ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 19 



times. The thickness of the jelly-like layer, would of 

 course, depend upon the amount of moisture in the pre- 

 cipitate but several times it was half an inch or more 

 in thickness. This body was analyzed in the moist 

 condition after simply drying- between filter paper. It 

 g-ave: 



Zirconium dioxide 20.02 20.65 .... .... 



Sulphur dioxide .... 5.19 5.51 



Water (blast lamp) 9.14 8.53 



Water, at 95 • C 65.65 (i5.22 



100.00 99.91 

 Ratio of zirconium and sulphur dioxide is here 3 : 1. 



A portion of this jelly was brought to constant 

 weight by heating for a number of hours in a steam- 

 bath. About sixty-five per cent, of the orig'inal weight 

 was lost and the bodv assumed a translucent appear- 

 ance like dried g^elatine. The analysis of this gave: 



Zirconium dioxide 59.34 .... 



Sulphur dioxide 11.46 



Water (blast-lamp) 29.20 



100.00 

 Ratio of zirconium to sulphur dioxide is 4 : 1. 



The analysis shows that some of the sulphur dioxide 

 was lost on drying. 



It will be seen that these different preparations show 

 a very var^'ing ratio of the zirconium to the sulphur 

 dioxide and in no case approach to the ratio of the neu- 

 tral sulphite fl : 1.4). They are, therefore, to be looked 

 upon as either mixtures of the sulphite and hydroxide 

 or very unstable compounds. The jelly-like substance 

 mentioned last gives more promise of being a chemical 

 individual; still it has not been thought legitimate to 

 attempt the calculation or assig'nment of a formula to it. 



A last attempt at preparing the neutral sulphite was 

 made by placing some of the excess of sulphurous acid. 



