Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 77 



for rejecting them is, that they are both situated within 8° of the 

 pole, in which position Lacaille's determination of the right ascen- 

 sion is probably not to be depended upon. Setting aside, there- 

 fore, the two stars in question, the remaining seventy-nine equa- 

 tions give 



M^'ISQ" 51'-5 + 4° 45'-l ; Dec.= + 34° 14.'-3+5° 36'-2. 

 The author further observes, that one of the stars compared with 

 Bradley's catalogue is also remarkable as appearing to move in a 

 direction nearly opposite to the mean direction of the whole, and 

 that if this star be rejected also on account of the great probability 

 there is that the parallactic motion is in this case concealed by the 

 larger proper motion of the star itself in an opposite direction, the 

 co-ordinates of the solar apex become 



^=259° 47H+4° 31'-9 ; Dec.= +34° 19''5 + 5° 17'-7, 

 a result differing less than a degree either in right ascension or de-^ 

 clination from the mean, as above stated, of the three previous de- 

 terminations. 



XIII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



ACTION OF CHLORINE ON ALCOHOL. — FORMATION OF ACETAL. 



MSTAS states that he has observed that the causes which give 

 • rise to acetal are not always oxidating causes. When 

 chlorine is made to act upon alcohol, acetal is the principal product, 

 as long as it does not act by substitution, and it is at once a dehy- 

 drogenating and an oxidizing body. This discovery, the author is 

 of opinion, throws great light on the hitherto obscure action of 

 chlorine upon alcohol. 



In order to obtain acetal by the action of chlorine upon alcohol, 

 it is sufficient to pass a current of chlorine into alcohol of 80 per 

 cent., cooled to 50° or 60° F. The action is to be discontinued 

 when chlorinated bodies commence formation by substitution : this is 

 readily ascertained, for the alcohol then becomes turbid on the addi- 

 tion of water ; the liquid, which has become very acid, is to be di- 

 stilled, and one-fourth of the quantity is to be preserved. This is to 

 be neutralized by means of chalk, and by a fresh distili3,tion one- 

 fourth of the product is again to be obtained ; in this fused chloride 

 of calcium is to be dissolved, which immediately separates a large 

 quantity of a very volatile fluid, containing, like common rough 

 acetal, aldehyd, acetic aether and alcohol ; by the addition of more 

 chloride of calcium, the utmost quantity of alcohol and acetic aether 

 are separated ; the purification of the acetal is to be completed. 



The analysis of the acetal thus obtained was similar to that pro- 

 cured in the usual way ; and thus the chlorine acts, as already 

 stated, both as a dehydrogenating and oxidizing body: C''^H'*0^-f- 

 2Ch-2HO=C'2H'<0* + 2CH + 2HO.— Jw». de Chim. et de Fhys., 

 Feb. 1847. 



