CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 263 



stance evolved no phosphuretted hydrogen. Oil of turpentine dissolved 

 much less of it than of ordinary phosphorus. 



From this the author concludes that the so called amorphous phospho- 

 rus does not deserve this name. It is rather a low oxide of phosphorus. 

 Archiv dcr Pharm. 



ON THE PRODUCTION OF BORACIC ACID AND AMMONIA BY VOLCANIC 



ACTION. 



Mr. R. Warrington stated to the British Association that in 1841 a 

 friend of his had risked the island called Volcano, situated about twelve 

 miles north of Sicily. The height of the mountain Volcano is 2,000 feet, 

 - and the depth of the crater 700 feet. The sides of this depression are 

 covered with a white snow-like substance about one inch in thickness, 

 beneath which is a fused lava, similar in appearance to the slag of a glasshouse. 

 The boracic acid rises in vapor and condenses on the surface of the ground 

 or in crevices at the bottom of the crater, from which about 2,000 tons are 

 annually removed. It occurs connected with sal ammoniac, and the author 

 considers that it exists originallv beneath the surface as a nitride of boron. 



o 



"When steam is passed over this compound at a moderate red heat, it is 

 completely converted into boracic acid and ammonia, which are for the 

 most part volatilized with the aqueous vapors. This theory of the forma- 

 tion of boracic acid was considered by the author substantiated by the 

 analysis of the slag beneath and the snow-like mass above. The former 



J 



contained nitride of boron, and the latter boracic acid and ammoniacal salts. 



VESSELS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FLUOHYDRIC ACID. 



Stiideler has found that gutta percha and vulcanized India rubber 

 resist the action -of fiuohydric acid almost completely. A solution of the 

 acid, which was so concentrated as to fume in the air, was found, after 

 having been for some time preserved in a bottle made of gutta percha, per- 

 fectly colorless and clear. The gutta percha had undergone no change, but 

 was somewhat brighter colored on the inside. Ann. der Chemie und 

 Pharmacie, Ixxxvii. 137. [It would doubtless be possible to cover the 

 inside surface of a glass bottle with gutta percha by pouring in a solution 

 of the gum resin in chloroform.] 







OXIDE OF GOLD. 



Figuier, who tested the several methods of preparing this oxide, now so 

 extensively used in electro-gilding, has determined the best to be as 

 follows : Dissolve 1 pt. gold in 4 pts. aqua regia, evaporate to dryness, 

 redissolve in water, add a little aqua regia to take up the traces of metallic 

 gold and of protochloride remaining undissolved. Evaporate again, redis- 

 solve in water, and mix with pure potassa perfectly free from chloride, 



