78 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



same as in the protoborate of aether. 1 volume of chloride of boron 

 produces 1 volume of borate of methylen. 



Protoborate of Amylen. — When chloride of boron is passed 

 through potato-oil, the liquid soon separates into two portions, and 

 at the same time hydrochloric acid begins to be disengaged. By 

 pouring off the upper portion, distilling and keeping the products 

 separate, nearly the whole of the liquid passes over between 500° 

 and 536° Fahr. This product, when rectified, yields a liquid, the 

 boiling-point of which is constant between 518° and 527° Fahr. 



Borate of amylen is a colourless liquid of an oily appearance, the 

 weak smell of which resembles that of the potato-oil. Its density 

 at 32° is O870 ; water decomposes it and dissolves the boracic acid ; 

 ammonia also decomposes it ; it burns with a white flame with green 

 edges, and the production of boracic acid. 

 Analysis showed that it is composed of — 



BO 3 , Boracic acid 426-2 12-8 



30C, Carbon 2250-0 66-2 



33H, Hydrogen 412-5 12*1 



30, Oxygen 3000 8-9 



3398-7 100-0 



The preceding results, the authors are of opinion, tend to show 

 that boracic acid may form with each simple aether at least two com- 

 pound aethers ; one of which is tribasic and contains as much oxygen 

 in the acid as in the base, while the other contains six times as much 

 oxygen in the acid as in the base. The tribasic aethers BO 3 , 30 H 5 O, 

 BO 3 , 3C 2 H 3 O, are similarly constituted to crystallized boracic acid 

 BO 3 , 3HO. Boracic aether (B0 3 ) 2 CH s O is analogous to anhy- 

 drous borax (BO 3 ) 2 , NaO.— Ann. de Ch. et de Phys., Mai 1846. 



HYDRATED BORACIC ACID. 



MM. Ebelmen and Bouquet remark that it is stated in the greater 

 number of chemical treatises, that crystallized boracic acid effloresces 

 and loses half of its water at 212° ; the authors state that they have 

 not verified this statement, but that by long exposure to a heat of 

 320° Fahr., crystallized boracic acid containing 35*7 per cent, of 

 water, is converted into a well-fused substance of a vitreous appear- 

 ance, which is perfectly homogeneous, and retains one-sixth of the 

 water contained in the crystallized acid. The formula of this hy- 

 drate is (BO 3 ) 2 , H. When exposed to a higher temperature, it is 

 converted into anhydrous acid, swelling up much and emitting, very 

 sensibly, the fumes of boracic acid. When the acid has been once 

 rendered anhydrous, it may be kept long on fusion in the crucible 

 without any notable loss. — Ann. de Ch. et de Phys., Mai 1846. 



NEW BOOKS. 



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