274 Scientific Intelligence. 
But, in our pinion, it is neither the process by which the new metal w 
recognized, nor t one al which furnished it. that commends it to our aie 
Spectrum analy sis mea aa its procis and manufacturing resides have 
long since been recognized as fruitful mines to explore. But “thallium is des- 
tined to aes an epoch in the history of shaeniitey. by the asto cnishing ge 
—— between its chemical characters and physical properties. It is 
xaggeration to say, that, in regard to the ouctdetce generally accepted for 
the metals, oe offers an assemblage of contradictory properties which 
— * to the name of a metallic parados—the ornithorhynchus of metals. 
W = detain the attention of the Academy on the history of its ts dis- 
cove a 'No e disputes that Mr. Crookes first saw, on the 30th of March, 
ye the pon ive characteristic of thallium in certain alert residues; 
t he recognized it again in the products of a specim ulphur from 
Liperi and in those of a pyrites from Spain; and that he desttibed and named 
thallium as a new simple body. 
Nor will any one dispute that Mr. Lamy was the first to isolate thallium, and 
establish, in the sequel, that it was nota metalloid analogous to selenium an 
tellurium, as Mr. Crookes, who had never obtained it free and pure, thoughit; 
but that it was, in fact, a true metal. . Lamy announced his discovery to 
the Société Imperiale of Lille on the 16th of May, —_ and on the 10th of 
June he submitted to the jury of chemists in London, in the presence of Mr, 
Crookes, a beautiful ingot of thallium. If the atter ‘peotienias considered 
that he had any rights - to preserve, he should at once, as is usual in such 
es is products, instead of silently listening to tl munication of 
Li depositing - the Royal oe ig t days afterwards, a note 
abientiog that he had long been aware of the metallic fogs of thallium, and 
was acquainted with the essential properties of the new body. 
The historical arate which engages us—for, in celal, the diecosers of 
‘ each new simple body has its Jegend or its history—is determined by two 
a. sew one of these is the nonce of March, 1861, on which day Me. 
ookes announces the existence of a new body which he believes t 
me ellie, chikractiett ed by the brilliant green line: the i 
ena 1862, the a on which Mr, Lamy makes sire the metal as a metal, 
Ww one posse uh 
Ite ee in the “aatpl iric acid manufactory of our Jearned confrere, K that 
ong the sediment of the leaden chambers fed by Belgian ates ich 
Lamy decoreed son m in tolerably large quantity, and in a mn 
made it easy to extract; for, by a little aan paldtiody, it could be craig et 
the state of sulphate ore chlorid, from which combination the metal itself tes 
be easily separated by means s of zinc, which takes its place, and pre¢! ipital 
it in pest n the same manner as lea ch at- 
The Academy will permit us to draw attention to the importance W whi 
shes, in cases of this kind, to positive characters, like those given by rate 
trum analysis. We shall see, as we proceed, that, beyond his certal at ae 
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from i, Foci of its ite ey means of aie pre esents t the appearance makes & 
It has nearly the same color as lead; is scratched and cut like it. It mane 
on paper like that which lead Serge nes it has the same dent at 
and very nearly the same melting point. It possesses the same specifi oid 
Its solutions are precipitated black by silphuretted hydrogen, yellow b, go not 
and a and white by chlorids, just as those of lead are. Wee"... 
then hesitate pfeil that, without the aid of spectrum analysis, oi this 
aad ianpareaan roe, remained unrecognized; that, even W! 
