TELLURIUM IN NEW SOUTH WALES ORES. 121 



Before the blowpipe tlie mineral gave the reactions for bismuth 

 and tellurium, also a green colour to the flame. On heating in 

 a tube water was given off. Soluble in hydrochloric acid. 



Several experiments were made with the view of ascertaining 

 the sp. gr. of the mineral, pieces being picked as clean as possible 

 and the determination made in a 100 gr. sp. gr. bottle. 



It was found in every experiment made, that they slightly 

 varied. I give the mean of five determinations, viz. : — 3-789. 



For comparison I refer to the following analyses made by 

 Genth, and published in Watt's " Dictionary of Chemistry," 

 1879, Vol. VIII., Pt. II.) 



This dark brownish red mineral is as the analysis shews a new- 

 variety of montanite and I think witliout doubt pseudomorplious 

 after iron pyrites. 



As the methods used in the analysis may be of some ^"alue I 

 give them. 



The mineral was fused in a covered porcelain crucible witli 

 three parts of dry sodium-carbonate and three parts of sulphur, 

 and the mass digested when cold with water. The metals remain 

 as insoluble sulphides separated by filtration from the soluble. 



From this solution the tellurium was precipitated as sulphide 

 by the addition of dilute hydrochloric acid, filtered, oxydised witli 

 hydrochloric and nitric acids, and evapoi'ated to dryness on the 

 water bath The salt was taken up by hydrochloric acid and the 

 tellurium precipitated as metal (?) by sulphite of sodium filtered 

 into a tai"ed filter and dried until the weight remained constant 

 and then weighed. 



The bismuth was estimated as Bio O3 by precipitation with 

 ammonia and carbonate of ammonia. 



The other method consisted in bringing all the metals into 

 solution by means of an acid, and precipitating the bismuth and 

 tellurium as sulphides by means of sulphuretted hydrogen, 

 and separating the bismuth from the tellurium by means of 

 ammonium-sulphide in the ordinary way. The first metliod 

 however was found to be the best. 



I have made careful inquii'ies and can find no uses for tellurium 

 in the arts or otlierwise, therefore it is of little or no commercial 

 value, but more so in consequence of the rarity and scarcity of 

 the element. The value purified is about 27s. per ounce. 



Professor Livei'sidgfe in liis valuable work — entitled " The 



