Chemistry and Physics. 123 
if not soluble in water, is to be dissolved in nitric acid, avoiding a large 
excess, The solution is to be diluted with water, the nitrate of bismuth 
pr 
phates, which, when present, are easily removed by nitrate of silver and 
chlorid of barium.— Comptes Rendus, 1, p. 416. 
na New Mode of Preparing Calcium,—Caron has succeeded in 
preparing large quantities of calcium by the following process: A mix- 
ture of 300 parts of fused and pulverized chlorid of calcium with 400 
parts of granulated distilled zinc and 100 parts of sodium in pieces is to 
be eated to redness in a crucible. The reaction is feeble, and after some 
time flames of zinc appear. The heat is then to be moderated, the tem- 
perature remaining as high as possible without volatilizing the zine; af- 
ter a quarter of an hour the crucible may withdrawn from the fire. 
to be placed in a crucible of gas-retort carbon and the zine expelled by 
heat : in this manner Caron obtained masses of 40 grammes at a single 
operation, and containing only the impurities of the zinc employed. As 
thus obtained calcium has a brass-yellow color and a density of from 1°6 
to 18, it is not sensibly volatile, but filings of the metal burn with red 
color quickly vanishes, and the solution, on filtering, passes throug 
colorless, , 
When dianie acid is boiled with chlorhydric aeid and zine, instead of 
With tin, the blue solution does not appear, the precipitated acid becomes 
ue, but filters colorless, and is decolorized by water without being sen- 
S10ly dissolved. When equal quantities of dianic, tantalic, and hyponio- 
bie acid are boiled with concentrated eblorhydric acid, upon a funnel of 
While the tantalic and hyponiobie acids remain undissolved. 
