404 
Scientific Intelligence 
Sulphuric acid, 
30.9 
4 Atoms. 
Protoxide of Iron, 
20.7 
3 
Alumina, 
. 
5.2 
1 
Water, . 
. 
43.2 
25 
10.0 
Ann. of Phil. 
Iron Malleable 
immediately from the Furnace. — Mr 
Russell has laid before the Literary and Agricultural Society of 
Ceylon, a report on the subject of smelting the iron of that 
country. “ The extraordinary and valuable quality, it is re- 
marked, possessed by this metal, in being malleable immediately 
from the furnace, will probably attract attention among our ma- 
nufacturers at home, to whom such a property must in many 
instances prove inestimable.”— Ceylon Government Gazette. 
37. Experiments on Palladium . — M. Breant, who had dis- 
covered a method of purifying and melting platinum, was em- 
ployed to treat the platinum which the Spanish Government had 
collected since the discovery of the metal in 1741. The quan- 
tity was more than 1000 kilogrammes, or twenty quintals ; and 
from this he obtained a quantity of palladium, which enabled 
him to examine its properties. The colour of palladium is like 
that of silver, and its ductility is the same. Its specific gra- 
vity is 12. Its fusibility is nearly equal to that of iron. Air 
and water do not alter it. A t a dark red heat, it takes a reddish 
violet tint, which passes to blue ; but by increasing the heat it 
resumes its metallic lustre. A mixture of nitric and hydrochloric 
acid dissolves it even when cold. It unites easily with the me- 
tals. The alloys are generally ductile. A very small quantity 
discolours gold entirely. It combines with mercury, sulphur, and 
probably with carbon. If this metal were more common, (its 
price is about six times that of gold), it might be employed for 
medals and chemical vessels, and it might be used in place of sil- 
ver in some articles of jewellery.— Bibl. Universe Juillet, p. 236. 
III. NATURAL HISTORY. 
MINERALOGY, 
38. Sale of the Collection of Minerals of the late Abbe Haiiy. 
—This magnificent collection, consisting of about twelve thou- 
