12 JOURNAL OF THE 
While these do not show that the crystals had been 
thoroughly purified, the restlts indicate that the compo- 
sition is one Zirconium oxalate to two ammonium oxalate. 
On recrystallizing one of these crops of crystals, zircon- 
ium hydroxide was observed to separate when the solu- 
tion was heated (to evaporate to crystallization), and the 
crystals which were obtained consisted of ammonium ox- 
alate alone. rs 1 
In general it may be stated that the zirconium oxalate 
fails to show any decided tendency to enter into clearly 
defined combinations with the alkaline oxalates, exhibit- 
ing rather a power of crystallizing along with them in 
mixtures of any proportions, It can be said at best that 
under the conditions of our experiments certain ratios | 
seem to be preferred, and appeared more presistently. In 
all cases the crystals formed from oxalic acid solutions, 
and this free oxalic acid crystallized with them, giving 
acid oxalates. 
THE HALOGEN SALTS OF ZIRCONIUM. 
F. P. VENABLE AND CHARLES BASKERVILLE. 
I. DECOMPOSITION OF THE ZIRCONS. 
It may be well to give in detail the method (Jour. An. 
and Ap. Chem. 1891.551) as modified by an experience of 
several years. The zircons are ground in an iron mortar 
soas to pass a 90 mesh sieve. The proportions used 
ina fusion are 150 grams zircons, +00 grams sodium hy- 
droxide 4).grams sodium fluoride. The sodium hydroxide 
and fluoride are fused in a nickel crucible (400 cc) then 
heated for fifteen or twenty minutes with the water blast 
