1.5(5 On Cerium . 



able to dissolve only the calcareous earth. Distilled vinegar 

 became charged only with a v'cry small portion, and was not 

 saturated, though assisted by the heat of ebullition. The 

 acetic solution, when evaporated, gave small granulated 

 crystals, of a saccharine and astringent taste. They were 

 jiot soluble in alcohol. The part of the acetous salt, which 

 ■was not dissolved by alcohol, gave, after calcination, a 

 powder of a brick colour, similar to tiiat which had not 

 been dissolved. 



Ammonia precipitated from the solution of the alcohol a 

 ■white powder, which became yellowish in the air. It was a 

 little soluble by carbonate of ammonia, and, by calcination, 

 assumed a brick colour. The sediment being separated, the 

 carbonate of ammonia produced a white precipitate, which 

 was pure carbonate of lime. The acetous salt then contained 

 no yttria. The powder from which the calcareous earth had 

 been separated, dissolved in muriatic acid, disengaging oxy- 

 genated muriatic acid gas, which indicated that it was a me- 

 tallic oxide. 



Was it oxide of manganese united with oxide of iron? 



To ascertain this, we tried to develop the pure oxide from 

 the manganese by means of the tartrite of potash, according 

 to the method of Richter. In this manner we decomposed 

 with tartrite of potash a solution of this substance in muri- 

 atic acid perfectly neutralized, and, after ha^ing well washed 

 the white precipitate, we subjected it to slow calcination : 

 but this produced only powder of a brick colour. 



Caustic alkali had no action on the insoluble part of the 

 nitrate j which proves that it contained no alumine. 



To obtain the metal pure in a sufficient quantity for 

 3Tjaking several trials, we dissolved another portion of cerite 

 in nitric acid, and evaporated the solution to dryness. 

 Water was then poured over the residuum, and the whole 

 was precipitated by ammonia. The precipitate when washed 

 was dissolved in nitric acid. The solution, when well 

 neutralized by alkali, was precipitated by the tartrite of pot- 

 ash. There was precipitated also from the same solution, 

 by carbonate of potash, a white powder, but in oniall quan- 

 tity. Both these precipitates were calcined separately, and 

 both assumed a brick colour. The precipitate formed by 

 the carbonr.'e of potash was not dissolved by the potash 

 with the assistance of digestion ; there was therefore no 

 alumine in it. The iron which the solution precipitated 

 by the tartrite of potash contained, was separated by the 

 hydro-sulphuret of ammonia. The rest of the solution of 



the 



