Progress of Invention. 309 



on the large scale, to the filtration of water — the modus operandi being 

 exemplified by the emptying of a bason of water, which most per- 

 sons have, to their surprise, observed to occur, when a towel hangs 

 down from a bason, etc., of water, in which one corner of it has 

 been accidentally immersed. Capillary attraction in the towel, and 

 the principle of the,i syphon formed by it, causes the water to be 

 very soon carried over the edge of the bason and poured on 

 the floor. M. Vigie uses, instead of the towel, a porous earthen- 

 ware, which not being acted on by moisture, is very durable. 

 When the shorter end of the syphon formed of it is placed even in 

 mud, pure water ascends continuously, and the pores remain 

 without being stopped up. 



Simple Mode op obtaining Zirconium. — This elementary sub- 

 stance, which has hitherto been procurable only in small quantities, 

 may now be had to any amount, with but little trouble and at a 

 moderate cost, by the method devised by Dr. Phipson. Having 

 discovered that the silicic and boracic acids readily give up their 

 silicon and boron when fused with magnesium, he suspected that 

 zircon might be obtained in the same way, and found on trial that 

 such is the case. The reduction occurs when the magnesium fuses : 

 and, on dissolving out the magnesia which has been formed with 

 hydrochloric acid, zirconium in the form of a velvet black powder is 

 obtained. Titanium may be procured in the same way ; but it is 

 worthy of remark that while, during this process, gases are formed 

 with silicium and titanium by combination with hydrogen, such is 

 never the case with boron or zirconium. 



Applications op Superphosphate op Lime in the Manufacture 

 OP Sugar. — Great loss is experienced in the manufacture of sugar 

 by the change of cane sugar into grape sugar, which is very inferior 

 in sweetening power, is highly hygrometric, and besides is attended 

 by other inconveniences. As, however, its formation depends on 

 the temperature at which the saccharine juice is evaporated, and the 

 time occupied by the evaporation, great saving has been already 

 effected by an attention to these circumstances, and an application 

 of correctives suggested by science. Much, however, still remains 

 to be done, and the loss experienced in the manufacture of maple 

 and sorghum sugars is very great ; nor has it been entirely elimi- 

 nated in the production of cane and beefc-root sugars. But it has 

 been found that the waste may be reduced to a minimum by the 

 addition of superphosphate of lime to the juice before boiling it. 



Economic Production of Methylic Ether. — This ether, which 

 is obtained from methylic alcohol, or wood spirit, has hitherto been 

 obtained by means neither convenient nor safe. M. Tellier, to 

 whose ice machine we have already directed the attention of our 

 readers (JNo. xlv., p. 230), and who uses it instead of amylic alcohol, 

 has discovered a very simple method of producing it in any 

 required quantity. He forms it by mixing nearly equal quantities 

 of sulphuric acid and methylic alcohol, and causes it to be evolved 

 in the state of vapour by heating to about 120° C, at which tempe- 

 rature — a constant current of wood alcohol being made to flow into 

 the mixture — an uninterrupted emission of gaseous methylic ether 



