182 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



of fulminuric acid seems to me at present to be the most plausible 

 one. The product first formed by the action of ammonic chloride 

 on mercury fulminate,* 



hgON:C^, 



reacts first on the unchanged salt, giving by addition 



hgON : CH 



I (I.) 



hgON : CCl. 



Mercury formylchlorid-oxime is, however, as is readily understood 

 and has also been proved,! a strong oxidizing agent, which can easily 

 go over, with loss of oxygen, into cyanide of mercury, 



hgON : C ^^ = hgN : C + HCl + O. 



The cyanide of mercury thus formed, can then react with the addi- 

 tion product (I.) as follows : 



hgON : CH hgON : CH 



I I 



hgON : CCl + hgN : C = hgON : C (II.) 



I 

 hgON : CCl ; 



and this product is then oxidized to 



hgON : CH 

 I 



C = N-Ohg (III.) 



I II 

 hgON ; CCl O 



from which, by means of ammonia, the ammonium salt of fulmmuric 

 acid, 



O 

 11 

 CN-C : NONH4, 



I 



HOC : NH 



* The reaction with water is entirely analogous ; it is only necessary to 

 substitute OH for CI. 



t An aqueous solution of formylchloridoxime oxidizes, for example, ferrous 

 salts in acid solution immediately in the cold, and prussic acid is set free. Cf. 

 also Schischkoff, Ann. Chem. (Liebig), Suppl. Vol., I. 108. 



