402 Inielligeyice and Miscellaneous ArticleL 



the compound analysed. But as the chloride evidently contains 

 oxygen, besides a small quantity of tungstic acid, formed during the 

 preparation, and principally during the purification of the chloride, 

 upon freeing it from the red chloride which accompanies it, the 

 quantity of tungsten obtained evidently belongs to a combination 

 formed (English equivalents) of 1 atom of tungsten = 100, 1 atom 

 of chlorine = 36, two atoms of oxygen =16. 



This compound is named by M. Rose tungstate of chloride of 

 tungsten ; he considers it as analogous to the chromate of chloride 

 of chromium ; but he observes that it is a remarkable compound, 

 because tungstic acid, which is one of the most fixed substances, is 

 rendered volatile. When this compound is suddenly heated, it is 

 decomposed into tungstic acid, red chloride of tungsten, and chlo- 

 rine. The tungstic acid is deposited in the state of a bright yellow 

 mass, which has sometimes a greenish tint. The apparent sublimate 

 which is formed in the upper part of the glass bulb when strongly 

 heated, arises from the partial decomposition of the tungstate of 

 chloride of tungsten, which is then deposited at the moment of the 

 action of the chlorine on the oxide of tungsten. This tungstic 

 acid is very difficultly soluble, or rather, it is insoluble in ammonia. 

 It is possible that the tungstic acid which remains insoluble in the 

 solution of ammonia, when the volatile compound of chlorine is dis- 

 solved in it, derives this property and its origin from a decomposition 

 occasioned by a high temperature. 



Oxide of tungsten was prepared by M. Rose by heating a mix- 

 ture of tungstate of soda and hydrochlorate of ammonia. This 

 oxide when subjected to the action of chlorine, furnished a greater 

 quantity of red chloride than the oxide obtained by reduction with 

 hydrogen, probably because it contained metallic tungsten. As it 

 was necessary to heat this tungstate of chloride of tungsten for a 

 longer time than that obtained by the process above described, in 

 order to free it from the red chloride, it contained a greater admix- 

 ture of tungstic acid; it amounting to 68*92 per cent, instead of 

 66*67, as already noticed. — Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., vol. Ixvi. p. 13. 



FALL OF METEORIC STONES IN BRAZIL. 



On the 11th of December, 1836, about half past 11 o'clock in the 

 evening, with a clear sky and a south-west wind, a meteor of un- 

 common size and brilliancy appeared over the village of Macao, at 

 the entrance of the river Assu ; it immediately burst with a loud 

 crackling noise, and a shower of stones fell within a circle of 10 

 leagues. They came into several houses and buried themselves some 

 feet deep in the sand, but they did not occasion any further damage 

 than killing and wounding a few oxen. The weight of those picked 

 up varied from 1 to 80 pounds. Specimens which have been sent 

 to the Parisian Academy are to be analysed by Berthier. — Compt. 

 Rend. torn. v. p. 211. — PoggendorfF *s Annalen, No. 12. 1837. 



ON THE ADULTERATION OF CARMINE. BY C. G. EHRENBERG. 



There occurs in commerce a kind of very fine coloured and very 

 expensive carmine in the form of cakes, which owes its fine colour to 



