ELISHA MICHELL, SCIENTIFIC SOCIBTY. 19 
Nylander’s description of this salt is correct. Very 
large handsome crystals can be secured on evaporating an 
aqueous solution of the chloride prepared by dissolving 
the hydroxide in hydrochloric acid. If this evaporation 
is too rapid gelatinous masses separate out, re-dissolving 
on stirring. There is a considerable loss of hydrochloric 
acid during this evaporation. The best crystals may be 
obtained by evaporation over sulphuric acid. These 
crystals easily dry on porous plates or on filter paper. 
There is no necessity for the elaborate methods of drying 
adopted by Nylander. There is however a constant 
though shght loss of hydrochloric acid. Nylander’s an- 
alyses (marked I) agree very closely with one made by us. 
BER Bee as en ee os all oe OED 
Be (IS REIS» inne nn SEE ALS 8 
Boss 0 se ce. soe oo. 48 
There is then manifestly a definite compound obtained 
inthis way. It is unquestionably an oxychloride and the 
loss (50.46 per cent.) represents both water and combined 
hydroxyl or oxygen. At ordinary temperatures there is 
a -ontinuous loss from day to day which makes it impos- 
sible to get a fixed initial weight. This loss is shown by 
the following weighings. 
Date eco) “Oct. 1h. Cet 12.) ? (Oat. 13.9; Wert eeaeeierane. 
Weighings 1.2806 1.2796 1.2792 1.2787 1.2779 1.2758 
By heating to 135°-140° for six hours a large amount 
of chlorine is driven off and yet not all of the water. ‘The 
mass leit is insoluble. Heated to 100° under a stream of 
hydrogen chloride the weight was constant and the loss 
corresponded to 26.84 per cent. of the original weight. 
The residue is entirely soluble in water. While these 
data are not altogether sufficient it will be seen that they 
correspond fairly accurately with the formula ZrOCl, 
8H,O. Five molecules of water are lost at.100° and the 
compound left is ZrOC1,.3H,O. The first formula is the 
formula assigned by Paykull and confirms his results as 
against those of Melliss. The formula gotten by Herr- 
mann, ZrOCl,.9H,O was manifestly obtained from imper- 
fectly dried crystals. 
