374 On AL LANlTE, a nezv 



Easily frangible. 



Powder, dark greenifh-grey. 



Before the blow-pipe it froths, and melts imperfectly into 

 a brown fcoria. 



Gelatinises in nitric acid. In a ftrong red heat it lofes 

 3.98 per cent, of its weight. 



II. Experiments to ascertain its composition. 



My firfl experiments were made, on the fuppofition that the 

 mineral was a variety of gadolinite, and were pretty much in 

 the flyle of thofe previoully made on that fubftance by Eke- 

 berg, Klaproth, and Vauquelin. 



1. 100 grains of the mineral, previoufly reduced to a fine 

 powder in an agate mortar, were digefled repeatedly on a fand 

 bath in muriatic acid, till the liquid ceafed to have any action 

 on it. The undiflblved refidue was filica, mixed with fome frag- 

 ments of mica. When heated to rednefs, it weighed 33.4 

 grains. 



2. The muriatic acid folution was evaporated almofl to dry- 

 nefs, to get rid of the excefs of acid, diflblved in a large quan- 

 tity of water, mixed with a confiderable excefs of carbonate of 

 ammonia, and boiled for a few minutes. By this treatment, 

 the whole contents of the mineral were precipitated in the 

 flate of a yellowifh powder, which was feparated by the nitre, 

 and boiled, while ftill moift, in potafh-ley. A fmall portion of 

 it only was diffolved. The potafh-ley was feparated from the 

 undifTolved portion by the nitre, and mixed with a folution of 

 fal ammoniac, by means of which a white powder precipitated 

 from it. This white matter being heated to rednefs, weighed 

 7.9 grains. It was digefled in fulphuric acid, but 3.76 grains 

 refufed to difTolve. This portion pofTefTed the properties of fi- 

 lica. The diflblved portion being mixed with a few drops of 



fulphate 



