productive fisheries being those of the sardine, anchovy, and tunny. The minerals are numerous, but not very valuable, the most important being sulphur, which has been worked for more than three hundred years. The climate, though hot, is generally delightful; snow is never seen, except on the highest mountains, and the sky in summer is beautifully clear. Its vegetable productions embrace many tropical, as well as European plants, and it was anciently regarded as the granary of Italy. The principal articles of export are the wines of Marsala, sulphur, fruits, and olive-oil. The chief towns are Palermo, Messina, Catania, Syracuse, and Trapani. Iceland.-A large island in the North Atlantic Ocean, is 300 miles long and 200 broad. Its surface is rugged and mountainous, its soil barren, and its climate severe. Volcanic eruptions are frequent in many parts, Mount Hecla the chief volcano, of which many eruptions have been recorded. Springs of hot water are numerous, the most famous being the Great Geyser, which throws columns of water 90, 100, and sometimes even 150 feet high. The island is thinly peopled. The people were anciently distinguished in literature, and they are still intelligent, hospitable, and of very simple manners. The chief town is Reykiavik. Java, a large island of the Eastern Archipelago, extends from E. to W. about 600 miles, with an average breadth of 100 miles, and is traversed through nearly its whole length by a range of volcanic mountains, volcanoes being more numerous in this island than in any other country of equal extent in the world. The climate is characterised by great heat in the plains, and by numerous earthquakes and thunderstorms. The range of vegetation is very great, and this is the only island of the great archipelago of which the teak-tree is a native. The much-talkedof upas-tree grows in its woods, its juices destroying animal life when they enter the system, but otherwise doing no injury to the surrounding vegetation. Java is the granary of the archipelago, rice being the principal grain. Animals comprise tigers, tiger-cats, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, crocodiles, and serpents. The chief towns are Batavia, Samarang, and Sourabaya. Madagascar, the only large island of Africa, and the sixth largest in the world, is situated in the Indian Ocean, east of the Portuguese possessions, from which it is separated by the broad channel of Mozambique. Its area is about four times that of England. It is divided into a number of small states, which are subject to one sovereign, whose capital is Atananarivo, near the centre of the island. A chain of mountains traverses the island from N. to S. Minerals are plentiful, and coal is used in smelting the iron. Wild animals are few, but they comprise lemurs, a kind of ape peculiar to the island. The chief vegetable productions are medicinal plants, pepper, cotton, indigo, sugar-cane, and tobacco. The language is a branch of a very singular family of languages, exceeding in simplicity and phonetic structure all other languages in the world. For example, most of them have but ten consonants, while none of them allows a syllable to close with a consonant or begin with more than one. SECOND PAPER. One hour allowed for Females. Two hours and a-half allowed for Males. History. 1. When was Wales incorporated with England, and by whom was Ireland raised to the dignity of a kingdom? In 1536, under Henry VIII., Wales was incorporated with England, and the English laws and liberties were granted to the inhabitants. Ireland was also brought under a somewhat stronger rule; and in 1542 it was raised to the dignity of a kingdom, having been formerly styled only a lordship. 2. When was the Habeas Corpus Act passed, and what are its provisions? Is it ever suspended, and with what object? The Habeas Corpus Act was passed 1679, in the reign of Charles II. The object of this Act was effectually to provide that no man should be long detained in prison on a criminal charge without either the Igality of his imprisonment being proved in open court, or his being brought to trial. In times of great public danger the operation of this Act is sometimes suspended by Parliament giving the Government power for a limited period to imprison suspected persons without bringing them to trial. It is suspended in Ireland at present for eighteen months on account of the very disturbed state of that part of the British Empire. 3. Who was the last Prince Regent? When and under what circumstances did he acquire that position? 2. Let AB be divided into any two parts at C. Then rect. AB, BC = rect. AC, BC, together with sq. on BC.-See Prop. 3, Bk. II. 3. If a straight line be divided into two equal, and also into two unequal, parts, the sqs. on the two unequal parts are together double of the sq. on half the line, and of the sq. on the line between the points of section.