Intelligence and Miscellatieous Articles. 267- 



April 6, 1660; third, paraselenae, December 17, 1660; and fourth, 

 parhelia, February 20, 1661. That noticed by Hevelius on the 30th 

 of March, 1 660, was very similar to the one seen at High Field House 

 on the 21st of October, 1844 ; only this was parhelia, and that de- 

 scribed by the Polish astronomer paraselenae. 



Since the appearance of the parhelia on the 21st of October, 1844, 

 we have had a very considerable fall of rain. 



High Field House, Lenton, Nottinghamshire, E. J. Lowe. 



November 8, 1844. 



DISTILLATION OF BUTYRATE OF LIME. BY M. G. CHANCEL. 



When a small quantity of this salt, anhydrous and pure, is cau- 

 tiously heated, it is quickly decomposed into carbonic acid, which 

 remains combined with the lime, and a volatile oil which distils ; this 

 oil is butyrone, nearly pure and only slightly coloured ; the residue 

 consists entirely of carbonate of lime, which is perfectly white and 

 pure. When care is taken not to exceed the temperature requisite 

 for the formation of butyrone, with a quantity not exceeding about 

 loo grains, not the slightest trace of charcoal is deposited. 



Most commonly no gas is evolved, unless the heat be too great ; 

 in this case the quantity of gaseous products amounts to 3 or 4 per 

 cent, of the butyrate acted upon. The greater portion is formed of 

 bicarburetted hydrogen absorbable by sulphuric acid. 

 ' It is worthy of remark, that, provided anhydrous butyrate be em- 

 ployed, no water is in any case disengaged, and yet it is well knowri 

 that the distillation of organic matter is almost always accompanied 

 with the formation of some water at the expense of the elements of 

 the organic body. 



When, however, considerable quantities of the butyrate of lime are 

 submitted to distillation, the operation is far from being as simple ; 

 in this case the author could not avoid the deposition of some char- 

 coal, and the liquid products obtained were always considerably co- 

 loured ; this may be attributed to the ulterior decomposition of a 

 portion of the butyrone formed, on account of the unequal distribu- 

 tion of the heat throughout the mass. In this case there is thus 

 formed a mixture of several liquid substances, in which butyrone is 

 the prevailing one. 



In several distillations 100 parts of anhydrous butyrate of lime 

 yielded from 42 to 43 parts of rough butyrone. 



Preparation of pure Butyrone. 

 When the above -described impure liquid is submitted to distilla- 

 tion, the boiling-point, which is at first under 212°, soon rises nearly 

 to 284° ; the fluid which rises between 284° and 293° is to be kept 

 separate, and is entirely butyrone ; the products which are collected 

 previously and subsequently are mixtures of butyrone, and two pe- 

 culiar substances, one of which distils below 212° and the other at 

 above 320° ; the butyrone distilled between 284° and 293°, once 

 redistilled, has a constant boiling-point, and may be regarded as 

 pure butyrone. 



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