PROPERTIES OF THE EARTH YTTRIA. 253 



to phofphate of foda; the oxide of titanium gives to borax the th er foIub!e in 

 colour of hyacinth, and becomes foluble in acids when fufed g™™a biue'co. 

 with carbonate of potafh *. lour to phof. 



Before the author defcribes the chemical analyfis he has un- foda >. . 



- J nor titanium, 



dertaken of thefe two fubftances, which he regards as ores of becaufe it does 



the new metal, he has chofen to defcribe their external c ha- notco!our bo ~ 



ra&ers. In order to avoid circumlocution, he has ventured to foiu'ble in acids 



give them a generic name. By availing himfelf of the ufage when fufed with 



which admits of mythological denominations, and in order tO£ xte ' r n°i a ch a rac- 



cxprefs the want of power of this new metal to become fatu- te »"s. 



rated with the acids into which it is plunged, he has given it The new metal 



the name of tantalium; for the ore compofed of tantalium, of t^talhim* 6 



iron, and of manganefe, he propofes the name of tantalite ; and its ores tantalite 



for that containing yttria, the appellation of yttrotantalite, jj" d y" rotanta - 



which cannot be thought more heavy than that of fiderotitani- 



um, already adopted. 



He received the fpecimen of tantalite from M. Geyer, Di- Locality and 



re&or of Mines, who has attired him that this fubftance has ^"g^ &c - of 



. tantalite. 



been known fmce the year 1746, and has been regarded as a 



problematical variety of tin garnet (zinngraapen). It is found 

 near the farm Brokaern, in the parifli of Rimito, in the go- 

 vernment of Abo, in Finland, in a large mountain, on the 

 banks of the Baltic. The gangue is compofed of white quartz 

 and mica, with veins of red feld fpar in large plates ; fub- 

 Itances which compofe the fides of the gangue. The titanite 

 is diffeminated in the form of garnets. 



The fpecimens he has feen were in detached cryftals, of s i ze and % ure 

 the fize of a nut, the moil regular among which feemed to° Cry , 

 approach the oclahedral form : they contained particles of 

 feld fpar and mica. 



Their furface is even, polilhed, and blackifh. Surface. 



Fra&ure compact, and of a metallic brilliancy; colour ofFra&ure. 

 the fracture not alike all through ; it varies between a greyifh 

 blue and the black of iron. 



When pulverized, it is of a blackifti grey approaching to Powder .; grey 

 brown. b:ownifh. 



* The author neverthelefs entertained fome fufpicion's of the iden- 

 tity of this new fubftance with the latter metal, and nothing but a 

 comparifon with the titaneous iron of Norway, which he decom- 

 pofed with this view, convinced him that this identity does not exift. 



It 



