402 ON THE CHANGE OF REFRANGIBILITY OF LIGHT.
No doubt much error and uncertainty has hitherto existed both as to the colour and as to the illuminating power of these rays, because the gray prolongation of a spectrum formed on paper by projection has been mistaken for the lavender rays.
Note C. Art. 154.
On adding common phosphoric acid to a solution of nitrate of uranium no effect seemed to be produced, but on examining the vessel some days afterwards, a precipitate was found to have fallen. This precipitate proved to be sensitive in a very high degree.
Note D. Art. 158.
I have since observed in a mineral solution a system of absorption bands so remarkable, and so closely resembling in many respects those found in the salts of peroxide of uranium, though they occur in a totally different part of the spectrum, that I think no apology is needed for mentioning the circumstance. The medium referred to is a solution of permanganate of potassa, in fact, red solution of mineral chameleon. In order to see the bands, it is essential to employ a dilute solution, or else to view it in small thickness, since otherwise the whole of the region in which the bands occur is absorbed. The bands are five in number, and are equidistant, or at least very nearly so. The first is situated at about three-fifths of a band-interval above D ; the last coincides with F, or, if anything, falls a little short of it. The second and third are the most intense of the set. I have carefully examined the solution for change of refrangibility, and have not found the least trace. Ferrate of potassa shows nothing remarkable.
By means of the bands just mentioned, the colour of permanganate of potassa may be instantly and infallibly distinguished from that of certain other red solutions of manganese, the colour of which some chemists have been disposed to attribute to permanganic acid (see a paper by Mr Pearsall "On red Solutions of Manganese,'7 Journal of the Royal Institution, New Series, No. iv. p. 49).