SOME OF THE LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF SCIENCE. 153 



taintv. and 1 have absolute evidence that another member of the 

 rare earth groups has been added to the list. Simultaneously with the 

 chemical and spcctrographic attack, atomic-weight deminations were 

 constantly" performed. 



As the group of lines which betraj^ed its existence stand alone, 

 almost at the extreme end of the ultra-violet spectrum, I propose to 

 name the newest of the elements Monium, from the Greek jaovog, alone. 

 Although caught by the searching rays of the spectrum, monium offers 

 a direct contrast to the recently discovered gaseous elements, by hav- 

 ing a strongly marked individuality; but, although so young and will- 

 ful, it is willing to enter into any number of chemical alliances. 



Until my material is in a greater state of purity I hesitate to commit 

 mj'self to figures, but I may say that the wave-lengths of the principal 

 lines are 3120 and 3117. Other fainter lines are at 3219, 30G1, and 

 3060. The atomic weight- of the element, based on the assumption of 

 RgOs? is not far from 118 — greater than that accepted for yttrium and 

 less than that for lanthanum. 



I ought almost to apologize for adding to the already too long list of 

 elements of the rare earth class — the asteroids of the terrestrial family. 

 But as the host of celestial asteroids, unimportant individually, become 

 of high interest when once the idea is grasped that they ma}- be incom- 

 pletely coagulated remains of the original nebula, so do these elusive 

 and insignificant rare elements rise to supreme importance when we 

 regard them in the light of component parts of a dominant element, 

 frozen in embryo, and arrested in the act of coalescing from the origi- 

 nal protyle into one of the ordinary and law-abiding famil}" for whom 

 Newlands and Mendeleetf have prepared pigeonholes. The new ele- 

 ment has another claim to notice. Not only is it new in itself, but to 

 discover it a new tool had to be forged for spectroscopic I'esearch. 



Further details I will reserve for that tribunal before whom every 

 aspirant for a place in the elemental hierarchy has to substantiate his 

 claim. 



