Discovery of Yttro-Cerite in Massachusetts. 353 



Oxalic acid gave a white precipitate, insoluble in hydrochloric 

 acid. 



Phosphate of soda gave a white abundant precipitate, soluble 

 in nitric acid. 



It is well known that the above reagents produce almost pre- 

 cisely the same effect upon cerium and yttria, and the results 

 correspond with their behavior in solutions of these substances, 

 as given in the late work of Parnell on Chemical Analysis, ex- 

 cept that the precipitate by ammonia is insoluble in excess, 

 instead of being soluble ; that by hydrosulphate of ammonia is 

 gray, instead of white ; that by oxalic acid is insoluble, instead 

 of being soluble in hydrochloric acid ; that by yellow prussiate 

 of potash is yellow, instead of white, and there is a blue pre- 

 cipitate by the red prussiate of potash, whereas neither cerium 

 nor yttria produces any. There can hardly be a doubt, however, 

 that this last result proceeds from the presence of iron ; and per- 

 haps the other deviations from the usual action of the reagents 

 on cerium and yttria, may be explained by the presence of for- 

 eign ingredients, as it was impossible to separate the mineral en- 

 tirely from its gangue. It may be too, that the same cause ren- 

 dered the mineral fusible, although when pure it is infusible 

 per se. Upon the whole, too many characters correspond to the 

 yttro-cerite to allow us to refer it to any other species ; and yet 

 the facts that have been stated, throw some doubt over this con- 

 clusion. But as the existence of this mineral in New England 

 is a matter of great interest, I have thought the specimen de- 

 served this brief communication.* 



* Dr. C. T. Jackson has analyzed this mineral since the above paper was writ- 

 ten, and found it to correspond essentially with the Swedish yttro-cerite. Its 

 composition is as follows : 



Lime, 0347 



Yttria, 0-155 



Oxides of cerium and lanthanium, - - - 0*133 



Alumina and oxide of iron, . . . 0065 



Silex and silicate of cerium, ... 0'106 



Fluorine, 0-194 



1 



1-000 

 Proceedings Bost, JVat. Hist. Soc. 1844, p. 166. 



