102 Scientific Intelligence. 
signs of ebullition manifested themselves, showing clearly that no cas 
lorific rays penetrated the spheroid of water. Nor is this result at all 
affected, if small particles of wood, sand or iron be mixed with the wa- 
ter; and the iron, although so much heavier than the water, will not 
touch the capsule, but remains in the spheroid until its complete evap- 
oration. If lampblack be mixed with the water, and into it the small 
bulb of water be plunged, no difference is seen from the former case. 
Can all bodies pass to this spheroidal condition? From the author's 
experiments, he concludes that all bodies can pass to this state. 
he experiment with iodine is brilliant, and can be easily repeated 
in a lecture room. Throw in about fifieen grains of iodine into a cap- 
sule (almost flat) heated to redness, when it at once assumes the sphe- 
roidal condition, and is surrounded with rare and transparent vapors of 
iodine ; withdraw the source of heat, and in a moment after the iodine 
passes to its ordinary liquid state, moistens the capsule, boils with vio- 
lence, and gives rise to an abundance of most beautiful vapors. This 
gives a good idea of the difference existing between the evaporation of 
a body in its spheroidal condition, and the evaporation of the same bo- 
dy by ebullition. 
Experiments were made to ascertain lites the heated surface was 
touched or not. It is discovered that the surface is not touched by the 
bodies in the spheroidal condition. This was proved in various ways 5 
among others, by placing a drop of water upon an almost flat capsule, 
(heated,) and on looking at a lighted candle placed at one side of the 
capsule, it can be seen partecdy without interruption between the cap- 
sule and spheroid.* J. L. 8. 
2. New Chloride and Oxide of Chrome; by E. Peticor, (Compt 
Rend., Sept. 1844.)—Pass a current of chlorine gas over a mixture of 
oxide of chrome and charcoal heated to redness, and minute white 
silky crystals appear, composed of 1 equiv. chrome and 1 equiv. chlo- 
rine ; it is a degree of oxidation of chrome till now unknown, correspond- 
ing to CrO. This chloride becomes green upon exposure to the air, ab- 
sorbing at the same time the moisture ; added to water it immediately 
dissolves, and imparts to it a green color, if the water happens to con- 
tain air, and blue, if the influence of oxygen is avoided; potash gives 
with this solution a brown precipitate, which is the paniaide CrO. <Ace- 
tate of potash added to the solution, gives rise to a slow deposition of 
red transparent crystals, the acetate of the protoxide. It is necessary 
to take every precaution, in order to obtain these substances pure, 80 
powerful 1 is their attraction for oxygen.t J, L. 8. 
—— 
i * The prmenier of the notice, already sufficiently extended, will be furnished 
re 
41 Fwill’be se seen that the process given by M. Pexicor is the same which has 
