NEF. NITROPARAFPINE SALTS. 139 



The salt is instantly decomposed by dilute hydrochloric acid, form- 

 ing calomel, carbonic acid, and a substance having a smell like prussic 

 acid, but not a trace of nitrous oxide is formed. Concentrated hydro- 

 chloric acid decomposes the salt into carbonic acid and hydroxyl- 

 aminehydrochloride (proved by conversion into acetoxime). The salt 

 is very soluble in dilute cyanide of potash, and on addition of dilute 

 nitric acid no precipitate is formed. It was at first long suspected 

 that the salt was basic fulminate of mercury, but it is not possible 

 in any way to convert this salt into normal fulminic acid salts. Thus 

 a large quantity of it was added to hydrochloric acid (one part cone, 

 acid 1.18 to one part water), and the solution thereupon extracted 

 with ether, but not a trace of formylchloridoxime (see following 

 paper) was obtained. On treating the salt suspended in water with 

 sodium amalgam, mercury is formed, and a solution obtained free 

 from mercury, in which, however, not a trace of sodium fulminate 

 could be detected. 



That the salt possesses the constitution, 



Hg; X^:NOhg, 



is very probable, but not yet proved with absolute certainty. It will 

 therefore be further investigated, especially since its behavior towards 

 alkyliodides and its conversion into carbondioxidoxime, O : C : NOH, 

 may be of interest. 



As mentioned above, there is formed, on addition of aqueous sodic 

 nitromethane to a mercuric chloride solution, besides fulminate of 

 mercury, a yellow insoluble salt, which is richer in carbon and in 

 nitrogen than the yellow salt just described. 



This yellow salt, precipitated from hot mercuric chloride solution, 

 was repeatedly digested with boiling water and then dried, first on 

 a clay plate, and then carefully at 100°. 



The substance is likewise free from chlorine and hydrogen and 

 explodes very readily by friction. 



