308 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



formed by the action of atmospheric moisture on the sodic benzyl- 

 ate. We have not succeeded in detecting the organic substance 

 formed by the removal of one or more nitro groups, as indicated by 

 the appearance of sodic nitrite among the products. 



Sodic Isobutylate or Sodic Isoamylate acted with tribromtrinitro- 

 benzol in the same way as the alcoholates already mentioned, but 

 the organic products insoluble in water were oily, and we did not 

 succeed in isolating any compounds fit for analysis from them. 

 The aqueous filtrates contained a considerable amount of the so- 

 dium salt of trinitrophloroglucine. As the subject was not of 

 sufficient interest to repay extended work, it was abandoned. 



Quantitative Study of the Action of other Alcoholates on 

 Tribromtrinitrobenzol. 



The object of this work was to make a comparison between the 

 actions of sodic ethylate and of other alcoholates on tribromtrini- 

 trobenzol, and for this purpose we selected the quantitative de- 

 termination of the amounts of sodic nitrite formed by the reaction, 

 since our results with the ethylate had shown that the percentage 

 of nitrogen removed as sodic nitrite was essentially constant under 

 the conditions used by us. The amount of bromide formed was 

 also determined in most cases, although of little value for pur- 

 poses of comparison. Accordingly the following determinations 

 were made, the results of which, with those from sodic ethylate al- 

 ready described, are given together in tabular form after the de- 

 scriptions of the determinations. To economize our alcohols, as we 

 had but a small stock of some of them, we have used principally the 

 method with benzol as a solvent. 



Experiments in which the Alcohol was the only Solvent. 



XIV. "Weight taken. 1.0578 gr. Alcoholate used, sodic methyl- 

 ate. Weight of aqueous solution, 115.1 gr. 54.3 gr. of the solution 

 gave 13.6 c.c. of nitrogen from the sodic nitrite at a temperature 

 of 18° and a pressure of 758.9 mm. 60.8 gr. of the solution gave 

 0.3768 gr. of argentic bromide. 



XV. Weight taken, 1.157 gr. Alcoholate used, sodic propylate. 

 Weight of aqueous solution, 92 gr. 54.1 gr. of this solution gave 

 13.8 c.c. of nitrogen from the sodic nitrite at a temperature of 

 16° and a pressure of 775.4 mm. 



XVI. Weight taken, 1.1582 gr. Alcoholate used, sodic isobu- 

 tylate. Weight of aqueous solution, 117.5 gr. 33.1 gr. of the solu- 