-See Prop. 9, Bk. 11. Matriculation Chemistry. BY E. W. V. VOLCKXSOM, Lecturer on Chemistry at St. Gregory's College, Downside, Bath. 66. The preparation and properties of oxygen gas. July, 1846. Give an account of the properties of one of the principal constituents of the atmosphere, namely, oxygen. July, 1850. Give an account of the preparation and describe the properties of oxygen gas. July, 1854. The preparation of oxygen gas has been given in the previous numbers. We shall now give its properties. Oxygen is a colourless invisible gas, possessing neither taste nor smell. It exists free in the atmosphere, of which it constitutes about one-fifth in bulk. It forms eight-ninths by weight of water and nearly half the weight of the solid earth. It was till lately believed that it was impossible to reduce it to the liquid state, but two Swiss chemists have recently shown that notion to be false. Oxygen is a little heavier than air. Its specific gravity compared with air is 110563. Oxygen is necessary to animals in breathing and is essential in all cases of ordinary combustion : it is therefore said to be a supporter of combustion. Bodies which burn in the air burn in oxygen with greatly increased splendour. If a taper be blown out and introduced into the gas while the wick remains red-hot, it is instantly rekindled. This effect is highly characteristic of oxygen, there being but one other gas, nitrous oxide (NO), which possesses the same property. Lastly, all the elements with the exception of fluorine form compounds containing oxygen. 67. How many cubic centimetres of oxygen are contained in 100 cubic centimetres of air, and how many cubic centimetres of hydrogen would be burned by this quantity of oxygen? June, 1869. It is found from careful analysis of air that in 100 parts of air there are 21 parts by volume of oxygen and 79 parts by volume of nitrogen. Hence in 100 cubic centimetres of air there are 21 cubic centimetres of oxygen. With regard to the second part of the question, we know that hydrogen is completely burned by oxygen in the proportion by volume of 2 to 1. Hence to burn 21 cubic centimetres of oxygen, 42 cubic centimetres of hydrogen will be required. Oxygen would be instantly distinguished from nitrogen by lowering into the vessel containing the gas a freshly extinguished taper. If the vessel contains oxygen the taper will be instantly rekindled, whereas if the gas be nitrogen the red-hot wick or even a lighted taper will be at once extinguished. Now this same test will be of no avail with regard to protoxide of nitrogen (NO), because oxygen and protoxide of nitrogen have in common the property of strongly supporting combustion. Nitric oxide forms brown fumes with free oxygen, and not with any other gas. Therefore, to distinguish oxygen from protoxide of nitrogen (nitrous oxide), pass into both a little nitric oxide. It will produce brown fumes in the oxygen and not in the nitrous oxide. Also, a solution of potassic pyrogallate absorbs free oxygen, becoming black at the same time. If, therefore, a few drops of the solution of pyrogallate of potash be shaken in jars of the two gases, it will become black in the oxygen and not in the nitrous oxide. 14 atoms of oxygen yield 6 atoms of oxygen, which is three-sevenths of the contained oxygen, that is, 379661 1627'12. 295 molecular weight 112 parts of O 112 X 10,000 = 3796.61 do. 295 In 295 parts of K2Cr2O, there are .. in do. 10,000 = .. the second answer is 1627'12 grains. 71. Name the substances which are formed when carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus and sulphur respectively are burned in an excess of oxygen. June, 1865. -June, 1867. When carbon is burned in an excess of oxygen, carbonic dioxide is formed : i.e., two molecules of potassic dichromate containing 72. A watch-spring is burned in a closed vessel of oxygen. State (a) whether the weight of the bottle and its contents is affected by the combustion; (b) what is the nature of the product formed by the combustion; (c) whether the grey, metallic-looking globules found at the bottom of the bottle after the experiment consist of metallic iron; (d) whether the whole of the oxygen originally filling the bottle is still present, and, if so, in what form. January, 1874. A steel watch-spring, having a bit of lighted amadou (German tinder) fixed to its extremity, when introduced into a vessel of oxygen gas exhibits a most beautiful phenomenon of combustion. The oxygen here combines with the iron, and the heat evolved in combination is so great that the fused globules of black iron oxide (Fe3O4), after falling through half an inch of water, fix themselves in the plate in which the jar stands. (a) The weight of the bottle and its contents is not affected by the combustion. (6) Black oxide of iron (Fe3O4), known as magnetic oxide of iron. (c) No; they consist of oxide of iron, (Fe3O4). (d) Yes, it is all present; but a part may be free, and the remainder combined with iron. 73. Why do you consider two atoms of hydrogen to be equivalent to one atom of oxygen? January, 1872. Sodium, when acted upon by an excess of water, sets free some of the hydrogen of the water, and the remainder of the constituents of the water goes to form sodic hydrate; thus: Na + H2O = NaHO+ H Now, by heating the sodic hydrate till it fuses, and adding an excess of sodium, the remainder of the hydrogen of the water is liberated and sodic oxide is formed, thus: Na+ NaHO Na2O + H Sodium. sodic sodic hydrogen. hydrate. oxide. It is found, by measurement, that these two liberated quantities of hydrogen are equal; therefore, in water there are two atoms of hydrogen, because no one has yet expelled it in more than two equal portions. The oxygen cannot be removed in parts, but all at once: we therefore say that water contains one atom of oxygen to two atoms of hydrogen. Now, hydrogen combines with chlorine, atom with atom, since in their compound-hydric chloride--if the hydrogen or chlorine be replaced by another element, it is all replaced all at once and not by parts. This means that one atom of chlorine is equivalent to one atom of hydrogen. If in any compound chlorine replaces oxygen, two atoms of chlorine always replace one atom of oxygen; therefore one atom of oxygen is equivalent to two atoms of chlorin, and therefore also to two atoms of hydrogn. 