An approximate determination of the amount of sulphide of antimony in an ore may be made by fusing and liquating in a luted double crucible in the manner described under bismuth. This is unsatisfactory. The determination of metallic antimony in an ore is made either by fusion with potassium cyanide or by fusion with iron, as in the galena assay. Both methods yield poor results; and, where iron is used, it must be added in quantity only sufficient for desulphurising; this amounts to about 40 per cent. in pure ores. If the iron is in excess it alloys with the reduced antimony. If, on the other hand, it is insufficient, the metal will contain sulphur; or sulphide of antimony will be lost in the slag. The following note, for which we are indebted to Mr. Bedford McNeill, A.R.S.M., gives a description of the method adopted in the commercial valuation of a parcel of antimony ore:-- The antimony smelter, when he wishes to determine the value of any parcel of ore--usually the sulphide--that may be offered for sale, practically has recourse to the smelting operation. That is, a quantity of 2 or 3 cwts. taken by his sampler having been obtained, he treats it under the immediate supervision of the foreman smelter as if it formed part of the ore in process of daily reduction at his works. He thus determines by actual trial the output which it may fairly be anticipated will be yielded by the bulk, and upon the result of this trial or assay, and the knowledge gained of the actual behaviour of the ore under treatment, he bases his tender, knowing that, should he secure the parcel, he may confidently expect a similar return. Briefly, the process consists of the three ordinary operations of-- (a) Singling or removing most of the antimony from the ore; (b) Doubling; (c) Refining or "starring." But in the assay sufficient information is generally given by the first two of these. A new pot having been taken and made hot in the furnace, 40 or 45 lbs. of the ore is weighed in (the mineral from the necessities of sampling not exceeding walnut size); 1 to 3 lbs. of salt cake is now added to render the separation of the resulting sulphide of iron more easy, as also to assist in the fusion of the gangue; 20 to 25 lbs. of tin-plate scrap, beaten more or less into ball shape, is weighed, placed on the top of the ore and salt cake, and the whole brought to a state of fusion. The foreman from time to time takes notice of the behaviour of the ore under the working conditions. Ores that manifest a tendency to "boil" or "froth " require the admixture of other more sluggish mineral in order to render their reduction economically practicable.