Chemistry and Physics. 425 



Inspection of the oxygen ratios shows that when reduced to 

 the simplest terms the relation is, as follows, Cb 2 5 : Ti0 2 : 

 RO : H 2 = 1 : 2 : 1J : -f , there being in both cases a slight 

 excess of water which undoubtedly does not enter into the 

 composition of the mineral. The formula which we deduce 

 for the species is therefore 3(Cb 2 5 , 5Ti0 2 ) 10(2RO + H 2 O) 

 or grouping H 2 under the general head of RO we have the 

 simple form Cb 2 5 , 5 Ti0 2 , 10EO. It is evident that this is 

 not merely an isomorphous mixture of a columbate and a 

 titanate, but that we have a definite salt of a complex inorganic 

 acid, a columbo-titanate properly so-called. It seems also that 

 we are justified in regarding water as an essential constituent. 

 The separation of the metallic acids is even yet not very 

 satisfactory, as our titanic acid shows the presence of columbic 

 acid, but we feel assured that the formula deduced will not be 

 altered by the results of more exact separations. 



Regarding the yttria earths present in both varieties we 

 would state that a concentrated solution of them exhibited little 

 if any absorption spectrum and the ignited oxides were of a 

 paler straw color than any we have yet met with, approaching 

 nearly to whiteness in the Marietta mineral. 



Prof. Rowland has kindly examined the South Carolina 

 variety spectroscopically in its crude condition, and has identi- 

 fied all the lines of its spectrum, except one or two, as belong- 

 ing to 



Nb, Ti, Yt earths, Sc, Ur, Fe, Pb. 



Faint evidences also of Mn, Al, Neo, Di, La, Th (?) and Ce, 

 with the lines of JSTb very weak. " There was no Praseo, Di, 

 Ta, Be, Tl or Ge." 



He adds that " he has not tried to identify other elements as 

 all the portion of the spectrum examined [i. e. 2 feet out of 10] 

 was satisfied by the above mentioned. The amount of thorium 

 was too minute to be certain of. There was more scandium 

 than in any other mineral he had ever studied spectrographi- 

 cally, except xenotime (from North Carolina) and one excep- 

 tional mass of samarskite." 



The discovery, by Prof. Rowland, of the presence of 

 scandium in this polycrase adds very materially to its interest. 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 

 I. Chemistry and Physics. 



1. On the Speed of Chemical Reactions in Jelly. — Since the 

 liquid condition of substances is generally regarded as essential 

 to the rapid and uniform progress of chemical changes, Reform- 



