38 ON ANTIMONIATE OF POTASH AND EARTHS. 
of antimoniate of potash, there is formed in the voluminous 
precipitate an acicular salt, which appears under a magni- 
fying power of 200 times to consist of fasciculi and tissue 
of needles. After long standing there is also formed on the 
surface of the liquid a fine crystalline pellicle, and some 
larger sandy granules are deposited on the sides of the test- 
tube. These larger granules appear under the microscope 
to have no crystalline surfaces, but to be formed quite dis- 
tinctly of concentric layers. The flocculent precipitate dis- 
solves readily in excess of dilute chloride of strontium ; the 
liquid is nearly perfectly clear, and only deposits a few 
flakes after long standing, but a pellicle forms on the sur- 
face. 
The aqueous solution of the sulphate of strontia is ren- 
dered opake by antimoniate of potash ; after some time 
there is a slight flocculent precipitate, and a deposition of 
the above-mentioned minute granules on the sides of the test- 
tube. The precipitation of strontia by antimoniate of 
potash is one of the best means of detecting this alkaline 
earth. 
Salts of Lime. — Antimoniate of potash immediately pro 
duces in a solution of chloride of calcium a voluminous floc- 
culent precipitate, which does not become crystalline, and 
which redissolves to an almost clear solution in an excess 
of chloride of calcium. Very few flakes are deposited from 
this solution on its being allowed to stand exposed to the 
air, but a pellicle of minute crystals forms on its surface, 
which consists probably of biantimoniate of lime. It results 
hence that when only a little of the test is added to a dilute 
solution of chloride of calcium there is no flocculent deposit ; 
but with a sufficient quantity of antimoniate of potash, even 
when the solution of the lime-salt is excessively dilute, there 
is a turbid ness, and subsequently a flocculent precipitate, so 
that it would almost appear as if the sensitiveness of oxalate 
of potash towards salts of lime was even surpassed by that 
of the antimoniate of potash. 