74. In what proportion by volume does oxygn combine with each of the following gases, viz., hydrogen, carbonic oxide, marsh gas, and olefiant gas? June, 1865. Combination with hydrogen : 76. Oxygn is said to be a permanent gas and a great supporter of combustion. Illustrate each statement by a description of one or two experiments. June, 1872. The term permanent gas is generally used in contradistinction to a readily condensible vapour. That oxygen is a permanent gas, that is to say impossible to be liquefied by any means at present at our disposal, has been proved to be false by two famous Swiss chemists, only a short time ago. That oxygen is a supporter of combustion is easily proved from the following facts. If a glowing woodsplint be plunged into a vessel of oxygen it at once bursts into flame. A candle and a fire burn in air by virtue of the oxygen which the air contains. If a candle be burned in a closed glass vessel it will continue alight for a short time, and will then be extinguished because all the oxygen has been used. 245 = 149 +96 78. Explain, by means of symbols, the decomposition of mercuric oxide by heat. June, 1879. Mercuric oxide is decomposed by heat into its two elements, mercury and oxygen, according to this equation : 2 HgO=2Hg+O2 Mercuric mercury. oxygen. oxide. 30+ C2H1 = 2CO2 + 2H2O 79. How would you distinguish oxygen from common air? June, 1867. A taper, with the wick red-hot, will burst into flame in oxygen, but not in air. Nitric oxide forms, with free oxygen, brown fumes, which are readily soluble in water. If, therefore, a few bubbles of that gas are passed into a jar containing air and placed over a pneumatic trough, brown fumes arise. These are at once dissolved in the water, which rises in the jar onefifth of the height. If the jar contain pure oxygen, the water will rise nearly to the top. Instead of nitric oxide and water, a solution of pyrogallate of potash or a stick of phosphorus may be used in a similar manner. 8o. Name the substances which are formed when carbon, hydrogen, sulphur and phosphorus are respectively burned in an excess of oxygen. Which of the following bodies can be burned in oxygen :-Sulphur, nitrogen, coke, sulphurous acid, wax, iodine, chlorine, and ammonia? June, 1867. For the solution of the first part of the question see No. 71. With regard to the second part, sulphur, coke, wax, and ammonia can be burned in oxygen; the others cannot. Recent Inspection Questions. [The Editor respectfully solicits contributions—all of which will be regarded as STRICTLY PRIVATE-to this column. For obvious reasons, it cannot be stated in which district the questions have been set.] Arithmetic. STANDARD I. (1) Add together ninety-seven, eight hundred and seventy-nine, four, nine hundred and nine. Ans. 1889. (2) From six hundred and forty-three, take four hundred and thirty-seven. Ans. 206. (3) Find the difference between one thousand and two hundred and forty-three. Ans. 757. STANDARD II. (1) From thirty thousand four hundred and one, take three thousand and ninety. Ans. 27,311. (2) Divide forty-five thousand and ninety-one by eight. Ans. 5,636-3. (3) Multiply forty-nine thousand eight hundred and sixty-four by nine. Ans. 448,776. (4) Multiply thirty-nine thousand and eighteen by forty-seven. Ans. 1,833, 846. STANDARD III. (1) Add together eight hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight pounds seventeen shillings and elevenpence halfpenny, one million pounds and tenpence. and tenpence three farthings, seven hundred and seventeen thousand and seventy pounds nineteen shillings and ninepence farthing, and eight hundred thousand eight hundred and five pounds fifteen shillings and sevenpence farthing. Ans. £3,377,835 145. 2 d. (2) From five hundred thousand five hundred pounds and ten shillings, take fifty thousand and fifty pounds nineteen shillings and a farthing. Ans. £450,449 10s. 11 d. (3) Divide twenty-eight millions, forty-five thousand three hundred and seventy-six, by five hundred and ninety-six. Ans. 47,056. STANDARD IV. (1) Multiply twenty thousand and sixty-eight pounds eighteen shillings and elevenpence three farthings by one hundred and twenty-six. Ans. £2,528,637 11s. 44d. (2) Reduce two tons, fifteen cwt., 2 qrs., fifteen pounds, fifteen ozs. to drams. Ans. 1,595,376 drams. (3) 36 men are sent to mow a field of six acres, two roods, thirty-six poles, twenty-three yards; how many square yards should each man mow? Ans. 904 sq. yds., 7 sq. ft. STANDARD V. (1) Find by practice the value of 6550 at 75. 10ld. Ans. 2,572 4s. 91⁄2d. (2) 19 days, 7 hours, 24 minutes at £5 5s. per day of 24 hours. Ans. 101 75. 4 d. (3) Make out this bill in proper form :- 5 pints of porter at 2s. 6d. a gallon. 21 gals of sherry at 26 15s 6d. per hogs- (4) If the rent of 100 acres be £157 10s., how much should I pay for 50 acres? Ans. £78 15s. STANDARD VI. (1) A servant's wages are £11 a year (365 days). If she leaves at the end of 31 weeks and 2 days, how much ought she to receive? Ans. £6 12s. (2) If 24 horses plough 11 acres in 5 days, how many horses would be required to plough 33 acres in 36 days? Ans. 10 horses. (3) Add × 3, × 13, Tz × 4, and from the sum of these take 6. Ans. T (4) Multiply 10 375 by 0074, and subtract the product from 76775. Ans. 690975. (5) Subtract 05625 of a pound from os of a guinea. Ans. d. |