334 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



" By the most careful procedure, however, it is difficult to obtain 

 this compound free from a trace of chloride or oxide, which causes a 

 small loss when heated to redness. By this process I obtained in 

 three experiments 7593, 76*506, 75*98, for the per-centage of metal. 

 3rd, Gently heated in an atmosphere of sulphuretted hydrogen, mu- 

 riatic acid is disengaged, a little chloride of antimony is carried over 

 with it, and the black sulphuret remains. By a cautious application 

 of the heat, so as to prolong the process for two or three hours, the 

 quantity of chloride volatilized may be very much diminished, so as 

 to reduce the loss below a quarter per cent. Should any notable 

 quantity of white fumes make their escape, they may be decomposed 

 by causing them to pass through water, and the antimony afterwards 

 collected in the state of sulphuret. In two experiments, I obtained 

 by this method 76*558 and 76*6 for the amount of antimony. In 

 these results I have most confidence* in both, however, there was a 

 trifling loss, so that they ought to be rather under the truth. 



•• I endeavoured to determine the oxygen directly by heating the 

 salt to redness with charcoal in a glass tube and collecting the car- 

 bonic acid evolved, but the approximation obtained was very rude. 

 Reckoning the loss as oxygen, therefore, we have for the composition 

 of the salt, 



Chlorine = 11*32 = 2*55 atoms. 

 Antimony ce 76-6 = 9*498 — 

 Oxygen = 12*08 = 12-08 — 



100 



where the number of atoms of antimony is to this sum of those of 

 chlorine and oxygen as 2 to 3*08, very nearly the relation which the 

 electro-negative element bears to the metal in the oxide and first 

 chloride of antimony. 



"The atomic constitution which agrees most nearly with these 

 numbers is the following : — 



By calculation. By experiment, 

 i CI = 6*639 = 11*49 = 11*32 



Sb = 8-064 

 Sb = 36*290 



= 76-72 m 76*6 



45 1*0= 6*75 = 11*79 = 12-08 



57*743 100 100 



or two atoms of chloride are combined with 9 of oxide, the formula 

 being 2 (3 CI -f 2 Sb) + 9 Sb. The quantities of chlorine and anti- 

 mony found by experiment are, as was to be expected, a little less 

 than is indicated by theory, causing the amount of oxygen to appear 

 something greater than it ought to be." — Jameson's Edinburgh Phi- 

 losophical Journal, No. 35. 



COLLECTION OF MINERALS AND NORTH AMERICAN FOSSILS. 



We are requested to make known to our readers that a col- 

 lection of one thousand specimens of minerals, chiefly from North 

 America, is to be disposed of, containing many of the rare minerals 



