Chemistry and Physics. 479 
molecular — of which was 129°25, he sought at first to sepa- 
rate the ytterbia by a modification of Marignac’ 8 process, ceasing 
to heat the melted mass so soon as red fumes appeared. But it 
roved too tedious and he returned to the unmodified me tod, 
After thirteen series of decompositions of the nitrates by he 
there remained a basic nitrate which showed only feeble pie 
tion bands in the green and red. The solution, precipitated with 
oxalic acid, was evaporated and gave 3°5 grams of a white earth 
nitrate, a suitable quantity of sulphuric acid was added, the solu- 
tion was evaporated, finally over a naked fire, but “age such a tem- 
perature that the residue dissolved perfec etly_ in 
molecular weight of the earth dian shed gradually betes it enced 
105°83; and yet traces of ytter ia were present. xamined again 
spectroscopically y Thalén, it gave twenty-nine lines, the strong- 
est of which had wave lengths of 6078°5, 6054, 6019, 5736, 5729, 
5719, 5710°5, 5700, 5686, 5671, 5657°5, 5526, 5089, 5084°5, 5082°3, 
4739, 4736°5, 4733. ‘To the element thus established, Nilson 
gives the name Scandium, since the two minerals gadolinite and 
euxenite in which it ea te are of Scandinavian origin. Its oxide 
is a ae ac earth, solutions of which give no absorption 
bands. It is after elton attacked with difficulty by dilute 
nitric acid, more readily by hydrochloric. Oxalic acid precipitates 
it comple he nitrate is com decompo a te 
perature at which ytterbium nitrate is only partially converted 
into a basic salt. Its sulphate is not changed at hig era- 
the ytterbia Fp pure, its nitrate 1 a 
an The erbia of previous authors then is nearly all ytterbia 
and only a few per cent erbia. The author hopes = pes — 
