Miscellanies. 181 



The penetration takes place much more readily in the direction of 

 the laminae of the metal than across them. A plate of thick sheet lead 

 was formed into a cup, and mercury poured into this ; and it was found 

 that before a drop had passed directly through, the mercury oozed out 

 all around the edge of the plate. 



Professor Henry stated that he had in progress a variety of experi- 

 ments to investigate this action; and if any results of importance were 

 obtained he would communicate them to the Society. 



Dr. Hare made a verbal communication to the Society, by which it 

 appears that he has obtained brilliant metallic spangles of calcium. 



His processes have been, the deflagration of the phosphuret of cal- 

 cium in an atmosphere of hydrogen ; the exposure of the anhydrous 

 iodide of calcium to a current of hydrogen,* or ammonia in an incan- 

 descent tube ; the ignition of the pure earth or its carbonate or nitrate 

 with sugar; or of the tartrate and acetate per se. Hence resulted car- 

 burets, which, after washing with acetic acid and rubbing on a porce- 

 lain tile, display the lustre of plumbago, intermingled with metallic 

 spangles, of a brilliancy rivalling that of the perfect metals. The car- 

 burets, or the spangles thus obtained, are insoluble in acetic or chloro- 

 hydric acid, but yield to aqua regia. The carburets are excellent con- 

 ductors of the voltaic fluid, as evolved by a series of 100 pairs ; and, by 

 deflagration in a receiver filled with hydrogen, yield metallic particles, 

 which, rubbed on a porcelain tile, form spangles of a metallic brill- 

 iancy. By igniting antimony with tartrate of lime. Dr. Hare had 

 procured an alloy of that metal with calcium, and expected by analo- 

 gous means to alloy the metals of the earths with various metals prop- 

 er. He believed that no efibrt to obtain calcium prior to his, had been 

 more successful than the abortive experiment of Sir H. Davy, in which 

 the tube broke before the distillation of the mercury was completed, 

 with which the calcium had been amalgamated in the voltaic circuit, 

 agreeably to the process previously employed by Berzelius. Dr. Hare 

 had produced amalgams by exposing the chloride, or sulphide of cal- 

 cium to the circuit ; and, by distillation in an iron alembic, under the 

 protection of a current of desiccated hydrogen, had isolated a portion 

 of calcium, not however endowed with the whiteness or the lustre of 

 that metal, as when otherwise fairly evolved. When distilled in glass 

 lubes or retorts, he had found the amalgam to leave only a film upon 

 the glass, devoid of any metallic attribute ; althoughin one instance, to 

 secure the absence of oxygen, he had mixed an amalgam of ammoni- 

 um with that of calcium. Hence he inferred, that even though the 

 tube of Davy had remained unbroken, that distinguished chemist 



"■ By a deflagrator of one hundred pairs of plates, fourteen inches long by eight 

 broad. 



