sepai-atiug the constituents 

 of so siuall a quantity. The aqueous liquid from which these acids had been 

 separated yielde<l, when shaken with ether, a further quantity, so that the 

 fatty acids present are not wholly insoluble in water. 



These oltservations warrant the conclusion that the substance extracted 

 by ether from the stone vessel consists mainly of a complex mLxture of bodies 

 of the nature of fatty acids. The presence of this combustible gieasy matter 

 supports the supposition that the vessel was used as a lamp, and is wlioUy 

 inconsistent with tlie theory that it was a drinkiug-cup or chalice. 



I thouglit it desirable to ascertain whether the vessel contained anytliing 

 soluble in water whicli wouM throw further light on its previous histoiy. 

 Accordingly I place<l it in a glass vessel with about two litres of water, and 

 left it stantling for seventeen daj's. Tlic water when evaporated left a residue 

 weighing 308 grammes. This residue was of a lirown colour, had an acid 

 i-eaction, and a taste like common salt. When lieat«tl it evolved a little water; 

 then a solid, which I found to he ammonium chloride, sublimed ; it then 

 carl)onized with an o»lour like l)urnt featliers, ami fused l)elow redness. Treated 

 with alcohol, 024 gramme dissolve<l. This jiortion had a strongly acid 

 reaction, and was found to lie mainly ammonium chloride. There was present 

 also a flulwtance which gave with neutral ferric chloride a precipitate like that 

 j»ro«luce<l by a succinate. I trie<l to further identify this substance by digesting 

 the pi-ecipitate witli ainmonia. On evaj)orating the ammoniacal liquid a slight 

 gelatinous residue i-emainol. This, when treate<l with dilutel hytlrfxihlorie 

 acicl,)-ieldeddark-l)rown, oily globules hca\'ier than water, weighing, I should 

 say, less than a milligramme. 



There was a sufficient quantity of the aqueous extract of the vessel 

 insoluble in alcohol tf) a<lmit of a qiiantitative analysis; and I fomid its 

 compasition was as follow^s: — 



Na 25-81 



NH„ 3-56 



Ca 2-43 



Mg -67 



Fe MS 



Ce 38-29 



SO., 19-42 



Water and organic matter by difference, . 8-64 



100-00 



