Abstract
THE recent discovery of hafnium in minerals containing zirconium serves to remind us of the discovery of jargonium by Sorby in 1869 (Chem. News, vol. 20). He found that many zircons contained as much as 10 per cent. of the new element. The two closely related elements, zirconium and jargonium, could be most readily distinguished by spectroscopic methods. Sorby and Forbes found that there was such a marked difference in the solubilities of the chlorides in strong hydrochloric acid, that it was possible to make a qualitative separation. Three years later Cochran investigated this subject and suggested that zirconia and jargonia were identical. My object in bringing this matter before readers of NATURE is to suggest that the work of Sorby may possibly entitle him to rank as the discoverer of the new element of atomic number 72, and that jargonium may have priority over hafnium and celtium.
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