SCIENTIFIC SUMMAKY. 
319 
instances which prove that the formation of cubes of rock-salt and of 
other chlorides isomorphous therewith, actually takes place slowly by the 
spontaneous evaporation of concentrated brines and the gradual diffusion of 
the thus supersaturated solution downwards (in the vessel wherein that 
solution is contained), so that the cubes form, and increase gradually in size, 
at the bottom of the vessel which contains the saline liquor. The author 
also observed, in one instance, the formation of chloride of ammonium in 
cubical crystals deposited from the so-called Koechlin’s copper liquor (. Liquor 
cupri ammoniato-muriatici), the evaporation having been caused by the not 
well fitting of the stopper ; but this process had taken years to produce the 
cubical form of crystals of sal-ammoniac alluded to. 
Certain Fatty Ketones. — In a paper read before the Royal Society, 
April 2, Dr. J. Emerson Reynolds gives a long account of the above. He 
draws the following conclusions. 1. That certain fatty ketones can be made 
to unite directly with mercuric oxide. 2. That the resulting compounds 
afford a new group of colloid hydrates, analogous in properties to the silicic, 
aluminic, and other hydrates already made known by the researches of 
Professor Graham. 3. That the new hydrates may best be regarded as ex- 
tremely feeble conjugate acids; the chief member of the group (that 
derivable from acetone) being probably tetrabasic and capable of affording 
very unstable salts. 4. That the generating reaction for these bodies may, 
when carefully controlled, be employed as a test for the presence of a 
ketone, especially for acetone in certain organic mixtures. 5. That the 
generating reaction for the di-keto-mercurates may, when carefully con- 
trolled, be employed as a test for the presence of a ketone — especially for 
acetone — in certain organic mixtures. 
Beet-root Sugar in Ireland. — The Rev. J. Jellet recently (May 29) read 
a paper before the Royal Irish Academy on the above subj ect. Six speci- 
mens of the white beet, grown at the Model Farm at Glasnevin, had been 
examined with the Jellet saccharometer. The sliced root was digested 
with weak alcohol three or four times ; the solutions were evaporated and 
then made up, after having been heated to 180°, to a given bulk with 
water. This solution was filtered through charcoal, and the first portions 
rejected as a certain amount of the sugar is absorbed. The sugar present in 
the beet almost entirely consisted of cane sugar. The following are the 
results of the six determinations : — 
1st. 
12-05 per 
cent. 
4th. 
12-59 per 
cent. 
2nd. 
9-50 „ 
V 
5th. 
11-62 „ 
3rd. 
12-58 „ 
V 
6th. 
12-43 „ 
)) 
Professor Jellet said that anything over 10 per cent, might be considered 
very good, and would pay to work. 
GEOLOGY AND PALAEONTOLOGY. 
The Glacial Drift of Massachusetts. — Prof. N. S. Shaler gives, in the 
“Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History” (vol. xiii.), 
a very able account of the parallel ridges in the above. In the immediate 
