ORIGIN OF ELEMENTARY SUBSTANCES, 135 



considered as products of the firsts second, third or fourth 

 power of Hm. Whichever view be taken of the formation 

 of the first negative member of the series Hin, it is probable 

 that both fluorine and oxygen were not formed direct from 

 Hn, and }i2n, but from members homologous in position 

 with Li_, and Gl^ but which have become extinct by absorp- 

 tion into F and O. 



Another numerical relation subsisting among the halo- 

 gens which it may be of interest to point out is, that the 

 difference of a unit in their atomic weights will make them 

 multiples of 3 and 9, and these numbers, commencing with 

 01=36, are all respectively three times the atomic weights 

 of the first three members of the series K^n. These rela- 

 tions would indicate that the halogens, usually regarded 

 as monatomic, are also built up in multiple proportions, 

 and may also throw some light on the variable quantiva- 

 lence which Wanklyn and other chemists have shown the 

 alkaline metals and halogens to possess. 



The recent researches of chemists leave no doubt that 

 all the elements which I have classified as forms of H5Ji, 

 except boron, belong to the same group. Now, boron 

 bears a greater resemblance to phosphorus in its combi- 

 nations and occurrence in nature than it does to other 

 elements, and whether the first three members of the 

 series be considered as forms of H5W, or H5W+1, they 

 form a triad as well defined as their homologues of position 

 in H3W, Hin and Hn. Triads are also formed by anti- 

 mony, arsenic, and phosphorus, — bismuth, antimony, and 

 phosphorus, — tantalum, niobium, and boron, — ^=140^ 

 As = 75, and B=io, — a?=i40, Nb=95, and V=50. 

 The atomic weights of boron, phosphorus, and vanadium 

 have been so carefully determined by chemists, as to 

 preclude any doubt of their being represented by 

 H5w-}-i, rather than H5W ; but the fact that arsenic. 



