This metal occurs in many minerals, especially the varions forms of beryl, including the gems emerald and aquamarine. Wohler first obtained it as a dark-grey powder by fusing the chloride with potassium. Debray's method of preparing it in the coherent form, by mingling the vapours of beryllium- chloride and metallic sodium in an atmosphere of hydrogen, is as follows:-Into a glass tube is introduced first a boat of clay and lime containing metallic sodium, and then another charged with beryllium chloride; the air is completely displaced by dry hydrogen, when the boats and their contents are gently heated, with the result that the vapour of the beryllium chloride is carried over the sodium. The result is a strong reaction, by which the chloride is reduced to a metallic powder or mass of little globules; from this state it is rendered coherent by fusion under sodium chloride in a crucible. The metal possesses a ap. gr. of 2.1, and a bright silver-white colour; its melting-point is lower than that of silver. The compact form, heated before the blowpipe, takes on a thin film of oxide, which arrests further oxi-dation; the powdered form ignites when heated in the sir, and burns brilliantly.

Dilute hydrochlorin acid dissolve* the compact form readily; dilute sulphuric acid only when warm; but concentrated nitric acid only does so very slowly, even on heating: the dilute acids all dissolve the powder. Caustic potash dissolves both forms; ammonia, neither.