94 
POrULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
and silver, but not a trace of phosphorus in any form. A similar experi- 
ment, in which no phosphate had been added to the zinc, gave the same 
result exactly. 
SesquicMoride of Iron volatile. — It is asserted — though the assertion has 
recently been questioned — by Mr. W. Skey, of Xew Zealand, that sesqui- 
chloride of hon is volatile at the ordinary temperature of the air. Mr. Skey 
alleges that when this salt is rendered very acid by hydrochloric acid, the 
vapour from it gives a slight tinge of colour to a solution of sulphocyanide 
of potassium when allowed to impinge upon it. 
Sulphocyanide of Ammonium in Gas-Mains. — In a paper read before the 
Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, Mr. Peter Hart gave 
several reasons for believing that sulphocyanide of ammonium exists in gas- 
mains. His first experiments were made to determine whether sulphide of 
iron — resulting from the action of the sulphide of hydrogen on the iron of 
the mains — was present. Removing a scale from the pipe, and placing a 
portion of it in pure hydrochloric acid, he perceived an intense reddening, 
much more than would be accounted for by the simple solution of peroxide 
of iron, and being aware of the fact of sulphocyanogen being one of the pro- 
ducts of the distillation of coal, he at once suspected its presence. A portion 
of these scales was boiled in water. The clear liquid from this gave off 
much ammonia on the addition of alkali, and on the addition of a dilute 
solution of perchloride of iron it gave at once the intense colouration so cha- 
racteristic of the sulphocyanides. The insoluble portion remaining on the 
filter was then boiled in dilute caustic soda ; the filtrate from this made 
acid, and a solution of ferric oxide again added, this time with the produc- 
tion of a blue precipitate indicative of a ferrocyanide. This must have 
existed as ferrocyanide of iron, which on boiling with the alkali became 
oxide of iron and ferrocyanide of sodium. Mr. Hart thinks there is some- 
thing curious in the fact of these bodies being carried such a distance (in 
this case fully a mile from the gas works) by the gaseous current. He 
regards the ferrocyanogen as the result of a reaction between the sulpho- 
cyanogen and the metallic iron or oxide of iron. The amount of these bodies 
must, he thinks, be far too small to have any bad effect on the health of gas 
consumers. — Vide report of meeting of Manchester Literary and Philo- 
sophical Society, Oct. 15. 
GEOLOGY AND PAL.EONTOLOGYh 
The Belgian Bone-caves. — The explorations of these caverns, which have 
been carried out under the superintendence of M. Dupont, are still in pro- 
gress. A report of some of the discoveries made in the course of the inves- 
tigations has been laid before the Belgian Academy, and has been 
commented on by MM. d’Halloy and Van Beneden. The former con- 
siders that the results of all inquiries upon the remains in bone-caves go to 
prove the correctness of M. Dupont’s opinion that man was a contemporary 
of the mammoth. The latter says that he does not agree with M. Dupont 
in thinking that the reindeer and horse lived in Belgium in the savage state. 
