OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 299 



The acid properties of this substance have been much weakened by 

 the replacement of bromine by the basic aniline radical CgH^NH, but 

 that they still exist is shown by the following observations. Sodic 

 hydrate in aqueous solution has no action on the solid, but on the 

 addition of a little alcohol a dark red solution of the salt is formed ; 

 sodic carbonate in aqueous solution px-oduces no effect, but on the 

 addition of alcohol a very slight red coloration appears ; acid sodic 

 carbonate produces no effect even in presence of alcohol. Ammonic 

 hydrate in aqueous solution does not dissolve the solid substance, and, 

 even if alcohol is added, the action is very slight ; if, however, the mix- 

 ture of aqueous ammonic hydrate, alcohol, and the solid is warmed on 

 the water bath, a dark red solution is obtained, which smells of ammo- 

 nia, even if a large excess of the ester is used. The behavior of 

 such a solution with various reagents was studied with the following- 

 results : — 



Salts of magnesium, calcium, strontium, or barium gave rusty brown 

 precipitates. 



The salts of the heavy metals gave yellow precipitates, except where 

 the color was modified by the excess of ammonia which could not be 

 removed from the solution of the salt. 



Reduction of Dihromdinitrophenylmalonic Ester. 



The investigation of this subject interested us especially, because it 

 seemed probable that the diamidojDhenylmalonic or acetic acid, which 

 would be the first product of the reaction, would lose water and be- 

 come converted into an amidooxindol, especially since Bischoff"* ob- 

 tained from the reduction of his orthonitrobenzoylmalonic ester a-y- 

 diliydroxychinoline. As with zinc and alcoholic hydrochloric acid, or 

 with zinc dust and acetic acid, he obtained more complex products, 

 some of which it was almost impossible to purify, we decided to try 

 first the action of tin and hydrochloric acid with alcohol upon our 

 dihromdinitrophenylmalonic ester, and for this purpose proceeded as 

 follows. 2 grs. of the dihromdinitrophenylmalonic ester were mixed 

 with alcohol, strong hydrochloric acid, and tin, a piece of platinum foil 

 being used to accelerate the action, and the mixture was kept upon a 

 steam radiator at a temperature of from 50° -70° until the whole of 

 the malonic compound had disappeared, which usually happened in an 

 hour and a half. The clear solution was poured off" from the excess 

 of tin, and, after evaporation to dryness, dissolved again in water, and 



* Ann. Chem., cell. 364. 



