Sl8 
Mr. W. Brande 0/2 the Jelly 
It is soluble in nitric, sulphuric, and muriatic acids. 
Nitric acid, diluted with its weight of water, when poured 
upon the substance recently removed from the oviduct, 
changes its colour to a deep yellow, and rapidly dissolves it 
on the application of a moderate heat. This solution is of a 
pale yellow colour. The caustic fixed alkalies render it 
slightly turbid when not added in excess ; in this case the 
mixture becomes perfectly transparent. 
Muriatic acid at a boiling temperature, dissolves the recent 
substance very rapidly, forming a solution of a deep blue 
colour,* in which no precipitation is produced by the alkalies. 
Concentrated sulphuric acid dissolves the substance from 
the oviduct slowly, and forms a pale brown solution. If heat 
be applied, the colour approaches to black. 
No change is produced by the alkalies in these sulphuric 
solutions. 
The substance is very rapidly dissolved by a boiling solu- 
tion of caustic potash. The compound is imperfectly sapon- 
aceous, its transparency is not disturbed by the addition of 
sulphuric or of muriatic acid ; but nitric acid added in a small 
excess, renders it slightly turbid. 
None of the solutions which have been described, afford 
any precipitation on the addition of tannin, neither does water, 
in which the substance has been boiled, yield even the smallest 
traces of gelatine. 
® The blue colour of this solution, is instantly destroyed by the addition of an al- 
kali: it seems to arise from the formation of a very minute portion of prussiate of 
iron. Mr. Hatchett has observed, that some of the varieties of albumen afford a 
blue solution, when long digested in muriatic acid : this is probably from the same 
cause. Phil. Trans. 1800. 
