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NATURAL HISTORY OF TANTAL1TB.

TAOTAMTE,

PART LVI.

NATURAL HISTORY OF TANTALITE.

Since the printing of the preceding sheets, a new metallicsubstance has been announced by Mr. Ekeberg, to which he hasgiven the name of Tantalite. This metal exists in the mineralcalled Gadolinite, and also in a species of tin ore, or oxid of tin,(zin-graupen.) In the first of these minerals, tantalite existscombined with oxid of iron and manganese; in the latter it isunited to yttria ; hence the discoverer of this metal has called thelatter mineral yttro-tantalite. Both are found in considerableabundance in Sweden and Finland,

PROPERTIES OF TANTALITE.

Tantalite is distinguished from all other metals by being in-soluble in any of the acids. It is acted on only by alcalies. Thesolution is decomposeable by a copious addition of acids in excess.The product obtained is of a white colour, which it retains afterhaving been ignited. Its specific gravity is 6.500. It fuseswith phosphate of soda and ammonia, or sub-borate of soda