61 
silver solution. A current of air was then slowly drawn 
through the tube for two to three hours without forming 
any precipitate however of chloride of silver ; but the 
surface of the iron was covered with a coating of oxide, or 
in all probability, oxichloride of iron. 
Thick pieces of iron *450 in. diam. were found to redden blue 
litmus paper slightly when applied to the fracture after the 
iron had been immersed 12 hours in hydrochloric or 
sulphuric acid. 
Mr. J. Carter Bell communicated a series of meteoro- 
Ibgical observations which had been made daily during the 
months of May, June, July, and August, 1873, at Tumaco, 
New Granada, S. America, by Mr. G. WiLCYNSKi. 
''On Crystalline Sublimed Cupric Chloride,” by S. Carson, 
(Student in the Chemical Laboratory of the Owens College). 
Cupric Chloride prepared by burning copper in dry chlorine 
gas or by heating the anhydrous salt to 200° is obtained 
either as a brown sublimate or as a brownish yellow powder. 
A mass of a copper compound crystallized in needles, 
many exceeding 5mm. in length, as found in the decomposer 
of the Deacon-Chlorine process was forwarded to Professor 
Boscoe, by Mr. Worsley, of the Netham Chemical Works. 
The crystalline mass was collected from the space above the 
marbles, impregnated with copper sulphate at the top of the 
compartments. ,The temperature of this space is always 
necessarily a little lower than that of the spaces between the 
marbles where the action takes place, and to this is attributed 
the deposition of the compound. 
I have made several analyses of these crystals, the results 
of which show that they consist of anhydrous cupric chloride, 
mixed with a small quantity (about 2 per cent) of an 
insoluble oxychloride. The following is a mean of several 
analyses of the soluble portion : — 
