OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 321 



The raonoethyl mucoxybromate dissolves quite readily in water, its 

 solution has a strongly acid reaction, and gives with ferric chloride an 

 intense red coloration. It dissolves readily in alcohol, ether, chloro- 

 form, or hot benzol, more sparingly in ligroin or carbonic disulphide. 

 The melting point of the substance repeatedly recrystallized from 

 benzol was found to be 88-89°. 



Decomposition in Alkaline Solution. 



The instability of mucoxybromic acid and its salts in aqueous solu- 

 tion led us to study the reaction more closely, with the hope that the 

 products of this decomposition might throw light upon the constitution 

 of the acid. When a solution of the barium salt is heated to boiling, 

 it soon acquires an acid reaction, and before long grows turbid, with 

 the separation of acid baric oxalate. The reaction then appears to 

 progress slowly, and even after long boiling the decomposition is in- 

 complete. In an alkaline solution, however, complete decomposition 

 is readily effected. Baric hydrate appears to have no action upon 

 mucoxybromic acid in the cold. After standing for days the solution 

 is still clear, and contains no baric bromide. On heating, baric oxalate 

 and baric carbonate are soon thrown down, and in solution may then 

 be found baric bromide and baric formiate. The barium salts which 

 were precipitated on boiling were collected on a filter, and the pres- 

 ence of oxalic and carbonic acids proved by qualitative tests. The 

 oxalic acid was then converted into the calcium salt, and its identity 

 further established by analysis. 



0.3141 grm. of the salt dried at 100° gave 0.2883 grm. CaSO^. 



Calculated for CaCjOi . HjO. Found. 



27.39 27.01 



The alkaline solution filtered from the precipitated baric oxalate and 

 carbonate was freed from the excess of baric hydrate by carbonic di- 

 oxide, and concentrated by evaporation on the water-bath. It gave 

 with argentic nitrate a heavy precipitate of argentic bromide, and the 

 filtered solution, containing an excess of argentic nitrate, deposited 

 metallic silver on heating. After removing the barium with dilute 

 sulphuric acid, the solution yielded an acid distillate, from which plumbic 

 formiate was obtained by neutralizing with plumbic carbonate. 



0.2498 grm. of the salt dried over H^SO, gave 0.2542 grm. PbSO,. 



Calculated for Pb . (CHOj),. Found. 



69.69 69.50 



VOL. XXII. (n. 8. XIV.) 21 



