28 JOURNAI, OF THE 
but the central portion was perfectly white. To remove 
the excess of acid the substance was washed quickly three 
times with small amounts of water. <All of these salts 
are exceedingly soluble in water and the utmost care 1s 
necessary to avoid the entire resolution of the substance. 
The wash-water was deeply colored by the bromine re- 
moved and the salt remained pinkish. It was dried on 
hlter paper and an analysis gave:— 
ZrO 24.54 
This shows that the method of removing the bromine 
and hydrobromic acid and drying the crystals did not 
materially alter their composition. Alcohol did not give 
satisfactory results. 
The ether-washed crystals after being allowed 
to stand in a glass stoppered weighing bottle in the bal- 
ance case tor several weeks showed evidence of absorbed 
moisture. They were dried again by pressure between 
folds of bibulous paper, but they could not in this way 
be brought back to the same state as before, as shown by 
the analysis:— 
Found Previously Found Cale. for ZrOBry.14H,O 
ZrO 9 23.49 24.50(av. ) 23.70 
Br 30.58 30.82 
About 4 grams of these crystals were dried in a glass 
stoppered flask under a rapid stream of dry lhydrobromie 
acid at a temperature varying between 100° and 120°. 
The average temperature was about 110° and the drying 
lasted continuously through three and a half days. After 
cooling, perfectly dry air was drawn through the flask 
for a little over ten minutes. This was evidently not 
long enough as all the free hydrobromic acid had not been 
removed as shown by the analysis. The substance dried 
down toa hard white crystalline state which was quite 
soluble in water. ‘The composition of this residue was 
as follows:— 
ZrO » 34.91 34.82 
Br 50.05 
It an allowance of 4.5 per cent. be made for the extra 
