158 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



than the nitro group, -N0 2 ; notwithstanding this, chloroform, 

 CHCI3, bromoform, CHBr 3 , and fluoroform, CHF 3 , although we 

 have in these instances three strong electro-negative groups hound 

 to a carbon atom containing hydrogen, are all perfectly neutral 

 substances ; whereas it has been assumed that in H-ON the pres- 

 ence of the group -1ST, which can be regarded as only very slightly 

 negative, renders the hydrogen bound to carbon acid in its nature ! 



It is highly improbable that sodic nitromethane possesses the 

 constitution CILJ^a-lSrOv * the formation of bromnitromethane, 

 CH 2 Br-N0 2 , from it by means of bromine proves nothing with 

 regard to the constitution of the sodium salt.f 



Assuming that nitromethane possesses the constitution CH 3 -N0 2 , 

 it is very well possible that on treating it with alkalies water adds 

 itself (as in the case of a CO group) to the nitro group, 



ch 3 -n(° h > 2 



^O 

 and that this is split off again in another manner, 



CH 2 =N° H 



^O 



so that the sodium salt has the constitution 



r ONa 

 



CH 2 =N V 



\ 1 



C. On Acetacetic Ether. {Supplementary.} 



In the first place, it may be remarked that the addition of acid 

 haloids to isonitriles described above is to be regarded as a very 

 essential confirmation of my work on acetacetic ether, in which I 

 proved experimentally that in the action of alkyliodides, as well as 

 of acid haloids, on sodium acetacetic ether, not a direct replace- 

 ment of the metal, but an addition, takes place. The experiments 

 show that the double bond present in sodium acetacetic ether, 



CH 3 -CONa 

 II 

 COoKCH 



* V. Meyer, Ann. Chem. (Liebig), CLXXI. 33. 

 t Amer. Chem. Journ., XIII. 427. 



