58 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



"The substance or group of substances which. I have called 

 " digestible carbohydrates " contains neither starch, nor inulin, nor 

 cellulose. Its chief constituent is a gum-like body apparently allied 

 to bassorin and well worthy of further examination. It swells up 

 greatly in water and is soluble in dilute warm solutions of caustic 

 alkalies. Its solutions gelatinize on cooling. I have observed what 

 seems to be the same compound in other species of fungi, and it is 

 probable that it has been described under several different names. 

 The fungus now being discussed contains so large a proportion of 

 this body that it presents a very convenient material for its isolation 

 and the study of its composition and properties. 



" The ash of this fungus is rich in potash and phosphoric acid. 

 Of the former constituent the ash contains no less than 42-02 per 

 cent. ; of the latter 20-02. These proportions are exceeded in the 

 ash of other species ; moreover, the amount of ash in one hundred 

 parts of this Hirneola is much lower than that recorded for other 

 fungi. 



" (Signed J A. H. Church." 



NEW CALEDONIA NICKEL ORES.* 



BY THOMAS MOORE. 



Amongst the many ore deposits and formations of this island 

 few are probably of greater interest, either from a chemical or 

 commercial point of view, than those of nickel. The nickeliferous 

 ore commonly known as garnierite, is almost invariably found either 

 in, or at least in close proximity to, those huge masses and mountains 

 of serpentine which form a characteristic feature of the place, and 

 are as diversified in their extent as in their richness, With but one 

 or two exceptions it is found only on elevated positions, often at the 

 very summits of these mountains, not unusually accompanied by 

 chrome iron ore, and surrounded by a peculiar red earth rich in iron, 

 which by being alternately deluged by the rains and baked by the 

 sun has become hardened together into a compact mass. The 

 nickeliferous mountains present a very bare, sombre and uninviting 

 appearance ; vegetation is extremely sparse and scanty, and the few 

 stunted shrubs growing there seem only to intensify the barrenness 

 of the dull and monotonous region, contrasting strangely with the 

 profuse tropical growth on the lower levels. The colour of the ore 

 varies from the blue green in the poorer specimens to a warm dark 

 green in the richer, and passing by almost imperceptible shades to a 

 light brown, and, finally, to a fine chocolate colour. The rich ore is 

 generally a mechanical mixture of apparently homogeneous green or 

 brown substance, with rounded pebbles of serpentine, forming a kind 

 of agglomerate, or it is interstitially deposited between thin layers of 

 quartz, steatite, and various hydrated silicates of magnesium. 



Miners recognise three varieties of the ore, i.e. quartz rich green, 

 magnesia rich green, and the brown ore. The first is characterised 



* " chemical News," October 10th, 18y0. 



