August 23, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



245 



Separation of Lithium Chloride from the 

 Chlorides of other Alkalies: L. Kahlen- 

 BEE6 and F. C. Krauskopf, University 

 of Wisconsin. 



The separation depends on the solubility 

 of lithium chloride in pyridine while the 

 other chlorides are insoluble in this 

 reagent. The presence of three per cent, 

 of water is not detrimental. 



The Influence of Acid Residue upon the 

 Stability of Cuprammonium Salts: W. 

 D. HoEN, Bryn Mawr. 

 This paper will appear in an early num- 

 ber of the American Chemical Journal. 



An Anomalous Behavior in the Radio- 

 activity of some Uranium Compounds: 

 Richard B. Moore and Herman 

 ScHLUNDT, Butler College, Indian- 

 apolis. 



"When a 4-N solution of ammonium car- 

 bonate solution is added in excess to a 

 saturated solution of uranyl nitrate, a 

 yellow well-crystallized carbonate of ura- 

 nium and ammonium separates out. This 

 salt was found to increase very consider- 

 ably in activity on standing. It was found 

 that the salt on standing lost in weight and 

 the same effect could be obtained by heat- 

 ing, the increase in activity being directly 

 proportional to the loss in weight. The 

 nitrate, acetate and sulphate of uranium 

 on heating behaved in a similar manner. 



On heating the complex uranium am- 

 monium carbonate, ammonia water vapor 

 and carbon dioxide are evolved simul- 

 taneously. 



The initial increase in activity that was 

 observed on the double carbonate does not 

 indicate that a new radioactive type of 

 matter had been separated from uranyl 

 nitrate by a modification of the method of 

 Crookes. The loss in weight decreases the 

 absorption of the o-rays and the increase 

 in activity consequently results. 



Tellurium-Tin Alloys: Henry Fay, Massa- 

 chusetts Institute of Technology, Boston. 

 Tin and tellurium unite to form the 

 compound SnTe, which melts at 769°. This 

 compound forms a eutectie with tellurium 

 which contains 85 per cent, of tellurium 

 and which melts at 399°. It also forms a 

 eutectie with tin, which melts at practically 

 the same temperature as tin, 232°. The 

 composition of this second eutectie has not 

 been definitely determined, but it has been 

 established that it contains less than 1 per 

 cent, of tellurium. 



On the Properties of Sodium Bismuthate: 

 Henry Fay and Helen R. Hosmer, 

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 

 Boston. 



A complete study of the bismuth-oxygea 

 ratio in various preparations of the so- 

 called sodium bismuthate was made. From 

 the results obtained it is highly probable 

 that sodium bismuthate does not exist as 

 such except in the fusion of bismuth oxide 

 with sodium hydroxide and sodium per- 

 oxide. It is impossible to identify it 

 absolutely here on account of the rapidity 

 with which it hydrolyzes into sodium hy- 

 droxide and a mixture of tetravalent and 

 pentavalent bismuth oxides. 



Of the various methods for the prepara- 

 tion of sodium bismuthate, the fusion 

 method alone is capable of oxidizing the 

 bismuth to its highest form. 



Vanadium Sulphide, Patronite and its 

 Mineral Associates from Minasragra, 

 Peru: W. F. Hillebrand and W. T. 



SCHALLER. 



The Mercury Minerals of Terlingua, Texas: 

 W. F. Hillebrand and W. T. Schaller. 

 Reported by title. 



The Reaction between Hydrazine Sulphate 

 and Ammonium Vanadate: A. W. 

 Browne and F. F. Shetterly. 



