Organic Bodies containing Metals. 245 



which I reserve for a future communication. Its affinity for 

 oxygen is even more intense than that of potassium ; in contact 

 with atmospheric air it instantaneously ignites, burning with a 

 beautiful greenish-blue flame, and forming white clouds of 

 oxide of zinc ; in contact with pure oxygen it burns with explo- 

 sion, and the presence of a small quantity of its vapour in com- 

 bustible gases gives them the property of spontaneous inflam- 

 mability in oxygen. Thrown into water, zincmethylium decom- 

 poses that liquid with explosive violence and with the evolution 

 of heat and light ; when this action is moderated, so as to pre- 

 vent any great rise of temperature, the sole products of the de- 

 composition are oxide of zinc and hydride of methyle. 



■}- 



HO /-\ZnO. 



The extraordinary affinity of zincmethylium for oxygen, its 

 peculiar composition, and the facility with which it can be pro- 

 cured, cannot fail to cause its employment for a great variety of 

 transformations in organic compounds ; by its agency there is 

 every probability that we shall be able to replace oxygen, chlo- 

 rine, &c., atom for atom, by methyle, and thus produce entirely 

 new series of organic compounds, and obtain clearer views of the 

 rational constitution of others. I intend to pursue this branch 

 of the subject whilst studying the compounds of zincmethylium 

 and the corresponding bodies containing sethyle and amyle. 



Examination of the Gas a. — A quantity of this gas, after 

 standing over sulphuretted water until all traces of iodide of 

 methyle vapour had been absorbed, was transferred into a suit- 

 able flask for the determination of its specific gravity ; the fol- 

 lowing numbers were obtained : — 



Temperature of room 18°'6 C. 



Height of barometer 754*2 mm. 



Height of inner column of mercury . 15*2 mm. 

 Weight of flask and gas ... . 35*4161 grms. 

 Temperature in balance case . . . 19°'6 C. 

 Weight of flask and dry air . . . 35*4500 grms. 

 Temperature in balance case . . . 20°*2 C. 

 Capacity of flask 140*51 cubic centims. 



From these data the specific gravity was calculated to be* 79598 

 The eudiometrical analysis of the gas gave the foUowiug 

 results : — 



