NATURE 
[Oct. 14, 1886 
580 
Variable Stars 
Star R.A. Decl. 
hm. ao A h. m. 
U Cephei © 52:2... 81 16. N. .,. Oct "1995 an 772 
R Sculptoris |e > dy mera Xe Mats en Ie np, | 2275 M 
Algol oe 3 (08)...-40/.31) Ni... p55) ALORS 772 
59 ee 770 
A Tauri hes! ese, 930544 s-. 12, 1OINa a Lo MmONO! 272 
»» 21, 23 38 m 
RiGanissMinoris:.. 77/9 2°4\:.-.1O) 1209), as Peso M 
Si@aneris (ere cen (0037 Ave. LOZ TING ce |g Cem 772 
U Ophiuchi... 17 10°8 T 20\N. sc-u 5) Ose 772 
and at intervals of 20 8 
B Lyre... 18 45°9 ... 33 14.N. ... Oct-18; 0mo 7 
eh 5 OS 
n Aquilee 19 46°7 0 43N > LOmEzO. AT 
»» 23, 21 30 m 
5 Cephei 3) 222459 225157) SOUN. +s. (9) LOMMEZEEO! 772 
M signifies maximum ; 77 minimum. 
Meteor Notes 
There are a large number of active radiants visible during the 
present week, the chief shower being the Ovionids, R.A. 90°, 
Decl. 15° N. Other radiants are that of the Avvetids, R.A. 31°, 
Decl. 9° N. ; near y Aurige, R.A. 78°, Decl. 32° N.; that of 
the Gemellids, R.A. 108°, Decl. 24° N.; near « Leonis, R.A. 
143°, Decl. 28° N. ; and near Vega, R.A. 283°, Decl. 43° N. 
October 18 is a fireball date. 
THE NEW ELEMENT, GERMANIUM? 
OME months ago Dr. Clemens Winkler announced the dis- 
covery of a new element which he named germanium, a pre- 
liminary account of which has already appeared in these columns. 
Dr, Winkler has since been able to make a more systematic 
examination of the subject, and he now describes in detail the 
preparation and properties of the new element and also of a 
number of its compounds. The view he first held, that ger- 
manium occupied a position in the periodic system intermediate 
between antimony and bismuth, he now shows to be untenable, 
there being now no doubt that it is the efast/icteum of Mendele- 
jeff prophesied fifteen years ago. This latter view was, in fact, 
expressed by Richter, Mendelejeff, and Lothar Meyer shortly 
after the discovery of germanium. 
The new element occurs, as previously stated, in the recently- 
discovered mineral, argyrodite. Its isolation is, however, diffi- 
cult, especially from the presence of arsenic and antimony in 
minerals which accompany argyrodite. The formula assigned 
to the latter mineral is 3Ag,S,GeS,. 
The following is the best method for separating the ger- 
manium. The finely-powdered mineral is intimately mixed 
with an equal weight of soda and sulphur, and the whole sub- 
mitted to the action of a moderate red heat in a Hessian crucible. 
The product is powdered whilst still warm, and repeatedly 
boiled with water; the aqueous extract is slightly acidulated 
with sulphuric acid, and the precipitated sulphides of arsenic and 
antimony allowed to settle. On then adding a considerable 
excess of hydrochloric acid, the germanium sulphide is thrown 
down as a white voluminous precipitate ; this is gently roasted, 
then heated with concentrated nitric acid, and finally ignited. 
The germanium oxide obtained may be reduced by ignition in 
hydrogen. 
Germanium has a melting-point apparently somewhat lower 
than that of silver—that is, about 900°—and at a temperature a 
little higher than this it appears to volatilise. It crystallises in 
octahedra, is extremely brittle, has a perfect metallic lustre, and 
a grayish-white colour ; ils specific gravity is 5-469 at 20°"4. Itis 
insoluble in hydrochloric acid, is readily dissolved by aqua regia, 
is converted into a white oxide by nitric acid, and into a soluble 
sulphate by concentrated sulphuric acid. 
Determinations of the atomic weight of germanium were made 
by estimating the percentage of chlorine in the chloride, GeCl,, 
and the number 72°32 was obtained as the mean of four experi- 
ments, this number agreeing closely with the atomic weight of 
Mendelejeff’s ekasilicium. 
