poet 5. 1876, | ‘Chemical Notices from Foreign Sources, 69
tte A i oh impel ei et —_— Save
attending its isolation from yttrium, with which it is found * indium and thallium. If, however, the experimental
associated in nature. According to some chemists, the determination of the atomicity of gallium pass through the
atomic weight of erbium is 1126, which, in relation to same stages as the atomicities of indium, yttrium, and
177, is nearly in the ratio of 5 to 8. The more recent other members of the series, its atomic weight will be
researches of M. Cleve on the quantivalence of this represented by the sub-multiple and proportional numbers
element have, however, raised its atomic weight to 48 and 72.%
t70°55* which, considering the wide difference between it (To be continued).
and the previous determination, is a near approximation
to the number in the table, The researches of the same
chemist have also raised the atomic weight of yttrium
from 61°7, the accepted determination, to 89's, or threefourths
 the calculated value. Now the history of
chemical science abundantly shows that it is only after
long and repeated investigation that the highest quantivalence
 of an element can be ascertained, and the result of
M. Cleve’s researches is a further confirmation of the
correctness of the atomic weights of yttrium and erbium
given in the table.
By comparing the ele@ro-positive members of the
series Hn with those of Han, it will be seen that a com.
plete parallelism exists between them ; the light alkaline,
and alkaline earth metals alternating with the heavy
members in homologous positions in both series. Odling
has already indicated that this is the natural order of the
dissimilar members of the zinco-calcic group of elements, }
and similar alternations in other natural groups have been
recognized in the arrangement of elements proposed by
Mr. Newlands and Mendeleeff.|
Just as Cu=62, Ag=108, and x=154, alternate with
Rb=8s, Cs=131, and x=177, in the series Hx ; and Zn=64,
 Cd=112, and x =160, alternate with Sr=88, Ba=136,
and x ==184 ; so in the series H3n, do x==69, Yt=123, and
Eb=1%7, alternate with x=g6, In=150, and Tl=204.
Again, just as K, Rb, Cs, and x=154, are analogues of
each other in the series Hun, so are x =42, x=g6, In, and
Tl, analogues of each other in the series H3n, and are in
homologous positions with the alkaline and alkaline earth
metals in the series Hn and Han. The specific gravities
of analogous members of these two series, except
glucinum, which is anomalous, increase in the order of
their atomic weight, and so far as the specific gravities of
the members of the series H3n have been ascertained,
they follow the same order. Now M. Lecoq de
Boisbaudran has shown that the new metal which he has
discovered, and named gallium, § is, from its spectral reacions
 and other properties, the analogue of indium and
thallium, The position of the new metal in the series
H3n should therefore be either — =42, homologous with
Ca, and K, or— =g6, homologous with Sr and Rb. In
comparing the alkaline metals of the series Hu, the
specific gravity of sodium (0'g7), as will be seen, is greater
than that of potassium (0°86), although Na has a less
atomic weight ; and the same inversion of specific gravities
in relation to atomic weights is observable in their homologues
 of position Mg (sp. gr. 1°74), and Ca (sp. gr. 1°58),
in the series Hzn. It may therefore be assumed that the
missing member x =42, H3n, would have a less specific
gravity than Al (sp. gr. 2's56); probably 2:5. Now, the
specific gravity of gallium, as determined by M. Lecoq de
Boisbaudran, "is 59,9 and its analogues indium and
thallium have specific gravities of 7°42, and 119 respectively,
 consequently x=42z is not gallium, If
gallium were #=6g it would be the analogue of Y, E, and
I'b, and homologous in position with Zn and Cu, whereas
it has been shown to be the analogue of In and Tl and
homologous in position with Sr and Rb, There is then
no other place for a metal having the physical properties
of gallium but the one assigned to it in the series H3n,
with the atomic weight=g6, and forming a triad with
* Bull. Société Chimique de Pari iy 344, 1874.
I “ Watts, Dic. Chem” ape vol, So Classifization of Metals,
} Curm, Nrws, vol. xii., 83; vol, xiii, 118.
| Die periodische Gesetzmifsigkeit der chemischen elemente
an Crim ga Suppl. Band, viii., 133—229, 1873; Phil. Mag..
§ Comptes Rendu s i
§ phapis Re Wiis, Selina or 403) 1000, 3664

Second Annual Report of the Inspector and Assayer of
Liquors to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Boston: A. J. Wright.
{T appears that of the samples of liquors submitted to
chemical examination about 33 per cent were either of
very inferior quality and were more or less adulterated.
The tabulated analytical report gives in connection with
every sample the name of the vendor. A very large
majority of the liquors examined were ardent spirits, very
few samples of wines or malt-liquors having been taken,
The adulterants discovered are neither novel nor interesting,
 consisting as a rule of water, with sugar, colouringmatters,
 and in one case methylic alcohol. The nine
samples of beer and ale analysed were found free from
zocculus indicus, strychnia, and picric acid, or * any other
bitter except that of hops and malt.” One sample of
native American wine, “ California claret,” has been
:xamined : it contains g'z per cent of alcohol and the
solid residue, 114 per cent, consists merely of vegetable
acids and astringents naturally derived from the grape.
No magenta or other artificial colouring matter was
present.

Guide to the Literature of the Dairy and of Cattle-keeping
in General. (‘ Fihrer durch die Literatur iiber Milchwirthschaft
 und Molkereiwesen, Butter und Kaesefabrikation
 sowie Rindviehzucht iiberhaupt.”) Leipzig: H.
Voigt.
AN alphabetical catalogue of works on the above subjects.

CHEMICAL NOTICES FROM FOREIGN
SOURCES.
Note.—All degrees of temperature are Centigrade, unless otherwite
expressed,

Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances, de Académie
des Sciences. No. 3, July 15, 1878.
Remarks Concerning the Influence of Atmospheric
Eledricity of Low Tension upon Vegetation.—M.
Berthelot.—Referring to M. Grandeau’s paper “ On the
(nfluence of Atmospheric Elediicity upon the Nutrition
of Plants” (Comptes Rendus, Ixxxvii,, No. 2), the author
recalls the analogy of the result with his own experiments
on the formation of nitrogenous matters under the influence
 of atmospheric electricity. Hitherto in agricultural
chemistry there has been understood under the name of
atmospheric electricity merely the formation of nitric and
aitrous acids and théir ammoniacal salts, produced by
ihe passage of lightning, without having any idea of the
dire& reacions which may come into play between
# From a calcination of the gallo-ammoniacal alum, M. Lecoq de
Boisbaudran has Teceily found for gallium the equivalent 70°03, and
from a calcination of the nitrate, 6g:6—(Comptes Rendus, April 15,
1878.) The researches of M. Berthelot on the specific heat of gallium
indicate, however, a higher equivalent for the metal than 70°03, as
the atomic heat calculated from this determination (5'52 solid) is
bse than that of any other metal except aici Ibid, April 15th
I