280 Scientific Intelligence. 



C. The insoluble matter B (which the water would not dissolve) was 

 rapidly taken up by hydrochloric, as well as by sulphuric acid, and on 

 boiling became troubled. In these solutions also, the nutgalls produced 

 a rich, orange red precipitate. 



D. A portion of the powder A was fused with hydrate of potassa in 

 a silver crucible. Water dissolved the mass freely, compared with the 

 fused mass B. On filtering, the solution soon became turbid, (and on 

 standing a few days, a most abundant white precipitate had subsided.) 

 Portions of the liquid gave with either of the acids above mentioned, 

 a copious white precipitate which did not dissolve by boiling. The acid 

 liquors gave with nutgalls, rich orange red precipitates, and with ferro- 

 cyanid of potassium a red brown precipitate, which was somewhat di- 

 minished by the addition of hydrochloric acid. 



E. A somewhat bulky precipitate was left after the affusion of boil- 

 ing water upon the mass obtained by fusing the powder with potassa. 

 This readily disappeared on being treated with sulphuric acid, though 

 on boiling it became turbid. It was filtered, and subsequently precipi- 

 tated by a boiling saturated solution of sulphate of potassa. On cool- 

 ing, the iiquor became heavily clouded with a white precipitate, which 

 on boiling cleared up, but returned as it cooled. The white precipitate 

 was separated by a filter, and across this, boiling water was poured, which 

 dissolved out nearly all its contents. From this solution, potassa threw 

 down a bulky precipitate which dissolved in sulphuric acid, which solu- 

 tion was turbid when boiled, and cleared up, to a certain extent, in cooling. 



F. The clear sulphate of potassa, solution E, was also precipitated 



by potassa. The precipitate was ignited, after which it freely dissolved 



in sulphuric acid, and the solution remained clear on boiling. 



My conclusion from the foregoing is, that the Arkansite is a Niobate 

 of yttria and thorina? 



Native Platinum in North Carolina.— In November last, I received 

 in a letter from Hon. T. J. Clingman, of Asheville, N. C, a small re- 

 iii form grain of native platinum, with the following remark.— " The en- 

 closed metallic grain was given me by a friend, who says it was found 

 among the gold of one of his rockers. It looks like native platinum. 

 Its weight was 2-541 grs. There was no difficulty, by means of its 

 physical and chemical properties, in identifying it with the substance 

 above suggested. Its specific gravity — 18. In a subsequent letter da- 

 ted Jan. 3d, (written before receiving my reply,) Mr. C. adds still far- 

 ther, » Mr. T. T. Erwin, who presented it to me, says that his overseer, 

 in whose veracity he has the fullest confidence, gave it to him with the 

 gold obtained from the rocker, and that he (Mr. Erwin) does not enter- 

 tain the smallest doubt of its having been found in his mine in the north 

 part of Rutherford Co. Should it prove to be platinum, it is a mauer 

 of interest to me, as the first specimen of that mineral found in the v* 

 ted States." 



Fearing however that the grain might have originated in a foreign lo- 

 cality, I addressed particular inquiries to Mr. C. "on this head, and re- 

 ceived from him the following additional statements.— " The plat*"" 

 specimen formerly sent you, was taken from the gold rocker by 

 i^yon, the overseer of Mr. Erwin. Mr. L. is a man of good character, 

 and all persons who know him entertain no doubt whatever of his na ■ 