The specific heat of the new element has been determined by 
Nilson and Pettersson, at temperatures between 100° and 440°, 
with the following results :— 
* Clemens Winkler, Journal f. prakt. Chentie, 1836, pp. 177-220. 
z. 2 3 4 
0°0737 00772 070768 0°0757 
5°33 5°58 5°55 5°47 
Compounds of Germanium.—Oxides : There are two oxides of 
germanium, namely, GeO and GeO,. The former is obtained 
in the hydrated condition by heating the corresponding chloride 
(GeCl,) with sodium carbonate solution; on heating the pre- 
cipitate in a current of carbonic anhydride, the water is expelled 
and the grayish-black oxide, GeO, remains. The higher oxide is 
obtained by burning germanium in oxygen, or by decomposing 
the chloride, GeCl,, by water; it forms a dense white powder 
slightly soluble in water, possesses both basic and acid proper- 
ties, the latter being, however, the more pronounced. Szdphides: 
Two of these are likewise known, corresponding to the oxides. 
The lower sulphide, GeS, is obtained from the disulphide either 
by heating it with an excess of germanium in a current of car- 
bonic anhydride, or by gently igniting it in a current of hydro- 
gen ; it forms beautiful thin plates of almost metallic lustre and 
having a gray-black colour. Germanium disulphide, GeS,, is 
obtained by precipitating a solution of the dioxide by sulphur- 
Specific heat 
Atomic heat 
. 
| 
etted hydrogen with the addition of a considerable excess of a — 
mineral acid ; it is then thrown down as a bulky white precipi- 
tate which is very appreciably soluble in water. Chlorides = 
The dichloride, GeCl,, is formed when hydrochloric acid gas 1s 
passed over heated pulverulent germanium or its sulphide ; it is 
a thin colourless liquid, which fumes strongly on exposure to the 
air. The tetrachloride, GeCl,, is produced by burning germanium 
in chlorine, or by distilling a mixture of germanium with mer- 
curic chloride ; it is a thin colourless liquid boiling at 86° C. 
and fuming in the air; its specific gravity at 18° is 1°887. 
Lodide : A tetriodide, Gel,, only is known, and is best obtained 
by heating germanium in iodine vapour ; it forms a yellow pow- 
der, melts at 144°, and boils between 350° and 400°. 
AUSTRALASIA 
HE following have been quite recently received from 
Australasia :— 
Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 
for 1885, vol. xviii. (first of new series) (Wellington, May 1886). 
This volume commences a new series of these well-known 
Transactions, in which, ‘‘for convenience and economy” the 
size of the page has been reduced from the handsome royal octavo 
toa demy octayo size. The volume contains over 450 pages, and 
some 17 plates. Among the more important contributions which 
are printed in the Zyamsactions may be noted the following :— 
Miscellaneous: E, Tregear, the Maori in Asia.—Dr. J. Haast, 
stone weapons of the Moriori and the Maori.—Rev. S. W. 
Baker, new volcano in the Friendly Islands.—Zoology: T. 
Jeffery Parker, skeleton of Notornis.—T. White, feathers of 
two species of Moa.—A. Reischek, numerous papers on New 
Zealand birds.—W. Colenso, on the bones of a new species of 
Sphenodon.—W. W. Smith, on the habits of Ocydromus 
australis,—J. W. Kirk, on a new species of Argonauta.—Geo, 
M. Thomson and Chas. Chilton, critical list of New Zealand 
Crustacea Malacostraca.—E. Meyrick, New Zealand Micro- 
Lepidoptera (Tineina, Pars.).—A. T. Urquhart, on the spiders 
of New Zealand (many new species described and figured),— 
J. W. Kirk, on some species of Vorticella from Wellington 
describes thirteen species, of which two are given as new, and 
figured.—Bofany: W. Colenso, on some newly-discovered 
cryptogamic plants of New Zealand, describes some fifty-nine 
species ; two ferns, fourteen mosses, and forty-three Hepaticze, 
and hints that it may be the last lot of novelties that, owing to — 
age, he may himself collect and describe.k—On some new or | 
rare native plants, chiefly phanerogams ; on C/ianthus puniceus, 
Sol.—D. Petrie, on new species of native plants.—R. M. 
Lang, on classification of Algze, and on the Fucoids of Banks 
Peninsula.—T. F. Cheeseman, three new species of Coprosma. 
—T. Kirk, additions to the flora of Nelson.—Geo/ogy: Capt. 
F. W. Hutton, the geology of Scinde Island ; new Tertiary shells ; 
the Wanganui system, with a catalogue of the Mollusca.—A. 
McKay, on the age of the Napier limestone.—dAstronomy : 
Notes on the total eclipse of the sun of September 9, 1885, 
being a dizest of many communications. —Cemistry : W. Skey, 
ona new mineral (awaruite) from Barn Bay.—W. S. Hamilton, | 
on platinum crystals in the ironsands of Orepuki Goldfield. 
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. x. 
part 4, with 18 plates (Sydney, April 1886).—Dr. R. von 
