10Q 



Treated with 



nitro-muriatic 



acid. 



The folution 

 precipitated 



by prufliate of 

 potafli and am- 

 monia. 



Examined by 

 different re- 

 agents. 



EXPERIMENTS ON CERITE. 



or of a light or deep flem-colour *. It is fufficiently hard to 

 (cratch glafsf, flrikes lire with difficulty, and its fpecific gravity is 

 4*530. It has no determinate cryfialline figure. Its fraclure 

 is compact %, and a little {hining. Its powder is of a greyilh 

 colour; it becomes yellow by calcination, and lofes twelve 

 per cent §. 



Exp. I. Two hundred parts of this mineral treated with ni- 

 tro-muriatic acid three times fucceftively, gave abundance of 

 nitrous acid and oxigenated muriatic acid gas. The firft and 

 fecond folutions being diluted with water were of a gold colour; 

 the third was colourlefs. The former two being mixed depo- 

 rted fpontaneoufly in time a fmall quantity of white fediment. 

 The reiiduum left by the nitro-muriatic acid was of a gray co- 

 lour with a flight rofeate tinge, and weighed 62, fo that 13S 

 parts were diflblved. 



Exp. 2. The folutions being evaporated to the confidence 

 of fyrup to volatilife, the fuperfiuous acid remained clear to the 

 end of the operation. Their reiiduum, diluted with water, 

 afforded a milky liquor, with a flight rofy tint, and a very 

 afiringent tafle. 



Prufliate of potafh produced in it a greenifh blue precipitate : 

 the colour of which was changed to a brown by a fmall quantity 

 of ammonia. 



AW the liquor into which a fmall quantity of ammonia had 

 been put to precipitate the iron alone was poured into a filter, 

 but would not pafs through. It was heated therefore, and 

 filtered, when it appeared of a gold colour, and had a very 

 faccharine tafie. Prufliate of potafh and oxalate of ammonia 

 threw down from it perfectly white precipitates. 



The matter left on the filter continued for a long time to 

 impart a yellow tinge to the water with which it was waftied. 

 It was of a red colour, and appeared like oxide of iron at a 

 maximum of oxidation. 



The folution thus deprived of the red matter by ammonia, 

 was examined by various reagents. Prufliate of potafli gave 

 with it a white, ilocculent, gelatinous precipitate. Infufion 



• Opake, and fometimes but very rarely, yellowifti. Meffirs, 

 H. and B. 



t Does not fcratch glafs. H. and B, 

 X Unequal and angular. H. and B. 

 § Six or feven. H. and B. 



■of 



