82 A Description of a JVew Mineral Species. 



monia was added, the opaline fluid was then poured on a porous fil- 

 ter, covered by a bell resting on moist hydrate of lime, to prevent 

 the absorption of carbonic acid. After draining, the bulky hydrate was 

 washed in hot pure water, transferred to a dilute solution of pure 

 potash, and boiled in it : a portion B. remained insoluble, after treat- 

 ing it with more potash, this being separated, the clear solution was 

 evaporated and heated till a dry salt remained ; muriatic acid and 

 water then dissolved all but pure white silica weighing after ignition 

 .12. The acid fluid was mixed with ammonia and carbonate of am- 

 monia, the latter being in excess; the fluid was allowed to rest on the 

 precipitate twenty four hours, it was then separated by a double pre- 

 pared filter from the colorless hydrate ; the latter being washed, was 

 dried and ignited, till it suffered no further loss by heating; its true 

 weight was 1 0.74. It was soluble in fused bi-sulphate of soda ; after 

 expelling the excess of acid, dissolving the salt and testing the solu- 

 tion, no trace of phosphoric acid remained; before the blowpipe it 

 appeared as pure alumina. The solution of carbonate of ammonia 

 and muriate of potash in which the alumina had been digested, con- 

 tained no earthy matter, or phosphoric acid. 



IV. That fluid which had drained from the first precipitate in III. 

 had been secluded from carbonic acid, it was clear and slightly alka- 

 line, a distilled solution of carbonate of ammonia being added, at 

 first did not produce a change, after a few minutes a granular pre- 

 cipitate C. resembling carbonate of lime fell, leaving a transparent 

 solution above it. After separating the powder from the fluid by a 

 double filter and drying, it was weighed, then heated red hot, cooled 

 and again weighed, it had suffered no loss, after the usual reductions 

 8.08 parts were obtained. Boiled in sulphuric acid till part was 

 evaporated, treated with much alcohol, there remained a quantity of 

 sulphate of lime equivalent to 8.08 of carbonate of lime and no 

 trace of phosphoric acid was present in the alcoholic fluid, it was 

 therefore pure and is equal to 4.55 lime. 



V. The precipitate B. of III. which was insoluble in potash was 

 washed into diluted muriatic acid, it slowly dissolved with the charac- 

 ters of a non-alkaline oxide, giving a yellow colored solution, which 

 could not be rendered neutral without precipitation taking place. 

 Much muriate of ammonia being added, a slight excess of caustic 

 ammonia was dropped in and the matter which separated was col- 

 lected on a double filter, when dried it became opake and after ig- 

 nition and reduction its weight was 2.01. It appeared as a yellow- 



