558       EVOLUTION  OF  AMMONIA  GAS  FROM  MUSHROOMS. 
families  forming  a  village  by  themselves  a  short  distance  away 
from  the  springs.  Each  village,  too,  is  perfect  in  its  way,  find- 
ing its  own  church,  etc.,  and  having  manufactories  of  cloth, 
paper,  tools,  etc.  Almost  everything,  in  fact,  is  home-made, 
and,  as  a  rule,  by  no  means  badly  made.  Should  any  of  my 
"  brother  chips "  ever  find  themselves  at  Florence,  I  would 
strongly  recommend  a  visit  to  one  of  these  interesting  places. 
They  will  be  amply  repaid  their  extra  trouble  and  expense. 
At  the  first  glimpse  of  the  spring  it  appears  very  like  a  small 
volcano  in  full  eruption.  The  flames  are  wanting,  it  is  true, 
but  everything  else  is  there ;  the  peculiar  cone-like  appearance 
of  the  wells,  with  their  seething,  bubbling  contents,  and  the 
volumes  of  steam  and  gases  which  issue  from  the  ground  in  every 
direction,  accompanied  by  the  peculiar  rumbling  sound  which  is 
always  to  be  heard  there,  all  combine  to  produce  an  effect  upon 
the  visitor  which  is  not  soon  forgotten. 
Apologizing  for  the  length  to  which  I  have  drawn  my  jottings, 
I  remain,  yours  truly,  W.  B. 
Florence,  August  19,  1869. 
— Lond.  Pharm.  Journ.,  Sept.,  1869. 
EVOLUTION  OF  AMiMONIA  GAS  FROM  MUSHROOMS, 
By  M.  El.  Borscow. 
The  author  says  that,  many  years  ago,  the  late  Professor 
Sachs  observed  that  when  a  glass  rod,  moistened  with  dilute 
hydrochloric  acid  (specific  gravity,  1*12)  was  brought  near  vigor- 
ously and  healthily  growing  mushrooms,  there  appears  a  white 
vapor,  evidently  due  to  the  formation  of  chloride  of  ammonium. 
This  fact  has  been  confirmed  by  Dr.  G.  Lehmann,  while  the  late 
Alexander  Von  Humboldt  stated  that  mushrooms  constantly 
give  off,  not  only  ammonia,  but  also  hydrogen.  The  author  of 
this  paper  has  thoroughly  investigated  this  subject,  taking  due 
care  to  eliminate  all  sources  of  error  from  his  experiments  by 
every  precaution  modern  science  can  suggest  and  successfully 
apply.  Several  engravings  would  be  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  proper  understanding  of  these  researches  ;  but  we  briefly 
notice  the  following  results : — (1)  different  kinds  and  species  of 
