1]0 EXPERIMENTS ON CERITfi. 



The iulphate of cerium is (bhible in water only by means of 

 an excefs of acid. Its fade is faccharine and acid. 

 With the white Sulphuric acid eafily combines with the white oxide, particu- 

 ox.de. Jarly in the ftate of carbonate. The folution is colourlefs, or 



with a flight rofy tinge ; of a faccharine tafte without any per- 

 ceptible acidity ; and readily affords white cryftals. 

 Nitric acid with Nitric acid does not readily diflblve the red oxide unlefs 

 the red oxide. affifted by hegL Jf the add bg fuperabundant> {he f \ ut \ oh 



yields white deliquefcent cryftals: if not, no cryftals ate formed, 

 but a yellowifh. fait is formed by deficcation, of which alcohol 

 at 3S° will diflblve half its weight. The nitrate of cerium is 

 decompo fable by heat, and leaves a brick-coloured oxide. 



With the white. The white oxide unites more readily with nitric acid, but 

 this fait is not more eafily cryftallizable. Its tafte is at firft 

 pungent, afterward very fugary. 



Muriatic acid. Muriatic acid diflblves the red oxide with effervefcence. 



The folution cryftallizes confufedly. The fait is deliquefcent, 

 foluble in an equal weight of cold water, and in three or four 

 times its weight in alcohol. The flame of this folution acquires 

 no colour from the fait, but if agitated, white, red, and purple 

 points appear ir^it *. 



Oxigenatrd mu- Oxigenated muriatic acid has no aclion on the red oxide, but 



riatic acid. diflblves the white, without yielding to it any of its oxigen. 



Carbonic acid. The oxide of cerium unites eaiily with carbonic acid. The 



mod Ample and ready method of forming this compound is to 

 decompofe a folution of the nitrate or muriate of the white 

 oxide by fatu rated carbonate of potafli, when a very white 

 precipitate will be formed with effervefcence, which is very 

 light, and on drying atfumes a fliining filvery appearance. 



Hidro-fulphures Sulphurated hidrogen does not combine with cerium : but 



ieparate^iron hidrofulphures may be employed fucceflively to feparate any 

 iron that may be mixed with it ; for, when this is the cafe, the 

 firft portions of hidrofulphure will throw down from the 

 folution of cerium a greenifh precipitate till no more iron 

 remains. 



Tartarous acid. The white oxide will unite direclly with tartarous acid, but 

 requires an excefs of the acid to render it foluble f . 



Mr. 



* When this folution is concentrated it burns with a yellow fparkr 

 ling flame. MefTrs. H. and B. 



f MefTrs. H. and B. have obferved, as well as Mr. V. that, if 



the 



