' Chemistry. 257 
one or two occasions he noticed a deviation equal to that produced by 
heating the junction of the two wires to dull redness. 
From some of the experiments, it would appear that when the wire 
vibrated continuously from end to end, the greatest effects were ob- 
tained; but when, from some cause, a nodal point was occasioned in 
the centre of the wire, and the two halves vibrated in the opposite 
direction, no effect was produced. As the amount of electricity de- 
veloped by such means must be small, it was thought best to increase’ 
the masses set in vibration; and for this purpose,a bar of antimony 
five inches long, three eighths wide, and a quarter of an inch thick, 
was soldered end to end to a similar bar of bismuth; to the ends of the 
compound bar the wires of the galvanometer were attached. When 
suspended by a string, and set in vibration by striking with a piece of 
iron, results similar to the former were obtained, but of a more marked 
character; at times, considerable deviations were thus obtained, while 
very often no deviation whatever could be observed ; the whole effect 
seeming to depend in some measure upon the manner in which the 
vibrations are propagated along the wire. 
Two metals were not necessary to produce the effect, as a bar com- 
posed of crystalline hard iron and soft fibrous iron was capable of af- 
fording a current. J. LS. 
4. Discovery of some new Earths in Zircons; by L. Svanserc, 
(Chem. Gaz., October, 1845, p. 411.)—It has been discovered that 
zirconia, like the oxides of cerium and yttrium, is a mixture of several 
earths. The great difficulty attendant upon the separation of one from 
the other, has prevented M. Svanberg from studying their properties with 
a sufficient degree of accuracy. One of the earths which he found 
most abundant in the zircons from Norway, he has called Noria, from 
Nore, the old name of Norwa .S. 
5. A new method of abtidadiy Chlorine ; by R. Oana (Chem. 
Gaz., October, 1845, p. 439.)—The process of manufacturing chlo- 
rine consists in a method of decomposing hydrochloric acid by means 
of atmospheric air. The hydrochloric acid gas and atmospheric air 
are mixed in the proportion of one measure of the former to two 
of the latter; and the mixture is passed through an air-tight furnace, 
kept at a bright red heat. The decomposing furnace is so arranged . 
that the fire passes over the arch and under the bed;—the furnace is 
filled with pieces of pumice-stone, and the gas and air enter at the end 
farthest from the fire, and pass out at the other end through a pipe at 
the upper part of the furnace. The products resulting from the mix- 
ture passing through the decomposing furnace, consist of chlorine, asso- 
ciated with undecomposed muriatic acid, and any excess of atmospheric 
air and nitrogen. ‘The mixture is cooled by ee Seas a series of 
Szconp Szries, Vol. I, No. 2.—March, 1846. 
