ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 13 
The zircons are introduce: in portions of five or six grams. 
If the temperature is high enough there is a rapid evolution 
of.bubblesof gas. It must be stirred to prevent foaming 
over (the stirrer being a strip of nickel fastened toa glass 
rod.) After the introduction of three-fourths of the 
zircon the temperature should be increased by adding 
other lamps as the mass becomes pasty and sluggish to-— 
wards the close of the reaction, making the escape of 
bubbles somewhat explosive. The success of the opera- 
tion depends on the high temperature, especially at the 
close. With a lower temperature much.will be left un- 
acted upon. After the introduction of all the zircon the 
mass should be heated and stirred until no more bubbles 
escape. This stirring can only be imperfectly carried 
out towards the close. The mass should then be im- 
mediately removed by means of a nickel spatula. and the 
lumpy pieces allowed to cool on crucible tops or sheets of 
nickel. The crucible should be scraped as clean as pos- 
sible before cooling. It is best then to quench it with 
water before the adhering pieces’ of the melted mass cool, 
and crack the crucible incontracting. A number of cruci- 
bles crack during the fusion. If they escape this they al- 
most infallibly crack in the cooling unless cooled down 
filled to the brim with water. Of course due care 
must be taken in introducing the water. It can be safe- 
ly blown in from a distance with a wash bottle. As there 
is much spitting of melted caustic soda during the fusion 
the hands should be gloved and the handle of the stirrer 
‘should be long enough to secure the face and eyes from 
danger. Saas Ba 
The lumps, while still hot, are removed from the nickel 
sheet and placed in water in acasserole (1 litre capacity). 
After a few minutes the water becomes muddy on agita- 
tion. Pour off this water with the suspended particles 
into a large settling jar. Lefill the casserole, heat to 
boiling, stir and pour off again, thus removing gradually 
the finer masses. This is the best way of disintegrating 
