﻿740 
  Prof. 
  McLennan 
  and 
  Mr. 
  McLeod: 
  Measurements 
  on 
  

  

  effected, 
  indirectly, 
  through 
  its 
  hydrated 
  halogen 
  and 
  oxygen 
  

   combinations 
  in 
  aqueous 
  solutions, 
  so 
  would 
  the 
  anhydrous 
  

   oxides 
  of 
  other 
  members 
  of: 
  the 
  series 
  PI 
  2n 
  (and 
  of 
  other 
  

   series) 
  be 
  resolved 
  into 
  their 
  ultimates 
  through 
  the 
  medium 
  

   of 
  their 
  silicates, 
  acting 
  as 
  solutions, 
  during 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  

   transmutation. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  silicates 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  H 
  2n, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  other 
  series, 
  

   are 
  easily 
  vitrified 
  in 
  small 
  quantities 
  in 
  laboratory 
  crucibles 
  

   and 
  appliances. 
  Their 
  spectra 
  can 
  then 
  be 
  examined 
  during 
  

   electrification 
  in 
  tubes 
  (under 
  suitable 
  conditions 
  of 
  tempe- 
  

   rature 
  and 
  pressure) 
  for 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  new 
  elements 
  and 
  

   the 
  identification 
  of 
  those 
  already 
  known. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  laid 
  down 
  as 
  a 
  canon 
  of 
  chemical 
  science, 
  that 
  

   the 
  members 
  of 
  any 
  natural 
  series 
  of 
  elements 
  are 
  never 
  

   transformed 
  into 
  the 
  members 
  and 
  ultimates 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  

   series. 
  Thus 
  neon 
  is 
  the 
  permanent 
  transformation 
  ultimate 
  

   of 
  the 
  series 
  H7?i; 
  just 
  as 
  helium 
  is 
  the 
  fixed 
  ultimate 
  of 
  the 
  

   series 
  H 
  2n. 
  Hence, 
  also, 
  helium 
  and 
  neon 
  will 
  be 
  evolved 
  

   from 
  the 
  vitrified 
  silicates 
  of 
  calcium 
  and 
  barium. 
  By 
  the 
  

   substitution 
  of 
  sodium 
  and 
  potassium 
  for 
  calcium 
  and 
  barium 
  

   in 
  their 
  vitrified 
  silicates> 
  the 
  transformation 
  products 
  would 
  

   be 
  neon 
  and 
  hydrogen, 
  but 
  without 
  helium*. 
  

  

  LXIL 
  Measurements 
  on 
  the 
  Eartlis 
  Penetrating 
  Radiation 
  

   with 
  a 
  Widf 
  Electrometer. 
  By 
  Prof. 
  J. 
  C. 
  McLennan 
  

   and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  R. 
  McLeod, 
  University 
  of 
  Toronto 
  \. 
  

  

  I. 
  Introduction. 
  

  

  IN 
  a 
  paper 
  by 
  one 
  of 
  us 
  in 
  the 
  Phil. 
  Mag. 
  of 
  Sept. 
  1912, 
  

   the 
  results 
  were 
  given 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  observations 
  on 
  

   the 
  intensity 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  penetrating 
  radiation 
  taken, 
  with 
  

   a 
  G. 
  T. 
  R. 
  Wilson 
  gold-leaf 
  compensating 
  electrometer, 
  at 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  points 
  on 
  the 
  sea 
  and 
  also 
  at 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  places 
  

   on 
  land 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic. 
  These 
  results 
  showed 
  

   that 
  while 
  at 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  places 
  in 
  England 
  and 
  in 
  Scotland 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  at 
  and 
  near 
  Toronto, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  ions 
  

   generated 
  per 
  c.c. 
  per 
  sec. 
  in 
  a 
  zinc 
  vessel 
  containing 
  air 
  and 
  

   hermetically 
  sealed, 
  was 
  between 
  eight 
  and 
  nine, 
  the 
  number 
  

  

  * 
  During 
  1 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  an 
  elaborate 
  analysis 
  of 
  many 
  fine 
  crystals 
  of 
  

   uraninite 
  which 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  terrestrial 
  helium, 
  .Dr. 
  Hillebrand 
  

   has 
  shown 
  (Bulletin 
  U. 
  S. 
  Geological 
  Survey, 
  1889-90) 
  that 
  this 
  mineral, 
  

   from 
  various 
  localities, 
  contains 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  10 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  lead 
  (Pb), 
  the 
  

   transformation 
  ultimate 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  helium, 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  my 
  Tables, 
  and 
  

   is 
  not, 
  consequently, 
  the 
  ultimate 
  of 
  uranium 
  (U). 
  

  

  •j- 
  Communicated 
  by 
  the 
  Authors. 
  

  

  