192 Scientific Intelligence. 



and it would not now be impossible to emulate the brilliant 

 feat of Mendeleef in the celebrated cases of Eka-silicon and 

 Eka-aluminiurn. Along the neutral line alone are places for 

 many more bodies, which will probably increase in density 

 and atomic weight until we come to inert bodies in the solid 

 form. 



Four groups are seen under one another, each consisting of 

 closely allied elements which Professor Mendeleef has relegated 

 to his 8th family. They congregate around the atomic weight 

 57, manganese, iron, nickel and cobalt; round the atomic 

 weight 103, ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium, while lower 

 down round atomic weight 195 are congregated osmium, 

 iridium and platinum. These groups are interperiodic because 

 their atomic weights exclude them from the small periods into 

 which the other elements fall ; and because their chemical rela- 

 tions with some members of the neighboring groups show that 

 they are interperiodic in the sense of being formed in transi- 

 tion stages. 



Note, June 22d, 1898. Since the above was written Pro- 

 fessor Ramsay and Mr. Travers have discovered two other inert 

 gases accompanying argon in the atmosphere. These are called 

 Neon and Metargon. From data supplied me by Professor 

 Ramsay, it is probable that Neon has an atomic weight of 

 about 22, which would bring it into the neutral position 

 between fluorine and sodium. Metargon is said to have an 

 atomic weight of about 40; if so, it shares the third neutral 

 position with argon. I have marked the positions of these 

 new elements on the diagram. 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



I. Chemistry and Physics. 



1. On a New Constituent of Atmospheric Air. — On the 9th of 

 June, Ramsay and Travers read a preliminary note before the 

 Royal Society on the discovery of a new gas in the atmosphere. 

 For this purpose about 750 ce of liquid air were allowed to evapo- 

 rate slowly until only 10 cc remained. The gas from this was col- 

 lected in a holder, and the oxygen was removed by copper and 

 the nitrogen by a mixture of pure lime and magnesium dust. 

 After sparking the residue in presence of oxygen and caustic 

 soda 26*2" of a gas remained, which showed feebly the spectrum 

 of argon and in addition an entirely new spectrum. Though not 

 completely separated from argon, the new spectrum was charac- 

 terized by two very brilliant lines, one of which was closely coin- 

 cident with D 3 and which rivaled it in brilliancy. Measurements 

 with a grating of 1443S lines to the inch gave the following 



