372 



Scientific Intelligence. 



M. Peschier infers from his researches, 



1. That titanium is one of the constituent principles of felspar and ser- 

 pentine ; 



2. That the analysis of serpentine cannot be exact, unless the usual pro- 

 cess for analyzing rocks is so modified as to separate the titanium ; 



3. That an alkaline principle exists in serpentine, as well as in the rocks 

 with which they are analogous. 



" In a word," concludes M. Peschier, " my researches demonstrate that 

 most primitive rocks contain titanium as one of their constituent prin- 

 ciples, and that this substance exists much more extensively in nature 

 than is supposed." — (Extract from the Ann. de Chim. et de Phi/s. vol. 

 xxxi.) 



In searching for titanium, M. Peschier has probably overlooked the pre- 

 sence of chromium in serpentine. We have analyzed the common serpen- 

 tine from Zoblitz in Saxony, and that variety certainly contains chromium. 



24. Analysis of a New Mineral, (the Gay-Lussite.) By M. Boussingault. 

 —•This mineral, which M. Boussingault has named Gay-Lussite, in honour 

 of M. Gay-Lussac, is found in great abundance in a bed of clay covering the 

 native carbonate of soda, called urao, at Lagunilla, a small Indian village in 

 the neighbourhood of Merida. It occurs in irregular crystals, which, from 

 their form, were at first taken for carbonate of lime. It has the lustre of 

 the carbonate and sulphate of lime ; but it scratches the latter, and is 

 scratched by the former. Its specific gravity, as a mean of two experi- 

 ments, is 1.939. 



Exposed to heat in a small mattress, it decrepitates slightly, gives out a 

 considerable quantity of water, and becomes opaque. Before the blowpipe, 

 it decrepitates till it has acquired a red heat; and then, on throwing upon 

 it the point of the blowpipe flame, it fuses rapidly into an opaque globule, 

 which, when once formed, is infusible. The bead, when put into the 

 mouth, is found to have a distinct alkaline taste. These characters alone 



