Geological Society. 403 



of narcotine, we tried the direct action of hydriodic acid on this 

 base, expecting to obtain iodide of methyle. By distilling 20 grms. 

 of narcotine with concentrated hydriodic acid, 19 grms. of pure 

 iodide of methyle were obtained, a quantity which corresponds, as 

 nearly as could be expected, with three atoms of iodide of methyle 

 for one atom of narcotine*, 



(C 22 H 23 NO T : 3CH 3 I : : 413 : 436 or 20 : 21-1). 



Narcotine therefore contains three atoms of methyle so combined as 

 to be easily separable f; and it is very probable that when it is di- 

 stilled with potash, according to the conditions of the experiment, 

 sometimes nearly pure ammonia is evolved, while, at other times, 

 methylamine, CH 5 N, dimethylamine, C 2 H 7 N, or trimethylamine, 

 C 3 W N, predominates. 



We wish not to close without acknowledging our obligation to 

 Dr. M. Holzmann for very valuable assistance rendered to us at the 

 commencement of our investigation. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from p. 326.J 



June 19, 1861. — Leonard Horner, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. "On the Lines of Deepest Water around the British Isles." 

 By the Rev. R. Everest, F.G.S. 



By drawing on a chart a line traversing the deepest soundings 

 along the English Channel and the Eastern Coast of England and 

 Scotland, continuing it along the 100-fathom-line on the Atlantic 

 side of Scotland and Ireland, and connecting with it the line of 

 deepest soundings along St. George's Channel, an unequal-sided 

 hexagonal figure is described around the British Isles, and a pen- 

 tagonal figure around Ireland. A hexagonal polygon may be similarly 

 defined around the Isle of Arran. These lines were described in 

 detail by the author, who pointed out that they limited areas similar 

 to the polygonal form that stony or earthy bodies take in shrinking, 

 either in the process of cooling or in drying. The relations of the 

 100-fathom-line to the promontories, the inlets, and general contour 

 of the coast were dwelt upon ; and the bearings that certain lines 

 drawn across the British Isles from the projecting angles of the 

 polygon appear to have on the strike and other conditions of the 

 strata were described. After some remarks on the probable effect 

 that shrinkage of the earth's crust must have on the ejection of 

 molten rock, the author observed that, in his opinion, the action of 

 shrinking is the only one we know of that will afford any solution 

 of the phenomena treated of in this paper, namely, long lines of 

 depression accompanied by long lines of elevation, often, as in the 

 case of the British Isles, Spain and Portugal, and elsewhere, belong- 



* It is possible that narcotine will prove to be an economical, as it is certainly 

 the most convenient, source of iodide of methyle. 



•f Gerhardt (Traite, iv. 64) had previously observed the production of a volatile 

 substance, which he supposed to be nitrate of ethyle or of methyle, by the action 

 of nitric acid on narcotine. 



