larger than the centres, whereas in radium the diameter of the sphere and the length of the funnel or spike are about equal. Its heart consists of a globe containing seven atoms, which assume on the proto level the prismatic form shown in cadmium, magnesium and selenium. This globe is the centre of two crosses, the arms of which show respectively threeatomed and two-atomed groups. Round this sphere are arranged, as on radii, twenty-four segments, each containing five bodies-four quintets and a septet-and six loose atoms, which float horizontally across the mouth of the segment; the whole sphere has thus a kind of surface of atoms. On the proto level these six atoms in each segment gather together and form a cigar.' In the rush of the streams PLATE XXIII. Radium-funnel 6/8 atms DAO presently to be described one of these atoms is occasionally torn away, but is generally, if not always, replaced by the capture of another which is flung into the vacated space. Each of the four funnels opens, as usual, on one face of the tetrahedron, and they resemble the funnels of strontium and molybdenum, but contain three pillars instead of four (Plate XXIII). They stand within the funnel as though at the angles of a triangle, not side by side. The contained bodies, though numerous, contain forms which are all familiar. The spikes alternate with the funnels, and point to the angles of the tetrahedron as in zinc and cadmium; each spike contains three 'lithium spikes' (see Plate XIX) with a ten-atomed cone or cap at the top, floating above the three (Plate XXIV). The 'petals''or cigars' of lithium exist in the central globe in the floating atoms, and the fouratomed groups which form the lithium' plate' may be seen in the funnels, so that the whole of lithium appears in radium. So much for its composition. But a very peculiar result, so far unobserved elsewhere, arises from the extraordinarily rapid whirling of the central sphere. A kind of vortex is formed, and there is a constant and powerful indraught through the funnels. By this, particles are drawn in from without, and these are swept round with the sphere, their temperature becoming much raised, and they are then violently shot out though the spikes. It is these jets which occasionally sweep away an atom from the surface of the sphere. These ' particles' may be atoms, or they may be bodies from any of the etheric levels; in some cases these bodies break up and form new combinations. In fact lithium seems like a kind of vortex of creative activity, drawing in, breaking up, recombining, shooting forth-a most extraordinary element. LITHIUM: 4 funnels of 618 atoms Central sphere ... ... 2472 ... ... 796 Atomic weight Number weight 18 4087 ... 227.05 Some of our readers may be glad to have a drawing of the Platonic solids, since they play so large a part in the building up of elements. The regular solids are five, and five only; in each : 1. The lines are equal. 2. The angles are equal. 3. The surfaces are equal. It will be seen that the tetrahedron is the fundamental form, the three-sided pyramid on a triangular base, i.e., a solid figure formed The Five Platonic Solids from four triangles. Two of these generate the cube and the octohedron; five of these generate the dodecahedron and the icosahedron. The rhombic dodecahedron is not regular, for though the lines and surfaces are equal, the angles are not. NOTES. Mr. C. Jinarājaḍāsa writes: The asterisk put before metargon in the list of elements should be omitted, for metargon had been discovered by Sir William Ramsey and Mr. Travers at the same time as neon (see Proc. of the Royal Society, Vol. LXIII, p. 411), and therefore before it was observed clairvoyantly. It is not, however, given in the latest list of elements in the Report of November 13, 1907, of the International Atomic Weights Commission, so it would seem as though it were not yet fully recognised. Neon was discovered in 1898 by Ramsey and Travers, and the weight given to it was 22. This almost corresponds with our weight for meta-neon, 22:33; the latest weight given to neon is 20, and that corresponds within th to our weight, 19.9. From this it would seem that neon was examined in the later investigations and meta-neon in the earlier. He says further on a probable fourth Interperiodic Group : Thinking over the diagrams, it seemed to me likely that a fourth group exists, coming on the paramagnetic side, directly under iron, cobalt, nickel, just one complete swing of the pendulum after rhodium, ruthenium, palladium. This would make four interperiodic groups, and they would come also periodically in the table too. I took the diagram for Osmium, and in a bar postulated only three columns for the first element of the new groups i.e., one column less than in Osmium. This would make 183 atoms in a bar; the new group then would follow in a bar, 183, 185, 187. Here I found to my surprise that the third postulated group would have a remarkable relation to Os. Ir. Pt. |