124 M - CHIKASHIGE. 



mentioned determinations of the atomic weight of tellurium, by some 

 modification of a method already employed or by some new method, 

 but to apply Brauner'« tetrabromide method to tellurium of utterly 

 different origin from that of what he worked upon. European and 

 American tellurium occurs in association with heavy metals and 

 might, therefore, when separated from those which are known, still 

 retain unknown elements, in accordance with Brauner's conception. 

 But in Japan tellurium is found in native sulphur, as was discovered 

 by Divers, Shimose, and Shimidzu, in 1883 (Ghem. News; J. Chem. 

 Soc). There occurs, in fact, in this country a massive, crystalline, 

 red sulphur, a variety of the selensulphur (Stromeyer) found in the 

 Lipari Isles, in Naples (Phipson), and in the Hawaian Islands (Dana). 

 It is semi-transparent and indistinguishable in appearance from native 

 sulphur, except by its beautiful orange colour, and occurs interspersed 

 with simple sulphur in the same blocks. I take from the Cliemical 

 Neius, the composition of a sample analysed by Divers and Shimidzu : 

 — tellurium, 0*17 ; selenium, 0*06 ; arsenic, 0*01 per cent., traces 

 only of molybdenum and earthy matter, and sulphur, by difference, 

 99*75 per cent. It is, accordingly much more a tellurosulphur than 

 a selenosulphur. 



Concerning this tellurium, it need not be contended that it is 

 more truely an element than that found combined with bismuth, 

 gold, lead, and silver ; it is sufficient to assert the high improbability 

 that it should contain the same unknown elements as the latter. 

 That being the case, then if it gives the same result by Brauner's 

 tetrabromide method, as that obtained with Hungarian tellurium, the 

 likelihood that tellurium with atomic weight 127*6 is an element is 

 greatly increased, if not raised to a certainty. Such was the view 

 taken of the matter by my honoured teacher, Dr. Edward Divers, 

 F.R.S., who placed in my hands about 1-4 grams of tellurium, which 



