530 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
Wales, France, Spain, Turkey, Russia, Africa, Australia, Chili, Bolivia, 
Peru, Mexico, and the Northern and Southern States of America. 
In all the sulphides of copper from these countries, bismuth was de- 
teced ; but in the malachites and oxides from Australia it was absent. 
The increased working of the mines in Chanaral, Northern Chili, has 
developed enormous quantities of the oxy-chloride of copper, a mineral 
looked upon hitherto as somewhat rare. One of the mines in that neigh- 
bourhood has also been very productive of the black oxide, found heretofore 
in comparatively small masses. 
The smelting operations in Chili have been extraordinarily increased 
during the past year, and the shipments of copper ores have been very large. 
More than 30,000 tons of copper, in bar, regulus, and mineral, were ex- 
ported from that country in the year 1861. 
Dr. Percy's second volume is expected to appear about December. The 
author is engaged in many important experiments on the metallurgy of 
iron, which are looked forward to with much interest. 
The Composition of Furnace Regulus. — Mr. Field lias written a paper 
upon “ The Composition of Copper Regulus.” He had entertained the 
idea for some years that the first products of the copper furnace had a 
definite chemical constitution, although they were supposed by the majority 
of chemists to be simple admixtures of copper, sulphur, and iron, in 
variable proportions. Mr. Field asserts that one or more equivalents of 
disulphide of copper (Cm, S) are associated with one of the sesquisul- 
pliide of iron (Fe 3 S 3 ), one of the protosulphide (Fe S), and two of 
the disulphide (Fe„ So), in confirmation of which idea he publishes many 
analyses, among which one or two may be cited. 
A well-roasted sample of regulus gave — 
Copper 61 *34 
Iron . 15-61 
Sulphur 22-90 
99-85 
A very fine specimen of copper pyrites gave — 
Copper ... ... ... ... .. 54-21 
Iron 21-43 
Sulphur ... ... ... ... ... 24-12 
99-76 
Experiments on Amalgams .■ — At a recent meeting of the Literary and 
Philosophical Society of Manchester, Dr. Joule communicated some very 
interesting facts on the combinations between mercury and other bodies. 
The weakness of the affinity which holds the constituents of amalgams 
in combination seemed to the author to offer the means of studying the 
relationship between chemical and mechanical force. His inquiries were 
extended to' several amalgams, and gave_ results of which the following 
is a summary : — 
Amalgam of iron was formed by precipitating iron on mercury 
electrolytically. The solid amalgam containing the largest quantity of 
