212 EXAMINATION OF THE OCHROITES. 



which had acquired a yellow colour, was feparated and neu- 

 tralized by (iilphuric acid, and then placed in a warm place. 

 A grey precipitate was thus obtained, which on being dried, 

 weighed 1| grains. This precipitate, after being dilTolved in 

 nitric acid, yielded a blue precipitate by pruffiale of potafh, 

 this being feparated, a white flocculent precipitate fell down 

 by dropping into the remaining fluid carbonate of potafli. This 

 method is therefore applicable for feparatinga minute quantity 

 of iron, that may be contained in the fluid. 

 General remarks From what has been dated, it becomes obvious, that the 

 and charafters ocliroit earth bears the neareft relation to yttria, for like this 

 ot the Ochroit . - r^- t- , t ■ i . i it- 



eajth. 1^ lorms a connectmg link between the earths and the metallic 



oxides. Like yttria it has the properly of forming a reddifh 

 coloured fait with fulpliuricacid, and is precipitable by prutTi- 

 ate of potafh, but it differs from yttria, that it does not form 

 fweet falls, that it is not (at leaft very fparingly) foluble in 

 carboimte of ammonia, and that when ignited it acquired a 

 cinnamon brown colour. It farther differs from yttria by not 

 being ioluble in borax or phofphate of foda when urged upon 

 charcoal before the blow-pipe, which falts eafily effect a folu- 

 tion of yttria, and melt with it alfo into a pellucid pearl. 



XVI. 



Letter from Va n Mar um to J. C. Delamkheric, on Ritter's Gal- 

 vanic Ex-periinents * 



iVlR. ORSTED of Copenhagen, on his way through Har- 

 lem, having fhewn me, by means of the apparatus in Teyler's 

 New experiment Mufeum, fome difcoveries of his friend Ritter of Jena ;f I 



in proof of the made at the fame time a new experiment with him, which af~ 



identity or elec- ,. , ^ . . 



tricity and gal- 'Ords a frefh proof of the identity of the fluid fet in motion bjr 



vanifm. Vojta's pile and the common electrical machine, and an ac- 



count of which I imagine will be acceptable for your Journal. 

 Two wires of Mr. Orfted having fliown me, that two wires of platina, 



mhi'uteVin'^the^ after having been kept five minutes in the chain of comraunica- 

 chain of com- tion between the two extremities of a galvanic pile, acquired 



municati >n be- 

 tween the two * j^^^^^ ^^ Phyfique, December, 1803, Vol. LVII. p. 471. 

 polesof the pile, en- 



convulfed the T Ste Kitter s exi)eriments, as communicated by Dr. Orfted, in 



legs of a frog, this prcfenl and ibme other numbers of the Journal, 



thereb/ 



