180 



New Phenomena in Chemistry. 



Second. Held above the amalgamated copper there is 

 do attraction, but the moment the gold is allowed to touch 

 the surface, it is eagerly seized and devoured. 



Third. Held above zinc amalgam excited with chlor- 

 hydric acid, the gold leaf begins to waver and tremble * 

 slightly as though influenced by the amalgam. Touched 

 to the amalgam it is seized and vanishes instantly. 



Fourth. Above the sodium amalgam, excited with water 

 or aqua-ammonia, we have the same symptoms, but even 

 more excitement and eagerness on the part of the gold 

 leaf to pass to the amalgam as it is approached; and the 

 gold is scarcely touched ere it is gone, licked up by the 

 hungry amalgam. 



[This action is only seen when but short distances inter- 

 vene between the gold leaf and amalgam, an eighth or 

 sixteenth of an inch. To perform the experiment success- 

 fully, the water should just cover the amalgam, and the 

 edge of the gold leaf should be allowed to dip a little into 

 the water.] 



Fifth. With potassium amalgam the action is greater. 



Sixth. With the hypothetical hydrogenium or ammonium 

 amalgam, I have found less action than the supposedly 

 high electro-positive character of the metal (?) would indi- 

 cate. This might be accounted for by the porous condi- 

 tion of the amalgam, owing to the gas contained (nitrogen ?) 

 and consequently much diffused state of the " metal. " I 

 notice this last experiment and reaction, merely because it 

 may be valuable in determining whether such gaseous 

 metals exist. 



The result here seems to be that we have now for the 

 first time, a metallic compound capable of attracting the 

 precious metal gold, when but a short distance intervenes. 

 We can amuse ourselves with the idea that upon this 

 principle a compass may be constructed (a tube charged 

 with the amalgam), which will be to the prospector and 



