29 



two of water, consisting of 16 oxygen and 2 hydrogen ; thus form- 

 ing 46 nitrous acid, and 74 muriatic acid. But an acid so consti» 

 tuted should be incapable of acting on gold or platina; now the acid 

 resulting from the absorption of chloro-nitrous gas by water has 

 this power. 



The author concludes from his experiments, that the power of 

 nitro-muriatic acid in dissolving gold is not owing to the liberation 

 of chlorine, and that muriatic acid may be separated from nitric acid, 

 even when the latter is only half the volume of the former. He re- 

 gards chlorine and chloro-nitrous gases as the gaseous products 

 arising from the mutual action of strong nitric and muriatic acids 

 on each other. The nitro-muriatic and chloro-nitrous acids strongly 

 resemble each other in their action on platina, though the solvent 

 power of the latter is decidedly greater than that of the former; and 

 the addition of water considerably increases this power in both, pro- 

 bably by counteracting their disposition to assume the elastic state. 

 Both acids form, with different bases, salts which are mixtures of 

 nitrates and chlorides. The principal differences in these acids may 

 arise from their mode of preparation, and is probably due to the 

 want of uniformity in their composition. 



February 24. 

 DAVIES GILBERT, Esq. V.P., in the Chair. 



The Bishop of Chichester; John Lee, LL,D. ; and Isaac Wilson, 

 M.D.; were elected Fellows of the Society. 



The following Presents were received, and thanks ordered for 

 them : — 



Memoir of the Life of Thomas Young, M.D. F.R.S. : with a Cata- 

 logue of his Works and Essays. 8vo. — Presented by Mrs. Young. 



An Enquiiy respecting the Site of the Battle of Mons Grampius. 

 By Lieut.-Col. Miller, C.B. F.R.S. 4to. — The Author-. 



An Engraved Portrait of Charles Wilkins, Esq. LL.D. F.R.S. En- 

 graved by J. Sartain from a painting by T. G. Middleton. — 

 William Marsden, Esq. F.R.S. 



Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France. Tome premier. 8vo. 

 — The Society. 



A Paper was read entitled, " On the Chemical Action of Atmo- 

 spheric Electricity." By Alexander Barry, Esq. F.L.S. Communi- 

 cated by J. G. Children, Esq. Sec. R.S. 



A kite was raised in an atmosphere which appeared favourable to 

 the exhibition of electrical phenomena, from an apparatus firmly 

 fixed in the earth, and insulated by a glass pillar. The string to 

 which it was affixed contained a double gilt thread, and was let out 

 to a length of five hundred yards. It was connected with a platina 

 tube passing about half way down a glass tube full of a solution of 



