3 JANUARY 1970, Page 39

Christmas quiz

Sir: I would respectfully suggest that an- timony has a better claim than zinc (27 December: Question X, 1) to be included among the chemical elements known to the Ancient World. for it is doubtful whether zinc, though known in conjunction with other metals, had been isolated while the world could still be called ancient.

I. S. MacArthuf Huntspill Rectory. Highbridge. Somerset