Onihe new Meia!,TelMriumi'^ 373 



ipparatus, heat is gradually to be applied to ignition. I ii proportion is "the oil becomes 

 decompofed, brilliant metallic drops are obfcrved, fimilar to thofe in thi diftillation 6f 

 mercury, which line the upper part of the retort^ and run down at intervals to the bottom 

 ^f the vcflel, immediately after which' they are replaced !)y others. After the cooling, 

 thefe metallic drops arc found congealed, and adhering to the fides of the retort and the 

 bottom of the veflel ; and the reft of the metal, reduced in thfe form of a button with ii 

 brilliant furface, moft com^monly prefenting a cryftallized face. 



The ejjential Characters cf this luiv Mital. 



1. Its colour is white like tin, but inclining to a leaden grey^ Its metallic fplcndor is 

 confiderable ; its frafture lamellated (gerade blattrig)^. It is very brittle and 'friable, anA 

 by flo A' cooling it readily acquires a cryilallized furface. i-: • ' k- 



2. Its fpecific gravity is 6,115. 



3. It belongs to the clafs of the mod fufible metals. 



4. Heated with the blow-pipe upon charcoal it burns with a flame confiderably brilliant, 

 of a. blue colour, butgreenifli at the edges -, it rifes totally in a grey whitifli fume, and 

 emits a difagreeable fmell, which approaches that of radifhes. If the flame be with- 

 drawn before the fmall portion fubje£led to the heat is entirely volatilized, 'the remaining 

 button prefervcs its fluid ftate for a long time, and, during the refrigeration, becomes 

 covered with a radiated vegetation. 



5. This metal amalgamates eafily with mercury. 



'■ '6. With fulphur it forms a fiilphuret of a leadeh-grey colour, and radiated ftru(n.ure. 

 • "'7- Its folution in the nitric acid is clear and colourlefs i when concentrated, it fpontai 

 rieoufly, in the courfe of time, afl!brds''fman white anU\light cryftals in the form of 

 needles, which pofl"ers the dendritic aggregation. ' ^-" •• 



8. The new metal is likewife foluble in the nrtro-muriatifc"'9'cid : when a large quantity 

 of water is added to a folution of this nature, the metal falls tlown in the ftate of oxide, 

 in the forte of a white powdei*,lvbich in this ftate is foluble in the murlajtlc acid. 



g. When a fmall quantity of this metal is mixed in the cold, with one hundred times 

 Its weight of concentra'ted f.jlphuric acid, in a clofed veflel, the fltiid gradually dflumes 

 a beautiful crlmfon red colour. By the addition of a fmall quantity of water, added drop 

 by drop, the colour difappears, and the minute portion of metal which was diflblved 

 falls down in the form of black flocks. Mere heat alfo deftroys this folution ; it caufes the 

 red colour to dlfappear, and difpofes the metal to feparate In the ftate of a white oxide. 



10. When, on the contrary, the concentrated fulphuric acid is diluted with two or 

 three parts of water, and a fmall quantity of nitric acid is added, this mixture difl'olves a. 

 confiderable portion of the metal, The folution Is clear and colourlefs, and Is not decom- 

 pofed by the mixture of a. greater quantity of water, 



11. All the pure alkalis precipitate from the add folutlons of this metal a white oxide, 

 foluHc in all the acids. The precipitate is entirely foluble by excefs of alkali. If a car- 

 bonate be ufed inftead of a pure alkali, the fame phenomenon'takes place 5 with this dif- 

 ference, however, that by an excefs of the carbonate the precipitate which is formed is 

 rcdiflblved In part only. 



yot.il— Nov. 1798. 3C 12. A 



