Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 461 



ON THE SEPARATION OF NICKEL FROM COBALT. 

 BY PROF. LIEBIG. 



The mixture of the two oxides is dissolved in hydrocyanic acid 

 and potash ; the solution is then heated for half an hour on the 

 water-bath in an open dish, or, what is better, boiled in a flask. 

 Cyanide of cobalt and potassium and protocyanide of nicliel and 

 potassium are produced. Mercury added to the solution tarows 

 down all the nickel in the form of oxide, forming cyanide of mer- 

 cury, whilst the cobalt compound remains unchanged. 



Or it may be treated as just described, but instead of adding mer- 

 curv, the fluid may be allowed to cool, and supersaturated when 

 cold with chlorine ; caustic potash or soda is then added in such 

 proportion, that as the protocyanide of nickel separates, it may be 

 again dissolved. At last the nickel is completely separated in the 

 form of black peroxide ; but the cobalt compound is not altered by 

 the chlorine, and the nickel thus separated is free of coh&M.— Ann. 

 der Chem. und Pharm., Ixxxvii. p. 128. 



ON THE PREPARATION OF HYDROFERBOCYANIC ACID. 

 BY PROF. LIEBIG. 

 If equal volumes of a cold saturated solution of cyanide of potas- 

 sium and fuming muriatic acid free from iron be mixed (the latter 

 being gradually added to the former), pure snow-white hydroter- 

 rocyanic acid is precipitated. When dried upon a tile, ,t dissolves 

 readily in alcohol, and may be obtained in crystals, free Irom mu- 

 riatic acid, by treatment with aether and allowing it to stand.- ^^Imm. 

 der Chem. und Pharm., Ixxxvii. p. 127. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE METALS CON- 

 TAINED IN COLUMBITE AND TANTALITE. BY PROF. A. CON- 

 NELL. 



In 1801 Mr. Hatchett announced the discovery of a new metalhc 

 substance, contained as an oxygen acid combined with oxide of iron 

 in an undescribed heavy black mineral from Massachussetts lo 

 this new metal Mr. Hatchett gave the name of co/Mm6»«K and the ore 

 in which he found it has usually in this country been cal ed colum- 

 bite A year afterwards Ekeberg announced a new metal which he 

 called tantalum, in two Swedish minerals, which he distinguished by 

 the names of tnntalite and yttrotantalite. , ,, ^ , , ,, ,„^ 



A few years afterwards. Dr. Wollaston conceived that he had suc- 

 ceeded in establishing that columbium and tantalum are identical ; 

 and this view was tafitly acquiesced in by the greater 1-r jon of he 

 chemical public for many years, the metal and its ores usually obtain 

 ing in this country the names of columbium and co lumbite and on 

 thf Continent the names of tantalum, and tantalite and Y t rot^ntahte. 

 A mineral was also discovered at Bodenmais, which was held to con- 

 tain this same metal. ,„^^ . -k/i vx Tirv=o 



This state of things continued till about 1846, when M, H. Rose 



