Notices respecting New Books. 231 



XXXIV. On the Action of Chlorine on Anilic Acid. 

 By John Stenhouse, Esq., Ph.D.* 



IT is stated in most of the systems of chemistry that anilic 

 acid is not acted on by chlorine. This however is by no 

 means correct; for when a solution of anilic acid is digested 

 with a mixture of chlorate of potash and muriatic acid, no 

 chloropicrine is formed, but the anilic acid is rapidly converted 

 into chloranile. 



When a stream of chlorine gas is sent through a hot satu- 

 rated solution of anilic acid, the acid is speedily attacked ; and 

 if the action of the chlorine is continued for a couple of days, 

 the anilic acid is wholly changed into chloranile. When anilic 

 acid is boiled with an excess of hypochlorite of lime no chlo- 

 ropicrine is evolved, and the solution assumes a dark brown 

 colour. When this solution is saturated with muriatic acid, 

 a flocculent matter precipitates, forming a yellowish uncry- 

 stallizable resin. 



The action of chlorine is therefore a very easy mode of 

 distinguishing anilic acid from chrysammic, oxypicric or nitro- 

 picric acids, and of detecting any mixture of these acids in 

 anilic acid, as the presence of the smallest portion of any of 

 these acids is immediately indicated by the formation of chlo- 

 ropicrine. 



XXXV. Notices respecting New Boohs. 



Results of Astronomical Observations made during the years 1834, 

 1835, 1836, 1837, 1838, at the Cape of Good Hope; being the 

 Completion of a Telescopic Survey of the whole Surface of the visible 

 Heavens, commenced in 18*25. By Sir John F. W. Herschel, 

 Bart.,K.H.,8(C.8(C. London: Smith, Elder and Co. 1847. (Fourth 

 notice.) 



Chap. IV. Of the Distribution of Stars, and of the Constitution of the 

 Galaxy in the Southern Hemisphere. 



n^HE present chapter is divided into three sections, which treat — 

 -*- 1st, of the statistical distribution of stars ; 2nd, of the general 

 appearance and telescopic constitution of the Milky Way in the 

 southern hemisphere ; and 3rd, of some indications of very remote 

 telescopic branches of the Milky Way, or of an independent sidereal 

 system, or systems, bearing a resemblance to such branches. 



The subject of the distribution of the stars over the surface of the 

 visible heavens had received little attention previous to the time of 

 Sir William Herschel, whose researches, and their results, are thus 

 briefly alluded to : — 



* Communicated by the Author. 



