ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. Dib 
white silky prisms on evaporating a solution of the chlo- 
ride. These crystals when heated become white and 
turbid and are converte into the anhydrous dioxychloride, 
ZrCl,.2ZrO,. 
Linnemann(Chem. News., UII, 224.)maintains that crys- 
tallization from hydrochloric acid (sp. gr. 1.17) and treat- 
ment with alcohol and ether gives a fine, crystalline, snow 
white, silky body, leaving hfty per cent. of its weight on 
ignition and therefore very nearly pure ZrCl, which should 
leave 52.5 per cent. He claims that this is ‘‘chiefly a 
neutral, not a basic compound.”’ 
Our own experiments on the dehydration of the salt 
obtained by crystallization from water extended over two 
years, as opportunity was afforded. Several series of ex- 
periments were undertaken, some along the linesattempted 
by others, and others by methods not tried before. In 
all the purified chloride obtained by repeated crystalliza- 
tion from hydrochloric acid was used, the salt being still 
wet with the excess of the acid. There was no attempt 
at drying this between filter paper. 
In the first experiment this chloride was washed once 
with water and then put in a desiccator and dried over 
calcium chloride (porous desiccated). It remained in the 
desiccator about seven months. Even after this lapse of 
time it still continued to show a slight loss in weight. It 
yielded on analysis 48.84 per cent. ZrQO,. 
Another portion was placed in a jar over solid lumps of 
sodium hydroxide. After six weeks the loss was very 
slight. Careful ignition left a residue of ZrO, equivalent 
to 42.99 per cent. of the original weight. There was 
found to be 24.44 per cent. of chlorine present. 
Again a portion was placed over calcium chloride and 
dry air was drawn over it at the rate of about fifty liters 
in the twenty-four hours for six months. After the first 
two months it was examined weekly by the interposition 
of a flask containing silver nitrate to see whether hydro- 
chloric acid was still coming off. -Even after the lapse 
