276 



SGIENGE. 



[N. S. Vol. "VII. No. 165. 



to the top of the burner. The product is 

 then treated with a little water in an agate 

 mortar, when the caustic soda formed is 

 quickly dissolved and any metal present is 

 left, generally in quantity large enough for 

 easy examination. Sulfur and other sub- 

 stances are very readily detected in the so- 

 lution. In case of silicates and borates the 

 silicon or boron is left in the elementary 

 state and easily recognized. In case it is 

 desired to examine the constituents of the 

 substances with the spectroscope, aluminum 

 or magnesium filings are substituted for the 

 sodium. The reaction is violent, but in 

 small quantities unattended by danger. If 

 it is desired to use larger quantities the 

 substance must be diluted with an indiffer- 

 ent body, as salt when sodium is used, 

 magnesium oxid with magnesium and 

 aluminum oxid with aluminum. In this 

 way considerable quantities may be used in 

 a small iron crucible, and thus silicates de- 

 composed in a few seconds. With care the 

 process is even available for quantitative 

 work. 



In the course of an investigation on the 

 analysis of illuminating gas, Messrs. Har- 

 beck and Lunge have discovered the exist- 

 ence of a stable compound of carbon mo- 

 noxid. with platinum and also with palla- 

 dium. These are formed by leading carbon 

 monoxid over the metal in a finely divided 

 state. The metals are not completely con- 

 verted into the carbonyl, hence their com- 

 position is as yet unknown, but they present 

 an analogy to the volatile carbonyls of 

 nickel and of iron. They have no catalytic 

 power of causing the combination of gases, 

 and their formation explains why the pres- 

 ence of carbon monoxid prevents the cat- 

 alytic action of platinum and palladium. 

 As it is well known that certain other gases 

 also prevent this catalytic action, investi- 

 gation will now be needed to see if they 

 too form similar compounds. 



In a paper read before the Chemical So- 



ciety (London), Messrs. Lean and "What- 

 mough discuss the preparation of pure 

 iodin. It is well known that iodin is very 

 diflScult to prepare free from bromin and 

 chlorin. The authors find that cuprous 

 iodid can readily be prepared free from 

 these elements, and by heating it in a 

 stream of dry air at 220°-240° most of the 

 iodin is expelled and can be condensed 

 upon a cold surface. This pure iodin has a 

 black vapor and not the usual deep violet, 

 thus confirming the statement of Stas that 

 the vapor of pure iodin is opaque. Fur- 

 ther, it emits no visible vapor at ordinary 

 temperatures. 



J. L. H. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Senate confirmed, on February 14th, 

 President McKinley's appointment of Mr, 

 George M. Bowers as Fish Commissioner. 



The Prince of Wales has consented to act as 

 patron of the coming International Congress of 

 Zoology. 



Professor Agassiz arrived in San Francisco 

 on February 13th on the steamship Australian 

 from Honolulu, returning from his investiga- 

 tions of the formation of coral islands. 



Professor Ltjigi Cremona, who holds the 

 chair of mathematics in the University of Rome, 

 has been elected a correspondent of the Paris 

 Academy of Sciences. 



The Senate of Glasgow University has ap- 

 pointed Professor Michael Foster, secretary of 

 the Royal Society and professor of physiology 

 in Cambridge University, to he Giflford lecturer 

 in the Glasgow University in succession to Pro- 

 fessor Bruce. 



Dr. Nansen is now giving lectures in Great 

 Britain, and will next month lecture in St. 

 Petersburg and Vienna. He then expects to 

 return home and devote himself to studying 

 the specimens collected and the observations 

 made during his expedition. 



The Cameron prize of the University of Edin- 

 burgh has been awarded to Professor T. R. 

 Frazer for his researches in practical thera- 

 peutics. 



