Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 393 



Tliorina possesses the following properties : it is colourless and 

 infusible, and when it has been heated to strong redness, it is in- 

 soluble in all acids except the sulphuric ; it is not rendered soluble 

 in other acids by calcination with an alkali. It is insoluble in caustic 

 potash, but soluble when taken up by the carbonate, from which it is 

 partially precipitable by heat, but redissolves in the cold. Its salts 

 have a purely styptic taste. Sulphate of thorina, when the solution 

 is strong, becomes a thick mass by boiling, but it is soluble in cold 

 water ; this property characterizes the new earth very particularly. 

 Sulphate of potash, when the solution is saturated, produces a pre- 

 cipitate in it ; this character belongs also to the salts of cerium ; the 

 precipitate is a double salt, soluble in pure water. Ferrocyanate of 

 potash precipitates it as it does yttria. 



Potassium does not reduce thorina, but the chloride of thorinium 

 readily J this chloride may be obtained in the same manner as that of 

 aluminum. The reduction is accompanied with a feeble detonation. 

 The product is a powdery, grey metallic mass, which dissolves very 

 rapidly in muriatic acid, but very slowly in nitric and sulphuric acids. 

 Neither water nor the alkalies act upon this metal. By rubbing it 

 acquires a lustre ; it burns in oxygen gas with a brilliancy which may 

 be compared to that of phosphorus. The colourless earth is regene- 

 rated, and without undergoing fusion. Thorina contains ll'B per 

 cent of oxygen. — Hensman's Repertoire, June 1829. 



COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BONES. 

 Dr. Fernandez de Barros found in a thousand parts of 



Sheep's Bones Carbonate of lime 193 



Phosphate of lime 800 



Hens' Bones Carbonate of lime 1 04 



Phosphate of lime 836 



Fishes' Bones Carbonate of lime 53 



Phosphate of lime 919 



Frogs' Bones Carbonate of lime 24 



Phosphate of lime 952 



Lions' Bones Carbonate of lime 25 



Phosphate of lime 950 



Jameson's Journal, October 1829. 



ACTION OF AETHER ON SULPHATE OF INDIGO. 



M. Cassola states that when sulphuric aether is added to sulphate 

 of indigo, in about half an hour, at a temperature of about 30° 

 Reaumur, the colour of the indigo totally disappears, and no substance 

 whatever is capable of restoring it. 



The colourless mixture being subjected to distillation, yielded a 

 liquor which reddened litmus strongly, and gave no preci|)itate with 

 barytic salts ; but with a solution of nitrate of silver a precipitate was 

 obtained, soluble in ammonia. — Hensman's Repertoire, April 1829. 



N.S.Yo].G. No.^ir,. Nox: IH29. .3 E combitsti- 



