ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 5 
the alkaline oxalates (1:2) and of his failure to prepare 
the neutral oxalate. His methods, and indeed full results, 
are unknown to us, as we did not have access to the orig- 
inal paper. 
. We may summarize the work which follows in the suc- 
ceeding pages by saying that we found it possible to pre- 
pare the basic oxalates by precipitation. This was usu- 
ally in the form of Zr(C,O,),, GZr(OH),, though other ratios 
were gotten. The neutral oxalate we did not succeed in 
preparing, but instead the tendency seems to be toward 
the formation of the acid oxalate, Zr(C,O,),.H,C,O,.8H,O. 
This tendency toward the formation of acid salts “was 
shown also in the double oxalates. T'wo.of these were 
prepared. For sodium, Zr(C,O,),,3Na,C,O,.H,C,O,.5H,O, 
and for potassium the salt [Zr(C,O,),],.(K,C,O,),. H,C,O,. 
8H,O.. The oxalate with amonium as a constituent was 
not so easy of preparation in a pure state. The com- 
pound secured was Zr(C,O,),.2(NH,),C,O,. The experi- 
ments and analyses are given in detail. 
ZIRCONIUM OXALATES. 
The Oxalate Gotten by Precipfitation.—On the addition 
of a saturated solution of oxalic acid to a slightly acid 
solution of zirconium chloride until no further precipita- 
tion occurred, a gelatinuous precipitate formed which had 
very nearly the composition Zr(C,O,),.2Z4r(OH),. Analy- 
sis I gave Zr, 46.39, and C,O,, 30.89, instead of the theo- 
retical 46.40 and 30.93 respectively. The filtrate from 
this was turbid, and on standing yielded another precipi- 
tate which had nearly the composition 2Zr(C,O,),.3Zr 
(OH),. : 
The basic oxalates are very difficultly soluble in acids, 
and of extremely fine subdivision, settling slowly and 
passing through even the best filters. It does not seem 
probable that they could be secured of very constant com- 
1O0fv. af. Vet. At. Forhandl. ref. in Ber. d. chem. Ges., 12, 1719, 
