1817.] Thorina ; a new Earth. 459 
being dissolved in acids. 2. Sulphate of potash does not precipitate 
it from its solutions, while it precipitates zirconia from solutions 
containing even a considerable excess of acid. 3. It is precipitated 
by oxalate of ammonia, which is not the case with zirconia. 4. Sul- 
phate of thorina crystallizes readily, while sulphate of zirconia, sup- 
posing it free from alkali, forms, when dried, a gelatinous, trans- 
parent mass, without any trace of crystallization. 
As thorina has a greater analogy with zirconia than with any other 
body, and as the two earths occur together at Finbo, it may be 
useful perhaps to exhibit here a parallel between their properties :— 
Thorina. 
Taste of the neutral solutions 
purely astringent. 
Crystallizes easily with sul- 
phuric acid. The crystals are 
decomposed by water. 
The muriatic solution gives a 
precipitate when boiled. This 
precipitate is bulky, semitrans- 
parent, and gelatinous. Muriate 
of thorina does not crystallize. 
The nitric solution, when 
boiled, lets fall a gelatinous 
earth. 
Alkaline succinates, benzoates, 
and éartrates, occasion a preci- 
pitate in the solution of thorina. 
The precipitate by an alkaline 
tartrate is dissolved by hydrate of 
potash. 
The citrates occasion no pre- 
cipitate; but a precipitate ap- 
pears when the liquid is boiled. 
Oxalate of ammonia precipi- 
tates thorina from its solution in 
sulphuric acid, 
Sulphate or muriate of tho- 
rina dissolved in water, and 
mixed to saturation with sul- 
Zirconia, 
The same. 
Does not crystallize, but be- 
comes mucilaginous ; and when 
long exposed to a moderate heat 
becomes white, opake, saline. 
Deliquesces in the air; but be- 
comes muddy when water is 
poured into it, unless the solu- 
tion be very acid. The dried 
salt can bear a moderate heat, 
without being more than par- 
tially decomposed. 
The muriatic solution is preci- 
pitated by boiling. The preci- 
pitate is a heavy, white, opake 
powder. Muriate of zirconia 
crystallizes by evaporation. 
The same. 
The same, 
The cilrates occasion no pre- 
cipitate, nor does one appear 
when the liquid is boiled. 
Oxalate of ammonia throws 
down no precipitate from sul- 
phate of zirconia, 
A salt of zirconia dissolved in 
water, and mixed to saturation 
with sulphate of potash, is en- 
