Hare’s Blowpipe. 293 
charcoal serving ag a support, or to the carbon of the oil 
used for making it to a paste. 
On the reduction of the earths to the metallic state. 
Hare, page 394. “The result of the fusion of barytes 
was a substance of an oak coloured cast, which after long 
exposure sometimes exhibited brilliant yellow specks. If 
it be certain that barytes is an earth, these specks must have 
been discoloured particles of the silver support, or of the 
pipes from which the flame issued.” 
Silliman, page 113. “ During the action of the com- 
pound flame upon the alkaline earths provided they were sup- 
perted by charcoal; distinct globules often rolled and dart- 
ed out from the ignited mass and burnt sometimes vividly 
and with peculiarly coloured flame. From the nature of 
the experiments it will not be easy to prove that these glo- 
bules were the basis. of the earths, and yet there is the 
strongest reason to believe it. Circumstances could scarce- 
ly be devised more favorable to the simultaneous fusion and 
decomposition of these bodies ; charcoal highly ignited for 
a support and an atmosphere of hydrogen also in vivid and 
intense ignition. That the oxygen should be under these 
circumstances detached is not surprising ; but the high de- 
gree of heat and the presence of oxygen necessarily burn up 
~ the metalloids almost as soon as produced. If means could 
be devised to obviate this difficulty the blowpipe of Mr. 
Hare might become an important instrument of analytical re- 
search. We can scarcely fail to attribute some of the ap- 
pearances during the fusion of the leucite to the decompo- 
sition of the potash it contains. This impression was much 
strengthened by exposing potash and soda to the com- 
pound flame with a support of charcoal ; they were evident- 
ly decomposed ; numerous distinct globules rolled out from 
them and burnt with the peculiar vivid white light and flash 
which these metalloids exhibit when produced and igni- 
ted in the galvanic circuit. It is hoped these hinis may pro- 
duce a further investigation of this subject. This commu- 
nication has already been extended further than was con- 
templated ; but on concluding, it may be allowable to re- 
mark that there is no body in all probability except a few of 
Vor. UY. No. 2. 38 
