[tailormane]

Hi all,

I wish to create an attractant of ether odour for a trap which I intend to place under seawater. Ideally, the small amount of fluid will be released over 6 hours or less at night from below the sea surface and evaporate into the air giving the familar smell. How do I go about achieving my aim? Can anyone help?

I have assumed diethyl ether would be the cheapest and easiest to use. Is that right?

[Honclbrif]

Are you trying to use ether to extract/trap the smell of the sea, or are you trying to make the sea smell like ether?

[tailormane]

Are you trying to use ether to extract/trap the smell of the sea, or are you trying to make the sea smell like ether?

Neither. This is going to sound a bit 'out there', but I'm a budding cryptozoologist who has a working hypothesis regarding the nature of the Hessdalen lights. Put simply, I believe that these are four-winged dino-birds which are attracted to the smell of carbon disulfide, occurring naturally in swampy areas, which smells like ether. They use the carbon disulfide as a solvent for phosphides which they expell to create their bioluminescence, the white phosphur reacting with the oxygen in the air. I've deduced that they also can go under water, but are unable to 'glow' due to the phosphoric acid also created reacting violently with the water. I intend to place a fox trap cage under water with the ether inside acting as the bait. Too much to take in one go??

I'd appreciate your consideration of the concept. The Hessdalen phenomenon is worth looking into on it's own. Cheers, Alan

[Honclbrif]

I'm pretty sure that if you are caught putting organic solvents in the ocean people may become upset.

[tailormane]

I'm pretty sure that if you are caught putting organic solvents in the ocean people may become upset.

Okay, thanks for making that point. I've come to the conclusion of using a long 8ft cane to simple act as an outlet for the vapor straight into the air. If done correctly, no organic solvent need make contact with seawater.

[fledarmus]

I would also disagree with the statement that ether smells like carbon disulfide. If you think your birds are attracted to carbon disulfide, why not just bait your trap with carbon disulfide?

[tailormane]

I would also disagree with the statement that ether smells like carbon disulfide. If you think your birds are attracted to carbon disulfide, why not just bait your trap with carbon disulfide?

Wow, brilliant! I just thought ether would be easier and cheaper. I'll google carbon disulphide straight away. Can you recommend a vendor?

[orgopete]

I wish to create an attractant …

This is where I become lost in this discussion. I don't know if you are screening organic chemicals for pheromonic properties or what. Certainly, screening of attractants probably has been done.

This sounds as like a rudimentary idea to use your nose to identify something that smells similar to identify an actual attractant found in sea water or a region of sea water. What is the objective?

[tailormane]

I wish to create an attractant …

This is where I become lost in this discussion. I don't know if you are screening organic chemicals for pheromonic properties or what. Certainly, screening of attractants probably has been done.

This sounds as like a rudimentary idea to use your nose to identify something that smells similar to identify an actual attractant found in sea water or a region of sea water. What is the objective?

Carry on reading a bit further and you'll find the answer. I'm buying a fumigator of carbon disulphide and putting in a fox trap and setting it in a remote swampy area. I'm now not doing the underwater option. It means the Hessdalen bird (check the first link) will be caught live. Dangerous to say the least, but it'd be interesting to see whether it can use it's acid to escape through the metal bars.

Cheers everyone

Edit - found 500ml for £20, http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/ProductDetail.do?D7=0&N5=SEARCH_CONCAT_PNO%7CBRAND_KEY&N4=180173%7CSIAL&N25=0&QS=ON&F=SPEC

[discodermolide]

I wish to create an attractant …

This is where I become lost in this discussion. I don't know if you are screening organic chemicals for pheromonic properties or what. Certainly, screening of attractants probably has been done.

This sounds as like a rudimentary idea to use your nose to identify something that smells similar to identify an actual attractant found in sea water or a region of sea water. What is the objective?

Carry on reading a bit further and you'll find the answer. I'm buying a fumigator of carbon disulphide and putting in a fox trap and setting it in a remote swampy area. I'm now not doing the underwater option. It means the Hessdalen bird (check the first link) will be caught live. Dangerous to say the least, but it'd be interesting to see whether it can use it's acid to escape through the metal bars.

Cheers everyone

This was a spoof post, do you really believe this B+ç*it?

[Honclbrif]

Even if it is BS, at least its new, fun, creative BS. Surely more fun to think about than the n^th "Help I Don't Get NMR" thread. Furthermore, if this does result in the incontrovertible capture of a glow in the dark acid spewing four winged amphibious dino-bird, I totally want my name on that paper.

[tailormane]

Even if it is BS, at least its new, fun, creative BS. Surely more fun to think about than the n^th "Help I Don't Get NMR" thread. Furthermore, if this does result in the incontrovertible capture of a glow in the dark acid spewing four winged amphibious dino-bird, I totally want my name on that paper.

Lol! I'm being serious alright, although I'm having cold feet about the risky location I'd decided on. There's always that small chance of an early dog-walker type stumbling across the squawking caged bird first. I need to think about the camera issues, i.e. using a hidden micro camera with real-time feed to a safe location or simply a recorder. A direct link to my flat which is almost line-of-sight would be ideal. I'm not sure I can take the risk just yet. The actual trap comes in under £100, but the extra safety live-feed is the more expensive bit. I'll probably continue to get to know the CFZ team, Centre for Fortean Zoology, who have just returned from an Orang Pendek expedition in Sumatra and join forces with them.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2011/sep/08/orang-pendek-sumatra-mystery-ape